REU Site: Ocean Science & Engineering at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2025-2027 Program

About This Grant

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, will host a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site for ten undergraduates each year who will participate in the Summer Student Fellows (SSF) program. WHOI is one of the largest independent oceanographic institutions and research vessel operators in the world, and SSFs are offered a wide range of research opportunities. Students are recruited nationally from all major science and engineering disciplines. Each Fellow is matched with an advisor(s) and is encouraged to discuss potential projects with them. Fellows and advisors together complete a work plan early on, then during the summer, each SSF conducts independent research. Interns complete a written final project report and give an oral presentation at the end of the program. Professional development activities include a special lecture series, a one-day field experience on the R/V Tioga, a Responsible Conduct of Research workshop, training on computer programming and how to prepare a scientific poster, and discussions about various careers and graduate school. SSFs often present their results at professional conferences after the program is over and/or co-author publications in peer-reviewed journals. WHOI’s REU program is aimed at students interested in exploring the full range of sub-disciplines within oceanography. This includes biological, chemical, geological, and physical oceanography, plus ocean engineering and marine policy, with several of these disciplines requiring strong foundations in math and physics. For example, the program offers opportunities for physics, engineering, and math majors to explore application of their undergraduate major to areas of study that they may not have yet envisioned, such as ocean circulation, robotics, and ocean modeling. Summer Student Fellows (SSFs) also have access to state-of-the-art analytical instruments, sampling devices and modeling programs for their research projects in a wide range of disciplines; themes that crosscut disciplines include oceans and polar sciences (Arctic and Antarctic), autonomous underwater vehicles and systems, and human-ocean interactions and impacts. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.