SURGE FAQ for Students

A unique feature of the SURGE program is its inclusion of all disciplines, methods and modalities of systematic inquiry. The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) intentionally designed the program to facilitate WashU undergraduates’ pursuit of innovative, inquiry-based summer projects, including multidisciplinary projects and projects in disciplines not traditionally associated with research.  

A key ingredient for determining a project’s appropriateness for the SURGE program is whether it incorporates some form of systematic inquiry. In other words, will the project methodically and rigorously address a stated question or objective to generate new knowledge or understanding? 

Students who remain unsure whether their intended summer project is appropriate for SURGE should review the required components of a SURGE project proposal, considering whether they are prepared to address all of the expected elements. Students are also welcome to contact the OUR via email or by setting up a meeting with one of our staff. 

WashU faculty may nominate students for the SURGE program and mentor SURGE projects if they hold a full-time faculty appointment. Faculty from all WashU schools and disciplines are eligible, including WashU School of Medicine faculty/physicians. They are not required to have any particular level of seniority (e.g., tenured, senior lecturer) to serve as SURGE mentors. 

Faculty mentors are expected to consistently and meaningfully engage with both the student and the project throughout the summer research period (exact dates set by the student and mentor). Given the substantial nature of this commitment, students and potential mentors should discuss what kind and amount of support the faculty member can reasonably commit to providing during the project period.  

If faculty mentors have funding that encompasses the student’s project and permits payment of undergraduate students, they are expected to cost share (50%) the SURGE award (max = $5400) with the Office of Undergraduate Research. Nonetheless, students are encouraged to submit a proposal, and faculty mentors to nominate a student, regardless of faculty funding availability for the target project.  

Generally, no. To receive SURGE funding, students must obtain a nomination from a WashU faculty mentor. An exception is made for WashU Living Earth Collaborative (LEC) Biodiversity Fellows  affiliated with  LEC partner institutions  (Missouri Botanical Garden and Saint Louis Zoo), as stated on the SURGE website.  

Hypothetically, a WashU co-mentor and external mentor could jointly nominate a student to conduct a SURGE-funded project at a non-WashU research site. However, there would be high expectations for the WashU co-mentor’s participation. The WashU co-mentor would need to commit to consistent and meaningful engagement with both the student and the project throughout the summer research period, which is typically only feasible in cases where the WashU faculty member has an established collaboration with the external mentor.  

It is also important to note the mentor cost share expectation for the SURGE program. WashU faculty mentors are expected to cost share (50%) of the SURGE award if they have funding that encompasses the student’s project and permits payment of undergraduate students. In this scenario, a WashU co-mentor would likely be unable to provide funding for research conducted at a non-WashU site.   

More than one student may submit a SURGE proposal to work on the same summer project, particularly if the students have shared ownership of the project and a high likelihood of productive teamwork. In the submission process, each student would need to write their own project proposal and timeline, clearly conveying the collaborative nature of the project and articulating their individual contributions. Student and faculty teams interested in pursuing a group SURGE project are encouraged to contact the OUR (undergradresearch@wustl.edu) to discuss their plans prior to submission.

Yes, remote projects are permitted as long as the student and faculty mentor agree on a project timeline and mentorship plan that maintains communication throughout the project period. Please note that remote participants are still required to take part in all mandatory SURGE programming; virtual options will be available.

Budgets to request the optional SURGE Supply and/or Travel Supplements should be itemized and include clear justifications for each expense. An itemized budget lists the estimated cost associated with each individual good or service that will be purchased or rented. Effective justifications explain why a proposed expense is reasonable and necessary for successful project completion. Funds will not be provided for dissemination of work after project completion (e.g., publication fees). The OUR also cannot fund the cost of non-consumable goods (i.e., reusable equipment like laptops or suitcases), though we will consider such items under $100 with strong justification. 

If there are more cost-effective approaches available to achieve the project goals, the student should explain why those approaches were not chosen, i.e., why they are infeasible or sub-optimal. In general, students are expected to demonstrate conscientiousness and a good-faith effort to maximize savings. For more information and sample budget documents, please visit the OUR webpage on creating a budget.  

SURGE participants are not expected to conduct research activities continuously throughout the entire summer research period. Instead, they can work with their WashU faculty mentor to select a project period within the May 13 – August 24 timeframe. Projects must include anywhere from 180 – 360 project hours.   

When creating the project timeline, students and mentors may agree to include a mid-summer break (e.g., for family vacation) or to distribute part-time hours over an extended period of time. In other words, students and mentors have discretion to flexibly design a project schedule that meets their needs, so long as the required project hours are fulfilled. More information about the expected elements of a SURGE project timeline can be found on the SURGE webpage. 

Despite this flexibility, students should be aware that SURGE participation requires active engagement in the Office of Undergraduate Research’s (OUR) summer programming, some of which may fall outside their chosen project period. For example, all SURGE participants are required to attend an ethics workshop. The OUR will offer the workshop on several different days across a few weeks, but for some students, this activity may occur before their project period begins. In such cases, students must still fulfill the ethics requirement by attending a virtual workshop.  

SURGE acceptance rates will depend on multiple factors, including the number and quality of student submissions, the OUR’s funding capacity for a given year, and the availability of faculty mentor cost-sharing. Because summer 2025 is the inaugural year of the SURGE program, the OUR cannot provide a precise estimate, but we anticipate funding about half of submissions. 

The OUR recognizes the unpredictable nature of inquiry. Projects can hit road bumps (e.g., supply chain issues with study materials, difficulty accessing a target population), requiring students and their mentors to adapt and develop new project plans. SURGE project changes are therefore permitted when necessary, assuming the changes are in keeping with the spirit of the original proposal and proactively communicated to the OUR.

No, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) does not have the capacity to arrange summer housing for SURGE participants, given the scale of our program (100+ awardees). Instead, SURGE offers financial awards that are intended to offset students’ summer living expenses. Awards range from $2,700 (for a 180-hour commitment) to $5,400 (for a 360-hour commitment), depending on the project timeline.  

Funds will be paid directly to the student as one or two award payments, depending on whether the award is cost shared. If the award is cost shared, the OUR will disburse 50% of the total award amount and the faculty mentor’s academic department or program will disburse the remaining 50%. If the award is not cost shared, the OUR will disburse the full award amount as a single payment. Funds are typically paid via direct deposit in late May to early June, but mailed checks are also possible.  

Importantly, award payments are considered taxable income by federal, state, and local government. Domestic students should declare their awards when filing annual taxes; the WashU Tax Department will mail a document listing the taxable award amount in late January. For international students, the tax burden can be substantial (up to 30%), and taxes are automatically withdrawn by the WashU Tax Department upfront. This effectively means that international students will only be able to use part of the award towards their summer living expenses.  

This question is addressed in the SURGE Participant Expectations on the SURGE webpage. As stated there, “participants should not engage in more than 3 credits of coursework or engage in any other full-time commitments (such as full-time employment, internships, other research programs, or structured fellowships) during their proposed research period.” However, students are permitted to pursue part-time commitments concurrent with their SURGE project period, including but not limited to part-time employment, volunteering or shadowing opportunities. Students may also conduct either part- or full-time activities outside their project period, i.e., before or after their SURGE project begins. Crucially, participants are expected to fulfill the hourly commitment (between 180-360 hours) and project timeline developed with and approved by their mentor. 

In terms of compensation, “while students may apply for multiple fellowships, stipends, or awards, total funding for the proposed project cannot exceed the SURGE award amount, and any additional support will be subtracted from the SURGE award.” In other words, students may not accept a SURGE award for a summer project that is being funded through another program at or above the SURGE award amount ($2700-5400 depending on the project timeline). If the other program provides less financial support than SURGE, the student should contact the OUR (undergradresearch@wustl.edu) to determine how best to support their project within these guidelines.