Call for Proposals

2026 SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)

PROGRAM

A Montana Tech Undergraduate Research Program Initiative

Program Goals:

The primary purpose of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is to provide an intensive, in-depth research experience or an in-depth public health internship experience to a small number of Montana Tech undergraduate students.

Term of Award:

Projects are expected to span 10 weeks, beginning on or after May 18, 2026. Supplies must be purchased and travel completed, with all invoices and associated paperwork submitted to the Research Office, by August 7, 2026, unless other arrangements are made prior to that date.

Participant Eligibility:

Faculty - Any full-time faculty member of Montana Tech is eligible to be a SURF mentor.

Students - Any degree-seeking Montana Tech undergraduate student in good standing who will be a full-time student during fall semester 2026, is eligible to participate in the SURF program; students must be enrolled full-time for the fall semester before initiating their SURF project.

A faculty mentor should not submit a SURF proposal for the same project to be submitted by a student who plans to respond to the traditional Undergraduate Research Program (URP) spring call. A student may participate in proposals for both SURF and URP, as long as the URP project builds on the research done during the summer for the SURF, or the URP and SURF projects are on unrelated topics. The relationship between the two projects, if there is one, must be identified and described briefly on the budget page. Students participating in a SURF may not use the same experience for clinical hours or for any other credit required for their degree.

Proposal Submittal:

Mentors should submit proposals electronically to urp@mtech.edu. Files should be in .pdf format with the following naming protocol: mentorlastname_surfproposal_2026.pdf.

The proposal deadline is Monday April 13, 2026 by 5 p.m.

Proposal Guidelines:

6-page maximum, single-spaced, 1” margins, minimum 11-point font, prepared by the mentor. Include sections describing:

  • The background, introduction, objectives, hypothesis, etc.
  • The proposed research, including specific description of the student activities. 
  • Short bio sketch of the mentor, including qualifications, previous involvement with undergraduate research, etc. 
  • Budget with justification (see below for details).
  • Include outside funding information if the proposed SURF project is similar to already funded research. Clearly explain how the proposed SURF project is different than, or complements currently funded work. 

Proposal Attachments if needed:

Include IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval for all projects involving the use of human subjects or the use of personal data utilizing private information of individuals. Include IACUC approval for projects that include the use of animals. See Appendix H on Undergraduate Research website. https://www.mtech.edu/research/student- research/index.html.

  • Include a safety training plan for all projects involving environmental health and safety hazards, including hazardous materials, machinery or equipment, field work or potential exposure to disease-carrying animals. See Appendix C on the Undergraduate Research website for more information. 
  • Include outside funding information if the proposed SURF project is similar to already funded research. Clearly explain how the proposed SURF project is different than or complements currently funded work. 

Allowable Budget Items:

  • Undergraduate researchers will each be paid a stipend of $2,750 for a “part-time” research experience (~20 hours per week, for approximately 10 weeks, with total time spent on the project not to exceed 200 hours), or $5,500 for a “full-time” research experience (~40 hours per week, for approximately 10 weeks, with total time spent on the project not to exceed 400 hours).
  • Additional funds, up to $500, may be requested to purchase supplies or to support travel related to conducting the research.
  • Faculty mentors will receive a $500 mentor allowance for a part-time SURF and a $1,000 stipend for a full-time SURF. Faculty members that are participating on more than one SURF project will receive a maximum of one total allowance of $1,000. Mentor allowances can be deposited into campus IDC accounts, taken as salary (with appropriate approvals and paperwork), or used for additional travel or supplies associated with the research project.

Obligations & Deliverable:

Obligations:

  • If they have not already done so, within the past 4 years, all participants must complete online Responsible Conduct of Research training. 
  • Students must complete a web-based pre-survey before starting work and a post- survey at the end. 
  • SURF students must attend, in-person, bimonthly workshops to learn more about research and collaboration. If students will not be close to campus during the summer, and able to attend these sessions, their research mentor should not apply to the SURF program for the project.
  • The student must file student employment paperwork before May 18, 2026.
  • The mentor must submit timecards for the student, certifying adequate progress. 
  • Students must log actual hours and submit signed log by August 10, 2026.

Note: Students taking courses or working a part-time job are eligible to be considered for a “part-time” SURF. Students working a full-time job or internship will not be considered for any SURF.

Deliverable:

Each student researcher must make a poster and present at the SURF research symposium to be held on campus during the first or second week of August. Mentors are encouraged to have SURF students present their research orally at an on-campus or regional conference, and to include the student as a co-author in any publications or conference presentations reporting the work.