Since 2016, my group has provided Research Experiences for Non-Traditional Undergraduates (RENTU). Prior research experience has become a near necessity for students applying to graduate school, but not everyone is able to participate in “standard” summer research programs (due to e.g. health, family, military, or financial constraints). Along with collaborators at Arizona State University and the University of Washington, we provide substantive, capstone-level research experiences on a case-by-case basis to students in need of more flexibility than a typical REU can provide.
Due to COVID, RENTU operated in a virtual form for 2 years — with great success! For the next few years (2022 and beyond), we have NSF support to continue offering an exclusively virtual program. While a return to in-person research will make sense for many, a virtual program increases our capacity to support students for whom a summer in-residence at Brown is not an option. An application procedure is still in development, but if you or someone you know seems like a good fit for RENTU, please contact me for more information. All RENTU students will be supported with a competitive stipend during their research project.
View some sample research papers from Summer 2022!