Research

CLA Summer Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity Program (SURP)

The CLA SURP is designed to support CLA research and creative activities while engaging undergraduate students in mentor-led scholarship.

All students who are CLA majors and/or minors may apply.
 
The CLA SURP has four primary goals:
  1. Promote diverse and equitable engagement for CLA students in mentor-led research and creative activities
  2. Build lasting student-mentor mentoring relationships
  3. Enhance faculty/staff participation in scholarship
  4. Enrich a culture of scholarship in the CLA

 

2025 SURP Dates

  • CLA SURP Student Applications
  • Info Session: W 4/9, 4:10-5pm, Zoom Meeting ID 770 101 3932

For Students

The student application for the 2025 College of Liberal Arts Student Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity Program (CLA SURP) 

The application is due on Thursday, April 17, 2025 

CLA SURP Projects for Summer 2025

  • You have the opportunity to explore the available projects to which students can apply: 2025 CLA SURP Project Options
  • Remember that you can apply to projects in departments across the college, as long as you meet the required qualifications listed. 
  • When applying, students must specify to which position(s) they are applying.
  • Students can apply for up to three positions at the same time.
  • Selected CLA SURP students will receive a financial award of $3,500 to support their engagement and participation in this opportunity. This will be processed through Financial Aid. Please note that this is a fellowship, not employment, and is undocufriendly. 
  • The $3,500 financial award is designed to enable students to participate in mentor-led scholarship and mentoring activities for 8 weeks in Summer 2025 for approximately 20 hours per week. These weeks may be non-contiguous. This engagement may occur in-person, virtually, or hybrid as required by the project. Depending on the project, an alternative but equivalent timeline may be utilized. 
  • Students who graduate in Spring 2025 are eligible to apply. All continuing students are eligible to apply.

More about Applying!

Many of the mentors listed may have time to email/meet with you prior to the application deadline to further discuss their projects. You are encouraged to ask if the mentors listed have this capacity and to meet with them, if so! This might be in office hours or by appointment.

Each application will contain the following sections (each with a maximum of 500 words). 

Directions about these different sections are provided as part of the application.

  1. Personal Statement (general; applies to all projects to which you are applying)
  2. Benefits Statement (general; applies to all projects to which you are applying)
  3. Project-specific Interest Statement (submit one for each project to which you are applying)
  4. Project-specific Preparation Statement (submit one for each project to which you are applying)

(You are encouraged to develop and your answers in a word processing software and then paste them into the application just in case your browser crashes while you are working on your application.)

For Mentors 

All CLA faculty, including full- and part-time lecturers, are eligible to submit SURP proposals for Summer 2025. Submissions can be from an individual faculty member, a faculty pair, or a faculty/professional staff pair.

  • The application to serve as a SURP Mentor in Summer 2025 is due Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
  • Faculty in all disciplines are encouraged to apply to serve as a research mentor in the CLA Summer Undergraduate Research/Creative Activities Program. 
  • This program is open to all lecturer and tenure-line faculty in the CLA. Professional staff may serve as a co-mentor.
  • Individuals who have previously served as SURP mentors, including in Summer 2024, are encouraged to apply to serve as mentors in Summer 2025. 
  • CLA SURP Mentor Project Proposals: 

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