A unique feature of the SURGE program is its inclusion of all disciplines, methods and modalities of systematic inquiry. Undergraduate Research 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 Undergraduate Research 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 the student's project is part of the mentor's current research and the mentor has funding that allows payment of undergraduate researchers, they are expected to cost share (50%) the SURGE award with 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. The selection process is based on the strength of the student’s proposal and faculty nomination, not whether cost-sharing is available.  

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 when the student's project is part of the mentor's current research and the mentor has funding that allows payment of undergraduate researchers. 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 Undergraduate Research (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.

After the March 1 submission deadline, Undergraduate Research will assign two WashU faculty reviewers from the same general discipline to read and score each student’s project proposal, appendix, and timeline. To ensure a fair and rigorous process, faculty reviewers will utilize a rubric that prioritizes whether a student has described a feasible and meaningful research plan; the rubric reflects the SURGE program’s focus on students’ development as researchers and the experience they will gain rather than their projects’ contribution to their fields.

While faculty review students’ materials, Undergraduate Research will review the faculty research mentors’ nominations, once again using a rubric that emphasizes student development. In particular, the nomination rubric prioritizes students’ potential to successfully implement their proposed plans, the potential impact of the research experience, and the support available from the mentor(s). Undergraduate Research scores will be combined with faculty reviews in the final selection process.  

At a minimum, SURGE submissions must explicitly address all required components stated on the SURGE webpage for the project proposal, appendix, and timeline. The project proposal should clearly demonstrate the necessity and feasibility of the proposed activities, conveying why the methodological approach is appropriate for addressing the project objective and how the student has prepared or will prepare to execute it. Both the proposal and appendix should illustrate the disciplinary grounding of the project, connecting the proposed work to existing scholarship. The project timeline is a key opportunity to show the feasibility of the project, not only outlining the intended project milestones and/or deliverables, but also considering potential challenges, contingency plans, and mentor support that will ensure the project advances.  

Given these expectations, common submission pitfalls include:

• Research questions, hypotheses, or objectives that are vague, unfocused, or overly broad, raising concerns that the student has not sufficiently narrowed their line of inquiry and, as a result, may struggle to make progress towards an unclear goal
• Missing disciplinary context, preventing understanding of how prior research motivated the line of inquiry, methodological choice, and/or analytic framework
• Misalignment or a missing connection between the research question, hypothesis, or objective and the methods, prompting doubt about whether the proposed activities will actually accomplish the project objective
• Missing discussion of how an immersive summer research experience working on the proposed project will impact the student and support their skill building and attainment of academic, personal, and/or professional goals
• Incomplete project timelines (e.g., missing specific responsibilities, faculty mentor touchpoints, potential roadblocks and strategies to circumvent), suggesting a lack of forethought and planning for the full project period 

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). Undergraduate Research 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 Undergraduate Research 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. While students propose an initial timeline as part of the submission, timelines may chage. If selected for funding, students will be asked to subit a final project timline before the award is issued, which must be reviewed and approved by their mentor. 

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 Undergraduate Research’s summer programming, some of which may fall outside their chosen project period. For example, all SURGE participants are required to attend an ethics workshop. Undergraduate Research 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, Undergraduate Research’s funding capacity for a given year, and the availability of faculty mentor cost-sharing. Undergraduate Research cannot provide a precise estimate, but we anticipate funding about half of submissions similar to previous years. We encourage all students to make contingency plans that will allow them an engaging summer experience if SURGE funding is not awarded to them. 

Undergraduate Research 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 Undergraduate Research.

When extenuating circumstances prevent a SURGE awardee from participating in the summer program, Undergraduate Research respects the student’s decision to prioritize their well-being. We would very much like to welcome the student back the following summer. Because Undergraduate Research iteratively updates and tries to improve our award processes each year, we would likely ask the student to resubmit their materials or slightly different materials (e.g., if they conduct academic year research that leads to revised summer plans) for the next year’s process.  

No, Undergraduate Research 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, Undergraduate Research 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, Undergraduate Research 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 take more than 3 credits of coursework or engage in other commitments (e.g., employment, internships, other research programs, or structured fellowships) that, alone or in combination, constitute a full-time load during their research period. This refers to commitments outside the SURGE project. Applicants should disclose planned commitments to confirm alignment with these expectations and ensure a sustainable workload.” 

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. Students who receive any other WashU funding for summer 2026 research experiences should contact Undergraduate Research to discuss how best to support their SURGE project within these guildelines.” This applies to additional support for your summer research, including stipends, housing, food allowances, travel, or project supplies provided by another WashU program, fellowship, or your mentor. 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 Undergraduate Research (undergradresearch@wustl.edu) to coordinate. Additionally, students are expected to disclose if they are receiving any other WashU funding for summer 2026 research experiences, even if those funds support a different project than SURGE.

As per the Participant Expectations section of the SURGE webpage, SURGE awardees must actively engage in Undergraduate Research'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. A single-slide overview of the Undergraduate Research SU25 programming calendar is available on Box. A similar timeline will be developed for SU26. 

The SURGE participant expectations apply to all awardees regardless of whether they are remote, part-time, etc. Undergraduate Research will offer each SURGE activity on several different days across a few weeks, but for some students, an activity may occur before or after their project period begins. In such cases, students must still fulfill the program requirement by attending a virtual session. If a student anticipates difficulty attending a session, they should notify Undergraduate Research (undergradresearch@wustl.edu) as early as possible, so arrangements can be made to satisfy the program requirement.

SURGE awardees must submit an end-of-award report by the last day of the summer research period, August 23, 2026. This report comprises several short answer questions about the student’s research progress over the summer, as well as several questions about their research experience (e.g., unanticipated developments, lessons learned). Reflecting back on their SURGE project proposal and mid-summer progress report, students must also synthesize their research progress into an abstract for an informed, interdisciplinary audience (250 words). The faculty research mentor must sign and endorse the abstract for the end-of-award report to be complete.

Subsequently, SURGE participants will utilize this abstract to register for the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, November 6, 2026. The symposium presentation serves as the final deliverable for SURGE, offering another opportunity for students to synthesize what they’ve learned through their summer research experiences.  

SURGE participants are not required to submit a final research paper to Undergraduate Research. However, students and their faculty mentors may choose to incorporate a final paper or other deliverable into their project timeline.