The NSF Chemistry Division has sponsored a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program continuously since its inception in 1987. The goal of this program is to provide undergraduates with an interest in chemistry a bona fide research experience, i.e. activities that lead to results that are subsequently published in a scientific journal.  During the more than 20 years of funding this program, hundreds of institutions have applied to host an REU site. Sites have been funded to support undergraduate research at all sorts and sizes of institutions, from all parts of the US.  It was known anecdotally for years that research experiences could positively transform the career goals for undergraduates, but the studies which confirm the importance of engagement in a research experience as an undergraduate in choosing to pursue a graduate degree and entering the STEM workforce in general have only recently been published [1-7].  Thus, for many years the NSF and the Chemistry community in general had no direct feedback on the impact of this program nationally.   To this end, in 1990 the NSF organized a workshop in Washington, DC for many of the original REU site directors to interact and provide valuable feedback to the NSF about the nature of this “new” program.  Indeed this feedback was vital for shaping the REU program in chemistry as it exists today, but in addition, it was realized that most of these undergraduate research programs were developed independently, and each met with its own successes and obstacles without a great deal of communication with other REU sites. Several common difficulties were identified at this original workshop and reported. 

In March of 2001, a second "Workshop for Chemistry REU Site Directors" (modeled after workshop that had taken place 11 years earlier) was held at the NSF. Once again site directors or representatives from most of the current REU sites attended and provided valuable feedback to the NSF about the role of this program. Once again, a list of common difficulties was generated, and several participants and NSF program officers realized that this list looked very similar to the original list generated 11 years earlier. The REU program had continued to grow and evolve, but each site was operating more or less independently with little opportunity for communication between the sites on common issues. To maintain the momentum from the March 2001 workshop, and to address its recommendations, John Stevens, then the director of Special Programs in NSF Chemistry, solicited individuals to form the NSF Chemistry REU Leadership Group (LG).

The unique nature of this committee of experienced REU PIs and its structure of member rotation provides an environment in which many innovative ideas are generated. We do not suggest the LG has a monopoly of good ideas, but rather envision the committee as a “rapid-deployment force” of professionals that can act on good ideas from within the REU community and the NSF, and leverage them into a prosperous future for undergraduate research overall.