Explore nature’s machinery through the prism of physics, biology, chemistry and engineering! The Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Biophysics is funded by the National Science Foundation to support 10 highly qualified students to undertake interdisciplinary, supervised research projects at Clemson University, for a period of 10 weeks each summer. The 2024 Biophysics Summer REU program runs from May 20 – July 26, 2024. Move-in is at least one day before the start date, and move-out is one day after the end date.

Program participants work with faculty members, postdocs, graduate students, other undergrads and each other on collaborative research projects about nature’s machinery. Participants are paired in teams of two to carry out independent but highly collaborative research under the guidance of two faculty mentors, each from a different discipline. The projects are designed to give participants a sense of the contributions that physical scientists can make to biological problems and the contributions that biologists can make to physical problems. The focus is on cross-disciplinary training.

The program includes a weeklong biophysics boot camp, a biophysics seminar series, a research tools workshop, a professional development workshop, a journal club, off-campus field trips and social activities. Program participants regularly present their research to and hear about the research conducted by, their peers. By the end of the program, participants present their projects at a University-wide summer research symposium, draft a research article manuscript, and are encouraged to present their work at relevant scientific conferences. Participants also participate in outreach activities throughout the summer.

This program is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative. Students in the program will get the opportunity to work with faculty and students from the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, bioengineering, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Additionally, students will interact with participants in the other summer REU sites on campus.

No research experience is necessary to apply, but a participant must meet the following requirements:

• Have completed at least two semesters of college-level physical science/engineering or biological science/engineering by the start of the program in May 2024.
• Be enrolled as an undergraduate at a two- or four-year institute of higher learning at the time of application.
• Have an expected graduation date (earning a bachelor’s or associate’s degree) on or after December 2024. Students who have completed their bachelor’s degree are not eligible.
• Have an overall GPA of 3.2 or greater.
• Major in natural science (biological or physical science) or engineering.
• Attend all 10 weeks of the program (May 20 – July 26, 2024).
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Provide a ranked list of five preferred mentors (mentor list is below in the Projects area).