Our Training and Experimentation in Computational Biology (TECBio): “Simulation and Visualization of Biological Systems at Multiple Scales” REU program is a 10-week summer program that will provide a challenging and fulfilling graduate-level research experience to undergraduate students. A wide variety of theoretical and experimental research projects are available to our participating students. Students will also receive classroom training in topics pertinent to the emerging field of computational biology, such as computational structural biology, cell and systems modeling, computational genomics, and bioimage informatics. Additionally, TECBio students will participate in a weekly journal club, attend research and career seminars organized specifically for the program, take part in an ethics forum that will instruct them in the responsible conduct of research, present their work at a Pittsburgh-wide annual research symposium, and experience the various social and cultural activities available in Pittsburgh – America’s most livable city.

What are the academic backgrounds of TECBio Students?

• Our students come from a variety of STEM backgrounds, in the life, physical, and computer sciences and many realms of engineering, including: biochemistry, bioengineering, bioinformatics, biology, biophysics, chemistry, computational biology, computer science, emergent properties, mathematics/applied mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and statistics. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the work, about one third or our students are double majors.

What is a common feature of successful applicants?

• We are looking for highly-motivated, mature, and balanced students who are interested in an immersive research experience in computational biology. Our students come from a variety of academic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds, but all share a passion for pursuing research in this emerging field.

Will my travel costs be paid for?

• We will reimburse the costs of your travel by car (per mileage), plane, train, spaceship, bus, taxi, teleportation, etc. up to an amount of $500. The Pittsburgh airport is 20 miles from the Pitt campus and is easily accessible by bus or shuttle.

Your REU program starts towards the end of May, but my university’s final exams aren’t until June. Can I start the program late and make up the work that I missed afterwards?

• Unfortunately, due to limited flexibility in scheduling the housing, symposia, and other programmatic concerns, we are unable to change the dates for our program. While it is not ideal, we will still consider students who will miss a week or less of the program. For students who may have to take finals during the end of May/early June, we can offer to proctor your final exam(s) while you are here at Pitt.

Can foreign students apply to the program?

• No, unfortunately, you must be a US citizen or permanent resident of the United States (http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). This is a policy of the NSF, who funds our program, and unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions to this rule.

I am a senior, can I apply?

• To be eligible, you must have at least one semester of full-time undergraduate study remaining after your participation in the summer program. If you’re a senior that will be continuing for another semester after the program is over, yes, you may participate.