Deadline for Application is Friday, February 27, 2009
There are three parts to the SURF application, two of which you will complete. (The third is the Letter of Support from your faculty mentor.)
1. Student Application Form
Download the file linked above and fill it out. Save it as a rich text format file (NOT Word format – i.e. not as a .doc file.)
2. Project Description
The most important part of the SURF application is the Project Description, which you should develop in collaboration with your faculty mentor. In the description, you should:
- Provide a motivation for your project. Show how it fits into a broader context as well as how it is different from what others have done.
- Describe what you will do. Be specific enough that someone, who is not necessarily an expert in your particular subfield, can make an informed judgment as the feasibility and potential impact of what you are proposing. (SURF proposals are reviewed like National Science Foundation proposals in that they are sent out to professors across campus who rate them on a scale from Excellent to Poor.)
- Describe how you will do it.
For more tips on writing the Project Description, use our website.
The Project Description is limited to 2 pages (12 point font) and is submitted as a separate document in pdf format. This gives you the flexibility to include charts, pictures, graphs, equations, tables, etc . . . You may use an extra page for references if needed.
3. Faculty Letter of Support
The last question on the Student Application form asks you for the name and contact information of your faculty mentor. When your application is received, the faculty mentor will be asked to provide a Letter of Support. In that letter, they will be asked to address the following questions:
How long have you known the student and in what capacity?
Why do you think the student is likely to succeed in the project?
Where does the student's project fit into your overall research program?
To submit the SURF application, email both the Student Application form and Project Description to surf@mtu.edu.