Research Experience for Undergraduate Students
(REU 2009 Program)

The Molecular Physics Laboratory at SRI International participates in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program of the National Science Foundation. This program provides a stipend of $4800 and travel funds for eight undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States to participate in on-going research projects at SRI for a 12-week period during the summer.

SRI is a nonprofit research organization located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Molecular Physics Laboratory currently includes 20 professional scientists and 6 postdoctoral associates. Their work covers a wide range of topics in the areas of atomic, molecular, and optical physics as well as many areas extending into chemical physics, physical chemistry, and solid state physics. A wide variety of experimental and theoretical projects are available for undergraduate participation, including studies of combustion chemistry, spectroscopy, optical diagnostics, atmospheric chemistry, detection of atmospheric pollutants, and energy transfer in molecular collisions. Many of the projects involve the use of lasers for detecting and analyzing atoms, molecules, and surfaces.

The REU program at the SRI Molecular Physics Laboratory provides opportunities for outstanding undergraduates to participate in research at SRI and to benefit from the collegial atmosphere of collaboration and communication among all members of the laboratory. SRI is proud to host its seventeenth year of the REU program. More than 150 students have participated in this program during the previous 16 summers and have had excellent experiences in laboratory research, frequently leading to publications. Click here for a list of the home institutions and research projects of 2008 REU participants.

Examples of on-going projects:

• Biomedical optics and imaging for cancer detection
• Spectroscopy of molecular dissociation
• Energy transfer in collisions of small molecules
• Laser diagnostics of flames and plasmas
• Laser detection of explosives and atmospheric pollutants
• Atmospheric chemistry and photophysics
• Combustion chemistry
• Microfluidics
• Nonlinear optics
• Laboratory studies of terrestrial and planetary atmospheric processes

Undergraduate participants must be enrolled in a program leading to the bachelor's degree and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. Students who will have received their bachelor's degree in 2009 are not eligible.

The REU program will be conducted at SRI during the period June 1 - August 21, 2009. It is usually possible to adjust these starting and ending dates by several weeks for an individual participant to accommodate conflicts with the academic calendar of the participant's school.

For further information or application materials, please contact:

REU Program
Molecular Physics Laboratory
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Ave.
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Fax: (650) 859-6196                          
e-mail (internet): reu@sri.com
Phone: (650) 859-3398 (Dr. Kostas Kalogerakis)
or: (650) 859-4131 (Dr. Gregory Faris)

Click here for the Application Form.

Deadline for Applications: February 28, 2009. Please complete your application as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

SRI International is an equal opportunity employer and adheres to all State and Federal regulations. The REU program welcomes applications from women and members of under-represented minority groups.

Past REU Student Projects and Program Activities

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