Students will be selected based on eligibility, application information and academic record, qualifications for available research projects, and a successful match to a project. Prior research experience is not required, as this program is well suited for the first-time researcher.

We strongly encourage applicants to explore their areas of interest and review the research conducted at Purdue. Departmental websites often list faculty members and their specific research areas, which can help you identify potential opportunities. While the SURF program provides a list of projects with potential openings, it is not exhaustive. Indicating your research interests, specific projects, or faculty names on your application can assist in matching you with an appropriate research project and mentor. You can select up to three projects of interest in your application, and faculty can continue adding new projects to the list through April 15, so check back regularly.

Yes, the interdisciplinary aspect of many of the projects allows students to learn and work across other disciplines while still applying the concepts and skills from their own programs.

Upload a PDF of your university transcript directly to the application system. The transcript must include your name, program of study, past courses with grades, and current course enrollments. Please do not email or mail your transcript; it must be uploaded through the application system.

External (non-Purdue) students are required to submit a letter of recommendation as part of their application. While you can submit your application without the letter initially, you will receive a link upon submission that you can forward to your recommender for uploading the letter to our system.
The letter should come from a professor or professional who has worked closely with you and can attest to your work ethic, attitude, behavior, skills, and interests related to the SURF program. This could include faculty teaching a course you’ve taken, a lab lead from a research project you were part of, or a professional who supervised you during an internship.
The content of the letter should highlight why you would be a good fit for the program, emphasizing aspects such as your professional work ethic, research abilities, leadership, or teamwork skills based on their interactions with you.
It’s recommended to allow your recommender 2–3 weeks to submit the letter, so plan accordingly to ensure it is submitted before the application deadline. Please note that only one letter of recommendation is allowed; if a second letter is uploaded, it will overwrite the first one.

While we have no minimum or maximum requirement, most students write between 500 and 1,150 words; strong statements typically land near 700–900 words.

SURF offer letters will be sent to students via email in March and early April, with all decisions finalized by April 15. If you are not selected, you will receive an official rejection email in April. Please do not email or call us to inquire about your application status before this date.

Yes, you will still need to submit an application. Please ask your faculty mentor to post the project in the portal. They can keep the project details minimal and select you right away, and EURO can then close the project to further applications.

SURF applications are considered on a rolling basis, and hence applications are available to be reviewed by the faculty as soon as they are submitted. However, we encourage faculty to wait until after the first deadline before reviewing any applications.

For any questions related to tax reporting and payments regarding the SURF stipend, please contact Purdue Tax Services at tax@purdue.edu. Additional information is available at Purdue Tax Services.
International students with nonresident alien status should ensure their Glacier profile is updated for accurate tax-related information and review the generated summary report for details about their tax liability.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and resident aliens may have tax withholding applied to their stipend. All participants are encouraged to consult a tax advisor to determine the taxable portion of their stipend.
Recipients of the SURF fellowship may receive tax reporting information via email or on a tax form between late January and mid-February.

If you are an international student in F-1 status studying at Purdue, CPT authorization is not required.

If you are in F-1 status at another U.S. institution and are selected for SURF, you will need authorization from your institution's international student office before participating. Documentation demonstrating your eligibility to participate in SURF (such as through CPT or pre-completion OPT) will be required before an offer can be finalized.

No, Purdue SURF students can only receive pay for completing the program. However, students are encouraged to enroll in ENGR 39602 (0 credit) to document the research experience on their transcript.

It is still worth applying. Applicants who meet the Priority Application Deadline are considered for some additional, highly competitive funding opportunities. If you apply after the priority deadline, you will not be eligible for those extra funding options, but you can still receive the base stipend of $6,500.
Faculty begin reviewing applications after the priority deadline, but many research positions are typically still available at that time. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to apply even if you missed the priority deadline.

If you completed your studies outside the U.S., you may need to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale to check eligibility requirements. We recommend using a simple manual conversion as a first step.

Basic conversion formula:
(International GPA ÷ Maximum possible GPA) × 4.0 = U.S. GPA

For example, if your GPA is 4.2 on a 5.0 scale:
(4.2 ÷ 5.0) × 4.0 = 3.36

Online GPA conversion tools can be used to double-check your calculation, but be careful selecting the correct settings:

• Scholaro GPA Calculator
• World Education Services (WES) iGPA Calculator

Yes. You are welcome to apply. We do not have any major requirements, and students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. A demonstrated interest or experience relevant to the project is more important than your declared major.

The Purdue SURF program is generally designed for single-time engagement, so participants are expected to be first-time students in the program. However, students may participate a second time with the explicit support of their Principal Investigator (PI). PIs should note that funding preferences are given to first-time participants. Specifically:

• Second-time participants are ineligible for the EURO housing or travel subsidy.
• In the event of departmental funding limits, priority will be given to first-time participants.

Requests for alternate start dates, up to one week after the program begins, can be accommodated with faculty permission. Please discuss this with your faculty mentor.

Faculty can add new projects to the SURF project list through April 15. Until that date, you may apply to newly added projects or update your application, as long as:

• You have not already been selected for a project.
• You are not an international student (international applications must be complete by the international deadline).