REU site: brooklyn urban ecology and environment program (BUEE)

The National Science Foundation Division of Biological Infrastructure awarded the Research Foundation of The City University of New York $482,197 on November 1, 2026, to support the Brooklyn Urban Ecology and Environment Program (BUEE), a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074).

BUEE will train ten undergraduate students per summer for ten weeks during summers 2027, 2028, and 2029. The program provides an integrative research experience in urban ecology and environmental science, combining authentic research projects in human-coupled natural systems with instruction in research integrity, scientific communication, and quantitative literacy. Research opportunities span five CUNY colleges, leveraging Brooklyn College's Environmental Assessment and Aquatic Research Center and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIJB), which focuses on urban sustainability. The program targets early-career students from institutions with limited research opportunities in urban ecology. Assessment will employ a web-based tool modeled on the SALG URSSA survey instrument, with longitudinal tracking of student outcomes after program completion. Students apply through NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application).

Performance period runs from November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2029, with work performed in Brooklyn, New York.

Abstract

This REU site award to brooklyn college of the city university of new york (CUNY) in brooklyn, NY, will support the training of ten students for 10 weeks during each of summers 2027 thru 2029. The brooklyn urban ecology and environment program (BUEE) offers an integrative research program aimed at developing undergraduate students into mature and thoughtful environmental scientists. Authentic research experiences in urban environments are complemented by a rigorous educational program aimed at developing hands-on experience in research integrity, scientific communication and quantitative literacy, and coupled with outreach activities in the broader community. Close to 70% of BUEE alumni are now permanently employed in the field or pursuing graduate degrees in ecology and environmental science, demonstrating the effectiveness of the program in enhancing US leadership in this globally competitive and rapidly expanding field. A local web-based assessment tool modeled on the salg urssa survey instrument will be used to determine the effectiveness of the REU program. Longitudinal tracking of students after program completion will provide data on the effectiveness of the REU in preparing students for careers in urban ecology and the environmental sciences. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF etap (education and training application: https://etap.NSF.GOV). BUEE offers an intensive research training experience on human-coupled natural systems targeted at early-career students from academic institutions poorly equipped for research opportunities in urban ecology and environmental science. BUEE includes research opportunities at five CUNY colleges, leveraging the unique academic and research resources at brooklyn college/CUNY, including a state-of-the-art environmental assessment and aquatic research center and the science and resilience institute at jamaica BAY (SRIJB), focused on urban sustainability and resilience. Past research projects have included field research on oyster restoration, the impact of seascape noise on reproductive behavior, phytoremediation in urban waterways, and the quantitative analysis of urban soil and water microbiomes. BUEE participants experience immersive research experiences under the tutelage of an actively-engaged research mentor, developing independent research projects with practical significance and scope for publication. More information about BUEE is available by visiting http://BUEE.brooklyn.CUNY.EDU, or by contacting