Apply for the Ole Miss Nanoengineering Summer REU Program

Application requirements and materials all in one place

Group photo of 2025 REU students and faculty standing in the Ole Miss student union

Summer 2026 Dates Announced

We are excited to announce the tentative dates for our Summer 2026 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program: May 26 – July 31, 2026. While we are still awaiting the NSF renewal funding decision for summer 2026, applications are still welcome through the ETAP portal.

Application Instructions

To apply for summer 2026, we are using the ETAP (Education & Training Application) system from the National Science Foundation (NSF) where you can apply to multiple REU sites with one common application.

To apply, you must login or create an account with multi-factor authentication through NSF.

Once your account is created, you will need to register in ETAP with your general information (e.g., name, contact information, demographics, etc.). This is also where you upload your resume/CV, personal statement, transcripts (unofficial is fine for us), and contact information for references. You will only have to do this once, allowing you to apply for multiple REU opportunities in ETAP with the same materials.

During registration, you are prompted to enter text to send to your letter writers. Example text is provided here:

Hello,

I am requesting a recommendation letter for the 2026 Ole Miss Nanoengineering Summer REU Program (nanoreu.olemiss.edu). The letter should be a PDF and on institutional letterhead. Please submit it through the link in this email by February 15, 2026 at 5 PM Central Time. 

You can contact the REU director Dr. Nikki Reinemann at dnreinem@olemiss.edu if you have any questions.

I appreciate your time.

Sincerely,

{insert applicant name}

The ETAP system will invite your reference letter writers via email automatically after you submit your application. However, we highly encourage you to follow up with your letter writers separately to make sure they received the email. You can track the status of your letters in ETAP, as well as send reminders to your letter writers.

To find the application, go the NSF ETAP home page, click “Explore Opportunities”, and search for “Ole Miss”. Alternatively, you can use the link below.

Link to Application: 

2026 Ole Miss Nanoengineering Summer REU Program Opportunity Link

 

Eligibility and Application Materials

You do NOT have be an engineering major to apply, and there are no minimum GPA requirements! Any STEM background is welcome, and research experience is not required.

As the REU is funded by the NSF, supported undergraduate students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

A competitive REU applicant will:

  • be a STEM major (engineering is not required!),
  • have an interest in learning more about research as a career,
  • be a rising sophomore through rising senior as of summer 2025, and
  • have a complete application package.

Minimum application materials include:

  • completed online application
  • resume/CV
  • transcript (official or unofficial)
  • ranking your interest in potential summer projects (see Project Descriptions page)
  • statement of motivation, research interests, and future goals
  • two reference letters

You will be asked to rank your choices for PIs/labs in which you wish to work. For more information about each PI and their lab, you can follow the links to their respective websites or look at previous project descriptions.

We expect to make initial decisions by early March.

Nikki Reinemann

Questions?

Please direct any questions about REU programming or the application to the REU director, Dr. Nikki Reinemann.

Nikki Reinemann

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering