National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program Competition

The SURF Program is designed to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through a unique research experience that supports the NIST mission. Since 1993, SURF students from across the country have had the opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on experience, working with cutting edge technology in one of the world’s leading research organizations and home to three Nobel Prize winners.

Over the course of 11 weeks, SURF students contribute to the ongoing research of one of the six NIST facilities which are the Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL), Engineering Laboratory (EL), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), and Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) (which now includes project in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology). The SURF Program is administered at the Boulder, CO and Gaithersburg, MD locations.

Applications are required to be submitted through USAJOBS.

Note:  Only U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents are eligible to participate in the SURF Program.

The application process has changed. Students can now apply to the 2019 program  without the assistance of their universities.

Potential applicants are also invited to participate in an upcoming webinar scheduled December 19, 2018 or January 10, 2019. Please select the a date for registration information. 

December 19, 2018 at 1:30 PM-2:30 PM (ET)

January 10, 2019 at 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (ET)