Summer Opportunities
Beckman Scholar Program (Fellowship)
Sustained (~18 month) Mentored Research Experience
The Beckman Scholars Program funds student-faculty pairs for biochemical engineering-focused project spanning summer after sophomore year, junior academic year, and summer after junior year.
Total student stipend, $18,200, includes funds for supplies and travel.
Total faculty stipend, $5,000, includes funds for supplies and travel.
Two awards per year for 2025-2028.
Additional details coming soon; the application is due by noon on March 5, 2025.
BIRD Fellowship (Reed Funded)
The Belongingness Intern Recognizing Diversity (BIRD) fellowship is an opportunity for Reed students within the Biology Department to engage in a paid summer fellowship centered around student belongingness, especially among students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized groups (students of color, LGBTQ+, first generation to college, lower income students, and students with disabilities). Throughout the summer, the BIRD fellow will develop and plan a project designed to increase belongingness within the Biology department and will be supported by a non-faculty mentor and coordinator in their work. For more information you can read through the and.
and is due by noon on March 5th, 2025.
Student Summer Research (Reed Funded)
2016 Summer Research Students
Summer research opportunities for students are supported departmental funds, College Fellowships as well as by grants to individual faculty members.
Note: Funds are also sometimes available to provide travel supplements to Reed Biology students wishing to present their research at a scientific conference. Learn more about funding for conferences here.
See below for the list of department administered research awards available for student for on or off-campus work. We have adopted a streamlined single application process that accommodates these various sources of funding. Learn how to apply for these awards here. The deadline for 2025 is March 5th at noon.
Betty C. Liu Summer Research Fellowship is an endowed fund administered by the Biology Department. This fund was initially established by Sam B. Liu, an alum of 1936, and his wife Betty. In addition to summer research opportunities, this fund has long provided key support for the weekly departmental seminar series.
Helen Stafford Summer Research Fellowship is an endowed fund bequeathed to the department by the late Professor Helen Stafford. This fund is used to encourage student/faculty research collaborations in the department and provide opportunities to students for which other funding sources are not available.
Milton L. Fischer Memorial Field Research Fellowship is an endowed fund administered by the Biology Department. The fellowship honors Milton Fischer, a popular and influential graduate of this department (1986).
Sandy River Gorge Field Study Award provides an opportunity to conduct student-originated, independent research and field studies in the Sandy River Gorge east of Portland. The support comes from a grant to the college by a private individual with great interest in the Sandy River Gorge Natural Area. The Nature Conservancy shares in this cooperative project.
Arch and Fran Diack Student Field Research Award provides support for student independent field study during the summer months. The basic intent is to encourage original contributions by students to scientific problems in the natural world. Students in any academic disciplines can submit a proposal for a project of their own design and completion. The stipend may also be used to participate in an established field research program.
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 5, 2025:
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³ Science Research Fellowship is a college wide program that supports summer research by teams of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³ 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.
Student Summer Research (Off-campus)
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).
Anna Ritz also maintains a list of mostly CS related summer internships & scholarships.
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:
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.