Thanks for applying to Stanford University's 2016 SURGE Program
The application deadline was January 29, 2016
SURGE provides undergraduates from a U.S. institution the opportunity to gain mentored research experience at Stanford University in the geosciences and engineering during the eight-week period of June 17th, 2016 to August 13th, 2016. The underlying philosophy of SURGE is to train students by creating a supportive and rigorous work environment. We set high expectations for our scholars: to prepare them for a potential career in the field of geoscience and engineering, and to ensure that they get the most from their stay at Stanford. Each SURGE scholar is matched with a Stanford faculty member and has the opportunity to work in a research group or laboratory. The scholar is assigned an interesting and challenging project from a broad range of science and engineering topics that are accessible within the eight-week summer period. SURGE also includes workshops on preparing for the GRE, applying to graduate school, and understanding geoscience and engineering careers. The program culminates with a research symposium at Stanford, where scholars present results from their summer projects to faculty, mentors, and colleagues. Please check out our SURGE brochure for a snapshot of our program.
Eligibility
- SURGE focuses on recruiting prospective graduate students, and therefore targets rising juniors and seniors--and perhaps a few exceptional sophomores--from other universities. Any student who will add diversity to the population of Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (SE3) students is eligible to participate.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.5 or better in their STEM courses;
- Have completed at least two years of college and have at least one semester remaining of their undergraduate education by the start of the summer program;
- Attend an accredited public or private college or university in the U.S. or its territories, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education;
- Have demonstrated interest and potential to pursue graduate study toward a Master's or PhD degree;
- Be a documented U.S. citizen, a permanent resident in possession of an alien registration card (I-555), or an international student enrolled in a U.S. undergraduate institution;
- Be an undergraduate at a U.S. university or college who, by reason of their culture, class, race, ethnicity, background, and life experiences, would add diversity to our Stanford graduate programs in the Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. We especially encourage applications from African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
Academic and Research
- Gain research expereince as part of a Stanford University summer research group. See list of current Potential Projects;
- Guidance/instruction by Stanford faculty, post docs and graduate students;
- Individual counseling on academic careers and future course recommendations;
- Research use of state-of-the-art laboratories across the Stanford campus;
- GRE and college application preparation workshops;
- Featured research presentations by Stanford faculty, post docs and graduate students;
- Weekly seminars pertaining to scholars' academic and professional growth;
- Preparation of an abstract and research paper;
- Poster presentation at the end of the program;
- Possible opportunity to co-author a scientific paper with the faculty mentor.
Departments and Programs
- Energy Resources Engineering
- Earth System Science
- Geological Sciences
- Geophysics
- Earth Systems Program
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment & Resources
Social/Cultural
- Scholar lunches and dinners;
- Access to campus facilities (library, athletic, and health facilities);
- Bay Area outings including: San Francisco day trips, California Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elkorn Slough, Santa Cruz, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Pacheco Pass Wind Farm & San Luis Reservoir, and downtown Palo Alto.
- Lunch with mentors and laboratory research groups;
- Interactive web site for scholars to post their profiles, and to use as a method to keep in contact after the program has ended;
- Membership to Stanford SURGE alumni network.
Logistical
- $3,200 Stipend;
- Paid round trip travel expenses;
- Paid Stanford University housing and meal plan for eight weeks;
- $500 funds to use for national conferences such as GSA, AGU and SACNAS;
- Health insurance subsidies;
- Books and supplies subsidies;
- Paid seven-week GRE Preparation course with Clear Focus Test Prep
