CISTAR Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
Purdue University·West Lafayette, in·2026 cycle
Closed for cycleComputational/Data SciencePhysical Sciences✓ verified
Program Details Stipend: $6,500 total Duration: 10 weeks (summer) Funding: NSF-supported through CISTAR Where: CISTAR Headquarters, Purdue University. Housing and transportation are covered. When: May 26- August 7, 2026 Who should apply: Undergraduate students interested in chemical engineering, materials, polymers, catalysis, data science, or energy systems Spend your summer conducting hands-on, mentored research in catalysis, polymers, energy systems, and machine learning at the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR). REU participants will: Conduct faculty-mentored research with graduate student support Attend weekly professional development seminars Learn how to: Perform a literature review Write a research abstract Design and present a research poster Participate in STEM outreach activities Meet industry professionals, tour energy companies, and explore career pathways Students will be matched to a project based on interests and background. Example topics include: Designing zeolite catalysts with tailored diffusion and reaction properties Developing stable catalysts for fuel and chemical production Studying how water formed during CO₂ conversion affects methanol upgrading in zeolites Investigating polymer upcycling through model alkane hydrogenolysis reactions Modeling diffusion-limited reactions in zeolite crystals Privacy-preserving machine learning for predicting compressor failures in chemical processes Deep Operator Networks for secure and efficient chemical engineering applications
Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Catalysis, Conversion Technologies, Machine Learning, Decarbonization, Computational Modeling, paid research, energy, summer research,
Participants must be undergraduates who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.