How To Apply
The 2027 online application will open on November 1, 2026. The application deadline is February 1.
All interested applicants must complete the online application. The application is housed on SurveyMonkey Apply and the link can be found here. Please note, all emails from the system will come from noreply@mail.smapply.net, please check your spam folder and add this email address to your safe sender list.
To create a fair and equitable process for all applicants, students will be instructed not to contact faculty before or during the application and initial selection process. Students will continue to be encouraged to review faculty research interests online and identify up to three faculty they would like to work with on the SURF application. All students must submit an online application by 5:00 pm on February 1.
Following the application deadline, the SURF team will review all applications and identify candidates to move forward. These candidates will then be matched with potential mentors who share similar interests for their review. After that point, mentors are welcome to contact students directly for discussions and interviews before final decisions are made.
Once a mentor notifies us of their student selection, we will send an offer letter and initiate the hiring process. Official position offers will come only from the SURF team.Along with your personal information, the online application will ask you to provide the following items:
- Essay questions: Describe your career goals and motivation for wanting to obtain research experience. Be sure to include the area(s) of research interest or the faculty member with whom you would like to work with during the program. Please note, this does not guarantee placement with that faculty member, but lets us know who you are interested in possibly working with.
- Resume: A current copy of your resume.
- References: One letter of recommendation is required before submitting your application. One letter is required, maximum of two letters.
- Grade Reports: Will be requested (does not need to be an official transcript) for completion of the online application.
Deadline: February 1, 2027, at 5:00 PM EST
Please note, all interested students must fully complete the online application.
If you would like to apply for a UC (University of Cincinnati) SURF program, a separate application portal can be found here.
