Research Position Title
DUB REU Research Assistant
Research Faculty
Human-Computer Interaction and Design faculty across DUB, including in:
Application Deadline
Deadline for applications is January 31, 2026
Application Link
Contact Email
dubreu [at] uw.edu
DUB is a grassroots alliance of faculty, students, researchers, and industry partners interested in Human Computer Interaction & Design at the University of Washington. Our mission is to bring together an interdisciplinary group of people to share ideas, collaborate on research, and advance teaching related to the interaction between design, people, and technology.
This year we are offering a summer research opportunity, available to undergraduate students. This research program encourages applications from students who would like to conduct research in the field of HCI, on topics ranging from accessibility, to fabrication, to health, to ICT4D, to robotics. We seek broad participation, including members of underrepresented groups as defined by the National Science Foundation (i.e., African American, Hispanic, Native American, people with disabilities) who may be considering further graduate study in human-computer interaction or computer science.
If you are accepted into the REU program, you will be invited to participate in a paid 9-week internship during the summer in a research laboratory at the University of Washington. Based on your application, you will be matched with a specific project and mentored by a faculty member and associated graduate students or postdocs. You will learn about research through engagement in the project to which you are matched, through interactions with other students, and through weekly mentoring seminars focused on research and associated skills. Topics covered may include graduate admissions, career opportunities, research ethics, and research paper writing. In addition, you will be invited to attend the DUB Seminar for exposure to a wide range of research in HCI.
This experience will be excellent preparation if you are considering pursuing a Masters or Ph.D. degree. Past undergraduate students in DUB have been offered the chance to author a publication, and undergraduate interns who perform well frequently request reference letters from their mentors. As such, this program is well suited to a student in the summer between their junior year and senior year of college. Students in other years may also apply, but students who will have already graduated by Summer 2026 are not eligible.
For more information, refer to the student expectations document for this program.
The formal program begins on June 15 and then concludes on August 14, with the first week being virtual. Students are expected to be present and engaged for the entire 9-week period, work 40 hours a week, and make time to attend scheduled events such as the welcome reception, seminars, and final poster session.
Some students may additionally make arrangements with individual faculty to arrive earlier and/or stay later.
Currently, this REU program is a funded NSF REU site (Award ID: CNS-2348926). However, the cohort for this year may also include REU interns hired and funded by faculty mentors who have individual REU supplemental grants or similar funding for their projects. As such, there may be variation across students in the program in terms of their funding, duration, start and end dates, and benefits. The details of this information should be discussed with one’s matched faculty mentor. For more information on this, refer to the student expectations document for this program.
For most students, housing will be provided through the program.
Students must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident to apply. Ths NSF is the primary funding source for the program and requires this for its funding of REU positions.
Students must be 18 years old or older.
Submission of an application indicates that the applicant agrees to be present for the entire summer program period.
The expected commitment is 40 hours per week, with no additional classes, or jobs, or other REUs.
In addition, a strong application will have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and good class standing and/or grades in subjects relevant to the research area of interest.
We expect the program to have 10 to 20 positions this summer, though the number of students will depend on funding and the number and strength of the applications.
We require one letter of recommendation for an application, to be submitted by the application deadline.
For additional information, please review the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Which faculty are recruiting REU students for Summer 2026?
Note that this is not an exhaustive list as there may be faculty who sign up later in the process. If you are interested in working with a specific faculty member, and have talked to them, we encourage you to indicate that in your application, regardless of whether that faculty member is listed on this page or not.
When should I expect to be notified about decisions?
We expect to send out the first round of offers in early March.
Can I participate in this program remotely?
No. All students in this program will need to be in the Seattle area and come to the UW Seattle campus regularly, except for the first week, which will be virtual.
When do I get paid?
This may vary. See the student expectations document for details.
What is the stipend?
This may vary. See the student expectations document for details.
Apart from being able to participate in conducting research, what else can I expect?
We offer a range of opportunities for students to develop their research skills and knowledge. These include opportunities to attend the DUB Seminar, lunches with faculty members from across the campus, sessions with current graduate students, and a poster session to present and share your work with members of the DUB community. Furthermore, we value developing a community of undergraduate researchers, and encourage members of a REU cohort to self-organize social activities.
I have a question that is not answered here. Who can I contact?
You can email any questions that you may have about the program to dubreu [at] uw.edu.