Catalyzing Careers in Chemistry

NSF-REU @ Emory University

We are excited to welcome undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in the chemical sciences to Emory for an immersive 10-week research and professional development experience. This program offers an exciting array of hands-on research opportunities that span several subdisciplines of chemistry. Under the guidance of Emory faculty, students will engage in innovative projects in synthetic methodology, drug discovery, biomedical imaging, renewable energy, and quantum information science. We will also provide a comprehensive professional development program that will directly introduce students to recruiters at leading pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies and prepare them to submit competitive graduate school and job applications in the future.

Applications open December 2 and close February 17.

Apply Here

Participants in the Catalyzing Chemistry Careers (CCC) REU will travel to Atlanta, GA to conduct research with a faculty member in the Emory University Department of Chemistry. Each student who enrolls in the program will receive:

  • $7,000 Stipend
  • Travel
  • Housing
  • $1,000 professional development funding to apply towards a future conference

Previous research experience is not required to participate. We will offer training in relevant research techniques and practices, professional development workshops, career advice, and opportunities to network with members of the REU and industry partners.

Professional development workshops will cover topics including research ethics, writing for publication and fellowship proposals, as well as preparing for graduate school and job applications. The networking portion of the program will offer participants the opportunity to meet with graduate students, industrial chemists, and academic chemists who can offer insight into the different career paths that are available to early career scientists.

Students will also have the opportunity to experience life in “The ATL” with excursions to local landmarks, academic and industry sites, and more!

The following research groups are prepared to welcome Catalyzing Careers in Chemistry REU participants.

  • Laura Ackerman-Biegasiewicz
    Discovery of Novel Bond Disconnections Using Bimetallic Catalysis
    Catalysis, Metal coordination complexes, Chemical Synthesis
  • Kyle Biegasiewicz
    Development of Halogenase Enzymes for New Applications in Organic Synthesis
    Catalysis, Chemical Synthesis, Biocatalysis
  • Simon Blakey
    Synthesis of Fluorinated Probes for Fragment Based Drugs Discovery
    Catalysis, Chemical Synthesis
  • Daniela Buccella
    Development of Chemical Probes for Cellular Metals Ions and Metalloenzymes
    Chemical Biology, Chemical Synthesis, Coordination Chemistry, Molecular Imaging
  • Mingji Dai
    Total Synthesis of Medicinally Important Natural Product
    Total Synthesis, Natural Product, Catalysis, Medicinal Chemistry
  • Huw Davies
    Development of new catalytic processes of pharmaceutical significance
    Catalysis, Chemical Synthesis, Drug Development
  • Christine Dunham
    Regulation of bacterial protein synthesis by small molecules
    Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Enzymology, Molecular Modeling
  • Francesco Evangelista
    Quantum chemistry at the intersection of classical and quantum computing
    Computational Chemistry, Quantum Computing, Excited States
  • Fang Liu
    Machine learning prediction of redox potentials of pharmaceutical compounds
    Computational Chemistry, Molecular Modeling
  • Monika Raj
    Chemical Probes for Early Disease Detection
    Chemical Synthesis, Chemical Biology, Diagnosis, Therapeutic targets
  • Khalid Salaita
    Designing Smart Nucleic-Acid Drugs
    Drug Development, Biophysical Chemistry
  • Lili Wang
    Designing nanocrystals for photocatalysis and solar photon upconversion
    Catalysis, Spectroscopy
  • Yao Wang
    Quantum Material and Spectroscopy Simulations
    Quantum Information Science, Material Simulations, Nonlinear and pump-probe spectroscopy
  • William Wuest
    Development of Novel Antibiotics
    Chemical Synthesis, Drug Development

Unsure which group is the right fit for you? Check out the People page on our department website to view “taglines”, keywords, and group websites for faculty mentors to get a better sense of their interests.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
  • Be 18 years of age at the time of application
  • Be a current freshman, sophomore, or junior at a U.S. college

Students from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) and community colleges are strongly encouraged to apply. Women, first generation scholars, and persons historically excluded from STEM on the basis of race or ethnicity are also strongly encouraged to apply.

Your application will require:

  • Contact Information
  • List of three Emory research groups that you are most interested in joining 
  • Copy of your academic transcript (unofficial is fine for application purposes!)
  • Statement of research interests and career goals (this may include mention of the research groups you are interested in joining)
  • Email addresses for two faculty recommenders

Applications for Summer 2025 accepted until February 17.

Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident?
Yes, the National Science Foundation requires all REU participants to be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.

Is there an age requirement?
Yes, applicants must be at least 18 years of age so that they can perform laboratory-based research.

Is there an application fee?
No, it is free to apply for this REU program.

Is there an application deadline?
Yes, applications will be accepted until February 17, 2025.

When do students find out if they have been accepted into the REU program?
Students will be informed of admission starting in December and will continue to be admitted until March.

Are Emory University students eligible?
Emory students are are eligible to apply. Limited space is available.

Can graduating seniors apply?
No, the program is designed for students returning to their undergraduate institution in the fall semester following the program.

How are recommendation letter requests handled?
When you apply, you will be asked to provide the contact information and email addresses of three letter writers. When you submit this information, a recommendation letter request will automatically be sent to each recommender.

Is the starting date flexible?
No, all accepted students will be advised of the same start date and end date for the program.

Where will I live at Emory?
Participants will be provided with free on-campus housing at Emory.

Can I bring a car to Emory?
It is possible to bring a car with you to campus. Before doing so, you would need to purchase a parking permit from Emory’s Transportation and Parking Services.

Do I have to live on campus if I live in the Atlanta area?
Yes, all program participants are required to live on campus.

Who should I contact with additional questions?
Please contact the program administrator, Antonio Brathwaite (antonio.brathwaite@emory.edu) with additional questions.