21st century astrophysics is by nature interdisciplinary. Astronomers today work in collaboration and/or use methods developed by computer scientists, chemists, engineers, planetary scientists, mathematicians, etc. to address the most interesting questions about our Universe. The most innovative approaches stem from these interdisciplinary collaborations. Our REU program provides students the opportunity to pursue an astrophysics-based interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with Northwestern University faculty in Astronomy, Applied Math, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Science (EPS), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (CS), and/or Physics. More detailed descriptions of Summer REU research projects. Projects include work in the following astrophysical areas (with the interdisciplinary context in parentheses):

• astrophysical fluid dynamics (High Performance Computing & Applied Math)
• dark energy (Experimentation & Instrumentation)
• dark matter (Theoretical Particle Physics, Experimentation, & Instrumentation)
• data mining (High Performance Computing & CS)
• Earth’s climate (Earth & Planetary Science)
• exoplanet formation, evolution, & dynamics (EPS, Applied Math, & Experimentation)
• explosive astronomical transients (Observational, High Performance Computing)
• galaxy formation & evolution, & cosmology (High Performance Computing & Visualization)
• gravitational waves (Instrumentation, Engineering, & Applied Math)
• interstellar medium (Observational & Instrumentation)
• black holes & other compact objects (High Performance Computing & Applied Math)
• solar system and (exo)planet formation (Earth & Planetary Science, High Performance Computing)
• solar system planet tectonics (Earth & Planetary Science)
• supernova neutrinos (Theoretical Physics)
• stellar evolution & dynamics (High Performance Computing)
• x-ray detectors (Instrumentation)
• sub-surface life on Earth, Mars and exoplanets (Earth & Planetary Science)

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• We highly value diversity. Women, members of under-represented groups (including ethnic, racial and gender), and
• students from small colleges without astronomy and/or physics PhD programs are all encouraged to apply.
• The NSF will only fund REU positions for U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents of the U.S.. If you are not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident of the U.S., and you can obtain your own funding and are interested in our program, you can inquire by emailing ciera-reu@northwestern.edu. In this case, please do not submit an application before contacting us.
• Also the NSF will only fund REU positions for students who are enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree.
• Students who are transferring from one college or university to another and are enrolled at neither institution during the intervening summer may participate.
• Students who have received their bachelor’s degrees and are no longer enrolled as undergraduates are generally not eligible to participate.