REU Program
The University of Notre Dame’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, which celebrated 35 years in 2021, provides opportunities for undergraduate physics majors to experience hands-on participation in research in many areas of physics. The REU program gives you valuable research experience, to help you decide if physics research is right for you. You will work closely with faculty and graduate students on a variety of current research projects and benefit from a number of activities organized to enrich your experience. These include: weekly seminars, a course on computer programming, a GRE preparation course, ethics workshops, a workshop on applying to graduate schools, field trips to nearby national laboratories, and the REU Symposium where you will present the results of your research. You will also maintain a logbook and write a project report. In addition, a variety of recreational and social activities are organized to make your stay with us “fun”. Basically, this means that if you are a rising junior or senior, you can come to Notre Dame and work on a research project for ten weeks.
Students are granted a stipend, university housing, and assistance with travel.
The program is funded by the U. S. National Science Foundation and is available only to physics majors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. International students are considered only if clear evidence is provided for financial support from other sources. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
We welcome applications from a broad cross-section of meritorious students, including those from groups traditionally underrepresented in physics.
2026 Program Details
- 10 week appointment beginning May 25, 2026
- Round-trip travel allowance to the University of Notre Dame
- $6,000 stipend plus free on-campus housing
- Weekly physics lunch seminars and two ethics seminars
- Optional programming course and Physics GRE prep course offered
- Excellent social engagement, including day trips to local attractions and/or Chicago, movie nights, and frequent meals with peers
2026 REU Application Deadline and Instructions
2026 Application Deadline: February 16, 2026
Click here to read the instruction before applying.
The link to the 2026 Program Application is at the bottom of these instructions. Please follow the instructions carefully to ensure your application will be received.
The Physics REU site directors will utilize a common deadline of March 3, 2026, for students to accept or decline first-round offers at domestic (non-international) sites. Sites may send offers to students at any time before this, but students will not be required to decide before March 3.
Are you a University of Notre Dame Student?
Click here for instructions and to apply.
ND REU makes a difference in students' lives:
"The weekly seminars were a great opportunity to get to know about the different kinds of research across the different subdisciplines that goes on at Notre Dame. Often times, its easy to get lost in our own subdiscipline and not pay attention to others but this was a good opportunity to step back and take a look into different kinds of research."
--Reuben, REU2025, Lewis University
"I believe that seeing the impact and practical applications of all the physics classes I've taken was really insightful. It was always a treat to realize that the software you're using or the problem you're solving is directly based on equations and principles you're already familiar with. Connecting with a prior background and getting to bring skills and things you've learned with you into the project was definitely the most rewarding part."
--Matthew, REU2025, East Tennessee State Univ
"I really enjoyed learning about the principles behind some of the experiments I conducted in the lab. My advisor made sure I understood how these principles applied to the experimental techniques. It made me realize that there is a huge difference between learning these concepts in class and applying it in reality."
--Breanna, REU2025, Arizona State University
"Learning how to conduct high level research was by far the most interesting, fun, and valuable aspect of the program. This didn’t exclusively come from my research group either, as I found it particularly interesting to hear about what the other students projects were and what exactly they were doing in the lab. "
--Daniel, REU2024, Middlebury College
Contact Information
Kristen Amsler, REU Administrative Assistant
Department of Physics, 225 NSH
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
E-mail: kamsler@nd.edu
Phone: (574) 631-2813