Project

SpectrumX REU+ Program

A woman in a white head scarf and loose light blue blouse points at a laptop screen and a man with dark hair wearing a maroon shirt looks at what she's point to while holding a green and white paper. The two people are outside in a field with green grass and trees in the background.

Applications for the 2025 NSF|SpectrumX REU+ Program are now closed, but if you will be a registered undergraduate on May 25, 2026, we invite you to apply to our 2026 program in October 2025!

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work with an experienced, trained mentor in their field of interest including, but not limited to, spectrum use cases and coexistence, radio and network technologies, data and machine learning, spectrum economics and policy, science communication, and science education.

What is an REU Program?

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs support active research participation by registered undergraduate students in areas of research that are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs at REU host sites or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

By applying to the REU+ Program, students commit to being available for 40 hours of work per week for a maximum of 10 weeks over the Summer. Students are expected to work closely with their mentors and other students, consult with researchers as necessary, and to attend weekly meetings and lectures. Professional development training in technical and workplace skills may also be on offer or required.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US; be and remain an undergraduate student in good standing; and plan to complete an undergraduate degree program.

Applicants must be registered in degree programs directly related to spectrum research, education, or management. Examples of applicable programs include, but are not limited to, communications, computer science, data science, economics, education, electrical/electronic engineering, physics, policy, and pre-law.

What does the program fund?

Travel costs to and from the REU+ host site, as well as on-site accommodation, will be paid directly by the University of Notre Dame. A stipend, paid into the accepted student’s US bank account, will be provided to cover all other expenses during the program, including meals.

Funding is also available to support students who may need additional financial support in order to successfully complete the program, and/or for those students who have successfully completed the program to present their work at a meeting of their professional peers, e.g. American Astronomical Society.

Application Process

The Call for Applications for the 2026 NSF|SpectrumX REU+ Program will open on October 1, 2025 and close on January 31, 2026.

Queries

Contact reu@spectrumx.org

Photos provided by Wes Evard, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame, and Christina Clark, SpectrumX and Notre Dame Research.

Working Groups

Education and Workforce Development

Organizations

People

Headshot of Aylin Yener
Aylin Yener

Education and Workforce Development Director
The Ohio State University

Anja Fourie
Anja Fourie

Education and Workforce Development Deputy Director
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

News

A woman in a white head scarf and loose light blue blouse points at a laptop screen and a man with dark hair wearing a maroon shirt looks at what she's point to while holding a green and white paper. The two people are outside in a field with green grass and trees in the background.
Summer 2025 undergraduate student research opportunity deadline February 28
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) SpectrumX is excited to invite undergraduate students interested in wireless and radio frequency research to participate in its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU+) program this summer.
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Danijela Cabric
Electrical and computing engineering students learn academic research methods with SpectrumX at UCLA
Over the summer of 2023, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) hosted three SpectrumX-sponsored students in its National Science Foundation (NSF) research experience for undergraduate (REU) program. These students were paired with graduate students to pursue research in the electrical and computer engineering field and were guided through the process researchers take from project formation to presentation throughout the 10-week program.
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Ryan Murray, AWaRE REU researcher, stands and discusses his research poster at the Student REU Research Symposium. Photo by Wes Evard.
Electrical engineering students inspired by AWaRE program with SpectrumX at Notre Dame
Four students who participated in the Advanced Wireless Research Experiences (AWaRE) program, sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s Wireless Institute and SpectrumX, presented research posters on July 26.
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Undergraduate researcher discusses experience with RadioHound node
Madeline Pooler, an undergraduate student dual enrolled at Saint Mary’s College in computing and applied mathematics, and at the University of Notre Dame in computer science, took part in a 10-week summer program called Advanced Wireless Research Experiences (AWaRE) through the Wireless Institute at the University of Notre Dame. The Wireless Institute is co-directed by the director of SpectrumX, Nick Laneman, who served as Pooler’s faculty mentor.
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Publications