Pavlis Honors College

SURF Student Application

How to apply

To submit the SURF application, fill out the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Application form. Ask your faculty mentor to fill out the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Faculty Mentor Form.  All materials are due by Friday, February 7, 2025, 5:00 pm.

1. Student Application Form

Complete the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Application

SURF APPLICATION

2. Project Description

The most important part of the SURF application is the Project Description, which you should develop in collaboration with your faculty mentor. In the description, you should:

  • Provide a motivation for your project. Show how it fits into a broader context as well as how it is different from what others have done.
  • Describe what you will do. Be specific enough that someone, who is not necessarily an expert in your particular subfield, can make an informed judgment as the feasibility and potential impact of what you are proposing. (SURF proposals are reviewed like National Science Foundation proposals in that they are sent out to professors across campus who rate them on a scale from Excellent to Poor.)
  • Describe how you will do it.

More tips on writing the project description can be found online.

The Project Description is limited to 2 pages (12 point font) and is submitted as a separate document in PDF format. This gives you the flexibility to include charts, pictures, graphs, equations, tables, etc . . . You may use an extra page for references if needed.

3. Faculty Mentor Form and Letter of Support

Ask your faculty mentor to submit the SURF Faculty Mentor Form, which includes a letter of support.  They should address the questions listed below in the letter. (You should give them a copy of your completed application form.)

  1. How long have you known the student and in what capacity?
  2. Why do you think the student is likely to succeed in the project?
  3. How does the student's project fit into your overall research program?
  4. If the student is taking classes over the summer, please comment on how the student and you will accommodate the course load and the time and attention that the research project will require.

SURF FACULTY MENTOR FORM

If you have questions about the application process, please email  honors@mtu.edu.