OUR APPLICATION PROCESS HAS RECENTLY CHANGED.  Please review the instructions carefully.  We would prefer applications for the REU program to be prepared on a PC-format computer and submitted as pdf files by email to biologyreu@ksu.edu.  Applicants will need to use Adobe Reader (ver. 8+) or Adobe Acrobat (ver. 8+) to complete the application form.  Adobe Acrobat is likely to be available on computers at your home institution but if you have difficulty completing the application process because you do not have access to the software, please contact us for assistance or to arrange for an alternative method of submission at biologyreu@ksu.edu. 

How to Apply.  A completed application for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Genomics at Konza Prairie Biological Station will consist of four items.  

• A completed copy of the 1-page Application Form.  Completion of demographic information is optional but is used for reporting to our funding sponsor, the National Science Foundation.
• A Two-page Essay addressing the student's interest in ecology, evolutionary or molecular biology, the specific areas of research interest in genomics or grassland ecology, and current professional career goals.  Career goals need not necessarily be in ecological research.  Past participants have included students with interests in journalism, environmental education and social sciences, and some participants have gone on into careers in those fields.  We recommend a clear focus on the goals, features and faculty mentors associated with this REU Site program.  Try to emphasize your recent professional experiences and avoid describing events during childhood.  Essays should be single-spaced with a blank line between consecutive paragraphs, and should be in a legible font (12 point) with 1 inch margins.
• Unofficial copies of your Academic Transcript(s).  If accepted into the REU program, applicants will be required to provide an official copy before arriving in Kansas to start the summer program.
• Letters of Recommendation from two persons.  Individuals who are able to comment on the applicant’s academic ability are preferred, including faculty advisors at the student’s home institution or mentors from previous research activities. 
  • Respondents should include the applicant's name, how long they have know the applicant and in what capacity, and a ranking or evaluation of the applicant relative to their peer group.  Please comment on overall research ability or potential, oral and written communication skills, ability to work independently, and enthusiasm. 
  • Please save letters of recommendation as a pdf file.  Name the file with the applicant's last name and first initial followed by the respondent's last name (if Dr. Smith writes a letter in support of Fred Jones' application, the file would be named JonesF_Smith.pdf). 
  • Letters of recommendation can be sent directly by your faculty advisor to biologyreu@ksu.edu. 

Application files	Application Form
Adobe Acrobat files (pdf) can be edited with Adobe Reader and submitted by email Right-click the link to the right to download the application form	Application Form for Summer 2011
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files

 

How to Submit your Application. 

• Save the Application Form on your computer.  We recommend that the file be completed on PC-format computer if possible - all application forms submitted from a PC computers have come through okay but files edited on Mac computers sometimes have problems.  Complete requested information in the boxes in the form and click the "Submit By Email" button in the upper right corner of the form.  Follow the prompts to enter your email address and name, select an internet email option, and save your information as a pdf file.  Please rename the pdf file with your last name and first initial.  The application form of Fred Jones would be JonesF_application.pdf. 
• Convert your essay and transcript(s) into two separate pdf files.  Name the files using the same criteria as described above: JonesF_essay.pdf and JonesF_transcript.pdf.  The pdf files can be created using Adobe Acrobat, recent versions of Microsoft Office (under "Save As" or "Print"), online pdf makers at Acrobat.com, or with free software tools from cutepdf.com or primopdf.com. 
• Applicants should attach the application form, essay, and transcripts to a single email message and send it to biologyreu@ksu.edu.  Please ask your faculty advisors to email their letters of recommendation directly to the same address.

Application Tips.  Here are a few tips to assist you in submitting your application.

• Be sure to send all components of the application in a single email.  If all of the materials are sent together, there is less chance that one or more items will go astray.  If we are lacking transcripts or letters of recommendation from one or more of your referees, it may delay processing of your application.
• Check your pdf files to make sure they open properly and look the way you intended.
• Try to plan ahead and submit in advance of the deadline.  We aim to review the applications and make offers shortly after the March 1 deadline.  It helps if the application files are complete so that we can move quickly on reviewing the applications.
• Again, try to submit in the advance of the deadline.  Usually 80% of all of the applications arrive the week before the deadline.
• In recent years, many of the REU applicants have indicated a preference for working in vertebrate biology, especially projects with reptiles, birds and mammals.  If vertebrates are your main research interest, you are welcome to apply for an internship in that area but be aware that the positions may be more competitive.  Students with interests in specific research topics in ecosystem science, plant genomics or invertebrate biology often have a better chance of being matched to an available mentor.
• We expect over 100 applications for the Summer 2011 program.  We are usually able to acknowledge receipt of applications that arrive in advance of the deadline, but not if we receive your file the week before the deadline.  However, you are welcome to get in touch to enquire about the status of your application.

Deadline.  Completed applications, including the application form, two page essay, unofficial transcripts,  and letters of recommendation, should be received on or before Tuesday, March 1, 2011.  We expect to start making offers of internships to applicants during the week of Monday, March 7, 2011.  Students not receiving initial offers will be wait-listed for opportunities and it usually takes 1-4 weeks to complete our student selection.  Students invited to participate in the REU program must accept or reject the offer within a week.  Questions regarding the application and selections procedures can be directed to Dr. Bruce A. Snyder, REU Program Coordinator, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, e-mail (preferred): biologyreu@ksu.edu, phone (785) 532-2430.