Dear Colleague,
I would very much appreciate your help in forwarding the information below and/or the attached flyer about the 2011 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to your undergraduate students.

The SURF program offers students in the STEM fields an opportunity to experience research this summer under the guidance of one for NIST's scientists or engineers. The 11-week program will be held at NIST's Gaithersburg, MD campus from May 23 through August 5, 2011. FYI - there is a SURF program at our Boulder, CO campus too. Participants will receive a $5,000 stipend and additional travel (e.g., one round trip airfare or mileage) and housing allowances (as necessary).

Basic eligibility requirements include: U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status; undergraduate status, recommend 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA; demonstrated potential for success and an interest in pursuing graduate study. Our review committee follows a comprehensive review and weighs each applicant’s academic and personal achievements and match the student's field of interest to availability of advisors and projects.

Many thanks!
Lisa Fronczek
Chair, NIST SURF Gaithersburg

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Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
May 23 - August 5, 2011

Website for eligibility and application requirements - http://www.nist.gov/surfgaithersburg/

Deadline for applications - February 15, 2011

Setting a Course Toward a Career in Science or Engineering? Curious about physics, electronics, manufacturing, chemistry, materials science, or structural engineering? Intrigued by nanotechnology, fire research, information technology, or robotics? Tickled by biotechnology or biometrics? Have an intellectual fancy for superconductors or, perhaps, semiconductors? Here’s your chance to satisfy that curiosity. Spend part of your summer working elbow to elbow with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), one of the world’s leading research organizations and home to three Nobel Prize winners. Gain valuable hands-on experience, work with cutting-edge technology, meet peers from across the nation (from San Francisco to Puerto Rico and from New York to New Mexico), sample the Washington, DC (or Boulder, CO) area. And, no kidding, get paid ($5000) while you’re learning. Come be a part of the the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF) at NIST.

SURF students work at NIST for 11 weeks, contributing to an ongoing research project under the guidance of a NIST scientist or engineer from one of the Institute’s major laboratories (Physical Measurements, Engineering, Material Measurements, Information Technology, Neutron Research, and Nanoscale Science). In addition to your own personal project, you'll have a chance to tour labs, and be exposed to a weekly lecture series on diverse research projects. Abstracts from this past summer's projects are contained in our SURF Colloquium document (http://www.nist.gov/surfgaithersburg/upload/promo2011.pdf). This will give you an idea on how diverse the SURF projects are.

SURF is a competitive program. Applications are ranked and reviewed. About 130 fellowships are awarded each year for the Gaithersburg, MD program and another 22 fellowship are awarded for the Boulder, CO program. NOTE: FYI - Each NIST site has its own application process so if you are interested in projects on both sites, make sure to submit two applications.

For more information and application information, go to the SURF website - www.nist.gov/surfgaithersburg. Still not sure, watch the SURF video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb3mETtSGy0. E-mail us with any questions at NIST_SURF_program@nist.gov.