NSF REU Site: Research in Behavior Science at

West Virginia University

Announcement: We have applied through NSF for continued funding for our REU site, and we anticipate hearing news in January about whether we will continue to be funded.

Interested?

Fill out the form below, and we will send you an email if we receive funding for a Summer 2025 cohort!

REU participants receive high-quality research experience and mentorship to prepare them for pursuing careers in behavior science or related fields. Through this project, we aim to foster interest and participation in experimental psychology and expand the diversity of skilled researchers in behavior science.

**PARTICIPANT SUPPORT**

Stipend
Lodging and meals included
Reimbursed travel to/from WVU

Join our Email List!

Fill out the form below, and we will send you an email if we receive funding for a Summer 2025 cohort!

Activities

Research Project

REU Participants conduct laboratory research in behavior science with a focus on “bench science” in behavioral psychology and the translation of basic research to issues of social significance. On a day-to-day basis, participants work with other student researchers, doctoral students, and faculty mentors in the laboratory. Students work with their faculty mentor to execute project planning, data collection, experimental sessions, data analysis, and interpretation of results. REU participants attend group laboratory meetings with their research mentor and lab colleagues.

One-On-One Mentorship

Participants meet weekly 1-on-1 with their faculty mentor to discuss project progress, developing a presentation for the WVU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, and other mentorship and professional development topics such as graduate school applications and career development.

Weekly Seminar

Participants attend a weekly seminar. Topics include:

Graduate School Roundtable (with faculty and graduate students)
Career Building (resumes, interviewing, elevator speech)
PrestigiousScholarships
Developing Effective Oral Presentation Skills
Creating and Presenting an Effective Research Poster

Cohort Team Building

Weekend team-building activities such as hiking, indoor rock climbing, a ropes course, and rafting build supportive relationships within the summer cohort

Physical Computing Workshop

Participants will learn to program microcontrollers to detect behavior via digital and analog sensors (e.g., switches, joysticks, distance sensors, force transducers) and create events via digital and analog actuators (e.g., lights, speakers, motors). Microcontroller-based physical computing is an increasingly important technology in laboratory research with both humans and animals. By the end of the summer, each REU participant will design, build, and program a system capable of carrying out a simple experiment with rats, pigeons, or people.