The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program hosts twelve very select undergraduates from around the United States for 8 weeks during the summer and introduces them to careers in social science through an intense program to conduct research that contributes to our scientific understanding of race and ethnicity and the demography of the criminal justice system with relevance for research, policy, and practice. The program features seminars on racial and ethnic differences in exposure to and impacts of criminal justice contact and educational, economic, health, political, and social inequalities of the U.S. population. In addition to the seminars, REU participants will be introduced research ethics and to different methods of inquiry on the causes and consequences of justice system involvement at the UT Population Research Center (PRC). The PRC is the foremost research institute for population studies in the Southwestern United States and home to a new university wide Initiative for Law, Societies, and Justice. Over the summer, REU students are expected to develop individual research projects mentored by faculty and/or in partnership with community organizations in policy and practice settings. Students will present findings from their mentored research projects at the conclusion of the summer program. They will also be invited to present their work at a professional conference in the fall following their REU summer. REU participants will be part of the UT Population Research Center, the Initiative for Law, Societies, and Justice, and the Sociology Department community, with a readymade set of faculty members and fellow students eager to introduce them to the collegiality of academic life.
Eligibility Requirements
This program is open to US citizens and permanent residents. Undergraduates who have completed requirements for sophomore or junior standing are eligible to apply, with the ideal time for REU being the summer between the junior and senior year. We would like to encourage applications from students who are currently enrolled in undergraduate programs in the social sciences and adjacent fields and from groups historically underrepresented in graduate education. We would like to encourage applications from undergraduates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HIS) in Texas, and students who have been acutely impacted by the criminal justice system. A letter of reference from a nominating faculty member will also be given serious weight in our selection decisions.
Website
Location
- Population Research CenterAustin, TX305 E. 23rd StreetRLP 2.602Austin, TX 78712USA
For more info and application, visit https://etap.nsf.gov/award/7563/opportunity/10234.