Win a Fully Funded Summer Research Fellowship 2026: Purdue SURF with $6,500 Stipend and $2,500 Housing

If you are an undergraduate who wants a real research summer — not a glorified internship but a focused 11-week project under a Purdue faculty mentor — the Purdue Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is one to take seriously. SURF places students on Purdue campuses (West Lafayette and Indianapolis) for an intensive, mentored research experience. You get paid, housed, and guided: $6,500 in stipend, $2,500 housing allowance, furnished accommodation, and travel reimbursement up to $1,000. That’s not pocket change for a summer of discovery.

This program is more than a resume booster. It’s a concentrated apprenticeship in how academic research actually works: designing experiments or simulations, troubleshooting methods, writing a final report, and presenting results. Faculty, graduate student, and postdoc mentors shepherd your work. For many recipients, SURF turns an undergraduate curiosity into a publishable dataset or the foundation for a senior thesis or graduate application.

Below I break down who should apply, what to expect, how reviewers make decisions, and — most importantly — how to make your application impossible to ignore. Read this before you even open the application portal.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

SURF is straightforward money-for-research with added mentorship and institutional support. Financially, the package covers room, board, travel (to a cap), and a living stipend large enough to focus on research rather than juggling jobs. Practically, the program assigns each student to a research group where they work on a defined project under faculty guidance and day-to-day mentoring by grad students or postdocs. That three-tier supervision model gives you strategic direction from the PI while ensuring you have a hands-on trainer for the day-to-day work.

Beyond dollars and supervision, SURF gives you access to Purdue’s labs, instrumentation, and intellectual community. You’ll attend group meetings, learn lab protocols or computational workflows, and often present your work at the program’s closing events. The requirement to submit a final written report is not busywork: it forces you to translate bench or code work into a coherent narrative — a skill required for papers, theses, and graduate school statements.

A less obvious benefit: the program places you in a network. You’ll meet other undergraduates doing serious work, get exposure to grad students and faculty who could be references, and see firsthand whether research is something you want to pursue further. For international students, SURF also serves as a practical introduction to U.S. research culture and visa logistics, which is valuable if you plan to apply to U.S. graduate programs.

Who Should Apply

SURF is aimed at committed undergraduates who want concentrated research experience over a single summer. If you have a clear curiosity about an engineering or science problem and want structured mentorship to pursue it, apply. You do not need to have decades of lab experience; SURF explicitly funds students with limited prior research experience. What matters more is intellectual curiosity, reliability, and the ability to explain why you want to spend two and a half months deeply focused on a specific technical question.

Examples of good-fit applicants include:

• A sophomore who has taken thermodynamics and wants hands-on experience with experimental heat-transfer work, and who can explain a specific question to explore.
• An international junior in computer science who has built small projects but wants to try research under a faculty member working on machine learning for healthcare.
• An engineering student who has coursework in control systems and seeks exposure to research teams to decide on grad school.

You should be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate and have completed at least one semester or quarter before the application deadline. A minimum cumulative GPA of about 2.8/4.0 is required for consideration, but GPA is not the whole story. Admissions look at your application holistically: coursework, clarity of purpose, letters of recommendation, and fit with available projects.

If you’re an international applicant, SURF welcomes you. You’ll need to secure a J-1 visa if accepted, and the program provides the paperwork and institutional guidance to make that process manageable. If you’re finishing your degree before June or have other summer commitments, consider whether you can be fully present for June 1 through August 7; SURF expects participants to be on site and engaged.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Think of the application as a short, persuasive story: who you are, what you want to study, why that matters, and how you will contribute to the project. Here are tactical moves that increase your chances.

1. Begin with a sharp research statement. The core of a SURF application is clarity. In 300–500 words explain the specific questions you want to work on and why. Avoid vague aspirations like “I want to learn research.” Instead, describe a concrete goal: “I want to investigate how X material’s microstructure affects thermal conductivity using method Y.” If you can point to a faculty project at Purdue that aligns with your interests, say so and explain the fit.

2. Match projects, not prestige. Reviewers want to see that you’ve chosen projects that suit your background and goals. If you list a project that requires advanced skills you don’t yet have, explain how you’ll ramp up. If you’re applying broadly, prioritize projects that you can meaningfully contribute to in one summer.

3. Show evidence of grit and curiosity. Research is messy. Applications that include a short anecdote about a challenge you overcame (an experiment that failed and what you learned) score points. Concrete examples of problem-solving show reviewers you’ll be reliable when experiments run off track.

4. Get strong recommenders who know your technical abilities. One glowing letter from a lab supervisor trumps three lukewarm letters. Ask recommenders to describe a specific example of your capability: troubleshooting equipment, writing clear lab notes, or meeting deadlines. Provide them your CV, statement, and a reminder of the projects you intend to target.

5. Prepare for logistics early. International travel, visas, and housing paperwork take time. Collect passport scans, unofficial transcripts, and ensure your summer is free of conflicting obligations before you submit. Mention any constraints in your application only if they matter to project fit.

6. Polish the final report pitch. SURF requires a final written report. Use a sentence in your application that sketches the kind of deliverable you expect (data set, simulation code, lab protocol, or a mini paper). That signals you understand the output of summer research.

7. Practice presentation skills. Many programs include a poster or talk at the end. Even if the application doesn’t ask for a mock presentation, describe your willingness and readiness to present findings. Confidence in communicating results is often overlooked but valued.

Taken together these steps show reviewers you’re not just enthusiastic but prepared.

Application Timeline (Work Backward from January 15 Deadline)

Start early — a rushed application looks exactly like a rushed application. Here is a realistic timeline that begins three months before the January 15, 2026 deadline and moves forward through program start.

• October – November (3–4 months out): Browse Purdue’s SURF projects and faculty pages. Begin sketching your research interests and a one-page statement of purpose. Reach out informally to professors whose work aligns with you, asking whether they expect to mentor SURF students; keep messages concise and specific.

• Early December (2.5 months out): Confirm recommenders. Provide them with your draft statement, CV, unofficial transcript, and a short list of projects you’re targeting. Ask for their preferred deadline to receive materials (at least two weeks before the program deadline).

• Mid December (2 months out): Draft the full application. Write multiple versions of your research statement and ask for peer and mentor feedback. Prepare translations of documents if needed and collect passport/visa info if you’re international.

• Early January (3 weeks out): Finalize application materials, get recommenders to submit letters, and run everything by a trusted reviewer who can flag jargon and typos.

• January 13–14: Submit the application at least 48 hours before the official deadline. Last-minute technical hiccups happen.

• February–April: If accepted, confirm travel dates and visa paperwork (international). Read pre-arrival materials and plan to arrive on campus a few days before June 1 to settle in.

• June 1 – August 7: Full participation period. Meet with your mentor early, set measurable milestones for each two-week block, and schedule a final poster or presentation date.

Required Materials (What to Prepare and How to Present It)

SURF’s online application will request standard items, but the form of those items matters. Prepare these elements carefully:

• A clear statement of purpose or research statement (300–500 words). Focus on a specific question and how you intend to approach it. Mention relevant coursework or a small project you’ve already completed.

• Curriculum vitae or resume. Highlight technical skills, relevant coursework, prior lab or project work, programming languages, instrumentation experience, and any presentations or publications.

• Unofficial transcript. Provide a transcript showing completed coursework to date. If your transcript uses a non-U.S. grading system, include an explanation or conversion; most committees can interpret common systems but clarity helps.

• Letters of recommendation (usually one to three). Choose referees who can attest to your technical competence and work habits. Provide them with your draft statement and CV.

• Personal/biographical information and proof of enrollment. You’ll show you’re currently enrolled full-time and have completed at least one semester.

• Passport information and visa intent (for international applicants). Gather passport scans early and be ready to follow J-1 visa procedures if accepted.

• A brief statement confirming your availability for June 1–August 7 and your willingness to submit a final report.

Prepare these materials in clean, legible formats. Use PDF for documents unless the portal specifies otherwise, and name files clearly (e.g., LastName_SURF_Statement.pdf).

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Reviewers reward applications that are specific, realistic, and demonstrably prepared. First, clarity of purpose: applicants who can name a project or type of work, explain why it interests them, and outline concrete steps they would take are more compelling than those who write general statements about “gaining experience.”

Second, fit with the mentor’s work matters. If you can name a lab technique, computational method, or theoretical framework used in a target lab and tie it to your existing skills, reviewers see you as lower risk. For instance, a student who has completed a course in finite element analysis and wants to apply that skill to a structural mechanics project is a likely match.

Third, evidence of practical skills. Even small projects, class labs, or independent work demonstrate preparedness. A concise bullet in your CV like “implemented finite difference solver for diffusion equation in Python; validated against analytical solution” tells a reviewer you can handle computational work.

Fourth, realistic goals. Propose deliverables that are achievable in 11 weeks: a proof-of-concept simulation, a set of experimental runs with clear controls, or a well-documented data set. Ambitious but vague proposals raise red flags.

Finally, professionalism and communication. Neat formatting, proper grammar, and an organized application reflect the attention to detail required in research. A sloppy application suggests you may not keep consistent lab notes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)

1. Being too vague about the research question. Fix it by naming specific aims and describing one or two methods you would use.

2. Overstating your experience. If you lack experience with a technique, be honest and present a plan to learn it quickly (courses, tutorials, or mentorship).

3. Late or weak letters of recommendation. Avoid this by asking recommenders early, providing them context materials, and sending polite reminders.

4. Ignoring logistics for international applicants. Visa paperwork and travel approvals take weeks. Start passport and visa steps early and keep digital scans handy.

5. Submitting a rushed personal statement full of jargon. Have someone outside your major read it: if they can follow your argument, reviewers will too.

6. Not aligning with faculty projects. Research the faculty pages and mention one or two labs explicitly. This shows you’ve done your homework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need prior research experience? A: No. SURF accepts students with limited prior research experience. What counts most is your motivation and a credible plan for what you want to accomplish during the summer. If you have little lab experience, emphasize coursework, projects, and your plan to learn necessary skills quickly.

Q: Can international students apply? A: Yes. International undergraduates are eligible. If accepted, you’ll typically come on a J-1 exchange visitor visa. Start passport and visa steps early and watch deadlines — consular appointments can be scarce.

Q: Is the stipend taxable? A: Taxability depends on your citizenship and tax treaties. U.S. citizens and residents generally must report stipends as income in many cases; international students should consult their home-country tax rules and Purdue’s international student office for guidance. Plan for withholding or post-award tax paperwork.

Q: Will I get course credit? A: SURF is primarily a paid research program. Whether you receive academic credit depends on your home institution’s policies. Check with your academic advisor early if you want to arrange credit transfer.

Q: Can I work remotely? A: SURF expects in-person participation at the assigned campus for the full program period because much of the training involves lab access and in-person mentoring. If you have exceptional circumstances, contact the program office to ask, but plan to be on site.

Q: What happens after the program ends? A: Most students return to their home institutions with data, a final report, and new skills. Many use the experience to apply for honors theses, summer fellowships, research assistant positions, or graduate school. Keep in touch with your mentor; sustained relationships often lead to co-authorship or grad school recommendations.

Q: Can I reapply if not accepted? A: Yes. Reapplication is common. If you aren’t selected, request feedback if available, strengthen your research statement and references, and apply the next cycle.

Next Steps and How to Apply

Ready to apply? Don’t wait until the last week. Start drafting your research statement now, secure recommenders, and collect unofficial transcripts and passport scans. Reach out to faculty early if you want to express interest — a brief, thoughtful email can clarify whether a lab will host a SURF student.

When you have your materials ready, submit through Purdue’s official SURF portal before January 15, 2026. Save copies of every document you upload and confirm that your recommenders have submitted letters. After submission, set calendar reminders for follow-up dates and plan travel and visa arrangements if you’re offered a spot.

Apply Now

Ready to apply? Visit the official Purdue SURF page for full application instructions and the portal: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Research/EURO/students/about-SURF/prospectiveSURFApplicants

If you want help polishing your statement or reviewing your CV before you submit, reach out to a campus mentor or a faculty member now. You’ve got a clear timeline, a strong funding package, and a shot at a summer that could change the direction of your academic path. Apply thoughtfully and early — the chance to spend eleven focused weeks doing research at Purdue is worth the effort.