Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is a fully funded, eight-week summer residential program that brings 30-35 talented and motivated undergraduate students from across the country and the world to Stanford Engineering for an immersive research and graduate school preparation experience.

SURF is designed to demystify the admissions process and give fellows a real feel for what it means to conduct research at the graduate level. The program provides students with housing, a meal plan, a travel stipend, and a stipend upon completion of the program. In addition, SURF Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a robust graduate school preparation program including coding experience, industry visits, excursions around the Bay Area, community-building activities, participation in a research symposium, and a strong mentorship component.

Our 2024 SURF Fellows have returned to their home universities. While at Stanford Engineering, they were engaged in research across all 9 engineering departments and contributed to groundbreaking research that tackles the major challenges of the 21st century.

Objective

The program aims to build community and create a cohort of future graduate student engineers who can promote diversity of thought and experience within the engineering and science student body. Student engagement in research increases 1) the retention of students in scientific research, 2) student interest in graduate school, and 3) student interest in STEM careers. Since its inception, SURF has been a vehicle for undergraduate students to conduct scientific research and a foundation for them to pursue graduate studies in engineering.

We are committed to advancing a culture of respect, accessibility, inclusion, and empowerment at for all students at Stanford Engineering. We make intentional efforts to outreach and connect with competitive students with demonstrated potential, including those who come from environments with limited access to Research I university programs.

2025 SURF Application Opens November 1, 2024

Application Deadline is February 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm

SURF virtual information sessions:

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 @ 2pm-3pm PST
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 @ 10am-11am PST
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 @ 2pm-3pm PST

See information session slides here -

Slides for the 2025 application will be available after the November information session.

SURF Application Office Hours

Join virtually January 16, 23, 30, 2025 @ 10am-11am PT

Application Information

Application Dates - Deadline February 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm PST

Apply November 1, 2024 - February 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm PST
A complete application includes all letters of recommendation & finalized supporting documents submitted by Feb 1.
Incomplete applications that do not include letters of recommendation & supporting documents and/or applications not submitted by Feb. 1 @ 11:59pm PST will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.
First round denials are made in mid-to-late February
All other applicants will be notified of a decision for the program the first week of March.

Program Eligibility - Applicants must

Be at least 18 years old.
Be currently enrolled full-time in an accredited public or private college or university in the United States or its territories, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Full-time community college students in their transfer year are eligible to apply. U.S. domestic undocumented and DACAmented students are eligible to apply. Individuals seeking asylum & refugees are eligible to apply.
If the applicant is a foreign national enrolled in a college or university within the United States & in possession of a valid F-1 Visa, they must be first generation (first in their family to attend university in pursuit of a bachelor's degree) and/or from low socioeconomic status, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. We also accept applications from first-generation and/or low socioeconomic status international students who are enrolled in public or private colleges or universities outside of the United States. Please note that only international applicants from first generation and/or low socioeconomic status are eligible to apply.
Be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Note: Applications from students who describe exceptional circumstances in their statement of purpose and/or personal history statement, or who demonstrate a marked progression of improving grades on their transcript, may be considered.
Demonstrate a committed interest in pursuing graduate study toward a PhD in an engineering field. If you plan on pursuing an MD, JD, MBA, or other non-research-focused advanced degree, this is not the right program for you.
Have completed at least two semesters/three quarters (or equivalent) and have at least one full semester/quarter remaining of their undergraduate education at the end of the summer program. Priority given to rising juniors (3rd years) and seniors (4th years). Master's students are not eligible.

In efforts to attract applicants from a variety of life experiences, two application options are available:

Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply through the Leadership Alliance's Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)*
Applicants may also apply through the Stanford SURF program application**

*Submitting an application through either portal is acceptable. All applications are reviewed thoroughly and holistically regardless of the application portal chosen, and the applicant should not submit their application twice. If you are applying through SR-EIP, you will not be able to submit an optional personal history statement or rank your top 3 SURF labs. To submit your personal history statement and lab rankings, please email PDF attachments to surf-program@stanford.edu with the subject line: LastName-FirstName-Personal History Statement and Lab Rankings.

**Undocumented students, DACAmented students, asylum seekers, refugees, and first generation and/or low income international applicants (both those studying at U.S. colleges and universities as well as abroad) should submit their application through the Stanford SURF Portal.

The SURF team conducts a holistic review of all applications and extends initial invitations to top applicants.

The deadline for both applications (including all letters of recommendation and supporting documents) is February 1 at 11:59pm. Applicants will be notified of a decision for the program in early March.

Many questions about the program and application can be answered in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Application Materials

As part of the application form, applicants must submit the following materials:

Resume or CV: 3 pages in length at maximum
Academic Transcript: Unofficial transcript will suffice; official transcript not necessary.
Statement of Purpose: The statement of purpose should be an essay crafted to convey your academic and career goals, with an emphasis on your current research interests. In this essay, you should clearly explain your interest for pursuing doctoral level (PhD) training. An interview is not a standard part of the SURF application process. Consider the statement of purpose your opportunity to introduce yourself to a review committee and the chance to answer any information you might share during an interview. Statements should be typed, single-spaced, and 1-2 pages in length.
Two Letters of Recommendation: We highly recommend letters from faculty & supervisors who can specifically discuss your academic potential and research preparation for the program.
Optional Personal History Statement (Strongly Encouraged): For the optional personal history statement, we invite you to share unique, personally important experiences, demonstrated values, perspectives, or activities that have led you to this point in your academic/professional journey. Please discuss how they have influenced your path in school, inform your approach to science and research, and/or serve as motivation for pursuing your chosen field in engineering. 1000 words max. Note: If you are applying through Leadership Alliance SR-EIP and would like to submit an optional personal history statement, please email a PDF attachment to surf-program@stanford.edu with the subject line LastName-FirstName-PersonalHistoryStatement.

Application Resources - Exemplars

In an effort to support applicants in preparing their applications, updated exemplars will be provided in fall 2024. These are not meant to be prescriptive, but rather to offer you examples of what successful statements have looked like in previous years; remember there are many ways to write successful statements. We encourage you to have your statements reviewed by trusted mentors, as well as your college or university's writing center tutors if those are available to you.

For Stanford Labs - Host a Scholar

Thank you for your interest in serving as a lab host for the SURF program. PIs should complete our Lab Host Interest Form to confirm your interest and availability. SUNet ID Authentication is required to access the form.

2025 SURF Lab Host Interest Form

2025 SURF Lab Host Guide and FAQ