The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF) is designed to allow Berkeley undergraduates in the College of Letters and Science to spend the summer doing concentrated research in preparation for a senior thesis or another major capstone research project. Fellows will receive a $3250 summer stipend, which is intended to cover basic living expenses for two months. SURF Fellows receive an additional $250 when they complete projects and graduate as scheduled. Students with need-based financial aid may be eligible for additional funds.

Summer can be an excellent time to do research. You can put away some of the distractions of the academic year and focus on a single problem. Summer research allows you to explore in depth, and to apply the knowledge and methods you have learned during the academic year. A Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship can allow you to free up some time to do the research you've always wanted to do.

SURF awards will go to students who have an interesting research question, a well-conceived research plan, and clear faculty support. Summer is short. Successful applicants will show promise of a quick start and the potential to complete their project within the proposed timeline. (The SURF project may be a subset of a larger project, such as the data-gathering part of an honors thesis, or a significant extension of a topic previously explored.)

Please note that this fellowship is for student-initiated research only. Are you free to publish results from this research? If not, it may not qualify as student initiated. Talk to your faculty sponsor if you have doubts.

YOU MAY APPLY FOR A SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IF YOU:

• are a student in the College of Letters and Science
• have a 3.00 or better gpa
• will graduate in Fall 2008 or Spring 2009 (Summer 2008 graduates with exceptional preparation and unusual circumstances may be permitted to apply.)
• have a well written and reasoned proposal for independent research in the Summer of 2008 which will culminate in a senior thesis or other capstone research project.
  
• are able to devote yourself to research full time for eight weeks in the summer
• have the full support and guidance of a regular Berkeley faculty member (professor or lecturer) who can guide you for the duration of your project

Priority will go to students who are entering their final year and have no other research funding.

Fellows will receive a $3,250 summer stipend, which is intended to cover basic living expenses for two months in Summer 2008. Fellows are expected to work full time on their research project for two months, foregoing employment for that period. Summer session enrollment is permitted rarely, and only with advance permission

Financial aid supplements: SURF is funded through the generosity of donors who care about the experience and success of Berkeley undergraduates. Thanks to these donors we have a limited number of Fall financial aid supplements for SURF fellows with documented financial need.

All Awards are limited and competitive. Students who win other substantial summer awards will be expected to decline the SURF award so that additional students may benefit from summer research.

NEW for 2008: Students whose research involves extensive travel will have the opportunity to apply for a SURF travel grant. Travellers must register for University travel insurance. See the Travel page for details.

RESEARCH CLUSTERS

Each summer fellow will be assigned to a research cluster. In the cluster you will find a community of undergraduate researchers with similar interests and problems, as well as a cluster mentor, an experienced researcher to help guide your efforts. Primary guidance in research will come from individual faculty mentors, but most students have found it useful to meet with other students who are grappling with related research issues.

YOUR REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES

All research fellows will be required to attend an orientation in the first week of May. Three additional cluster meetings, for the discussion of research process and problems, will be scheduled: two in mid-summer and one for presentation of results in the week before or the first week of classes. These meetings are also mandatory. Students whose research takes them away from Berkeley may seek to be excused from a mid-summer meeting, but will be required to regularly discuss progress with their cluster guide and to present results at the end of the summer.

All fellows are required to submit a 1-2 page summary of progress to date by the first week of classes in the Fall. A copy of the final, completed research project must be received by the Office of Undergraduate Research before the end of the term in which you graduate. An exit interview or survey is required.

6/16/08 research@learning.berkeley.edu Office of Undergraduate Research University of California, Berkeley