OUR PROGRAM.

The IISAGE Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is a 10-week summer program that provides firsthand biology research training for undergraduate students interested in aging science. Students join IISAGE laboratories across the United States to investigate the sex-based differences in aging amongst various diverse animal species. Research projects range from computational studies, to molecular and physiological studies in the lab, to fieldwork on wild populations! These projects are tailored to the skillset of each student, creating a more engaging research experience. For more information on what our students are studying within their respective projects, please explore our research themes and the types of animals we study here.

In addition to conducting experiments in the lab, students participate in weekly journal clubs, career development workshops, and a virtual science expo at the end of the program where they get the opportunity to present their research in a professional setting. Students may also present their projects in person at a local symposium.

  • Mikayla Walsh (left) and Peter Zhu (right) presenting their research on analyzing sex-specific aging differences using Machine Learning at a local symposium.
  • Olumide Adesioye studying the rates of aging and its relationship to mitochondria in ectotherms.
  • Jillian Kaiser studying sex differences in immune activity in greater spear-nosed bats.

ELIGIBILITY.

  • Participants in this NSF-sponsored program must be US citizens, US nationals, or US permanent residents. 
  • Participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to participate. Students who graduate before the end of the program period are not eligible to participate. 

COMPENSATION.

This REU program provides a stipend of $6000 to participants. If students require on-campus housing, in many cases, accommodations in dorms can be arranged with advance notice (costs will be subtracted from the stipend).

HOW TO APPLY.

Please complete and submit an application here. You must attach the following three documents to your application:

  1. Personal Statement – A 600-word essay (pasted into the application form) describing your interests and career goals and outlining your goals for participating in this program. Please identify a specific IISAGE lab from one of our 9 participating institutes (see here) for your research training and explain your choice.
  2. Academic Transcript – Please provide an unofficial academic transcript that demonstrates your academic performance.
  3. Resume – Please submit a comprehensive resume that outlines your educational qualifications, prior research experience, academic achievements, and any other relevant extracurricular activities or accomplishments.

NOTE: You are also required to submit the name and contact information for a reference (e.g., research mentor, academic advisor, instructor) that can speak to your motivation, abilities, and potential. Following the application deadline, IISAGE will reach out to this reference for a recommendation letter, allowing them several weeks to provide their response.

Application Deadline: Friday, January 31st, 2025.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM DATES: MAY 27th, 2025 – AUGUST 1st, 2025

NOTE: Dates for this 10-week program will be decided by the principal investigator (PI) of the laboratory you are applying for. These dates will be communicated with you in the official acceptance letter.

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW

  • Application packages must be complete (application, transcript, resume, recommendation) in order to be considered.
  • Once we have received your application, transcript, resume, and recommendation, we will begin the review/selection process. Selections will be made in early March 2025.
  • To be fair to other applicants, we kindly ask that you refrain from accepting our offer if you are awaiting a response from another program.
  • Award letters will be sent to accepted applicants through the email provided on the application. Award letters need to be signed and emailed to jfavors7@uab.edu.
  • After the signed award letters are returned, Jordan Favors, the program manager, will inform applicants of the next steps.

Please visit iisage.org/team for more information on the host lab you are interested in working in this upcoming summer and the skills they have to offer.

Questions?

For additional program information, please direct your questions to our program manager Jordan Favors.

Jordan Favors
Program Manager – IISAGE
Phone: (205) 975-0170
Email: jfavors7@uab.edu