About the Program
Boston University – Physics Research Opportunity (BU-PRO) Program takes place over 10 weeks each summer. It consists of the following:
- Full-time, in-person research with a BU faculty member (approximately 40 hours per week)
- Weekly seminars on topics related to career preparation and current research.
- Weekly informal meetings in which they meet with faculty and current PhD students about pre-professional advising.
- Final presentation on your summer research
All participants receive the following:
- A $7,000 stipend
- Up to $820 in travel expenses
- Housing in a BU apartment-style dorm
- Up to $630 for conference travel or return to BU to continue collaboration
Each summer, 10-12 outstanding students conduct full-time research in a BU lab. Normally, 2-3 positions are reserved for Boston University students, who act as peer mentors to the other participants. The remaining positions are offered to students from other colleges and universities, particularly those without plentiful research opportunities. BU-PRO is designed to promote access to research opportunities in the sciences for talented undergraduate students from institutions with limited research opportunities and to increase diversity in STEM.
The BU-PRO program is open to students who are conducting research in the following areas:
- Physics
- High Energy Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Physics
- Biophysics
- Physics Education
- Astrophysics
BU-PRO is sponsored by the Boston University Physics Department and the National Science Foundation NSF-REU Program.
Requirements for application are as follows:
- US Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Online application, two letters of recommendation, and an unofficial transcript
For more information on the program and the application process, please see the FAQ.