REU at the University of North Texas

National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of North Texas

Civil Conflict Management and Peace Science
June 4 to July 27, 2012

Application due March 30, 2012

Program Information

The aim of this program is to provide research experiences for undergraduate students from all majors with an introduction to research in the broad area of civil conflict management and peace science. The program is headquartered at the Department of Political Science at UNT, a nationally and internationally recognized center for conflict management studies and peace science. It is home to the only Peace Science degree program in the Southwestern United States. The team of REU investigators represents a group of top researchers in political science and international relations who are undertaking cutting edge research on civil wars, terrorism, and other forms of civil conflict and peace building.

This eight week, in-residence program at the UNT campus in Denton, Texas, includes workshops on theory building and computer simulations, research design and analysis, and graduate school preparation. Further the program includes opportunities to present participant research results at local and national conferences.

The projects below represent a sample (not an exhaustive list) of potential projects that students might pursue that are related to current research projects being conducted by senior faculty in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas. These include (but are not limited to):

A. External Intervention and Conflict Management. What are the effects of externally imposed regime change? Is it possible to predict the success or failure of externally imposed democracies, and their ability to avoid civil and interstate conflict?
B. Foreign Aid and Political Stability in Post-Conflict Societies. What is the relationship between development aid and the emergence of democracy in post-conflict societies?
C. Sources of Ethnic Conflict. What causes ethnic conflict? What are the economic, social, or demographic causes of conflict? Can political institutions be employed to manage ethnic conflict?
D. Sustaining the Peace after Civil War. What are the factors that explain the durability of peace after the end of a civil war?
E. Environmental Degradation and Civil Conflict. What is the relationship between environmental change and civil conflict? Is environmental degradation associated with conflict?

Application Information

This opportunity is available to sophomore, Junior, and senior undergraduate students from all majors. REU Fellowships will be awarded to qualified students on a competitive basis. Each Fellowship will include a $4,000 stipend as well as support for room and board and travel for conference presentation. Undergraduate student participants supported with NSF funds in either REU Supplements or REU Sites must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions (for additional eligibility requirements see eligible students. Please note that undergraduate students who have graduated before June 20, 2012 are not eligible to participate (i.e. you must be an undergraduate student at the time of participation in the program). Students from groups underrepresented in higher education and/or from first generation college and low income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. To be considered, applicants should complete the application and provide supporting materials available at the link (https://politicalscience.unt.edu/nsf-reu) Letters of recommendation should also be uploaded at this site.   APPLICATION DUE DATE March 30, 2012

To complete the application you will need to do the following:

Completed application

Research statement – 500 words

Two letters of recommendation from faculty members

Unofficial copies of transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended

Please upload completed application and materials no later than March 30, 2012 at the following site: https://politicalscience.unt.edu/nsf-reu

Note: for a definition of underrepresented see http://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.pdf p. 3; First generation is defined as neither parent or guardian, having received a baccalaureate degree; for low income guidelines see http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/incomelevels.html

If you have any questions email the director Dr. John Ishiyama Ph.D:

Professor of Political Science
Director, NSF REU program on Conflict Management and Peace Science
Editor-in-chief, Journal of Political Science Education
Lead Editor, American Political Science Review  (beginning July 2012)
Department of Political Science,
University of North Texas,
Denton TX, 76203-5340
John.Ishiyama@unt.edu
url: http://www.cas.unt.edu/~jishiyama/index.htm