Florida Mental Health Institute

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

FMHI is sponsoring a Research Experience for Undergraduate students interested in building their research skills. The REU, also known as the Summer Research Institute, is designed to provide an intensive research experience for students interested in conducting research to help them prepare for graduate school or Senior Thesis. Research projects focus on important areas in mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities and focus on all age groups from early childhood through the older population. The program also offers a research ethics component with topics ranging from training on IRB application and approval processes to ethical issues dealing with human subjects. A research ethics film series provides a focal point for these discussions.

Through funding provided by the National Science Foundation, 2008 REU scholars will receive a $3,200 stipend, summer tuition scholorship, housing allowance, conference travel support, and research support funding. The application deadline is March 3, 2008.

Each year, REU research projects are submitted to external reviewers. Several papers are selected for Outstanding Research Awards. Several students have had their papers published and have presented their projects at state and national conferences. Additional information about award winners is available in the attached links:

The REU in Behavioral Health is distinctive in that each student designs and conducts an independent research project. Students do not serve as research assistants but often serve as their own P.I. and conduct their own project or carve out an independent project from a faculty member's ongoing research program. Faculty mentors provide REU scholars with guidance at every step of the way, from preparing and submitting the IRB application through to writing the research report and presenting it at a public forum. Depending on the research topic and methodology selected, a student may only have time to conduct a pilot study during the nine-week summer program. However, mentors often continue working with REU Scholars during the subsequent academic year to expand the study beyond the pilot stage as part of their senior thesis and to guide them toward conference presentations and publication.

A major factor in selecting participants for the program is our ability to match a student's research interest with the expertise of an FMHI faculty member. Applicants are encouraged to search our faculty expertise webpage to identify faculty who are conducting research in their areas of interest. Once on the page, enter a key word to search for faculty conducting research in that field (e.g., substance abuse). Then, click on one of the names produced by your search and you will be directed to their webpage or vita so you can review the research areas for the faculty member.

The REU is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0552428.