SURF

Female student in lab safety gear holding a beaker

The Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is designed to allow sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to conduct in-depth research projects in their specific fields of study. Each student must have a faculty mentor, along with a well-developed proposal.

All types of undergraduate research are eligible for support, and all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. In addition to science, engineering, and mathematics projects, this program will support, for example, an art major who wants to sculpt a major project. Funds are provided for students to travel to conferences and present their accomplishments.

Funding will not begin until January and may be up to $3,250 for the student, plus $750 for the mentor, with lesser amounts awarded depending on the grant period. If you are graduating in May, then your funding must end in May at graduation.

Eligibility

  • U.S. citizen, resident alien, or national
  • Minimum of 30 hours of college credit at time of funding
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher at time of application
  • Support from faculty mentor

Campus Contact

Jonathan Langley
jtlangl@uark.edu
(479) 575-2716

Informational Sessions

The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards holds informational sessions both in-person and online to discuss the SURF award and application process. Meeting dates for the Fall 2022 semester will be:

  • Tuesday, September 6th, 5:00pm via Zoom
  • Thursday, September 15th, 5:00pm, Poultry Science Auditorium (POSC 0A211)
  • Monday, September 26th, 4:00pm, Silas Hunt Hall

Application Registration

Applicants must complete and submit an online registration form prior to completing the SURF application. Upon registering, the student will receive a link to the SURF application packet, which includes the application form and detailed instructions.

Registration for the 2022-23 award period has closed.

For more information, see the 2022 SURF Keynote (2 MB; added 09/07/22). You can also watch a recording of an informational session from September 2022.

Submission

Applications for 2022-2023 SURF funding will be submitted electronically through Infoready.

All students will have their application reviewed before submission. There are two options for application review:

  • In the first half of October, students may have their application reviewed during a Microsoft Teams appointment they schedule with the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards.
  • On October 12-14, 2022, any registrants who have not submitted their application will have their application reviewed by a University of Arkansas faculty or staff member during a Microsoft Teams appointment. These appointments will be available to choose at the beginning of October.

Office of Sponsored Programs

The Office of Sponsored Programs handles disbursement of awarded SURF funds, and has information about the program and the disbursement process on their website.