SURF Program

See Important Note below about funding for 2026

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at Boston University (BU) is designed to promote access to research experiences for talented undergraduate students. This includes students from BU and other institutions, especially ones with lesser access to first-class research opportunities for undergraduates. As such, one long-term goal of the NSF-REU program is to enhance and broaden training and participation in order to sustain the nation’s vibrant STEM workforce. The SURF Program is supported by funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF-REU) and Boston University.

The SURF/NSF-REU Program is open to non-BU students who are rising juniors or rising seniors, and wish to conduct research in the sciences or technology fields. The program consists of ten weeks of full-time research (early June  – mid-August) in a Boston University lab, mentored by a BU faculty member. For summer 2026, student research projects will be in areas related to biology and the control of gene expression for biological outcomes. 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.

To apply for the SURF/NSF-REU program, click here.  NOTE:  funding for the program in 2026 is currently being reviewed at the National Science Foundation. We may not know if we have funding for 2026 until spring 2026. If we start accepting students, your acceptance will be contingent, of course, on the acquisition of funding from the National Science Foundation for summer 2026.

The application period for the Summer 2026 SURF program will run from late January, 2026 until April 1, 2026. Applications will be reviewed and offers will be made on a rolling basis, so it is advantageous to get your applications in early.

Please read the application instructions at the NSF-ETAP site carefully before applying to the SURF program: you will need to fill out an application, provide a transcript, and ask two professors to submit letters of recommendation. Feel free to contact the Biology office if you would like more information (surf@bu.edu; 617-353-2432).