Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program at SRI International

This REU site is co-funded by the ASSURE program of the Department of Defense in partnership
with the National Science Foundation REU Site program under Grant No. 1002892.

The Molecular Physics Laboratory at SRI International participates in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program of the National Science Foundation. This program provides a stipend of $5000 and travel funds for eight undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States to participate in on-going research projects at SRI for a 12-week period during the summer.

SRI is a nonprofit research organization located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Molecular Physics Laboratory includes approximately 20 professional scientists and 8 postdoctoral associates. Their work covers a wide range of topics in the areas of atomic, molecular, and biological physics as well as many areas extending into chemical physics, physical chemistry, and solid state physics. A wide variety of experimental and theoretical projects are available for undergraduate participation, including studies of atmospheric chemistry, energy transfer in molecular collisions, materials science, trace species detection, ion physics, laser diagnostics, biomedical optics and biophysics. Many of the projects involve the use of lasers for detecting and analyzing atoms, molecules, and surfaces.

The REU program at the SRI Molecular Physics Laboratory provides opportunities for outstanding undergraduates to participate in research at SRI and to benefit from the collegial atmosphere of collaboration and communication among all members of the laboratory. SRI is proud to host its nineteenth year of the REU program. More than 160 students have participated in this program during the previous 18 summers and have had excellent experiences in laboratory research, frequently leading to publications. Click here for a list of the home institutions and research projects of 2011 REU participants.

Examples of on-going projects:

• Atmospheric chemistry and photophysics
• Biological mass spectrometry
• Biomedical optics and imaging for cancer detection
• Combustion chemistry
• Energy transfer in collisions of small molecules
• Laboratory studies of terrestrial and planetary atmospheric processes
• Laser detection of explosives and atmospheric pollutants
• Laser diagnostics of flames and plasmas
• Microfluidics
• Nonlinear optics
• Spectroscopy of molecular dissociation

Undergraduate participants must be enrolled in a program leading to the bachelor's degree and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Students who will have received their bachelor's degree in 2012 are not eligible.

The 2012 REU program will be conducted at SRI during the period May 29 - August 17, 2012. It is usually possible to adjust these starting and ending dates by a few weeks for an individual participant to accommodate conflicts with the academic calendar of the participant's school.

Application Form: Click here for the Application Form - PDF or WORD

Deadline for Applications: February 13, 2012.  UPDATE: The 2012 REU program is no longer accepting applications. Please check back in December 2012 for information about the 2013 Program.

For further information or application materials, please contact:

SRI International is an equal opportunity employer and adheres to all State and Federal regulations. The REU program welcomes applications from women and members of under-represented minority groups.

Past REU Student Projects and Program Activities

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