This NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (award #1460986) is designed to engage students in the study of early modern humans during the time period when our species evolved sophisticated foraging behaviors. The REU includes a month of field work and a month of museum or laboratory research in archaeology, paleontology, geochronology, geochemistry, and geology. The project covers all expenses. This is an exceptional opportunity!
College freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are welcome to apply. Applicants must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the US.
Information on the 2019-20 field season application process coming soon.
Coming Soon – Online application
Coming Soon – Middle Stone Age REU in Ethiopia Application 2019-20 (PDF)
Coming Soon – Middle Stone Age REU in Ethiopia Reference Form only (PDF)
*Special Notice: Safety is the highest priority for the Middle Stone Age REU Project. If it becomes necessary to cancel overseas travel, students will still have the opportunity to conduct research in US Labs with one of the team’s senior scientists. The Project covers all costs (travel, per diem, lab costs) and pays a stipend. Past lab work from MSA REU participants has resulted in scientific journal publications, and presentations at international meetings.
Travel notice:
No University of Texas at Austin student, faculty, or staff can be required to travel to a Restricted Region. Any participation in travel to a Restricted Region is strictly voluntary, and the participant assumes full responsibility for all risks associated with this travel.
As a condition of a non-University of Texas at Austin student, faculty, or staff, Participant’s involvement with or participation in the program activities, the Participant will release, waive, discharge, and agree to hold harmless the University of Texas at Austin from all liability arising out of or in connection with Participant’s involvement with and/or participation in the program activities at REU Shinfa. Participants of all REU Shinfa programs must acknowledge that the country/countries in which the REU Shinfa program activities may take place in whole or in part, or any other country through which the Participant may travel when involved with and/or participating in the program activities, or while in route to or from the program activities, may have health and safety standards substantially below those enjoyed in the United States. Participant must further acknowledge the inherent hazardous and dangerous nature of the program activities as well as the above-referenced risks of participating in the program activities or in traveling to, through or from the country/countries in which the program activities will take place, and must agree to assume all risk of illness, injury, or death from Participant’s travel to or from the program activities and participation therein.
Withdrawal after acceptance to the program:
If for any reason a student elects to withdraw from the program, the student will be required to inform the Directors of their decision, and will be required to reimburse the program for any and all funds spent on airline tickets and visas, as well as any other expenditures.
Click here to request more information about this program or visit our Facebook page.