NSF is particularly interested in increasing the participation in research of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities. The REU program welcomes projects with an international dimension. REU Sites must have a well-defined common focus. This is often achieved within the scope of a single discipline or department, although interdisciplinary or multiple-department proposals with a strong intellectual focus are also encouraged. Requests for an REU Supplement may be made within a proposal for a new or renewal NSF grant or cooperative agreement or as a supplement to an existing NSF award.
Supplements typically provide research experience for one or two undergraduate students.
However, centers or large research efforts may request support for a number of students commensurate with the size and nature of the project. Undergraduate student participants supported with NSF funds in either Supplements or Sites must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. For REU Sites, a significant fraction of the student participants should come from outside the host institution. REU Site project costs may include such items as faculty salaries and participant stipends, housing, meals, travel, tuition, and laboratory use. This is a guideline figure, neither a floor nor a ceiling.