Novel hydrophilic and thermosensitive poly(N,N'-diethylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methaerylate) resins were prepared by inverse suspension polymerization with N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) as a crosslinker. The effects of chemical composition and degree of crosslinking on the polymerization were investigated. The polymer resins were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The thermosensitivity of the crosslinked resins was demonstrated by their lower critical swelling temperatures. The swelling and deswelling volume of the beads in water varied depending on the molar fraction of the N,N-diethylacrylamide. These beads swelled extensively in a variety of common solvents. They had high loadings of functional hydroxyl groups and were used as supports in the solid-phase synthesis of an oligopeptide. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1681-1690, 2003.