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College of Sciences
Department of Mathematics

Summer 2025 DRUMS Directed Research for Undergraduates in Math and Statistics

The Mathematics and Statistics Departments of North Carolina State University invite qualified applicants for a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program that pairs mathematics and statistics students for interdisciplinary summer research projects. Proposed projects span collaborative applications in atmospheric science, materials science, cardiovascular disease, precision medicine, climate change and wildland fires using tools from linear algebra, partial differential equations, probability, sensitivity analysis, parameter inference, optimization, and machine learning. In addition to the technical aspects of the program, students also receive background on useful auxiliary skills like mathematical programming, technical writing, applying for graduate school, and preparing scientific presentations.

Most DRUMS students will work at NCSU for 10 weeks during summer and remotely during the 2025-2026 academic year; some students may participate remotely for the entire program.  Formal summer activities will be announced. The work during the academic year will be conducted online. Time commitment for this part of the program will be approximately 5 hours per week including a 1h weekly remote meeting during the Fall semester.

We encourage students of all backgrounds to apply. This includes students who might have nontraditional mathematical and/or statistical training, or who are just beginning their mathematical studies.

For more information, please visit: https://drums.wordpress.ncsu.edu/

Students will need to submit a curriculum vitae/resume, a transcript (unofficial is fine), and two letters of recommendation. In addition, students must submit a one-page personal statement addressing why they wish to participate in the DRUMS REU program. One letter should be from a local faculty member.

Due to restrictions from NSF and NSA, our program is restricted to US citizens and permanent residents, and participants must be undergraduate students at the time of participation.

Required Application Material: 

Personal statement (include name of local faculty mentor)

Transcript (unofficial is acceptable)

Curriculum Vitae

Two letters of recommendation (one letter from a faculty member).

Students will receive a stipend in the amount of $7,000 for the 10 weeks, housing, and travel support to cover transport to and from NCSU.

Application Deadline: Application screening will start on Feb 15th and continue until all slots are filled. 

Contact Information:

Mette Olufsen (msolufse@ncsu.edu), Professor of Mathematics, North Carolina State University

Dr. Brian Reich (brian_reich@ncsu.edu), Distinguished Professor of Statistics, North Carolina State University

Tentative Calendar 

Module 1 (Preparation – Online): Online meeting with NCSU faculty mentor 1-2 weeks before the start of the summer module. During this meeting, the group will discuss what to read to prepare for the summer project. Once the teams are finalized, a faculty mentor will reach out to teams (via email) to arrange this meeting.

Module 2 (Summer Research – Hybrid):

Arrival at NCSU

Week 1

  • Project presentation
  • Safety orientation and welcome reception
  • Research seminar: Student teams will present goals for the summer

Week 2-9

  • Work on projects
  • Weekly research seminars with student and faculty presentations
  • Special topics seminars dedicated to research ethics, applying to graduate school and graduate fellowships, how to give effective presentations, how to write a scientific paper, etc.
  • Registration for NCSU summer research symposium

Week 10

  • Complete poster for NCSU summer research symposium
  • Complete draft manuscript discriminating results
  • Plan fall semester meetings
  • NCSU summer research symposium

Saturday : Departure from NCSU

Module 3 (Continuation – Online): The continuation module starts around September 1st depending on semester start for students in each team. During the Fall semester the students will have weekly online meetings with the DRUMS coordinators. Students may submit abstracts to JMM or another conference, complete and submit their research for publication. Student teams can apply for support for a face-to-face meeting. This meeting can be scheduled for either the Fall or Spring semester, so the NCSU faculty can interact with local faculty and students.

Notification Policy

All applicants will be notified by email about the completeness of their application a couple of days after the deadline. Unless previously notified, a final notification that the search is closed will be emailed after all positions have been filled and confirmed (this could take a month).  If you have any questions about the status of your application, especially if you are trying to make a decision on accepting another summer position, please email the program directors who will be happy to send you a prompt response.