June 23 – August 15, 2025
Applications for Summer 2025 are no longer being accepted
Chicago Public School teachers: please note that we are aware of the overlap of CPS scheduling and the RET program start date. This will not negatively impact your ability to participate in the program.
The Center provides a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program each summer. Middle-school, high-school, and community-college teachers are eligible to apply. Participating teachers engage in research, develop a network of scientific colleagues, learn scientific and technological developments, and discover ways to transfer this knowledge to their classroom. Teachers are matched up with a center faculty based on research interests.
Program participants conduct hands-on, cutting-edge research for eight weeks. At the end of the program, the teachers are asked to summarize their findings in a technical final report and to develop a short curriculum project based on their research that can be adapted to their own classrooms. In addition, they also have the opportunity to give a 15-minute oral presentation at the closing symposium. Other program activities include a field trip to a national lab or an industrial research site and seminars by Northwestern faculty.
For an overview of Center research, please visit our research section. A list of some previous projects is also available.
Our RET program participants receive an $8,500 stipend. A travel supplement and/or on-campus housing are available for participants outside of the immediate Chicagoland area. The RET program is approved for participants to earn Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Development credits.
To be eligible for the program, the teacher must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have at least a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering, and be able to conduct on-site research during the entire eight weeks of the program.