How To Apply

Check program dates (May 26 to August 1, 2025) to make sure they work with your schedule.  Please contact us if your university schedule conflicts with these dates.

Application deadline is 11:59 p.m. (EST) February 28, 2025. 

Be sure you meet the requirements for the program:

1. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or an eligible non-citizen (i.e. U.S. national or Jay Treaty of 1789)
2. Enrolled in college for the fall 2024 or students who will graduate with a bachelor's degree by June 2025 are not eligible to apply) * 
3. Have successfully completed an introductory course/course sequence in a STEM major (e.g., biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental science/studies, physics social sciences, engineering)
4. Be willing to live in group housing**
5. Be able to participate in the program full time, possibly including weekends doing field and laboratory work.

*Students from underrepresented groups in the sciences, veterans, disabled, or are early in their undergraduate coursework (rising sophomores or juniors) are especially encouraged to apply.

**The ASET-REU program is dedicated to the ideals of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion and we ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all scholars.  Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the housing accommodations or other aspects of the program.

Verify your interest in applying after considering:

1. Financial Package. Participants will receive:
   • $6000 stipend
   • Round trip travel (we arrange) to and from Potsdam, New York.
   • On campus housing (with kitchenette) for the 10-week program period
     Note: Minimal food is provided during program workshops, and students are responsible for their own meals. For those students not interested in preparing their own meals, on-campus dining options are available.
2. Program Expectations

• Engage in 10-week residential immersive programmatic activities.
  Note: we try to accommodate student late arrivals or early departures due to semester schedules and other obligations, but those obligations should be identified early in the application process.  Please contact us with any concerns.

​​​​​​Please be ready to provide basic information such as legal name and nickname, contact email and phone number, major, current academic level (i.e., first year, second-year, third-year, fourth-year), institution, etc.

You will need to submit a PDF of your resume/CV with your application. Need tips on putting one together? Here's a helpful video. 

Please prepare a single personal essay that addresses the following, making sure to have the required formatting. Need some help? Watch our Personal Statement video.

• Title on top: “FirstName LastName Personal Statement”
• Saved as ”LastName Personal Statement;” saved as a PDF
• Each item/question should be answered concisely in a single paragraph or two.
  • First Paragraph
    • Introduce yourself, your major, your institution, current academic level (i.e., first-year, second-year, third-year, fourth-year), and briefly anything else you may think is relevant to introduce yourself
  • Second Paragraph
    • Describe your interest in Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River aquatic sciences, engineering, and technology and your short-term (for the summer research experience) and long-term (broader educational and career) goals.
  • Third Paragraph
    • What qualities and characteristics will you bring to the summer research experience from your educational and life experiences?
  • Fourth Paragraph (optional)
    • What else would you like the selection committee to know that has not already been covered?
  • Fifth Paragraph
    • Conclude your personal statement verifying your eligibility and interest in ASET REU and adding anything else you would like to tell us

We will need a PDF copy of your transcript or current unofficial undergraduate transcript.

• If your transcript doesn’t include current course grades, that is okay; however, if the unofficial transcript does not capture current introductory courses, please try to capture those enrollments through a screenshot of your schedule as well as part of the transcript submission.
• Please save PDF copy of transcript as “LastName Transcript” and upload during application process.

Please identify two professors, mentors, or supervisors who can provide a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

• You will need to provide each of their names, affiliations, and email addresses in the application form.
• We ask that at least one of your letter writers be a professor or academic adviser.
• Letter writers will receive an email from us requesting these letters for applicants.

• Prior to applying, go to the “Research Topics” page and review potential projects.
• In the application form, you will need to identify three research mentors or topics from our “Research Topics” page.

Once you are ready, access the application website (NSF ETAP). Go to the NSF ETAP website and Search for ASET REU program and then Apply. Application deadline is 11:59 p.m. (EST) February 28, 2025.