Faculty Match SURF program

In an effort to increase the number of undergraduates funded for participation in the SURF program, a new funding mechanism is being offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research.  

The process:

• Faculty with available funds can pay a 50% match ($1250) for students to participate in the SURF program under their mentorship.  The OUR supplies the remaining $1250.
• The faculty member can choose what student(s) to support based on their knowledge of student capabilities.
• The student does not have to submit a SURF proposal; the faculty submits a form to offer the match instead.
• Faculty match offer is due by March 15; student and project should be identified via mentor agreement form by April 10.
• The faculty member is responsible for verifying the eligibility of the funding source.
• Note:  This is an optional program, and does not replace spots in the regular SURF program.

Benefits to faculty mentor:

• Can engage student(s) without SURF program restrictions (GPA, class, repeat SURF)
• Potential for greater flexibility on student project
• More time to identify students and projects
• More funded students in lab (limit of $5000 total in OUR funds per mentor)
• Up to $300 is available for supplies and/or field work travel.
  • Funding is only available during the summer in which the award is provided.
  • Software, AI tools and similar products that cost more than $100 shall be capped at two months of the expense's value with a maximum of $300.

Expectations of student in summer:

• Students are expected to attend professional development days and meet the regular SURF benchmarks