Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Application Timeline and Process:

Summer 2025 applications are now closed. SURF applications for Summer 2026 will open late Fall 2025.

Once InfoReady applications open, simply follow the link, then sign on to the platform by clicking on “University of Central Florida Single Sign On (SSO)“. Then log in with your NID and NID password.

From there, you will be able to access the application and the details of the program and requirements. After you submit your application, your faculty mentor will receive an email to endorse your proposal. Your application will then be checked by a staff member for completion and eligibility before sending it to reviewers. Once reviews are received, funding decisions will be finalized. Students will be informed of their funding award, although they can view the funding status on InfoReady.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows

Students in the SURF program are starting or continuing their research or creative projects and will spend the summer working in community with other Fellows to prepare a poster to present at the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase.

Program Benefits

$2,000 academic scholarship for summer courses (Summer A or C only)
Professional development workshops, including several exclusive sessions for SURF Fellows
Opportunity to present in the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase (required for SURF Fellows)

Program Eligibility & Application Process

All applicants, regardless of which track they are applying to, will need to meet these eligibility requirements and prepare these common application components. The program will run from roughly mid May to Mid July.

Proposal Elements:

Proposals for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) require the following components:

A research project proposal
A cover letter
A 1-page resume
An endorsement from your faculty mentor (a reference letter in which the request will be sent directly to your faculty mentor after applying)

*Further information and specific instructions for each of these components can be found on the application page.

Program Eligibility:

There is NOT a GPA requirement, however, students on academic probation will not be considered for this research opportunity.
All applicants must have a UCF faculty mentor to receive a SURF Fellowship offer. Students should work closely with their mentors while drafting their proposal.
Applicants cannot graduate at the end of the summer semester in which they are SURF Fellows.
Participants must enroll in Summer A or C courses. (Students may enroll Summer B course in addition to Summer A or C if they choose.)
Be able to fulfill the program requirements in full (listed below).

Get Support Writing Your Proposal:

SURF Fellowships are competitive, but there are several resources that you can take advantage of to strengthen your proposal:

Meet with an OUR staff member to learn how to make improvements to your application
Attend one of our workshops on submitting a strong proposal
Visit UCF Career Services for a resume critique
Utilize the resources on the UCF University Writing Center’s website for cover letter support or schedule a consultation for support with your whole proposal

SURF Fellows: Requirements

Summer Participation Requirements:

Attend the kick-off event in May
Attend four SURF workshops throughout the summer. Topics covered include poster preparation, creating a research portfolio, how to be successful at conferences, etc.
Present a poster of your research at the end of the summer at our UCF Summer Research Showcase.

*See further details (including program dates) on the application page.

Post-Summer Participation Requirements:

Present during UCF’s Student Research Week event the following spring semester.