NSF REU intern, Amy Wong.
2013 REU intern, Esra Mescioglu, with her mentor, Rachel Parsons.
Kelly Speare, 2012 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) student.
Miles Borgen, Western Washington University, interned in the BEACON Lab.
REU class of 2012
An REU internship at BIOS is a great way to gain the experience necessary to embark on graduate studies or careers in the marine and atmospheric sciences! The most recent example of BIOS REU success: former REU student Michael Swenson is co-author on a paper that was just published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.
The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences has received National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) funding to support 8 fellowships for undergraduate student research at BIOS during fall 2014. This program provides recipients with the opportunity to design and conduct intensive, hands-on research projects under faculty supervision and mentorship in several active and ongoing research areas, including:
- Biology, chemistry, and physics of the open ocean
- Biology, physiology, and biochemistry of reef building corals and reef ecosystems
- Aspects of the molecular biology of marine organisms
- Environmental chemistry of Bermuda's atmosphere and inshore waters
- Effects and consequences of global environmental change
View or download this pdf for the complete list of 2014 REU projects and mentors. Throughout the semester, REU students will give six presentations that outline their research topic, methods, and results, including a final presentation to BIOS faculty, staff, and visiting students. REU students will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of field excursions to learn about Bermuda's natural history, as well as workshops and seminars given by BIOS faculty that provide crucial information about scientific processes and research methodologies.
Eligibility and Terms of Fellowship
Students who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study and who will still be undergraduates in the fall of 2014 are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. BIOS encourages all successful applicants to arrange for independent study credit through their home institutions. Students will reside on the BIOS campus. Travel expenses, room and board will also all be covered by the REU program, travel insurance is the responsibility of the student. Each successful REU applicant will receive a stipend paid at competitive rates.
Application Procedure
- Before applying to the REU program, please review the list of potential 2014 REU projects and mentors. You will be asked to select three mentors and research projects that you would be interested in working with during your time at BIOS. You may also wish to review a list of previous REU projects conducted at BIOS dating back to 1996.
- Once you've identified potential mentors and research projects, complete the REU Application Form and follow the instructions regarding required supplementary documents listed at the end of the form, then e-mail, fax, or mail your completed application to the address listed on the form. Email is preferred with the attachments sent as .pdf files. Reference letters may be submitted by the student or directly by the authors. If you have difficulty with the form, you can contact BIOS's Education Department at education@bios.edu or via phone at 441-297-1880 x 115.
Further Information
Over the years, dozens of REU students have translated their hard work at BIOS into peer-reviewed publications in prominent scientific journals, providing a springboard to their future careers in ocean and atmospheric sciences. In addition, REU students have positive things to say about their experiences at BIOS:
- "My experience at BIOS really pushed me to learn and challenge myself. I thank you for your support. If you could create an institutional impact factor that measured an institution's cultivation of young intellects, quality of science , and educational outreach, it would be hard to surpass BIOS." -John Zablocki
- "BIOS offered me something special: a chance to conduct my own research project. I experienced both the challenges and rewards of being fully responsible for a project. It will be the founding experience in what I hope to be a long career in science." -Eve Kille Sawyer
- "The opportunity to study at BIOS while receiving credits toward my major and getting valuable laboratory and field experience was one I could not pass up. I have been able to focus attention on classes directly related to my major in close contact with scientists who are doing the research I one day hope to be doing myself." -Kelly Pennoyer
- "I believe university students often graduate without understanding the true scope of being a field scientist. I’m so grateful that this program allowed me to gain those invaluable skills, from the technical aspects of working on the ocean to what it means to be involved in a scientific community. The staff at BIOS are a wonderful support system to have behind you; I strongly encourage any undergrad interested in marine science to take advantage of the REU program and apply." - Stacy Peltier
2013 BIOS REU Students
| Student | Mentor | Project Title | Home University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Martin Specht | Andrew Peters | Bioavailability of petroleum hydrocarbons from weathered oil deposits in Bermuda's littoral zone | Cornell University |
| Derek Karl Schwenkmeyer | Helena Reinardy & Kristen Buck | Genotoxic effects of environmental copper contamination in Bermuda | University of California |
| Ameena Hossam El-Din El-Bibany | Helena Reinardy | DNA damage and repair in marine echinoderms | University of California Davis |
| Amy May-Wai Wong | Rachel Parsons | Can corals change the microbial community to select for species that are beneficial for nutrition | University of Georgia |
| Esra Mescioglu | Natasha McDonald | Determination of the effect of microbial activity on the chemical composition of lignin phenols | University of Massachusetts |
| Ryan Neil Jones | Eric Hochberg | Reef community light-use efficiency | University of Alabama |
| Kelsey Rebecca Cowen | Ruth Curry | Climate change and the Atlantic Ocean | Mount Holyoke College |
| Amanda Therese Alker | Rachel Parsons & Shervon DeLeon | Looking at antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with the Seabright sewage outfall | Florida Atlantic University |
View the BIOS REU Facebook photo album
Read more about the REU program from this year's student blogs.
The REU program at BIOS is supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences under Grant No. 1262880. The NSF contact for this program is Lisa Rom, elrom@nsf.gov or 703-292-7709. NSF does not handle REU applications; please contact each REU site directly for application information.