Latin America REU program
Summer 2025, from left to right: Juan Albarracin (Colombia), Oscar Flores Gaitan (Guatemala), Kevin Giraldo Hincapie (Colombia), Jose Luis Builes-Canchala (Colombia), Marcela Echeverri Gallego (Colombia), Laura Maria Botero Villegas (Colombia), Sofía London Toro (Colombia), Maicol Esneider Sanchez Barrero (Colombia).
Are you interested in exploring research opportunities in one of the leading U.S. Universities?
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware offers a summer research program for current Bachelors and Masters students at universities in Latin America. We offer a 10-week, on-campus, in-person program during which students are engaged in research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. We provide full financial support.
Our department’s research portfolio is very broad including Atomic and Molecular Physics, Biophysics, Chemical Physics, Condensed-matter Physics, High-energy physics, Astrophysics, Space and Plasma Physics, and Astronomy. Find more about our research areas and potential advisors here. More details about the program can be found in the FAQ below. Many students who participated in this program have chosen to pursue a Ph.D. degree and continued working with their advisors. Find stories of some of our graduate students below.
Frequently Asked Questions
The program typically starts the first week of June and ends mid-August.
If you are undergraduate (B.Sc.) or Masters students at an academic institution in Latin America you are eligible to apply.
To apply you will need to fill in the application form which you can find here.
Selected applicants will be invited to perform research on campus and will be paid a competitive monthly stipend. We will also cover rent, travel expenses to come to US and return back as well as health insurance. In some cases we are able to cover the visa fees.
You will need to provide some basic information about yourself, your CV, transcripts, and a motivation letter. You will also be asked to provide at least three names of the faculty members as your potentials mentors. You can find the list of faculty and their research areas on our website.
Your application will be forwarded to the faculty members you mentioned in the application form. If you are selected for zoom interview you will be contacted directly by the faculty members. Within a few weeks after zoom interview you will be notified if you are selected to participate in the program. You will receive all the necessary visa paperwork shortly after.
Check out our faculty here. Feel free to contact individual faculty members
before applying to make sure your research interests align.
Department of Physics and Astronomy is located on the main campus of University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware:
104 The Green, Newark, DE, USA
Yes, but please note that if you submit your application after the deadline there is no guarantee that your application will be considered.
There is no specific format for the motivation letter. A strong letter typically contains a brief description of your previous research experience (projects), articles published and conference presentations (if any, it is not a requirement). Briefly discuss why you want to work with the faculty mentors you mentioned in your form. Describe your future plans, e.g., graduate degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) or employment outside of academia.
No, by now we are very much familiar with your academic system and grades.
Translating your transcript to English is helpful but not required either.
10 weeks. In some individual cases, and upon the recommendation of your mentor, the program can be individually
extended to a total of 6 months.
It is very competitive. We receive 150-200 applications every year but only 10-12 students are selected.
No.
We might be able to accommodate late starts subject to approval from your perspective advisor and the availability of housing.
Newark, Delaware is located on the East coast of the U.S. with easy access to major metropolitan areas including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York City as well as Delaware beaches. There is growing and welcoming community of students from Latin and Central America who participated in this program in the past and returned as Ph.D. students.
Please contact Professor Alexei Kananenka.
Success stories
Many students who went through this program have chosen to return to pursue a Ph.D. in our department. Below are just a few examples of such students and their short stories.
Sasiri Juliana Vargas Urbano
Sasiri is from Cali, Colombia. She participated in our program in the summer of 2021. Her area of interest in Biophysics. In 2022 Sasiri graduated from Universidad del Valle in 2022 and started as a Ph.D. student the same year. Sasiri works under the supervision of Professor Edward Lyman. At University of Delaware she has been very successful winning Daicar-Bata Best Research Paper Award (2024), Biophysical Society Meeting Travel Award (2025), FEBS Supported “Best Trainee Talk” (2025). Her work was published in Science.
Felipe Reyes Osorio
Felipe is from Cali, Colombia. He participated in our program in the summer of 2021 working with Professor Branislav Nikolic. His research area is Theoretical Condensed-Matter Physics. In 2022 Felipe graduated from Universidad del Valle in 2022 and started as a Ph.D. student the same year. Felipe continues to work with Professor Branislav Nikolic. Felipe has been very productive. He co-authored several papers published in Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, Journal of Physical Society of Japan. He presented his work at American Physical Society meetings and multiple summer schools in Brazil, Boulder Summer School 2025, Magnons on an Island 2024 (Netherlands). In 2024 Felipe was a finalist for Daicar Bata best paper in DPA.
Kennet Rueda Espinosa
Kennet’s hometown is Bucaramanga, Colombia. He participated in our program in the summer of 2021 working with Professor Alexei Kananenka. His research area is Theoretical Chemical Physics. In 2022 Felipe graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2022 and started as a Ph.D. student at University of Delaware in Fall of 2023. Kennet continues to work with Professor Alexei Kananenka. His productive is exemplary. He co-authored several papers published in Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, and Machine Learning: Science and Technology. He presented his work at American Physical and Chemical Society meetings. Kennet received the Best Poster Award from the Division of Physical Chemistry at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in 2024.
Federico Garcia-Gaitan
Federico is from Bogota, Colombia. He participated in our program in the summer of 2022 working in a theoretical Condensed-matter Physics group lead by Professor Branislav Nikolic. Federico graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and started as a Ph.D. at University of Delaware in 2023. Federico continues to work with Professor Branislav Nikolic. He is a recipient of Doctoral fellowship for excellence award, Daicar-Bata award for best research paper and best GPA award. He has been very productive with several papers published in major physics journals including Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of U.S.A., and Reports on Progress in Physics. Federico regularly presented his work at the American Physical Society meetings.
Luis Eduardo Herrera Rodriguez
Luis is from Tunja, Colombia. He participated in our program in the summers of 2020 and 2021. He worked with Professor Alexei Kananenka on a Theoretical Chemical Physics project. Luis graduated with M.Sc. from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and started as a Ph.D. at University of Delaware in 2022. Luis continues to work with Professor Alexei Kananenka. In 2025 Luis received the best GPA award. He has been very productive with several papers published in major journals including Journal of Chemical Physics Letters, Machine Learning: Science and Technology, Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation. Luis presented his work at the American Chemical Society meetings and multiple summer schools. He received the Best Poster Award at Texas Quantum Winter School on Open Quantum Systems and Quantum Information in the Chemical Sciences in 2025.
Andreas Bocanegra
Andreas is from Cali, Colombia. Andreas participated in our program in summer 2024. He worked with Professor Tao Li in the area of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics. Andreas presented her work at the 2025 American Physical Society meeting. In 2025 Andreas graduated with B.Sc. from Universidad del Valle and started as a Ph.D. at University of Delaware where he continues to work with Professor Tao Li and already published in The Journal of Chemical Physics.