Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

SURF applications for Summer 2025 will become available in the Spring 2025 semester.

Simply follow the link, then sign on to the platform by clicking on “University of Central Florida Single Sign On (SSO)“. Then log in with your NID and NID password.

From there, you will be able to access the application and the details of the program and requirements. After you submit your application, your faculty mentor will receive an email to endorse your proposal. Your application will then be checked by a staff member for completion and eligibility before sending it to reviewers. Once reviews are received, funding decisions will be finalized. Students will be informed of their funding award, although they can view the funding status on InfoReady.

SURF Fellows

Students in this track are starting or continuing their research or creative projects and will spend the summer working in community with other Fellows to prepare a poster to present at the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase.

Publishing Fellows

Students in this track have completed their research and spend the summer working on a manuscript (journal article) about their work, with the support of the editors of The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal.

• $2,000 academic scholarship for summer courses (Summer A or C only)
• Professional development workshops, including several exclusive sessions for SURF Fellows
• Opportunity to present in the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase (required for SURF Fellows, optional for Publishing Fellows)

Program Eligibility & Application Process

All applicants, regardless of which track they are applying to, will need to meet these eligibility requirements and prepare these common application components. The program will run from roughly mid May to Mid July. SURF 2025 exact dates are forthcoming.

Proposals for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) require the following components:

1. A research project proposal
2. A cover letter
3. A 1-page resume
4. An endorsement from your faculty mentor (a reference letter in which the request will be sent directly to your faculty mentor after applying)

*Further information and specific instructions for each of these components can be found on the application page.

Program Eligibility:

• There is NOT a GPA requirement, however, students on academic probation will not be considered for this research opportunity.
• All applicants must have a UCF faculty mentor to receive a SURF Fellowship offer. Students should work closely with their mentors while drafting their proposal.
• Applicants cannot graduate at the end of the summer semester in which they are SURF Fellows.
• Participants must enroll in Summer A or C courses. (Students may enroll Summer B course in addition to Summer A or C if they choose.)
• Be able to fulfill the program requirements in full (listed below).

Get Support Writing Your Proposal:

SURF Fellowships are competitive, but there are several resources that you can take advantage of to strengthen your proposal:

• Meet with an OUR staff member to learn how to make improvements to your application
• Attend one of our workshops on submitting a strong proposal
• Visit UCF Career Services for a resume critique
• Utilize the resources on the UCF University Writing Center’s website for cover letter support or schedule a consultation for support with your whole proposal