Boyce Thompson Institute

My name is Megan Truesdail, and I’m the Education and Outreach Lead at the Boyce Thompson Institute. I hope this email finds you well!

I’m excited to announce that applications for our 2025 summer NSF & USDA-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs are now open! We’re reaching out to you as a contact in your institution’s biology, entomology, or plant science department, believing you might know students who would be interested in this opportunity at the University of Connecticut. We encourage you to share this information with any students you work with or colleagues who might have interested students in their networks. To keep you informed, we plan to send one or two more reminder emails about the application deadlines. However, if you’d prefer not to receive these updates, please let me know, and I’ll remove you from our communication list.

You can find our 2025 REU poster here. You may also head to https://btiscience.org/education-outreach/research-internships/ to learn more about the program and how to apply! Feel free to forward this email to anyone you think would be interested or colleagues who could help spread the word. 

We host two REU programs: our Plant Genome REU and Programmable Plant Systems REU through the Boyce Thompson Institute on Cornell University’s campus in Ithaca, NY. We are using NSF’s ETAP application portal, making it easier for applicants to apply to both our programs and other REU programs nationwide. We will be opening our Programmable Plant Systems REU application soon. Students can sign up on our website to receive a notification when that application is live!

This is a paid 10-week educational research opportunity with a $7,000 stipend, free housing on Cornell’s campus, up to a $700 travel reimbursement, and an $850 meal stipend. Our program runs from June 2, 2025, until August 7, 2025.  We host a series of professional development opportunities for the students throughout the summer, including sessions in science communication, bioinformatics, and STEM graduate and career pathways. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in research or STEM careers who want to continue building their research and professional skills and tap into a more extensive network of plant scientists and engineers. Applications are due February 1, 2025. 

I am happy to answer any questions about the program! Please feel free to reply to this e-mail or contact me at mlg235@cornell.edu. We are also available to connect with any prospective applicants who have additional questions. 

Let me know if you want us to mail copies of our poster to you to post around your campus or department—I’m happy to do so! 

Warm regards,

About “Research Experiences for Undergraduate” programs: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) are National Science Foundation-funded research programs aimed to give undergraduate students hands-on and meaningful experience conducting research at a partnering host institute. USDA funds a similar program called REEU, or Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates. These paid opportunities provide each student with an independent research project, professional development opportunities, insight into graduate school and career pathways, and allow them to work closely with a research and/or faculty mentor. To learn more: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/research-experiences-undergraduates-reu or https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/agriculture-food-research-initiative-education-workforce-development

About Boyce Thompson Institute: Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) is a premier life sciences research institution and world leader in plant research located in Ithaca, New York on the Cornell University campus. BTI scientists conduct investigations into fundamental plant and life sciences research with the goals of increasing food security, improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, and making basic discoveries that will enhance human health. For over 23 years BTI has been inspiring undergraduates to discover how a career in research can have a positive impact on our world. To learn more: btiscience.org