Reasearch and Sponsored Programs : WCU-Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF)

WCU-Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF) Spring 2027

This opportunity is for Undergraduate students enrolled in the Spring 2027 semester who are looking for an introductory research opportunity where they can contribute to faculty research and/or creative activity across all disciplines. Student awardees will receive a $500 stipend to conduct research and/or creative activity projects for 5 hours/week for ten weeks during the Spring semester of 2027 alongside a faculty mentor.

Once you have completed the student section (demographic information, faculty mentor information, project description, plan and impact statement), it will be routed to your identified faculty mentor to fill out the remaining portion of the application. All sections of the application are due by 5:00pm Friday, Thursday, November 6th, 2026.

Please note the following:

All WCU students who will be enrolled as Undergraduate Students during the Spring semester of 2027 may apply.
Projects must be carried out during the Spring of 2027, under the mentorship of a WCU faculty member.
Applications that are not reviewed and approved by the faculty mentor by the due date will not be considered.

Funding Information

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Have you previously received funding while at WCU?

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Please select previously received funding while at WCU for any of the following:

SURF
SURI
External grant funding
Other

Previously received funding while at WCU - other:

Student Information

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First Name:

Last Name:

Student Email:

Major/Department:

Classification:

Current GPA:

College/School:

Faculty Mentor Information

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Faculty Mentor's Email:

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Faculty Mentor's Email 2:

Faculty Mentor's Name:

Faculty Mentor's Department:

Project Information

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*These three questions are to be completed by the Undergraduate Student Applicant and will then be approved by the faculty mentor in the next step. Please work with your faculty mentor prior to submitting.

Project Description:

Provide a brief description of the project you will be working on including (a) background and significance and (b) description of what specific skills you will acquire during the SURF experience (300 words or less).

Faculty Plan:

Please describe your research or creative activity plan (how often you are meeting, goals for each month, communication expectations, tentative timeline) with your faculty mentor across the Spring 2027 semester (250 words or less).

Impact:

Provide a brief explanation of the potential impact the WCU-SURF opportunity could have on your future education and/or career aspirations (250 words or less).

Additional Information

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How did you hear about this opportunity?

How did you hear about this opportuniy - other:

The Student Undergraduate Research Foundations (SURF) experience is a foundational experience for students who are interested in learning about research/creative activities. This is NOT an opportunity for students who have already been funded through the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI).