Virginia Tech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURF-N)

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Neuroscience (SURF-N) is designed to empower neuroscience undergraduate students to actively participate in cutting-edge neuroscience research. Over 10-week immersive and hands-on experiences, students are provided with the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors and/or other research mentors, acquiring valuable insights and skills that extend beyond the classroom. During this process, students are anticipated to enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving, and presentation abilities. They are also expected to discover their passions in neuroscience and review their post-graduate plans. The mission of the SURF-N program is (1) to encourage students explore their own interests in neuroscience, (2) to prepare them for careers in neuroscience, and (3) to inspire their passions to make significant contributions to the society of neuroscience.

Since its establishment in 2016, SURF-N has funded over 70 neuroscience students. The total funding exceeds $275,000. SURF-N serves as the first lab experience for more than a third of fellows. Feedback from the majority, if not all, of the fellows, indicates a positive and valuable experience with SURF-N. Moreover, participation in the program helps fellows clarify their passions and contemplate their post-graduation plans. Many SURF-N fellows have successfully gained admission to entered highly competitive undergraduate and graduate research programs, including those in prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California San Francisco, and Vanderbilt University.

SURF-N is an outstanding opportunity for neuroscience undergraduate students to engage in immersive, hands-on research experiences. With its mission to foster exploration, preparation, and inspiration, SURF-N continues to attract to and retain students in neuroscience and cultivates the next generation of neuroscience leaders.