Skip to content

Home

News and updates

What is the altREU program?

The altREU program is an alternative, fully online, team- and project-based Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) with a focus on designing, programming, and using computers to benefit society. The program is designed for you, a curious, motivated doer, eager to go through a unique learning experience that has the potential to impact both your career as well as society.

The altREU program allows you to work on a project on one or several layers of the “compute stack.”

“It’s not just a bunch of videos, it’s a workshop with a community that will support you to benefit society by designing, programming, and using computers.“

A list of possible internship project topics. You can work at various levels of the “compute stack.”

Oh, imagine all the cool things you could do…

The altREU approach

The 10 week, fully online, team- and project-based program is different from other REU programs. Our approach is based on hands-on projects that focus on producing work that benefits society. There are no tests, no quizzes, no grades, and no video lectures. You and your team are the main drivers in this experience. What you will learn is largely determined by you, your team, and the project that you will define and work on. You will be supported by a like-minded community of peers and mentors throughout the internship. Our goal is to deliver a unique research experience that will:

  • benefit society
  • elevate you to the next level
  • help you to learn new skills and to work on a team
  • provide coaching and feedback from dedicated and qualified mentors
  • support you to complete hands-on projects that will put your knowledge into practice
  • provide collaboration and feedback opportunities with your peers and mentors
  • help you build a professional network

See more in full program details.

“Your research project will involve designing, programming, or using computers to benefit society. We will help you to find and define a research project that you are passionate about.“

What will you learn?

Most of what you’ll learn will depend on you, your project, and your engagement. But here is a list (in no particular order) of things we think you will learn as an altREU participant:

  • define a project that benefits society
  • solve a real-world problem
  • analyze and investigate complex problems
  • design, program, simulate, test, and use computers and computational models
  • analyze, process, and visualize information
  • work on teams
  • make decisions under ambiguity
  • propose solutions
  • learn how to deliver on promise
  • think critically, think differently 
  • take risk
  • learn from failure 
  • deliver and act on feedback
  • plan, organize, and prioritize work
  • tell your story 

See more in full program details.