National Weather Center REU at the University of Oklahoma
Opportunity Description:
The National Weather Center hosts an exciting summer research program that pairs undergraduate students with research mentors to conduct a project in the wide-ranging meteorology, climate, radar engineering, geography, environmental sustainability, and interdisciplinary topics being researched here. Mentors come from all of the University of Oklahoma's Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, as well as related organizations in and around the University Research Campus. Students are paid a stipend, have free housing, a travel allowance to/from Norman, OK, and travel allowance to present their work at the national conference that best suits them.*
In addition to research, students learn more about the many careers in and around meteorology to help them explore and find career options that might suit them well. The program includes several workshops and one-on-one mentoring to help students build skills needed to succeed. The goal of the program is to help participants decide whether a career in research is for them.
The program provides:
- furnished housing in modern campus apartments,
- a travel allowance to get to and from Norman, Oklahoma,
- a travel allowance to attend a professional conference,
- a fellowship stipend of $6,000, and
- the option to participate remotely, e.g., for those with a family or personal consideration (new for the summers of 2022-2026)
*Examples include, but are not limited to, the American Meteorological Society's (AMS) Annual Meeting, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society's (AISES) regional or national conferences, and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
The 2022 program will run from May 23 - July 29. (Students at schools on quarter systems will be accommodated.) If the program is in-person, travel days will be Sunday, May 22, and Saturday, July 30.
Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must be:
- Pursuing an undergraduate degree
- Graduating no sooner than December after the summer they participate*
- A U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident of the U.S.
*Students who are graduating from a 2-year degree program are eligible to participate so long as they are enrolled in and will start the remaining portion of a 4-year degree in the fall after their summer participation.
Application Process:
The application consists of two components:
- The application (found here; please read through all of the guidelines first)
- Your college/university transcripts. These will be requested after your application is submitted.
Applications will be due by February 14, 2022 by 11:59pm Central Time.
Application items to prepare ahead of time:
- Think over and write your essays
- Make a list of your work, internship, extra-curricular, care-taking, or other experiences along with responsibilities or skills gained
- Calculate your in-major GPA
It is recommended that you prepare to write the essay questions by:
- Looking over past year's projects to get an idea of the range of research projects and how much you'd learn over the summer (e.g., go to each past year and click on either "Students & Mentors" or "Projects": 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, etc.)
- Note that NONE of the projects involve storm chasing,
- and click around through the web sites of our partner organizations, and, as they are posted, the 2022 Project Descriptions to help you figure out what interests you the most.
These are the essays you'll be asked to submit. Work on them ahead of time so that you can copy-paste your well-thought essays into the form.
- Impact You Wish to Have in Your Future Career: What interests you most about applying your background to career in weather or climate? [aim for about 250 words; the form will limit your answer to 2,000 characters]
- This might include social, cultural, familial, educational experiences.
- Impact of Participation on Your Career Goals: Why do you want to participate in a research internship at the National Weather Center and its partner organizations? [aim for about 250 words; the form will limit your answer to 2,000 characters]
- This essay should be personal to you. How would participating in this program help prepare you for the careers you are currently considering?
- Your Impact on Your Peers and the Scientific Community: The NWC REU aims to be an inclusive program dedicated to supporting and enhancing the diversity of future scientific communities. Please describe how you will impact this REU program and the broader scientific community. [aim for about 250 words; the form will limit your answer to 2,000 characters]
Be sure to read the FAQ section on essays.
Link to Application: When you have all the above prepared and ready to go, and have at least 20-30 minutes to work on this (even with your answers prepared it will take some time to enter all your information), Click Here to fill out the application. Applications must be complete by 11:59 CT on February 14, 2022!
About References: Students will be asked to provide reference contact information AFTER applications are due and the initial selection process has taken place between February 18-21. Then references will be sent a link to a survey that is due by March 4, 2022.