REU Computing for Health and Well-Being

Program Details

Program Dates: May 25- July 31, 2026
Stipend: $7,000
Travel support
Subsistence allowance (on campus housing and food included)
* Supported by NSF REU grant

Program Requirements

US citizenship or permanent residency
Major in Computer Science or related field
Available to attend the entire 10 weeks
Full time undergraduate students in good academic standing
Expected graduation in Fall 2026 or later
Some course work in CS
Students from underrepresented minority groups and/or who have limited research opportunities at their home institution are encouraged to apply

Note: Students are not allowed to have other jobs/internships during the REU program or to be registered for any courses

Contact Us

PI: Elizabeth Kleiman uicsreu@gmail.com

What is an REU?

An REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) is a summer program designed to introduce undergraduate students to research. Our REU program runs for 10 weeks, and undergraduate student will join their faculty mentor's research group, which consists of other faculty, graduate and sometimes undergraduate students, to work on an interdisciplinary project. Students also participate in a Data Science Bootcamp and career development workshops. REUs are a full-time commitment that provide a stipend, housing and meals. In addition to research, students will be involved in social events and fun excursions (so you won’t be spending all summer just working).

Our Mission

We aim to provide research experiences to students from institutions that do not have the research infrastructure or the interdisciplinary research opportunities available at the University of Iowa. We aim to attract students from underrepresented groups with an emphasis on first-generation students. Our efforts will contribute to preparing a workforce of young scientists who work alongside health professionals and will help maintain America's competitive advantage in science and technology.

Motivation

Our site is motivated by the considerable strain on the U.S. healthcare system due to short-term challenges, such as those posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, and long-term trends, such as an aging U.S. population. Computer scientists are in a unique position to help solve these and other problems in health and wellbeing. We can use big data to harness detailed, lifelong medical records to gain insights into how to improve the standard of care. Mobility information and other sensor data may be used to augment epidemiological models to forecast disease transmission nationally and at the hospital level. Hearing aids and cochlear implants may be personalized to empower patients and better meet their hearing needs. Web apps may engage neurodiverse children to help enhance their executive function through gameplay.