SURF Program Update – Summer 2022
The RI-INBRE program completed the 19th Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program in 2022! First organized in 2004 to increase the number of undergraduate students participating in scientific research activities at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Brown University, the program expanded in 2009 to include students in RI’s network of primarily undergraduate institutions.
One hundred and thirteen undergraduate students participated in summer research experiences at our network institutions across the state including Bryant University, the Community College of Rhode Island, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, and the University of Rhode Island.
The cohort included twenty SURF+ students participating in their second SURF, and two Bridge to Graduate School Fellows (BGSF), former SURF entering graduate school at URI or Brown University. Both programs offer paid summer research experiences. The BGSF program provides an opportunity for students to jump-start their graduate studies the summer after receiving their undergraduate degrees.
Of our 2022 SURF participants, 73% were women, 17% were students underrepresented in the biomedical sciences, and 26% were first-generation college students.
The 10-week program began with orientation on May 23rd and culminated on July 29th with the annual Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium held on July 29th, where 140 students from RI-INBRE SURF, SURF+ and BGSF, RI NSF EPSCoR/C-AIM SURF, and URI MARC U*STAR programs presented their summer research in a poster symposium.
Each year, RI-INBRE recognizes a select group of students during the application process as “Special Fellows” who are funded by the various colleges at URI in addition to URI’s Provost, and the Vice President of Research.
Learn more about SURF