RI NSF EPSCoR’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is a 10-week introduction to research in marine-based sciences and engineering. Students who are RI residents and/or matriculate at a RI college or university are eligible to apply.  Selected students receive hands-on training with faculty and graduate students at colleges and universities across Rhode Island, learning about everything from how diatoms in Narragansett Bay are responding to climate change to developing classroom materials that help middle and high school students understand basic engineering concepts.

2026 Call for Mentor Projects

The Rhode Island Network for Excellence in Science & Technology (RI-NEST), RI NSF EPSCoR’s lead program, is now accepting project proposals from faculty, post-docs and graduate students from any two or four-year institution of higher education in Rhode Island for the 2026 SURF program.

Program Goals & Focus Areas

The RI-NEST SURF program aligns with the statewide initiative’s goals to:

• Strengthen workforce development by broadening opportunities for research and education that create clear pathways into Rhode Island’s technology, environmental, and research industries.
• Catalyze partnerships by supporting diverse, use-inspired projects that engage higher-education institutions, small businesses, and community collaborators to advance Rhode Island’s Blue Economy and climate resilience.
• Promote science communication and data sharing by encouraging translation of scientific results for understanding and use by broad audiences across the state.

Projects are invited that address Rhode Island’s Blue Economy and related areas of environmental and technological innovation, including (but not limited to) sustainability, marine and coastal science, ecosystem resilience, ocean technology, and resource management. View the full call for projects for complete details on submitting. 

2026 SURF Dates

Project proposals from mentors DUE: Friday, November 21, 2026
Undergraduate application window: Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 – Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

SURF begins, student orientation: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
SURF ends, statewide symposium held: Friday, July 31, 2026

Selected undergraduates will be paid a stipend of up to $6,500 (proportional to time worked, up to 40 hours per week) and up to $550 for research supplies.

Students who cannot commit to the full 40-hour per week program should still apply for SURF Flex, an opportunity to receive intensive scientific research experience at 20 hours per week with a stipend of $3,250 ($275 for supplies).  SURF Flex students are expected to participate in all SURF programming, including the annual SURF conference and poster presentation, and will be paid a half-stipend for 10 weeks.