program

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

program
UC Irvine’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) (opens in a new tab) program offers undergraduate and master’s students an intensive research experience with UCI faculty mentors, graduate school preparation workshops, and valuable professional development training. SURF is designed for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. or M.F.A. degree at UC Irvine and enter academic careers. The SURF program is open to virtually all academic fields at UC Irvine. 2026 program dates: June 22 – August 14, 2026* ** Program dates are subject to change.

APPLICATION IS CLOSED

Deadline: January 30, 2026

Program Components

Research Mentorship Experience Scholars secure summer mentorship with UC Irvine faculty members whose special expertise and interests matches those of the student’s research interest and career goals. Faculty members serve as advisors and mentors and assist the scholars in developing and completing a research action plan.

Graduate School Preparation
Scholars participate in a graduate preparation component to provide special training in areas critical to academic success. This includes workshops and sessions on the following:
  • Successfully applying to graduate school
  • Successfully applying for fellowships
  • Academic writing
  • Preparing academic presentations
  • Academic career planning

Summer Research Program Symposium
SURF culminates with the Summer Research Program Symposium. All summer participants will present either an oral or poster presentation on their summer research. Preparation for participation in the symposium focuses on building effective oral communication to a range of audiences and helps participants hone their public speaking skills.

Networking Opportunities
Throughout the Summer Research Program, SURF participants will have the opportunity to share information and experiences with participants of other programs including UC LEADS (opens in a new tab) and California Pre-Doctoral Program (opens in a new tab) . Participants will also be assigned to a Graduate Student Mentor who will help facilitate their participation in SURF. Students will gain exposure to UC Irvine graduate activities.

Expectations of Student Participants
  • Scholars attend and participate in all activities
  • Scholars must commit to working in their assigned labs or designated research projects for the full 8 weeks of the program (35-40 hours per week)
  • Scholars will have individual academic and research obligations with their faculty mentor/advisor
  • Scholars should expect to meet at least once a week with their research mentor/advisor, or more often, depending on the project and the mentor’s arrangement
  • Scholars will be expected to meet with the program coordinator during regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the progress of their research project
  • Scholars will be required to submit weekly assignments including program evaluation.
  • Scholars will be required to present their research at the University of California, Irvine Summer Research Program Symposium

Eligibility
  • Must be 18 years or older
  • U.S. citizens, permanent residents, AB540 eligible
  • Juniors, seniors, or master’s students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.F.A. at UC Irvine
  • Must live within 25 miles from UCI and/or have reliable transportation (housing will not be offered). Students are expected to commute to UCI.
  • All local students, including CSU Los Angeles, CSU Long Beach, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Fullerton students encouraged to apply
  • Must have health insurance for the duration of the program
  • Students who will be enrolled full-time at a college or university during the Spring and Fall 2026 terms
  • Students with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better (on a 4 point scale)
  • Students from educationally disadvantaged or underserved backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply
  • SURF is open to students in all academic fields offered at UCI (e.g., arts, humanities, social sciences, social ecology, biological sciences, engineering, education, computer sciences, and physical sciences)
  • International students are not eligible for SURF
  • UCI students are eligible for SURF
  • Seniors graduating Spring 2026 are not eligible for SURF
  • Enrolled in courses for Fall 2026

California Pre-Doctoral Program Scholars click here (opens in a new tab) for more information on participating in SURF.

Funding Package for 2026 Program:
  • Participants will be awarded a $6,000 research stipend. (*Note: Stipend is subject to income tax).
  • Commuter parking pass.

UCI Faculty Mentor Support
A UC Irvine faculty member supervising 8 weeks of summer research for a SURF student is eligible to receive $1,000 in their research account (upon submission of a required post-program questionnaire). *Only active UCI ladder-rank faculty are eligible to serve as SURF mentors.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and AB540 students are eligible to apply to SURF. The opportunity is available to currently enrolled students only.
The program application requirements include a completed application, a personal history statement, an unofficial transcript, and one letter of recommendation.
No, the program does not offer housing to SURF students. Participants are expected to commute to the UC Irvine campus to take part in the program.
Most workshops are scheduled in the morning to allow participants to focus on research in the afternoon.
Varies, but participants are generally expected to conduct 35–40 hours of research per week during the summer program
The goal of the program is for students to gain full-time research experience. Participants are required to engage in research 35–40 hours per week during the program.
Yes, faculty members outside your home institution may write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, provided they can speak to your qualifications, academic success, and research potential.
Final admission to the program will be contingent upon student securing a firm commitment from a faculty mentor 14 calendar days from your acceptance. Students are responsible for securing their own faculty mentor for the summer after being accepted. Students contact the faculty at UCI to ask about research opportunities for the summer and then take it from there. Information on UCI Faculty can be found here: UCI Faculty Directory. (opens in a new tab) We encourage students to contact a faculty member whose research interests are aligned to their own.
The program will be held in person for Summer 2026.
Interested in Applying?

APPLICATION is now CLOSED!

DEADLINE: January 30, 2026.

Contact: Questions? Please fill out this form. (opens in a new tab)