About

The REU in functional materials at the University of South Florida in Tampa provides a 10-week, research immersion experience for 8 students with limited research opportunities at their home institutions. Our program will inspire and engage a new generation of chemists in a stimulating and diverse environment. 

REU students will advance the understanding, design, creation and isolation of molecules with tailored and desirable properties. Participants will synthesize new catalysts, sensors and peptidomimetics, develop sol-gel coatings, enzymes, liposomes, insecticides and light harvesting systems, make innovative semiconductors, characterize photoswitches and protein switches, and synthesize and characterize natural products. 

The program closely integrates hand-on laboratory research with education. Guided by faculty mentors and their graduate students, REU students will learn critical research skills by spending the majority of time working in the laboratory, while workshops will impart key knowledge on scientific communication, research careers, and laboratory safety. In collaboration with the National Academy of Inventors, workshops will be given on intellectual property and entrepreneurship. The program will be concluded with a campus-wide REU symposium.

The REU program is built on a vibrant culture of undergraduate research:  in the USF Chemistry Department, undergraduates participate in every research lab and faculty have a long and productive track record of mentoring undergraduate students. Students will be housed in dorms on campus and receive a $700 weekly stipend; socials and field trips will be organized.

In 2025, the program will start on May 19 and end on July 25. Application is open to currently enrolled undergraduate students majoring chemistry, biochemistry, or a field closely related to chemistry, particularly from institutions with limited research opportunities; this includes applicants from 4 and 2 year community colleges. Underrepresented students are highly encouraged to apply.