The SURF program aims to promote and support undergraduates students’ scholarly and creative pursuits by providing summer research fellowships.  The SURF program champions the goals outlined in the MINES@150 campaign by engaging students in cutting-edge research and innovation at Mines aimed at solving the significant challenges facing humanity and thereby shaping the next generation of diverse STEM leaders. This program is open to all current undergraduate students at Mines.

Program Goals:

• Provide research opportunities for Mines undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in research.
• Increasing access to graduate programs for minoritized students by providing opportunities to experience scholarships.
• Provide professional development opportunities through weekly workshops to help students prepare for post-graduation opportunities.
• Prepare Mines students to be competitive for prestigious research fellowships (eg. Goldwater, NSF REUs, NSF GRPF, etc).

• Students funded by the SURF program are expected to engage in a robust research experience. A student can anticipate a commitment of approximately 300 hours of research during the summer semester (May-Aug) for an authentic and in-depth research experience.
• Each SURF student will receive an award of $4,000 for the successful completion of the program requirements.
• SURF students are expected to attend the professional development seminars that take place during their proposed research timeline. These seminars are related to career preparation, scientific ethics, abstract writing, giving a scientific talk, and select research talks.
• All SURF students will present their work at the end of the summer program and at the Mines Undergraduate Research Conference.

Before applying, please make sure you have thoroughly read this page and gathered all necessary documentation and information. Students must provide the following:

• • Review the list of SURF projects and identify the project that you are enthusiastic about researching.
  • Schedule a meeting with the faculty mentor proposing the project to discuss project goals, your responsibilities, and preparedness for undertaking the project. It is also essential to discuss your professional goals with the faculty mentor and how this experience can further those goals.
  • Discuss and propose a timeline for when the research will be conducted.
  • Go over the application and make sure you put thought into the questions asked.
  • A recommendation letter will be requested from the faculty mentor after the student submits the application.

For More Information

If you have any questions about the application process or listed projects, please send an email to Dr. Lakshmi Krishna at lkrishna@mines.edu

• The application is open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled at Mines who are in good academic standing.
• Be supervised by a Mines faculty member.
• Must have availability to engage in a significant number of hours of research during the summer semester. 
• Agree to disseminate your research at the undergraduate research symposium.
• Submit a 2-3 page project summary at the end of the project (deadline: Aug 31st, 2024)

Women, veterans, and students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering (including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders) are encouraged to apply to the SURF program.

If you have any questions about the application process or listed projects, please send an email to Dr. Lakshmi Krishna and the office of Undergraduate Research Scholars at lkrishna@mines.edu or ugresearch@mines.edu.

We will be happy to answer your questions.