Requirements

Requirements

ELIGIBILITY

1) SURF participants for summer 2022 must be Junior or Senior level undergraduate students graduating with a bachelor’s degree between December 2022 through August 2023 (some Colleges may elect to invite Sophomore/Junior students).

2) U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.

3) Minimum 3.50 cumulative undergraduate GPA.

4) Priority consideration for all SURF positions are given to students with serious intentions to enroll in a University of Florida Ph.D. program for the fall 2023 term (at UF, students can apply to a Ph.D. program directly from the completion of their bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is achieved in route to the Ph.D.).

5) All 2022 SURF participants are required to apply UF Ph.D. beginning with the fall 2023 term. The University of Florida agrees to provide Ph.D. application fee waivers to all SURF participants. The goal of SURF is Ph.D. enrollment at the University of Florida.  Some Colleges may offer alternative UF graduate degree enrollment goals (i.e. professional degrees, Master’s, and then Ph.D.).

6) In the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering preference for SURF selection will be given to students who attended the 2021 Junior Preview.

7) Complete the SURF online application including your preferred faculty/research projects of interest, resume, unofficial transcripts, statement of Ph.D. interest at UF, optional letters of recommendation.

8) Students should not be enrolling in any classes while participating in SURF. You will be committed to full-time summer research at UF (i.e. 40+ hours a week), GRE test prep course (pre-test, classes for 90 minutes each twice a week, sample tests, post-test), weekly luncheon seminars, social events, and any additional faculty mentor requirements all in a short 10-week time-span.

TIMELINE

  • August 2, 2021 – SURF application open
  • December 6, 2021 – SURF application deadline (preference will be given to those who apply sooner; spots may fill up prior to the application deadline; individual Colleges have the option to extend application deadlines)
  • November 2021 to January 2022 – UF faculty review of applications, selection decisions, and student notification of offers; some Colleges may opt to send official SURF offers sooner
  • February/March 2022 – potential late SURF offers
  • May 28, 2022 – August 5, 2022 – 10 week SURF program

IRB Requirement

If you are conducting research on humans directly or indirectly (using identifiable human data or tissue), you must either be approved by the UF IRB to be added to an existing approved study, or have your faculty mentor obtain IRB approval prior to starting your research. Click here for more information.

SURF participants may be able to participate in human research at the University of Florida provided the following conditions are met:

The SURF Student –

  1. Must be under the supervision of a UF faculty member at all times, this is typically your SURF faculty mentor
  2. Sign a confidentiality statement
  3. Complete required privacy training (e.g. HIPAA Training and IRB Training)
  4. Must not be a currently active student at their home institution (i.e. not taking any classes)

The Principal Investigator –

  1. Once all the above requirements have been met, please submit a revision to your protocol to add the student to your study staff, or submit a new protocol with the SURF student as study staff.
  2. Upload as part of the revision or submission a copy of the SURF student application and offer letter to prove affiliation with the program.
  3. Complete and submit an Unaffiliated Investigator Agreement (UIA) with the revision or submission.
  4. Abide by all rules and qualifications for undergraduate students per the UF Department of Sponsored Programs. The SURF student may only perform research functions as indicated in the table at this link, under “Undergraduate Students” (see link below, especially table in the document).