Summer Undergraduate Research Guided Experience

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is launching the Summer Undergraduate Research Guided Experience (SURGE) program in summer 2025. SURGE provides stipends and flexible programming for WashU undergraduates pursuing faculty-mentored, project-based inquiry across all academic disciplines. Strong candidates for SURGE are ready to develop and submit a research project proposal, solicit a nomination from their faculty research mentor, and immerse themselves in inquiry and the WashU undergraduate research community over the summer.  

Program Highlights 

  • The SURGE program supports WashU students working on research projects guided by WashU faculty mentors or Living Earth Collaborative (LEC) Biodiversity Fellows affiliated with LEC partner institutions (Missouri Botanical Garden and Saint Louis Zoo).
  • SURGE participants will build relationships with their mentors and the broader WashU undergraduate research community. 
  • SURGE offers stipends towards living expenses that range from $2,700 to $5,400, depending on the project timeline. 
    • A $5,400 stipend requires a 360-hour commitment, i.e., 9-10 weeks full-time. 
    • For part-time projects, the stipend will be prorated based on project hours, with a 180 hour minimum commitment. For projects necessitating extensive travel or fieldwork, the travel period may be less than 180 hours, but participants are expected to include additional working time for preparation and synthesis in their project timelines to reach the 180 hour minimum.
  • Students may also request a $500 supply supplement to cover consumable supplies (e.g., participant incentives, archival fees, art supplies) and/or a travel supplement up to $1000 to cover project-related transportation (e.g., flights, ground travel).  
  • For Summer 2025, the proposed research activities should occur between May 13 and August 24, but the exact research period within this timeframe is flexible. 
  • SURGE nominees interested in journalism can opt in to complete a supplemental application for The Pulitzer Center’s International Reporting Student Fellowship.  

Submission Timeline

(All dates subject to change)

March 1: Submission Deadline

April 2: Program Acceptances Sent to Students

April 9: Deadline for Students to Confirm Participation

Late April/Early May: Program Orientation Dates

May 13: Earliest SURGE Project Start Date

Submission Process

Eligibility 

  • SURGE is open to all continuing WashU undergraduate students who are prepared to submit an inquiry-based project proposal. 
  • Students must be nominated by a full-time WashU faculty mentor (tenure track or TRaP) or LEC Biodiversity Fellow affliated with an LEC partner institution who agrees to actively guide the proposed project. 
  • Participants must be able to conduct research during the summer research period (May 13 – August 24, 2025). 
  • Priority is given to students who have not previously received OUR summer research funding. Past recipients may seek funding for a second summer project but are strongly encouraged to develop alternative plans, because available OUR funding is limited.   

Submission Components

For best user experience and to mitigate technical issues, we recommend utilizing a private window or incognito mode when accessing the SURGE submission portal.

Students must submit the following (see Student Materials section below for detailed descriptions): 

  1. A basic eligibility check (e.g., are you a continuing WashU student) and student information form (e.g., major, field of inquiry, whether project involves human subjects or travel) 
  2. A 2-page, single-spaced research proposal developed in collaboration with the faculty research mentor 
  3. A project timeline 
  4. An itemized budget justification for supply and/or travel supplement requests (optional) 
  5. For projects involving human subjects, nominees must eventually seek and receive approval from the WashU Human Research Protection Office prior to data collection; however, approval can be submitted to the OUR after the SURGE submission process. 

WashU faculty mentors must complete a nomination form that includes the following (see Faculty Nomination section below for more information): 

  1. An information form (e.g., department, funding for target project). In hopes of maximizing the number of students the OUR can support, faculty mentors with funding that encompasses the student’s project and permits payment of undergraduate students are expected to cost-share (50%). Students are encouraged to submit a proposal regardless of additional funding availability for their target project.
  2. Five brief short answers; traditional etters of recommendation will not fulfill the nomination requirement. If the project is co-mentored, a second nomination is required. 

Selection Criteria

  • Importance of an immersive summer inquiry experience to the student’s development 
  • Clarity of (a) the project’s central question or goal and (b) the rationale for the methodological approach chosen to address the question/goal 
  • Demonstrated ability to place project in a broader disciplinary context 
  • Feasibility of the proposed activities within the project period and contribution to the discipline 
  • Mentor’s assessment of the students’ potential to learn through inquiry and advance the proposed project’s goals  

SURGE Participant Expectations

  • SURGE participants must actively engage in the OUR’s summer community of WashU undergraduate researchers, including attending a required ethics workshop, giving a lightning talk, and submitting mid- and end-of-award reports. 
  • Participants must present their project, whether complete or a work in progress, at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium in the semester following SURGE participation. 
  • To facilitate an immersive experience, 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.
  • 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. Students who receive other funding should contact the OUR to discuss how best to support their project within these guidelines.
  • SURGE stipends 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 upfront by the WashU Tax Department. 

Student Materials

For best user experience and to mitigate technical issues, we recommend utilizing a private window or incognito mode when accessing the SURGE submission portal.

Research Proposal

Please upload a two (2) page single-spaced proposal (not including works cited). You should develop the proposal in collaboration with your mentor and receive their final approval. SURGE submissions will be evaluated based on the feasibility of and necessity of the proposed activities, as well as the disciplinary and personal impact of the project. Below we outline the OUR's expectations for a successful SURGE research or creative proposal, which should address ALL the following: 

  • Line of inquiry: Clearly state your Research question(s) or creative objective(s) in bold lettering. 
  • Background and significance: Situate the research question(s) or creative objective(s) within the broader disciplinary context. Explain how previous studies, concepts, or theoretical or critical frameworks inform your understanding of the problem, offer context for your approach, or provide a foundation for your methodology. Clearly link these references to your research question or creative objective and describe what new knowledge, perspective or method your work could contribute and why it matters for the field or broader community. 
  • Methods: Explain to a non-expert, academic audience (e.g., scholars from a different discipline) your methodological approach or creative process and your specific responsibilities. Describe the rationale behind each part of the process and how it addresses your research question or creative objective. Outline what you will measure, examine or create and how you will gather and analyze the data, texts or artifacts. Include the scope of your work (e.g., number of interviews, documents or samples to be analyzed) and specify how you will interpret your findings (e.g. the methods or criteria you will apply). 
  • Importance for the student: Discuss how this project will help you achieve your academic, personal, and/or professional goals. What specific skills or knowledge will you develop through this project that will benefit your future academic work or career? How is this faculty-mentored experience unique in helping develop those competencies? 

Appendix (Optional) 

Upload an appendix containing supporting materials. Possible appendix content includes, but is not limited to: works cited, sample survey or interview questions, a list of target archival materials, key figures, participant recruitment plan, etc. 

Project Timeline 

Provide a weekly timeline that outlines the work you will execute to achieve project outcomes and when it will be carried out. This document should help demonstrate the project's feasibility and help you monitor your progress over the summer. Relevant elements of this timeline include: 

  • Anticipated project period dates and estimated total work hours 
  • Key preparatory, training and methodological steps of the project 
  • Milestones and deliverables (i.e., what you will achieve or produce, such as an annotated bibliography, interview protocol, etc.) 
  • Critical communication points with your mentor (e.g., to obtain feedback) 

Budget for Supply Supplement (Optional) 

A limited number of $500 supply supplements will be available to cover consumable research supplies (e.g., chemical reagents, participant incentives, art supplies). To request this supplement, students must provide an itemized budget (i.e., specific items and quantities) of the resources needed to execute the project. Justification must accompany the budget, explaining why the chosen methodological approach and each resulting cost is essential to achieve the goals of the project. 

Budget for Travel Supplement (Optional) 

For research requiring extensive fieldwork and/or travel, a travel supplement up to $1000 may be requested. To request this supplement, students must provide an itemized budget (i.e., specific items and costs) of the requested travel funds.  

  • Allowable costs: transportation (e.g., airfare, ground transportation) and international travel expenses (e.g., visa fees, required global health insurance from GeoBlue, which costs $14-15 per week depending on travel location)  
  • Non-allowable costs: room and board (e.g., lodging, meals) and research supplies (e.g., archive admission, translation fees), which would be provided by the main SURGE award and the supply supplement, respectively 

 

Faculty Nomination

SURGE awards are made based on a WashU faculty mentor nomination form, which consists of an information form and five brief short answers to the prompts below. Traditional letters of recommendation will not fulfill the nomination requirement.

  1. Student Potential: Describe the student’s commitment and capacity to undertake the proposed project. What experiences or indicators demonstrate the student’s readiness and potential to advance the work?
  2. Importance and Milestones: Describe the importance of the proposed research or creative inquiry activities to the student’s academic and professional development. Include milestones or products the student should achieve by the end of the research period and explain how these will contribute to their development.
  3. Feasibility: Address the feasibility of the project scope and timeline. What potential barriers or constraints could interfere with progression of the project, and how might the student circumvent them?
  4. Disciplinary Contribution: Discuss the potential contribution of the proposed project to the relevant field(s) of inquiry. What new knowledge, insights, tools, community impact, etc. might this project generate?
  5. Mentoring: Briefly outline your mentoring approach, including how you and/or your research group hope to support the student in reaching project objectives.

As noted above, the information form asks all mentors about cost sharing (50%) the SURGE award (maximum award: $5400). The OUR has limited funding for summer researchers; we consistently receive more applications than can be funded. As a result, we rely upon faculty contributions to maximize the number of opportunities that we can support.

We recognize funding may be unavailable, restricted, or allocated for other priorities, but faculty mentors with funding that encompasses the student’s project and permits payment of undergraduate students are expected to cost-share. Students are welcome to apply for a SURGE award regardless of faculty funds.  

About

The SURGE program merges two previously distinct summer awards, BioSURF and SURA, into a unified OUR summer award program. This strategic merger not only offers a streamlined student and faculty experience, but it also reflects and encompasses the diverse range of inter-, cross-, and transdisciplinary inquiry that WashU undergraduates and WashU faculty engage in.  

SURGE offers increased flexibility for students, who can collaborate with their faculty mentors to design a summer project timeline that best meets their goals and needs. SURGE also invites students into an inclusive and enriching undergraduate research community, which welcomes all methods and modalities of systematic inquiry.  

OUR staff and summer WashU Research Ambassadors (WRAPers) look forward to supporting SURGE participants as they grow their skills, confidence, and independence as researchers! 

Submissions due March 1, 2025

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