The BIOPODE (Biomechanics, Integrative Ocean Physiology, and Organismal Development and Evolution) REU Site award to the University of Washington, located at Friday Harbor Marine Laboratories (FHL) in Friday Harbor, WA, will support the training of 15 students for 8 weeks during the summers of 2026–2028. FHL is a world-class marine research station in Washington's San Juan Islands, where students live and work alongside a community of scientists and engineers. The BIOPODE REU site immerses undergraduate students in hands-on, mentored research at the intersection of biology, engineering, oceanography, and environmental science. This interdisciplinary approach reflects the real-world complexity of modern scientific challenges and prepares students for careers and graduate study across STEM fields. The program has a strong track record: over 80% of alumni have presented at national conferences, and more than 60% of graduates have gone on to graduate school. Students will learn how research is conducted and how to present their work to a broad audience. Assessment of the program will be conducted through pre- and post-program surveys, tracking of student outcomes, and mentor evaluations. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The training students will receive is aligned with NSF priorities in Biotechnology. The intellectual focus of the BIOPODE REU site spans marine ecology, developmental biology, comparative physiology, biomechanics, and bioinspired engineering, areas where FHL has historical strengths and a mentor pool of over 50 faculty from 11 departments, including Biology, Oceanography, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences to name a few, and 30 institutions. Each student is paired one-on-one with a mentor who has an active, externally funded research program, and engages in the full research pipeline from experimental design through data analysis