CNF Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Application Link for Summer 2026
Application Opens: Dec 1, 2025
Application Closes: Feb 8, 2026
As it has for over 20 years, CNF will host a multi-program REU program during summer 2026 with multiple projects in the area of micro and nanotechnology, particularly as related to microelectronics. This includes the REU program of SUPREME (an SRC JUMP 2.0 center) with activities at both Cornell and MIT, as well as projects from related smaller CNF affiliated programs.
The Cornell NanoScale Science & Technology Facility (CNF) is a national user facility that supports a broad range of nanoscale science and technology projects by providing state-of-the-art resources coupled with expert staff support. CNF has been serving the science and engineering community since 1977! Over 700 users per year use the fabrication and characterization resources of CNF to build structures, devices, and systems from atomic to micrometer length-scales, with applications across the range of physical and life sciences. The CNF cleanroom in Duffield Hall has one of the largest sets of nanotechnology resources in the U.S. academic community.
SUPREME (https://supreme.cornell.edu/) “Superior Energy-efficient Materials and Devices”, is a multi-university microelectronics research center sponsored by SRC, the Semiconductor Research Corporation. SUPREME researchers explore both fundamental new science and novel engineering technologies, with the aim of driving the semiconductor industry in the next 3–15 years, while also training the next generation of scientists and engineers to work across disciplines. The SUPREME REU program, funded by NSF (EEC- 2349310), will take place at both Cornell and MIT, two of the partners in SUPREME. Students placed at Cornell will work with Cornell faculty in ECE, Physics, and Materials Science with considerable activity in the CNF Duffield Hall Cleanroom. Students placed at MIT will work with MIT faculty in both faculty laboratories and the MIT.Nano fabrication facilities.
In all cases, students will engage in hands on research activity, be trained in a variety of advanced instrument techniques, and be provided with a range of professional development opportunities.
Through the SUPREME Program, we expect to support 5 students at Cornell and 5 students at MIT.
In addition to the SUPREME program, we will support a number of REU students and interns on related projects at Cornell with separate funding. These projects will likewise be in the area of micro and nanotechnology.
A common application (the NSF ETAP application) will be used for all of the above REU and intern positions, leading to a common applicant pool.
Specific project descriptions are not available at this time but will include a variety of microelectronic processing and materials projects (Cornell and MIT) as well as other nanomaterials, nano processing, and biomedical related projects (at Cornell only).
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must not have received a Bachelor's Degree prior to June 2026.
Relevant majors include physis, chemistry, materials science, electrical engineering, and chemical engineering, to name a few.
These programs will run for ten weeks from the first week of June through the second week of August. Applicants must be available to start on June 2, 2026. Applicants MUST be available for the ENTIRE program period, June 2, 2026 through August 7, 2026.
Participants will receive a $7,000 stipend, plus housing and reasonable travel expenses. The program covers all reasonable research expenses. The programs are open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are undergraduates at U.S. universities. Graduated seniors are not eligible.
Applications will be accepted until Feb. 8, 2026. Applications will require personal statement, transcript, and 1 reference letter which will be requested and submitted via the ETAP portal.
Applications will only be accepted through the NSF ETAP common application- one application will cover BOTH the CNF and SUPREME programs. You may indicate your program/site preference (or both) on the application. Applications will be processed as one group, and students will be assigned to specific projects based on their experience and technical and geographic preferences.
CNF has been successfully conducting REU programs since 1997 with over 400 prior participants. Technical reports from prior projects are available via the individual year links in the REU sub-section menu.
Please address any questions not answered here to Lynn Rathbun, LCR2@cornell.edu, subject: REU Question.
Past Year REU Programs
