Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion

For many emerging scientists, research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are an important gateway to graduate school and a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). REUs provide guided mentorship and learning experiences in a summer-long program where students d...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Manzanares, Maria, Peña, Courtney, Kobak, Kayla C., Stratton, Miranda B.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10635516/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37943799
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011573
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author Manzanares, Maria
Peña, Courtney
Kobak, Kayla C.
Stratton, Miranda B.
author_facet Manzanares, Maria
Peña, Courtney
Kobak, Kayla C.
Stratton, Miranda B.
author_sort Manzanares, Maria
collection PubMed
description For many emerging scientists, research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are an important gateway to graduate school and a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). REUs provide guided mentorship and learning experiences in a summer-long program where students develop research skills, build scientific knowledge, and strengthen their scientific identity. While the benefits of REUs are abundant, the process is not always easy to navigate, especially for students who come from first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) backgrounds. This paper provides two-fold guidance for undergraduate students interested in participating in REUs. Rules 1 to 5 focus on demystifying the application process from beginning to end, and Rules 6 to 10 guide students who are on the other side of the application process. Thus, this paper will be most helpful for undergraduate students who are either considering applying for an REU or have been accepted into one and want to learn more about what to expect. It can also be a shareable resource for faculty, staff, and mentors who work directly with STEM undergraduates.
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spelling pubmed-106355162023-11-10 Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion Manzanares, Maria Peña, Courtney Kobak, Kayla C. Stratton, Miranda B. PLoS Comput Biol Education For many emerging scientists, research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are an important gateway to graduate school and a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). REUs provide guided mentorship and learning experiences in a summer-long program where students develop research skills, build scientific knowledge, and strengthen their scientific identity. While the benefits of REUs are abundant, the process is not always easy to navigate, especially for students who come from first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) backgrounds. This paper provides two-fold guidance for undergraduate students interested in participating in REUs. Rules 1 to 5 focus on demystifying the application process from beginning to end, and Rules 6 to 10 guide students who are on the other side of the application process. Thus, this paper will be most helpful for undergraduate students who are either considering applying for an REU or have been accepted into one and want to learn more about what to expect. It can also be a shareable resource for faculty, staff, and mentors who work directly with STEM undergraduates. Public Library of Science 2023-11-09 /pmc/articles/PMC10635516/ /pubmed/37943799 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011573 Text en © 2023 Manzanares et al https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Education
Manzanares, Maria
Peña, Courtney
Kobak, Kayla C.
Stratton, Miranda B.
Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title_full Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title_fullStr Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title_full_unstemmed Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title_short Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion
title_sort ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (reu) programs: from application to program completion
topic Education
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10635516/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37943799
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011573
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