For the past ten years, Maryland Sea Grant has served as a Research Experience for Undergraduates site in the Ocean Sciences, pairing sophomores, juniors and seniors with science mentors at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory and Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and the Academy of Natural Science Estuarine Research Center. The primary objective of this continuing effort is to encourage undergraduates to pursue education in the marine and estuarine sciences through active participation in research, at a time when they are determining their career goals. Students will be recruited nationally; and as before, a special effort will be made to attract women, minorities and disabled students. Successful applicants will become active participants in research focused upon various aspects of the biology, ecology, chemistry and physics of Chesapeake Bay-fieldwork is an important component of the program. Fellowships will be for twelve weeks, and will provide a stipend, nominal living allowance and funds for travel and materials. Students will participate in lectures regarding ethics in science, attend a mid-summer symposium detailing traditional and alternate careers in the marine sciences and will present their research accomplishments in a daylong colloquium as well as submit a written report. The high quality of summer research projects is reflected in the more than 25 scientific papers which summer fellows have so far been authors of as well as numerous presentations they have given on their research at scientific meetings. Through the summer of 1998, 120 have participated in the program and of those who have completed their undergraduate education some 70% have gone onto graduate school. Maryland Sea Grant maintains contact with many former REU fellows, querying them on the influence that their summer research experiences had on the paths they have taken so far.
