Summer Research
Summer research opportunities for students are supported by departmental funds, fellowships administered by other academic departments and offices within the college, and research grants from individual faculty members.
The deadline for applications is March 4th, 2026, at noon. The Liu, Stafford, Fischer, Diack, and Sandy River fellowships are managed by a common application process. Submit a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) application to apply to one or more of these funds. The Beckman, BIRD, and post baccalaureate fellowships have individual applications available on their information pages.
Other Funding
In addition to department-administered fellowships, there are interdisciplinary programs and funds awarded at the college level. Most of these fellowships have same application due date, noon on March 4, 2026:
Reed College Science Research Fellowship is a college wide program that supports summer research by teams of Reed College faculty and students. The RCSRF was created through the generosity and thoughtfulness of Reed alumni who were elected members of the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original scientific research. The RCSRF is administered by the Undergraduate Research Committee (URC).
The Environmental Studies Summer Experience Fellowships (ESSE) are intended to support continuing Reed students of any major pursuing environmentally-themed summer opportunities for which no compensation is otherwise available. These opportunities might include internships at nonprofit agencies or field research internships/training (on or off-campus). ESSE Fellowships are administered by the Environmental Studies Committee.
Neuroscience Research Fellowship is derived generous donation from Zeke Koch a graduate of the Psychology Department in 1995. The Fellowship provides a competitive summer stipend. The intent of the program is to benefit Reed interdisciplinary Neuroscience students by preparing them for thesis, and graduate school or other avenues to a career in neuroscience. The Neuroscience Research Fellowship is administered by the Neuroscience Committee.
Off-campus Summer Research
We have compiled links to information about off-campus research opportunities. Many institutions have established Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs for research internships during summer months. Hard-copies of announcements for individual programs and positions are posted on a regular basis on the bulletin boards in the first floor hallway of the biology building. As most of these programs require faculty letters of recommendation we provide a suggest format for requesting such letters (instructions). All students engaged in off campus summer research opportunities are invited to participate in the poster session that occurs during the first few weeks of the fall semester (check the seminar schedule for the exact date).
In addition to these opportunities, there are two awards at Reed that can provide funding for students who have unpaid off-campus summer research or internships. These are great options for students who want to work in external labs that cannot offer funding on their own:
The Summer Opportunity Fellowship Award (SOFA) provides funding for a student to pursue academic work with a mentor at another institution/organization for up to 10 weeks over the summer. The purpose of this program is to expose Reed students to new environments and opportunities not available on campus. This program is intended as a learning experience for the student and mentorship should be at the forefront of the project. Students must provide documentation of being accepted to work with a mentor and/or team of researchers at a distant institution/lab by the application deadline. SOFA is administered by the Undergraduate Research Committee (URC). NOTE: The URC's Summer Awards have strict deadlines, unlike rolling application deadlines offered for the CLBR's Career Advancement Fund and Summer Internship Awards.
The Summer Internship Awards (SIA) offer funding to support unpaid (and underpaid) off-campus internship opportunities: public sector, non-profit, or other unpaid summer internships (see website for eligibility). These awards are accompanied by a guided reflection process over the summer to help awardees get the most out of their internships. This award is administered by the Center for Life Beyond Reed (CLBR).
Internships. Additional Opportunities
The Student Fellowships and Awards website describes other research and summer opportunities that are available through the college wide programs including funding for unpaid internships.
The Center for Life Beyond Reed also maintains a database of internships & other opportunities.
Students interested in job shadows can consult this five step guide from the Center for Life Beyond Reed. A job shadow is a chance to observe and follow Reed alumni, parents, and anyone you want to ask for a short period of time, to allow you to explore what happens in a field in which you have interest.