Across a three-year period, The Duke Psychology and Neuroscience REU site provided 22 underrepresented (UR) students with the skills, socialization, connection, and continuity they need to begin developing a scholar-researcher identity. This REU was a truly unique research experience using a combination of methodological approaches across the lifespan covering three areas of psychology: Developmental, Social, and Cognitive Neuroscience. During this 10-week REU, students received hands-on experiences conducting experimental and observational research in addition to individually tailored academic writing and graduate school preparation sessions. Interns participated in weekly lab meetings, monthly all-site meetings, R and data analysis training, and one-on-one sessions with their mentors. In addition, all interns met with other Duke undergraduates and faculty to expose them to many areas and styles of research in the field. Participants were also given the opportunity to attend or present at national conferences in addition to giving a public oral presentation at the end of each internship summer about their research project. Participants were encouraged to share their research experiences with their home institutions as further dissemination of research and received guidance as they worked to seek out and establish research opportunities at their home institutions and beyond. 

This REU site's primary goal was to enhance the UR students? research experiences and skills to increase the number of diverse students who enter Ph.D. programs and ultimately the field. Across the three years of this REU, a total of 1267 students applied (37% from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds; 26.3% LGBTQ+ identified; 30.8% limited-income backgrounds; 21.8% first-generation student status; 7.0% disability status; 49% not from traditional research/PhD granting universities). Out of this applicant pool, 22 UR students (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA, first-generation, limited income, disability) were selected to complete the internship program (virtually in Year 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid in Year 2, and in-person in Year 3). It was a core value of this REU site to ensure that the mentorship team (PIs, current PhD, postdoctoral scholars, and PhD-bound lab staff) was also equally diverse and representative in order to provide REU interns with tiered mentorship and culturally-responsive research training. Program participants have presented at national and regional conferences, obtained competitive full-time research positions, gained admission to Masters and PhD programs, in addition to program mentors also being placed in competitive doctoral and postdoctoral programs as well as tenure-track faculty positions.