FAQ

REU stands for Research Experience for Undergraduates. The NSF supports intensive and active research by undergraduate students in any NSF-funded area of research. These programs are designed to give you hands-on experience doing research with experts in the field and provide you with training in STEM fields. REU Sites engage a cohort of students in research projects related to a theme. For more information, visit the NSF REU page here. The overarching goal is to increase research engagement in STEM-related fields. 

Yes! This program is specifically designed for students who may not have had any research experience in the past. We have designed the program to provide introductory training and experiences to those who may not have the same opportunities for this kind of training at their home institutions. This program is also designed to provide opportunities for individuals who may identify with groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields, especially those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Our program accepts and affirms all intersectional identities. We encourage applications from individuals who may have experienced systemic barriers to pursuing a career in a STEM field. In your application, you’ll have the opportunity to explain your interest in neuroscience. You can also explain any challenges you faced that made it difficult to gain this kind of experience. The faculty, students, and staff involved with this program are prepared to provide a learning experience for students new to this kind of research.

In this case, “fully funded” means that we will provide money for traveling to and from the program, pay you to participate, and provide room and board during your stay. If you are selected, we will purchase your travel tickets (flight/train tickets or convert mileage if you drive) to travel to and from Gallaudet. We will provide you with a dorm room (single or double occupancy, depending on availability), you will receive a per diem to cover groceries ($375/week), and a stipend of $700. 

You will receive the stipend ($700/week) every two weeks after arriving on-site (i.e., $1400), according to Gallaudet’s pay schedule. Pending confirmation, the $375 to cover meals will most likely be issued as a meal plan for the university's restaurants. If not, we will try to send you your first per diem on your arrival day to ensure you can purchase food.

To set up the automatic payment, we will need you to fill out some paperwork before your arrival. Details will be sent in due time.

W2 and an EFT to provide your bank account details for the deposits. Alternative solutions may be discussed on a case by case basis.

If you are a senior in high school going to college next year, you are welcome to apply. We will need your unofficial high school report card at the time of application instead of college transcripts. We will also need a college acceptance letter no later than April 15. If you have one by the time of your application, please upload it. 

You will also be required to upload a link to a 3 to 5-minute video, as explained on the application page, and request a reference letter from a teacher or counselor discussing your aptitude to succeed in college. 

Finally, if you are under 18 years of age at the time of your application, your parents will need to sign your application form and be the contact person for scheduling any travel accommodations. 

We will also need to confirm your age since all REU participants must be 18 by the start of the REU. 

No. This training is designed to provide you with “hands-on” in-person training, working with groups of neuroscientists on active research projects. Unfortunately, this level of training is not possible with only virtual interactions. In-person attendance is required. There is no online possibility as the training will require manipulating equipment, collecting data with participants, interacting with other students, and attending meetings. The purpose of this program is to fully experience a research environment, providing important training and experience with experts in the field.

No. Attendance for the entire duration of the Summer School is required. Early departure for any reason will result in the termination of the stipend, lodging privileges, and per diem. There will be no return after an interruption. We understand that emergencies and illness may occur, but students should plan to attend the entire program and should not plan other activities that would cause them to be absent during the program. If you already have known commitments at the time of the application, please disclose them so we may discuss the situation. 

Yes, you may still apply, but you will be required to present documentation showing the formal end of your semester. In the Qualtrics application form, you will find a question for this and a place to upload your institution's calendar. This is the only exception for starting at a later date. Please note that you won't receive a stipend or per diem until you are physically at Gallaudet for the REU.  

Accepted students will participate in training or research activities for about 8 hours daily. Morning activities start around 9 am and finish around 5:30 pm with a lunch break. Some days will have planned lunch activities as well. On hands-on training days, participants will go to a lab to learn about a specific neuroimaging method or topic. On non-training days, students will go to their assigned research lab and work on ongoing research. 

We expect students to attend daily lab activities and training provided by the program and to actively participate in neuroscience lab environments during the eight weeks of the program. During their stay, students will be assigned to work in a neuroscience lab at Gallaudet University and actively learn about and contribute to the research projects in that “home” lab. Students should expect to meet with and collaborate with a faculty mentor and other graduate and undergraduate students in their assigned lab. Students shall be respectful of others at all times and contribute to making the research labs safe and welcoming. Students must abide by Gallaudet’s Student Code of Conduct, Procedure, and Policies. You may find more information here. Students who commit severe acts violating any of Gallaudet’s policies will be terminated and lose all benefits. Students will be given a 2-day notice to plan travel arrangements and vacate the dorm.

Gallaudet is the only bilingual university in the world dedicated to supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing students through education in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. In general, in our department, conversations, lectures, and training activities are conducted in ASL with written communication in English. Fluency in ASL is not required to attend the program, but we strongly encourage individuals with previous experience with ASL to apply. We can provide interpreters and additional accessibility support to applicants from various language backgrounds. At Gallaudet, we are a signing community, and we encourage applications from individuals excited about learning in an immersive signing environment.

Life happens and students must have their health insurance to seek medical attention as necessary. If a student cannot attend a training, go to the lab, or is required to isolate, they will be asked to immediately contact their lab supervisor and email edneuroscience@gallaudet.edu.

Students will start with general training activities such as Title IX, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and Ethical conduct of research. They will then attend training for a variety of neuroscience methods over the next weeks, including functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and psychophysiology. Each method will offer two to three days of hands-on and theoretical training. Participants will learn the theory, how to use the methods (e.g., placing the fNIRS probes or a participant in the MRI scanner), and then they will learn how to run basic data analyses.  

Activities will require attending training sessions with the other summer school participants and then working in the lab. Lab work will start with some training on current research and then shadowing other trainees through their work. With time, participants will carry out the research work independently, under the supervision of their faculty mentor or other graduate students in the lab. 

You will accomplish much of your work in person while you work in a lab environment. You will not have homework, but you will have to prepare a final project. You will learn and develop a research question and project throughout your eight weeks working in a lab. At the end of the summer school, you will formally present your project (i.e., research idea, method, data, and results, as applicable). 

Applications must be received by February 9, 2023, 11:59 pm EST through Qualtrics using this link. See the home page for more information on materials and requirements.

The REU Summer School will take place at Gallaudet University, and there will be a short training at Georgetown University. We will follow protocols dictated by these institutions at all times. If required, participants must follow all COVID requirements, including but not limited to masking, COVID testing, and social distancing. Currently, there are no COVID requirements, but these may change depending on the circumstances. Refusal to follow COVID protocols will result in the termination of the stipend, per diem, and lodging privileges.

Dr. Berteletti at edneuroscience@gallaudet.edu with the subject line “Bilingual CENTRE - 24"