REU Site:Undergraduate Research in Population Studies and the Legal System

University of Texas at Austin
Jun 2026 - Jul 2026

"The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program hosts twelve very select undergraduates from around the United States for 8 weeks during the summer and introduces them to careers in social science through an intense program to conduct research that contributes to our scientific understanding of race and ethnicity and the demography of the criminal justice system with relevance for research, policy, and practice. The program features seminars on racial and ethnic differences in exposure to and impacts of criminal justice contact and educational, economic, health, political, and social inequalities of the U.S. population. In addition to the seminars, REU participants will be introduced to research ethics and  different methods of inquiry on the causes and consequences of justice system involvement at the UT Population Research Center (PRC).

"This program is open to US citizens and permanent residents. Undergraduates who have completed requirements for sophomore or junior standing are eligible to apply, with the ideal time for REU being the summer between the junior and senior year. We would like to encourage applications from students who are currently enrolled in undergraduate programs in the social sciences and adjacent fields and from groups historically underrepresented in graduate education. We would like to encourage applications from undergraduates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HIS) in Texas, and students who have been acutely impacted by the criminal justice system. A letter of reference from a nominating faculty member will also be given serious weight in our selection decisions."

Applications are due February 15, 2026

Read complete information on the UT website and on the NSF ETAP website (these two sites may not be identical).