About Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program:

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program provides an action-oriented research experience for undergraduate students to stimulate their interest in advanced education and research careers.  Selected students engage in research this summer on Purdue's West Lafayette, Indiana campus! SURF matches undergraduates with a faculty member and graduate student mentor who introduce them to the research tools used on the cutting edges of science, engineering, and technology. (Open to Purdue students and undergraduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities.)

This competitive fellowship is a paid, 10-week, immersive summer research guided by the faculty and graduate student mentors.   In addition to research activities, students will also participate in weekly professional development workshops.  The program culminates with a student research symposium where all fellows present a technical poster or an oral talk.   All participants are required to produce a final report submitted to the P.I. and the Engineering Undergraduate Research Office (EURO) to document their outcomes. SURF students participate in research activities on campus over 10-weeks during a 11-week program in the summer.

SURF 2023 Program Dates:

  • Student Application Window: January 9 - February 15, 2023
  • Program Dates: May 22 - August 2, 2023
  • SURF Symposium: July 27-28, 2023
  • SURF Award Reception: August 1, 2023

Why Participate in SURF?

  • Receive pay to conduct hands-on research under the direction of a faculty member and a graduate student
  • Attend professional development seminars
  • Present research discoveries at the SURF Symposium
  • Enjoy social activities with other SURF students
  • Network with faculties and students that conduct research that is of interest to you
  • Increase proficiency of technical communication
  • Gain experiences to work towards your future career goals, with a particular focus on post-graduation education
  • Celebrate at the end-of-summer banquet

Eligibility:

Applicants for SURF must:

  • be a full-time student currently enrolled at Purdue or another U.S. institution of higher education in a bachelor’s degree program
  • is an undergraduate student and new to the Purdue SURF program - students can only participate in the Purdue SURF program once
  • have completed one academic semester/quarter by the time of the SURF application
  • continued to be enrolled as an undergraduate for at least one academic semester/quarter after the end of the SURF program
  • have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8/4.0 at the time of application
  • participate for the scheduled program period (alternate program dates are not available)

Program Requirements:

The SURF program will use BrightSpace to support the program participants throughout their summer research experience. On BrightSpace, participants will find announcements, assignments, the seminar schedule, and resource materials. For information about the structure of the program, click on the Information and Policies document. In order to successfully complete the program and receive the full summer stipend, each participant must fulfill the program requirements.

While participating in the SURF program, all students are expected to abide by the Purdue University Student Code of Conduct.

The SURF program is a 10-week research experience during a 11-week program. Vacations and time off are to be discussed with the faculties ahead of time and are subject to approval completely at the discretion of the faculties involved in the project.

Full-time SURF students may not enroll in classes while participating in the program.

Selection Criteria:

Students will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Eligibility
  • Application information and academic record
  • Qualifications for available research projects and successful match to a project
  • New researchers are encouraged to apply, as this program is well suited for the first-time researcher

Application Steps:

  1. Complete the application form
    Describe your research experience, qualifications, relevant experiences, and career goals in the letter of interest and upload your resume.
  2. Send Unofficial University transcript
    Upload a PDF of your original transcript to the application system.
  3. Explore potential research projects
    Talk to Purdue professors about your research interests and potential opportunities in their lab. Review the SURF list of research projects with undergraduate research positions. You can indicate your interest in these projects directly on the application by selecting up to three projects. Additional projects will be posted as they become available. Return to this list frequently to view new project postings but be aware that not every available SURF project will be posted here.

The student-project matching will continue through March, but all application documents must be received in the SURF office by the application deadline.

External Students

Each summer top students from around the country join Purdue students in conducting research and networking with other undergraduates on the Purdue campus. The SURF program is enriched by the participation of 50-60 visiting students each year, which constitute close to 30% of total participants.

Purdue University was founded in 1869 and is celebrating a 150 years of Giant Leaps! Purdue is one of the nation’s leading research institutions with a student population of more than 40,000 on the main campus. During the summer, many students stay on campus to gain new skills and apply classroom knowledge to solve research problems in laboratories across campus. By working closely with other creative and innovative people, students explore, discover, and transform ideas into reality.

Come join us on the Purdue campus this summer! Students who have completed one academic semester at a U.S. institution by the time the program starts are encouraged to apply for the SURF program.

Learn more about life in the Greater Lafayette community.

External students are required to request a letter of recommendation from a Professor/Professional who you have worked closely with. The letter should be uploaded by the application deadline.

*External students may request on-campus housing at nearby apartments and travel assistance to Purdue’s campus. SURF will make roommate assignments. To be considered for assistance, you must complete the Visiting Student section of the online application.

Stipend for SURF Participants

Participants in the SURF program conduct research activities full-time, 40 hours per week over 11 weeks. The research activities include activities such as research in the lab (~90% of time), attending SURF required seminars, assignments related to the research process, etc.

Students receive a summer stipend of $6000 based on successful completion of the program. Funding for the student is provided by the professor directing the research project, the professor's school or department, and the professor’s college.

Housing

External students will obtain free housing for the duration of the program.

Purdue students are responsible for securing their own housing for the summer.

Medical Insurance

While participating in the SURF program, students will be covered by basic medical insurance through the American Income Life Insurance Company . The insurance benefit is limited and does not cover pre-existing conditions. This coverage is primary. Any unapproved expenses will then be the financial responsibility of the student.

For services at Purdue University Student Health facility (PUSH), make an appointment. If non-emergency care is required when PUSH is closed, go to IU Health Arnett Urgent Care at 253 Sagamore Parkway West or Franciscan Express Care at 915 Sagamore Parkway West in West Lafayette.

For emergency situations, call 911. After the emergency, contact the SURF office.

IMPORTANT

Always provide the medical facility with the insurance name:
American Income Life Insurance - Purdue University-SURF Program

Structured Events and activities organized by SURF

  • Modules - To help you learn positive research techniques.
  • Assignments - Login to BrightSpace for details and due dates of the documents you will need to submit during your SURF experience.
  • Professional Development Seminars - These required workshops and seminars will help you successfully complete your research project, prepare for the SURF Research Symposium, and make the most of your SURF summer. Login to BrightSpace for the schedule.
  • Other activities:
    • Graduate Mentor Award - The purpose of the SURF Graduate Mentor of the Summer award is to recognize Purdue graduate student mentors who have provided exceptional guidance and instruction to undergraduate students in the SURF program. Each year, a few graduate mentors are awarded to recognize their effort towards encouraging undergraduate research.
    • SURF Symposium - The SURF symposium showcases the research work of the SURF participants at the end of summer. The SURF participants present their research in the form of posters or presentations to an audience comprising of their peers, faculties and other Purdue students and staff.
    • SURFMania - An informal ice-breaking session where the SURF participants get to meet all their peers at the beginning of the summer.
    • SURF Celebration Event- An end-of-summer celebration where students and mentors are recognized for their efforts throughout the summer.
    • Lab tours - Tours to various engineering and science labs are organized to give the students an overview of the cutting-edge research tools available at Purdue.

Other Resources

 

SURF 2023 Schedule*

PDF schedule

Google calendar

ICS file

For this year, we will be having the following Professional Development Seminars for the SURF 2023 cohort. For detailed schedule of how SURF 2023 would look like please download the PDF schedule and the Google Calendar / ICS file.

PDS Event Date Time Venue
SURF Student Check-in 5/22/23 9:30 am - 12:00 pm TBD
SURF Student Orientation 5/22/23 10:00 am - 12:00 pm TBD
Memorial Day Holiday 5/29/23
Literature Search/Review 5/30/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Faculty Panel and SURF Alumni Panel Discussion 6/6/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Technical Abstract Workshop 6/13/23 10:30 am - 12:00 pm WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Is Graduate School the Answer? 6/20/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Graduate School Funding and Fellowship Info Session 6/22/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Graduate School Application 6/27/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Independence Day Holiday
Industry and Federal Labs Panel  7/11/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Effective Technical Communication 7/17/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Preparing for the Symposium 7/18/23 10:00 am - 11:30 am WALC 1055, Hiler Theatre
Practice Presentations - I 7/21/23 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm TBD
Practice Presentations - II 7/24/23 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm TBD
SURF Symposium 7/27/23 and 7/28/23 9:00 am - 5:00 pm TBD
SURF 2023 Award Ceremony 8/1/23 TBD TBD

 * This schedule is tentative and is subject to changes. Late updated on May 9, 2023.