University of Washington faculty conducting research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are invited to participate in the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium’s 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).
The purpose of this program is to provide meaningful research opportunities to undergraduate students with little to no prior research experience (less than 3 quarters). The goal is to build on students' academic and research portfolios through well-supported project/lab experience.
Funding
Space Grant and the Faculty Mentor will share the cost of the research assistant’s summer stipend. Space Grant provides $2050 and the Faculty Mentor provides matching funding of $2050 from a non-federal source, for a total of $4100 for one part-time (20 hrs/wk) student research assistant.
Key Dates:
- Application deadline: March 7, 2025 @ 12pm
- Mentor Orientations (only need to attend one session):
- Tuesday, April 8, 2025; 1 - 1:30pm (via Zoom)
- Wednesday, April 23, 2025; 9:30 - 10am (via Zoom)
- Program Dates: June 23 - August 22, 2025
- Poster Symposium: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (Time TBD)
Program Description
SURP will be a part-time (20hrs/week) summer research experience. Students will engage in about 17 hours per week of project/lab research with each faculty team. The remaining 3 hours per week will include cohort based professional development workshops and ensuring program deliverables are met.
Program Expectations
- Faculty
- Provide a meaningful experience that contributes to faculty member’s research.
- Establish a supportive and collaborative learning environment for students.
- Engage students in about 17 hours/week of research experience.
- Support with program deliverable - creation of poster.
- Attend poster symposium
- Students
- Actively participate in part-time research experience.
- As a representative of Space Grant, positively contribute to the faculty’s research objectives.
- Communicate in a timely and effective manner with faculty, graduate students, and the Space Grant team.
- Attend all research and professional development activities.
- Uphold Space Grant standards and professional conduct while representing the organization and university throughout the duration of the program.
What role does the Space Grant team provide?
- Student recruitment, fiscal process, administrative support, and program logistics.
- Facilitate weekly professional development workshops for the SURP cohort.
- Ensure program deliverable is met.
- Offer various community building activities among the cohort and other summer REUs.
- Provide additional mentorship with SURP graduate fellows.
- 50% of a 9-week stipend ($2,050 per full-time undergraduate student).
FAQs
Q: Why did Space Grant move SURP to a part-time program?
A: Based on faculty and student feedback, and in order to provide a well-supported experience for early researchers, the part-time model is more conducive for meeting the goal of the introductory experience in research.
Q: Can I use FSF, DoD, or DoE funds as the matching fund source?
A: No. The matching funding must be from non-federal funding sources.
Q: I have a student I’m already working with. They have some research experience. Can I request them?
A: In effort to provide a holistic review to all applicants for SURP, we advise that you inform your student to apply to the SURP program. Feel free to email the Space Grant Team, at nasa@uw.edu, if you have any other questions or other considerations for us to make note of.
For more information and/or to apply:
https://forms.gle/otGaMPAM8wxTb2qk6
Deadline: 03/07/2024 12:00 Pacific Time