The DRC-REU Program will consist of an intensive nine-week Summer Research Institute (SRI). The SRI will provide students with theoretical and methodological education under the guidance of the senior faculty mentors. During this time period, students will be exposed to a variety of research and professional development activities which will contribute to strengthening the students' social science background and provide the basic foundations to prepare them to enter a graduate program. The nine-week SRI consists of six (6) core modules and a series of social and cultural activities, as follows:

• An intensive course module on the social science aspects of disasters (Weeks 2-5). The primary objective of this module is to provide an introduction to the field of disaster studies and to highlight the importance and contributions of a social science perspective.
• A research methods module focusing on research techniques, methodology, and procedures most often used in disaster research (Weeks 2-5)
• A faculty research project module, which will include presentations and discussions by DRC researchers and mentors on their current and on-going research projects (Week 1).
• A research ethics module emphasizing the importance of the ethical implications of disaster research and ethical issues in social science research (Week 2)
• An academic, research, and professional development module with two types of workshops: a workshop on the development of research and technical skills and a workshop on professional development. As part of the trainees' professional development and immersion into disaster research, students will attend the University of Colorado's Natural Hazards Research Center's annual Hazards Research and Application Workshop in Boulder Colorado (Weeks 2 to 7).
• An Invited Speaker Series with presentations by leading scholars in the disaster field (Weeks 2-6)
• Social and Cultural Activities. A number of social and cultural activities (including an annual opening/welcome reception and field trips to Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC) will take place in order to enhance students' professional development, provide opportunities for networking with faculty and administrators, and allow students to develop a sense of cohesion and to promote the development of a cohort experience (Weeks 1-9).

REU trainees will carryout their research projects under the guidance of a mentor. REU trainees will begin working on the development of their research projects in Week Two of the program. As time proceeds, students will devote more time to hands-on research work. During the last four to five weeks of the summer training experience, students will be primarily working on their research projects under the guidance of their faculty mentors. Table 1 shows the proposed activities for a “typical” week for an REU trainee during the SRI.

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