Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the University of Houston provides funding for UH undergraduates to participate in a focused, full-time, 10-week research experience under the direction of UH faculty. Recipients will receive a $4,000 scholarship and three points toward the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement transcript designation. Current freshmen who will be sophomores in Fall 2025 are eligible to apply for the fellowship. However, students graduating in Spring or Summer 2025 are not eligible for this program. No course credit will be offered for participation in this program, and students who have previously participated in the SURF program are ineligible to reapply. This fellowship is open to students of all disciplines. All full-time UH faculty members are eligible to participate as faculty sponsors. Faculty may nominate up to two students for a SURF.

The 2025 SURF application is now closed. The 2026 application will open in late January 2026.

Learn More About SURF

Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, from all majors, with at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. If a student has less than 12 hours from UH, a 3.5 GPA is required. Students enrolled in any graduate or professional program are not eligible. The SURF program provides a $4,000 scholarship to students and a $300 reimbursement stipend to faculty for any expenses incurred in mentoring the SURF student. All full-time UH faculty are eligible to mentor a SURF student.

Students may not receive course credit for the SURF program. This includes a thesis course and an independent study course. Students may not enroll in the Senior Honors Thesis program while participating in SURF. Post-baccalaureate students are not eligible for SURF. Only University of Houston main campus students are eligible to apply.

Students may apply to both SURF and HERE in the same year.

SURF recipients are not allowed to participate in other full-time summer opportunities that run concurrently with SURF, including the Mellon Research Scholars and Energy Scholars programs.

Students must complete an online application which includes:

  • Statement of research objectives and goals (not to exceed 500 words)
  • Information on your prior academic and research experiences
  • Name of the UH faculty member who will serve as your faculty mentor

Additionally, students are required to have their faculty mentor submit a letter of recommendation in support of their application. Letters of recommendation can be sent to the SURF Program Manager, Katie Welsh, via email.

The statement of research should be:

  • Composed in consultation with the applicant's faculty mentor
  • Written in first person and in the applicant's own words
    • The statement of research should not be written by the applicant's faculty mentor
  • Specific in stating the tasks to be accomplished during the semester
  • Clear in defining the scope and goals of the proposed research, including the relative importance of the proposed research within its discipline
  • Free of any errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax

The UH faculty mentor letter of recommendation should:

  • Describe the student's qualifications
  • Identify the area of research, creative, or scholarly activies in which the mentor will engage the student
  • Describe the faculty member's role as a mentor to the student, including a description of how the proposed research relates to their ongoing research

It is the student's responsibility to inform their faculty mentor of the required letter of recommendation and due date. Faculty mentors should submit letters of recommendation to the SURF Program Manager, Katie Welsh, via email by the specified deadline.

Competitive applications generally include:

  • A demonstration of strong student academic record
  • A research proposal with clear, realistic goals indicating the proposed project will lead to a substantive research experience for the student
    • Proposals should be written in the student's own words, within the 500-word limit, and free of any spelling or grammatical errors
  • A descriptive and informative faculty letter of recommendation (1-2 pages in length) that specifically addresses the prospects for results in the projected time frame, the value of the research project, and the ability of the student to undertake the project

Please be aware this is a competitive program with finite funding, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards receives many more strong proposals than it is able to fund. For this reason, UH faculty are required to limit their submissions to 1-2 proposals for student projects.

The staff of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards is unable to share specific information about the assessment of individual applications after the decisions have been made.

If your research proposal includes working with human subjects, please consult with your faculty mentor regarding IRB approval proceedings prior to initiating your research. For more information, reference the University's IRB policy.

  • Full-time participation in a 10-week program
  • It is assumed that students will not take a summer course
    • If a student must take a summer course for extenuating circumstances, petitions within this spirit may be accepted on a case-by-case basis by completing a petition form
    • A student cannot earn course credit for the SURF program
  • Attend weekly summer webinars from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Complete online pre- and post-program surveys
  • Present a research poster at Undergraduate Research Day
  • SURF recipients' and faculty mentors' names and photos will be included in the annual Undergraduate Research Day booklet and in other online and print promotional materials

SURF recipients will receive three points towards the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement (HCCE) transcript designation. The HCCE transcript designation is awarded to students upon graduation who pursue a broad range of experiential learning opportunities from freshman to senior year. Students can pursue undergraduate research, internships, learning away and abroad, service learning, leadership experience and other academic enrichment opportunities.

Please contact the SURF Program Manager Katie Welsh if you have any questions or require additional information.

SURF Stories