NSF REU Program

Spend your summer immersed in the NGRREC research community

In this summer program, students will employ a modern integrative approach to wetland science that makes use of recent technological and theoretical developments across the geochemical, biological, and physical sciences.

Students will conduct research at NGRREC’s state-of-the-art field station in Alton, IL and at local field sites situated at the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. Under the mentorship of NGRREC scientists, students will gain experience in project design, field and lab-based research methods, data collection and analysis, and present results as a scientific paper, participate in a poster session at NGRREC Neighbor Nights, create a scientific poster, and showcase their project at our annual NGRREC-REU research symposium to increase science communication skills.

Students will receive a living stipend of $8,000.00 and relocation reimbursement (up to $500.00).

Program Theme

Wetlands are among the most unique and functionally important ecosystems on Earth. Wetlands not only provide critical ecological services (e.g. filtering runoff, attenuating floodwaters, recharging groundwater supplies, removing pollution and providing fish and wildlife habitat) but are key drivers of local economies due to their importance for agriculture, recreation and transportation.

In the modern world, wetlands are often heavily influenced by a diverse suite of natural and anthropogenic processes acting across the landscape at a variety of spatiotemporal scales, including land use change, pollution, invasive species and climate change. The increased demand for land and water as well as a rapidly changing climate has resulted in an accelerated rate of loss and degradation of wetlands across the globe. There is now a critical need for research on wetlands to ensure the long-term ecological and economic health of our watersheds and to assess current restoration and management practices.   

There have also been advances in the capability and accessibility of emerging technologies scientists use to study the natural world and of quantitative frameworks that explain and predict the structure and function of the biosphere. Recent technological developments include automated tracking, remote sensors and eDNA. Conceptual advances include a renewed focus on the flux of matter, energy, and information within and across ecosystems, and efforts to unify ecology across time, space, and levels of biological organization. 

The time is right for combining these two issues to create a modern science of wetlands that is multidisciplinary, integrates new technologies and approaches, and addresses global issues of concern, such as pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. 

Wetland science is a unique discipline that blends chemistry, hydrology, ecology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Accordingly, research as part of this REU program will be multi-disciplinary in its approach to the student experience. Ultimately, understanding wetlands in the modern world will require a unique and unified approach that applies emerging technologies with questions at the forefront of the physical and biological sciences. 

NGRREC’s REU program, “Wetland Science in a Modern World,” focuses on a modern integrative approach to studying wetlands using recent technological and theoretical developments with a goal of unifying wetland science across scales. 

Program Benefits

The program will deepen student's understand of wetland ecosystems while advancing STEM skills, scientific literacy and ability to think critically about environmental issues.

NGRREC has a range of research labs students will have the opportunity to work in, which house equipment such as water analytics, climate chambers, aquarium arrays, and more.

Projects can include fieldwork - from local wetlands to conservation areas - and study any aspect of the wetland ecosystem from water and soil quality to plastic pollution.

Our program also has a strong focus on career development including a career panel, workshops and many opportunities to interact with NGRREC staff from our Research, Education and Outreach divisions. 

Students will also gain experience in science communication to the public, through involvement in NGRREC's community outreach STREAM series.

The program will provide financial benefits to students including:

• A living stipend of $8,000.00 and relocation reimbursement (up to $500.00).
• $1,000.00 in research funds per project.

Program and Activities

Students will spend 10-weeks in the program, during which they will work closely with their assigned mentor(s) and other members of their research team on a variety of lab and field-based research projects. An overall goal of this program is to provide students with hands-on experiences in multiple scientific disciplines.

During the first week, students will be introduced to the REU program, NGRREC and wetland science in a modern world.

Weekly activities include lectures focusing on current theory and practices of wetland science, as well as professional development workshops in scientific communication, manuscript preparation, career panel, research poster development and discussion of environmental racism and diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusivity in STEM.

Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to attend events to foster relationships between students and members of the NGRREC community including BBQ's and a variety of activities (e.g. canoe trip on the Mississippi River, Cardinals baseball game, etc.). Inters will also visit local field sites to experience different aquatic, floodplain and upland habitats of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. 

The REU program will culminate on the second to last day with a research symposium where students will present their work to local, regional and visiting scientists, students and other interested participants.

Mentors

Students will be matched with one or two NGRREC scientists who, together with their research team, will provide guidance and support on a research project throughout the 10-week program. Students are matched with mentors based on a list of specific research topics that they select during their application process. Our program's goal is to provide students with hands-on experience in multiple scientific disciplines. Note: the program director will attempt to accommodate these rankings but cannot promise each student will get their top ranked selection. 

This year's REU mentors are detailed here.

This year's list of specific research topics include: