SURF Program

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program is designed to promote access to graduate education for talented undergraduate students, especially those from minority groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences: African-American, Hispanic, Native American/Native Alaskan, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian/Polynesian, Asian (excluding Asian Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Thai). The SURF Program is supported by funds from the National Science Foundation and Boston University.

The SURF Program is open to non-BU students who are rising juniors or rising seniors, and wish to conduct research in the sciences, technology, or engineering. The program consists of ten weeks of full-time research in a Boston University lab, mentored by a BU faculty member. Most SURF research projects are in areas related to Biology and Neuroscience. On-campus housing, a stipend, weekly enrichment activities, social events, and an October weekend trip to present findings at the Boston University Undergraduate Research Symposium are also included.

During the summer of 2010, the SURF program will be partnering with the NSF-funded CELEST program, which is designed for students interested in research in computational and experimental neuroscience. Ten positions (including stipend, travel, and housing) will be available for the CELEST program. Minority and female students are particularly encouraged to apply.

Although a student may participate in only one of the two programs (SURF or CELEST), it is possible to apply for both. On the application, you will be given an opportunity to indicate which program(s) you wish to be considered for. For both programs, the application deadline is February 5, 2010, and the 2010 program dates are June 1 to August 6. Please read the application instructions carefully before applying to these programs, as you will need to fill out an application, provide a transcript, and ask two professors to submit letters of recommendation.