Off Campus Experiences for Concordia Students  

The below links are not exhaustive, but are to give you an idea of what is out there.

The School for Field Studies: Environmental Field Studies Abroad

Want to take courses and get credit while sitting on a tropical beach while your Concordia classmates experience sub-zero temperatures?  Dive off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia?  Visit tropical rainforests or desert ecosystems. Then this may be for you.
Visit the School for Field Studies web site.
 

National Science Foundation-- Research Experience for Undergraduates

Don't spend your summer flipping burgers or sitting beside a swimming pool.  Gain experience that will take you somewhere!

From the student REU web site:
"NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location."

Click here to see some previous places students went.

The REU student web site gives general information as well as a link to search for specific REUs.  This is not an exhaustive search.  Not all REUs are listed on this site, you should also check schools or geographic areas that your are interested in to see if REUs are available there.

In applying for an REU, you want to sell yourself.  Tell the PI why you would be a good choice, the lab/field skills you bring with you or the ones you would like to develop through this program.  Let me (Dr. Bishop) or another faculty member review your application before you send it.  Don't apply only to the glamorous places (everybody does that), also apply to the less than glamerous spots too.  Odds are typically better in getting into those programs since fewer people apply.  Also, don't necessarily worry about doing research in the area you "think" you want to go into.  REUs are meant to give you practice in working in research labs or in the field, gain research skills, and present your results. The skills learned are what's important, not necessarily the organism or topic studied.  Besides, you may discover something you never dreamed you would like.

updated 30 August 2005