The NNA Research Experience for Undergraduate Students (REU) is a paid research experience program open to undergraduate students from Alaska communities. The goal is to provide an authentic research experience with Arctic community priorities at the center.
2025 Short Intensive Research Experience Program
Get paid to practice research! Learn from Indigenous and Western knowledge holders! Attend an international Arctic science conference! We are seeking undergraduate students from Alaska communities to participate in a short intensive research experience program focused on exploring Western and Indigenous science methods of studying how a changing climate impacts Arctic communities. In the program students learn about research in the Arctic, are mentored while attending an Arctic-themed conference that brings together knowledge holders with Indigenous and Western backgrounds, connect with experts who conduct research in the Arctic at the conference, and complete a small research project that includes analysis of co-produced data and presentation of initial findings.
Who: Alaska undergraduate students
When and where: March 10th &11th online, March 22nd-March 29th in-person at the Arctic Science Summit Week conference in Boulder, CO
Compensation: Students will receive a $1200 stipend and all travel and conference registration fees will be covered. Students will also receive 1 graduate-level credit from CU Boulder upon successful completion of program requirements.
Apply here. Applications are due by end-of-day January 1st, 2025. Not sure if you’d like to apply right now or worried you will forget to apply? Sign up here to receive more information about the program and email reminders about the application deadline.
Join an online Info. Session on Dec. 5th from 4:00-4:30 pm (AKST) to learn more about the program, receive application tips, and ask questions. Register for the information session here.
This unique opportunity to learn about and practice Arctic Earth and environmental science research could launch a career! Prior experience is NOT necessary for eligibility. Note that students must be U.S. citizens or green card holders to apply.
From this program, students will be able to:
- Make an informed decision about whether to pursue a research career.
- Ask their own questions and make their own observations about Arctic environmental phenomena.
- Interpret and analyze data collected in an Arctic community and learn how to ask meaningful research questions.
- Value Indigenous knowledges and Western science as ways to gather information about the Arctic environment and inform solutions to the challenges associated with a changing climate.
- Effectively communicate about their research to the NNA research community and with their local Arctic community.
- Increase their sense of belonging to the Arctic community and STEM fields.
Read more about our previous students and their research.
What participants say about the program
- "It is important for youth to understand that there isn’t one specific route you are supposed to go. As an at-risk Indigenous youth I never thought I could be a scientist, but I found mentors who believed in me and Elders who spoke very wise words of encouragement. Youth should look to Elders. Elders have wisdom. You should foster those relationships with Elders to make changes and grow as a community so you can pass down knowledge our ancestors fought hard to keep."
-Jasmine Perea, 2023 NNA REU participant