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SURFs are awarded to students who have an interesting research question, a well-conceived plan, and clear faculty support. Students are expected to focus full-time on their research project for 8 weeks during the summer. 

Successful applicants will show promise of a quick start (meaning all trainings are completed and research protocols are expected by the start of the summer) and potential to complete their project within the proposed timeline. If projects are part of a larger program or thesis work, then it must be clear to the reviewers that the summer will be spent on specific tasks that otherwise would be difficult to accomplish during the academic year.

Below are additional criteria that reviewers prioritize when evaluating proposals:

• Students must be in good academic standing. Generally, a 3.00 GPA is needed to be in strong contention for these awards. Shortcomings in GPA must be addressed in the personal narrative. An upward trajectory or steady improvement is valued more than a declining or uneven one.
• Academic record (courses taken), particularly how these show the student’s ability to complete the proposed project. Students should highlight courses that are applicable to their projects (e.g., a methods course, foreign language training, etc.).
• Preference given to students with some experience in their proposed area of research and with their faculty sponsor.
• The proposal is judged on its overall merits and strengths (abstract, thesis statement, literature review, objectives, methods clearly defined, and outcomes clearly discussed). The student’s role in a larger project must be clear.
• The proposal must be written by the student applicant. While it is important that the faculty sponsor review and advise in the writing of the proposal, it must be clear that the student has written the proposal, understands the project, and explains it clearly. Think of your faculty as an editor, not a co-author.
• The letter of support from the faculty sponsor impacts the decision of whether to fund a proposal and must include how the faculty knows the student applicant, for how long, and in what capacity. Faculty who are sponsoring more than one student should note that we will fund only one student per faculty member.
• Students must be degree-seeking undergraduates at the time of the project to receive a grant. You may not graduate the spring prior to application.
• Previous/Current Mini Grant funding does not affect your chances for the summer research funding, but those who have received a prior SURF will be given a lower priority. You may only receive two of the major awards from FOUR (involving $4000+ stipends) during your undergraduate career.
• Students who win other substantial university summer awards (APLE Summer, Binter, Barrett, departmental research awards, etc.) will be expected to choose either the FOUR award or the other one, so that additional students may benefit from summer research opportunities.

• Application deadline: March 1st, 2025
• Awardees notified: by April 18th, 2025
• Award Orientation Meeting: May 5th, 2025
• Deadline for submission of signed contracts, proof of required trainings/protocols, and completed award documentation: May 16th, 2025
• Award start date: May 19th, 2025 (first day of summer session)
• Mid-point check-in: June 30th, 2025
• Deadline for final reflection: August 8th, 2025 (last day of summer session)
• End of summer SURF party!: Exact date TBD - Sometime between September 1st and 5th, 2025