Funding

Partial / Stipend

Program dates

Jun 1, 2026 – Aug 7, 2026

Research Program•USA · New York City

Chemers Neustein Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)

The Rockefeller University

Application Deadline

Closed · February 1, 2026

Reopens ~Feb 2027

Official Page

The Chemers Neustein Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is a 10-week program run by The Rockefeller University, a biomedical research institution in New York City. About 25 undergraduates are selected each year from more than 700 applicants to work full-time on a research project under the supervision of Rockefeller faculty and scientists. Fields span biochemistry, structural biology, molecular and developmental biology, immunology, virology, neuroscience, physics, and mathematical biology. Alongside lab work, fellows join a weekly journal club, attend faculty lectures, and present their results at an end-of-program poster session.

Benefits & funding

  • Stipend of US$6,500 for the 10-week period.
  • Free housing for students who cannot commute.
  • Access to campus recreation facilities and organized social and cultural activities.
  • Direct mentorship from Rockefeller faculty and researchers; training in scientific communication through the journal club and poster session.

Eligibility

  • Open to college sophomores and juniors majoring in the life or physical sciences.
  • International students are eligible to apply; no citizenship restriction stated.
  • No stated GPA cut-off.

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  • Education required

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Application process

  1. 1
    Complete the online application at surfapplication.rockefeller.edu.
  2. 2
    Upload a two-page, single-spaced summary statement covering your academic background, scientific interests, prior research experience, and career goals.
  3. 3
    Upload an official transcript.
  4. 4
    Arrange two letters of recommendation from professors or research mentors, submitted online.
  5. 5
    Submit by the February 1 deadline; decisions are sent by mid-March.

Program timeline

  1. Application deadline

    Feb 1, 2026

  2. Decisions released

    2026-03 (mid-March)

  3. Program begins

    Jun 1, 2026

  4. Program ends

    Aug 7, 2026