Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program

June 8 - August 14, 2009

The NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is a cooperative program between our campus and the Native American Research Laboratories at the University of Montana in Missoula.  Our goal is to recruit ten students each year for summer research in chemical biology. REU students are primarily from small colleges in the upper northwest region of the United States, specifically including Native American students and students from the Tribal Community Colleges and other small colleges in Montana. Students receive a substantial stipend, and on-campus housing is provided.

The students spend the summer working on independent research projects in chemical biology in the labs of their assigned faculty advisors. All students work closely with their graduate student mentors as well. Safety training and laboratory orientation are provided on the first day of the program. Departmental faculty members teach a series of workshops covering topics including NMR, mass spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, EPR spectroscopy, computational chemistry, bioassays/separation science, scientific ethics, careers in chemistry, and applying to graduate school. REU group meetings allow the students to present their ongoing research to their peers. A research symposium at Yellow Bay Research Station on Flathead Lake brings the Missoula and the Bozeman students together to learn from each other scientifically and to become friends in the larger scientific community.  Throughout the summer, students are encouraged to participate in social events such as a rafting trip, a trip to Yellowstone National Park, a day hike, and barbeques. The culmination of the summer research program is a poster symposium where each student presents his or her work to the entire department. An awards dinner follows the poster presentations and formally concludes the summer program.

This is a 15 minute documentary describing our REU program.

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