1. When and where can I apply to this program?
2. What are the REU eligibility requirements?
3. What if my GPA is less than 3.0?
4. What is a complete application packet?
5. What is your mailing address?
6. I submitted my application; what happens next?
7. When are decisions made?
8. What if I need to know sooner?
9. What if I receive an offer?
10. What if I have to decline the offer?
11. Do I need proof of my identity?
12. What are the dates of this program?
13. What if my school lets out after the program has started?
14. Do I get paid for this internship?
15. Is housing available?
16. What about travel expenses?
17. Do I need to provide proof of insurance?
18. What are the work hours?
19. What are the kinds of things I will do?
20. What is the Summer Workshop and do I have to attend?

1. When and where can I apply to this program?
The application is available online at the MIRTHE website www.mirthecenter.org from December 1 through March 1.
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2. What are the REU eligibility requirements?
Undergraduates who bring diversity to academic study by reason of their culture, race, class, ethnicity, background, work and life experiences, skill and interests are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must:
* Have at least one semester remaining in their undergraduate education after their participation in the REU program.
* Be a documented U.S. Citizen or non-citizen national, or permanent resident in possession of an alien registration receipt card (I-551or other legal document). International citizens studying in the United States with an F-1Visa are not eligible.
* Attend an accredited public or private college or university in the U.S or its territories, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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3. What if my GPA is less than 3.0?
Applications from students who describe exceptional circumstances in their personal statement, or who demonstrate a marked progression of improving grades on their transcript, will be strongly considered.
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4. What is a complete application packet?
There are 3 parts that make up your application packet.

Part i: Online application:
* You will be asked to provide your contact and demographic information. The answers to these will not affect your chance of placement. The information is for recordkeeping purposes only. The federal categories on race and ethnicity are used only in describing the diversity of our program. You have the option to 'decline to indicate' either one or both of these questions.
* You will be asked to provide information concerning your educational and research experience as well as other relevant experience. Feel free to include experiences from your work or extra-curricular activities, honors or publications relevant to this program.
* Previous research experience is not a requirement for participation in the MIRTHE REU Program.
* You will be asked to select your desired REU Site (1 - your most desirable or 6 - least desirable). Before you make your selection, you should be familiar with the research opportunities and review the MIRTHE faculty research pages. We will carefully consider your experiences and your interest in deciding which faculty mentor to match with you.

Part ii: One Letter of Recommendation:
* You only need one letter of recommendation. Please identify a professor or instructor who knows your work and is able to comment on your performance.
* We suggest that you speak or write to your professor/instructor before you submit their name and email for the online application.
* Your recommender will receive an email with your request for a recommendation letter. The recommendation letter can be sent be email to [email protected] or by the USPS mail.

Part iii: Official Transcript(s):
* The Official Transcript(s) must be mailed from your registrar. Be sure that your official transcripts remain sealed in the envelope from the registrar.
* Unofficial transcripts are not acceptable, and your application packet will be considered incomplete until we receive your official transcript.
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5. What is your mailing address?
You can email most materials such as letters or other supplements to your application to [email protected], but official transcripts should be mailed to:
MIRTHE - REU
Attn. Roxanne Zellin
Princeton University
70 Prospect Avenue, Bowen Hall
Princeton, NJ 08540-5211.

You can also fax materials if necessary to (609) 258-1177.
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6. I submitted my application; what happens next?
* Your completed application is reviewed to determine if you have met the eligibility requirements. (Eligibility does not guarantee that you will receive an offer).
* If your application does not meet eligibility requirements, it will be closed at this time.
* Applications that meet all eligibility requirements will then be reviewed at the REU site to match eligible applicants with faculty mentors
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7. When are decisions made?
Final decisions are made throughout March and April until all positions have been filled. Successful applicants will be offered a position and the position is only considered filled when the student accepts the offer. All applicants will be notified whether they are accepted to the program or not by the end of April.
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8. What if I need to know sooner?
Special requests for early decisions may be considered, but we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet your time constraint.
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9. What if I receive an offer?
The REU Program Director notifies you of an offer directly by email that includes information about your mentor or the department where you have been matched, the stipend amount and housing arrangements. The faculty mentor may contact you directly; you will have the opportunity to contact your research mentor before you accept the offer.
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10. What if I have to decline the offer?
If you withdraw your application, accept an offer from another summer research program, or choose not to accept the placement offer from the MIRTHE REU Program, please do not forget to promptly decline our offer. In this way, you help open opportunities for your peers.
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11. Do I need proof of my identity?
We will need to have proof of your identity and eligibility. The following documents/or combination of documents will be required on your first day in the program and in order to receive payment:
* Permanent Residents – green card (Form I-551), OR
* U.S Passport, OR
* Government-issued picture ID (i.e. Driver's License/Official Birth Certificate) and Social Security Card
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12. What are the dates of this program?
* The program is 9 weeks long and runs from early June to early August.
* The 2013 REU program will run from June 10th until August 9th 2013.
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13. What if my school lets out after the program has started?
If you are accepted into the program, we will work with you to ensure you get as much out of the program as possible. Scheduling conflicts, unless extreme, will not affect your application.
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14. Do I get paid for this internship?
* The program offers a generous stipend of $500.00 per week.
* This stipend is distributed incrementally in 3 payments during the program, after Week 3; Week 6 and Week 9.
* This payment is taxable as a nonqualified scholarship/fellowship.
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15. Is housing available?
* We will help you find on-campus housing at the MIRTHE REU sites and will provide you with a housing subsidy of up to $150 per week, to assist you with the cost.
* If on-campus housing charges are more than the subsidy, you will be responsible for paying for the additional cost. For example, the dorm room rate at Princeton in 2013 is expected to be $190/week, so the additional cost per REU would be in the range of $40 per week. (The subsidy is not available for off-campus housing where on-campus housing is provided.)
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16. What about travel expenses?
* You are responsible for paying your own travel costs to and from your REU site.
* We will your pay for you to travel to attend the MIRTHE Summer Workshop.
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17. Do I need to provide proof of insurance?
Yes, you will need to provide us with Proof of Health Insurance -- an insurance card or copy of your policy.
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18. What are the work hours?
* This is a full-time 40 hours/week position.
* While we certainly will be flexible on your start/leave times within reason, most students usually work from about 8:30-5:30. Of course, the nature of research is that experiments sometimes don't fit nicely into these arbitrary boundaries and often, students work on projects during the evening (it isn't normal but does happen).
* This is an intense, but fun program where you can learn an incredible amount not only about research on exciting topics but also on how to make good presentations (poster and talks), and how to network with other scientists and engineers.
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19. What are the kinds of things I will do?
* Research in a lab.
* Attend short courses to introduce you to issues in mid-IR research.
* Go on lab tours and field trips to local industrial sites.
* Participate in seminars examining the social responsibilities of scientists and engineers.
* Attend a few social activities for you to get to know your fellow researchers.
* Present your research at the week-long MIRTHE Summer Workshop in Princeton, New Jersery in 2013. [top]

20. What is the Summer Workshop and do I have to attend?
* The Summer Workshop takes place during Week 9 (August 4th to August 9th) of the REU program and rotates among the MIRTHE sites.
* Attendance at the Summer Workshop is mandatory.
* You will present your summer research in a poster and meet students and faculty from the other 5 universities.
* There will be no costs to you to attend the MIRTHE Summer Workshop.
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