Summer Undergraduate Research Mentor–Mentee

The SURMM award provides a research mentoring platform for undergraduate students to work on  either a faculty mentor's research or their own project. This award provides $1,000 to the faculty mentor and up to $3,000 to the selected student mentee.

Applications for SURMM are currently closed.

Faculty apply for this award directly in collaboration with and on behalf of their student mentee. 

Applications are limited to faculty who are tenured or tenure-track with primary appointments in either a Taft member unit or the College of Arts & Sciences with a terminal degree in a Taft member field. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, faculty in other colleges, and non-tenure track faculty (part-time, educator, research, visiting, and adjunct) are ineligible for this program. 

All Taft-affiliated undergraduates are eligible, including those pursuing a major, minor, or certificate from a Taft unit. Preference will be given to majors, those previously enrolled in a course with the faculty mentor, and those near the end of their degree.

Faculty mentors and student mentees are asked to complete an agreement regarding the start date, approximate number of research/writing hours per week, and number of mentor/mentee meetings during the period of the award, as appropriate to the applicant’s home unit expectations. The specific schedule may vary from week to week, but should be agreed upon prior to starting the work. 

Awardees remain eligible for other awards.

Applications must be received through the online portal by the specified deadline. Applicants may not bypass any component of the system.

Applications are limited to one student per faculty, per project. Each faculty applicant will mentor a designated student on a specific research project; this information should be included in the proposal. The application should include:

• An outline covering the proposed research project, the student researcher's name and degree program, and the faculty member's proposed mentoring role in the project.
• A brief (500 words) statement from the proposed student outlining their qualifications as well as their research project goals, purpose, and timeline.
• A copy of the proposed student’s transcript(s).

This award will provide $1,000 to the faculty mentor and up to $3,000 to the selected student mentee. Undergraduate student mentees are expected to work 30-40 hours per week for about 10 weeks during the summer. The start date and the specific number of hours per week are flexible but must be agreed upon by both student and faculty member. The student mentee must complete the research project to the satisfaction of the faculty mentor.