Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Application Window:
Applications open in January and close on March 4.
SURF Fellows
Students in this track 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.
Publishing Fellows
Students in this track have completed their research and spend the summer working on a manuscript (journal article) about their work, with the support of the editors of The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal.
Program Benefits
- $1,500 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, optional for Publishing 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.
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
- A letter of recommendation from your faculty mentor
*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 a Write a Strong Proposal for OUR Summer Fellowships and Research Grants workshop
- 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 six SURF scholars workshops throughout the summer. Topics covered include poster preparation, creating a research portfolio, how to be successful at conferences, etc.
- Commit at least 10 hours a week to their research project for the duration of the program.
- 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:
Publishing Fellows: Requirements
Pre-Summer Requirement:
Complete your research or creative work, so that you can spend the summer writing.
Summer Participation Requirements:
- Attend six SURF scholars workshops throughout the summer. Topics covered include poster preparation, creating a research portfolio, how to be successful at conferences, etc.
- Commit at least 10 hours a week to their research project for the duration of the program.
- 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:
- Submit your manuscript to a journal by December.
- Optional: Present during UCF’s Student Research Week event the following spring semester