Through SURF, which is modeled on the grant-seeking process, students enter the environment of scientists. In collaboration with their mentors, students write project proposals which are reviewed by a faculty committee. Awards are made on the basis of recommendations of the reviewers and available funding. The mentor-prot g association is the most important aspect of the SURF experience. This alliance encompasses not only the student's summer project but also professional relationships within the research group and the broader research community, the economics and politics of research, and ethics.
Students discover how exciting front-line research can be.
They also struggle with the frustrations. They gain insight into what a researcher's professional life is like. SURF provides another dimension to the process of undergraduate education. Graduates of SURF, with their sophisticated and practical knowledge of how to conduct research, have a marked advantage as they embark on their career paths, apply to graduate schools, or look for jobs in industry. The heritage of SURF is rich.