Information for Faculty, Lab Mentors, and Program Managers

Back to Top ↑

 

The SURF program is designed to offer undergraduate students a hands-on research experience that sparks their interest in advanced education and research careers. The program is an 11-week-long opportunity for top undergraduates to participate in research activities, attend professional development seminars, and complete assignments for approximately 40 hours a week. During the program, the professor lays out the student's research schedule and assigns a graduate student or post-doctoral mentor to work with the undergraduate. The program is aimed at helping SURF participants plan their future careers, improve their writing skills, and learn how to communicate their work to a technical audience.

Overview of Important Dates

Priority Project Posting
November 1 - December 1

For maximum visibility and applicants, submit your project by the priority deadline. Projects can still be posted after this time, but students will have already started applying, so review the existing pool for suitable candidates.

Student Priority Application Deadline
January 15

International students who are not currently in the U.S. and require J-1 visa sponsorship must apply by January 15. 

All other students are encouraged to apply by this date for full consideration, but applications will be accepted on a rolling basis afterward. Students applying by the Jan 15 deadline will be considered for:

• Pathways Program: Provides travel and housing assistance, plus additional professional development opportunities.
• Purdue students only: Competitive review for a housing subsidy (housing assistance is not typically offered to Purdue undergraduates).
• Non-Purdue students: All external students (Visiting Scholars) will receive a housing subsidy, regardless of application date. Faculty are generally asked to contribute $1,000 toward this subsidy, but for external students applying by January 15, we will conduct a competitive review to determine if they qualify for a waiver of that fee.

J-1 Visa Sponsorship Decision Deadline
February 1

Faculty must finalize their pairing with international students requiring J-1 visa sponsorship and notify our office by February 1, so the visa process can begin.

Final Student Selection Deadline
April 15

After this date, any faculty or centers wishing to admit more students will need to send out their own offer letters. EURO will no longer offer cost-sharing or housing support. Students can still opt-in to the SURF experiences (GAs, workshops, program milestones, etc.) through a survey that will be shared later.

SURF Program Dates
May 25, 2025 - August 8, 2025

These dates will be listed in the offer letter. Please note that many international students cannot work outside these dates due to visa restrictions.

While the program officially begins on May 25, no in-person events are required by the SURF program at large until June 2. During the first week, students will complete trainings (e.g., CITI), meet with their graduate assistants (GAs), review project materials, and connect with their faculty or lab mentors. Financial onboarding and ID card processing will also take place to ensure students are fully prepared to be hands-on in the lab by June 2.

We aim to provide flexibility regarding physical presence, recognizing that labs and students may need to travel for data collection, conferences, or manage personal conflicts. To accommodate this, we minimize required in-person events while ensuring program goals are met.

However, the following dates require students to be physically present for SURF obligations. Missing these will result in ineligibility for the program. From June 2 to August 7, students must be on campus and actively engaged. Fully remote participation is not permitted.

Purdue students already on campus can begin in-person work the week of May 25. We encourage flexibility for external students during this first week, allowing them time to complete onboarding and preparation.

---

Quick Links

Recruiting SURF Students

• To participate in the SURF program, faculty members post their research projects on the program's website, and students can apply directly to the posted projects and indicate their interest in certain subfields. (If you post a project after the application opens, we recommend reviewing the subfield interests of early applicants.)
• Faculty members are also encouraged to recommend students to apply for the program.
• Once the applications are submitted, faculty members review them and identify qualified students for one of their projects. Faculty are welcome to interview students if they wish. Once a student is chosen, the faculty member will "recommend" a student for a particular project.
• The EURO office reviews all recommended applicants and finalizes the participant list for the program.

Funding SURF Students

• SURF participants receive a $6500 stipend
• The SURF funding model splits the cost equally between the professor, the professor’s school/department, and the professor’s college. Each entity contributes $2166 towards one SURF student (we ask the college to cover the rounding difference and contribute $2168). 
• If a PI wishes to recruit more than one student, various departmental and college agreements will determine the funding breakdown. We offer a "cost estimator" at the bottom of this page so you can see how much was contributed per student last year based on agreements at that time. Please note, these agreements are subject to change, and the stipend amount has also changed since that time. 
• In addition to the stipend contribution, PIs recruiting external students are requested to contribute $1000 toward external student housing costs. This contribution will be waived for students the EURO office identifies as "high potential" candidates. These students will be indicated with flags in the portal. 

Selecting Students via the SURF Portal

A step-by-step guide to requesting SURF students from the portal will be posted here by November 15. Please note that you must have a project posted (and approved by EURO staff) before you can make a student selection.

Confidentiality of the Project

As part of the SURF program, students are required to present their research in a public forum, and the abstract of their work will be made public in an abstract booklet. Projects with confidentiality restrictions are generally not suitable for this program. AAMP-UP, affiliated with PERC, has a separate conference to ensure only those with proper export controls training and clearances will engage with the data. We are open to negotiating other presentation methods with faculty and program administrators but do require the students to present their work to an audience outside of their lab in some format. Please contact our office at eur@purdue.edu to propose alternative methods. 

Mentoring a SURF Student

Your role as a mentor is crucial in encouraging undergraduate students to pursue a research career. Here are some tips for engaging undergraduate researchers:

• Start by assessing your student's skills, knowledge, and interests. This will help you tailor your guidance to their unique needs.
• Create a welcoming and open environment that encourages your students to ask questions. This will help them feel comfortable seeking your guidance and feedback.
• Explain the overall goals of the research project and the role your student will play in achieving those goals. This will help your student understand the significance of their work.
• Meet with your student on a regular basis. A fixed weekly meeting is highly recommended to ensure that progress is being made and any issues can be addressed in a timely manner.
• Clearly define your expectations and outline your student's tasks and responsibilities. This will help your student understand what is expected of them and what they need to accomplish.
• Develop a schedule with your student to complete various aspects of the project within the length of the program. This will help your student manage their time and stay on track.
• Explain the role of other members of the team and the reporting structure. This will help your student understand how their work fits into the larger picture.
• Provide guidelines and expectations regarding the lab notebook and data collection. This will help your student understand how to properly document their work.
• Provide constructive feedback and employ active listening skills. This will help your student improve their skills and grow as a researcher.
• Get to know your student on an informal basis. Talk to them about career options, research as a career, and graduate school options.
• Review the schedule of SURF activities and encourage your students to actively participate in them. This will help your student develop a broader understanding of the research process and make valuable connections within the research community.

Additional Resource: Graduate Students Mentoring Undergraduate Students: Opportunities, Expectations, and Strategies (PDF); Presentation by Dr. Sean Brophy, Purdue University

Safety in the Laboratory

Every SURF student must become familiar with laboratory safety practices. SURF faculty and graduate student mentors are responsible for providing a safe environment and should:

• Provide undergraduate safety orientations for their respective laboratory setting and additional safety training at the school level if required.
• Report any laboratory accidents to the Radiological & Environmental Management Office (REM), First Report of Injury Form

SURF participants are not employees of the University and therefore are not covered under Workman’s Compensation. During the summer, each SURF student is covered with limited medical insurance through the Risk Management Office. This coverage is primary but does have limitations. Any unapproved and unpaid medical expenses will be the financial responsibility of the student.

If the student needs medical assistance, contact the SURF office as soon as possible.

---