Opportunity Information: Apply for 2018 NIST SURF 01
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program is a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funding opportunity that invites eligible U.S. colleges and universities to apply on behalf of their undergraduate students. Rather than individual students applying directly, institutions submit applications that nominate undergraduates for summer research placements at NIST. The overall goal is to give undergraduates hands-on exposure to cutting-edge scientific and engineering work by pairing them with NIST scientists and engineers, while also encouraging participants to continue on to graduate study in science and engineering fields.
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary program using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, and it falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 11.620). The cooperative agreement structure signals that NIST expects to have substantial involvement in the program, which typically means NIST will play an active role in shaping or supporting the research experience rather than simply providing funds with minimal interaction. The solicitation was created on November 27, 2017, and the original application closing date listed for this round was February 12, 2018. The funding opportunity number is 2018 NIST SURF 01.
Eligible applicants are U.S. colleges and universities, including both 2-year and 4-year institutions, as long as they are located in the United States or its territories and offer degree-granting programs in relevant disciplines. The program specifically highlights biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, and physics as the academic areas aligned with the SURF research experience. In practical terms, this means institutions with programs connected to these fields can nominate students whose interests and coursework match NIST research environments.
NIST operates SURF at multiple locations, and the nomination rules differ by site. Because of capacity constraints at SURF Boulder, any applicant institution seeking placements there is limited to nominating no more than eight undergraduate students. SURF Gaithersburg does not have a nomination cap at the time of this announcement, which may make it a more flexible option for institutions that want to nominate a larger cohort. Regardless of site, every student nominated must meet the eligibility and participation requirements specified in Section III.1 of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which is where the detailed student-level criteria and compliance expectations are laid out.
The award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing, so applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget structure, allowable costs, and anticipated program scale. Overall, the SURF Program is positioned as a structured pipeline experience: institutions identify promising undergraduates, NIST hosts them in research settings alongside federal scientists and engineers, and the program aims to build skills, research readiness, and motivation for graduate-level study in STEM.Apply for 2018 NIST SURF 01
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-27.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-02-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program (NIST) - FAQs
What is the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program?
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program is a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funding opportunity that supports summer research placements for undergraduate students at NIST. The program is designed to provide hands-on exposure to scientific and engineering research by pairing undergraduates with NIST scientists and engineers.
Who applies for SURF: students or institutions?
Institutions apply, not individual students. Eligible U.S. colleges and universities submit applications on behalf of their undergraduate students and nominate students for summer research placements at NIST.
What is the main goal of the SURF Program?
The program aims to give undergraduates real research experience in cutting-edge scientific and engineering work at NIST and to encourage participants to continue into graduate study in science and engineering fields.
What agency is offering this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
What type of funding instrument is used for SURF?
SURF is offered as a cooperative agreement under a discretionary program. This structure indicates NIST expects substantial involvement in the program, meaning NIST will likely play an active role in shaping or supporting the research experience.
What does it mean that SURF is a cooperative agreement?
Based on the listing, a cooperative agreement means NIST expects to have substantial involvement. In practice, that typically implies more active engagement by NIST in the program compared with a funding arrangement where funds are provided with minimal interaction.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 11.620.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 2018 NIST SURF 01.
When was the solicitation created?
The solicitation was created on November 27, 2017.
What was the application closing date listed for this round?
The original application closing date listed for this round was February 12, 2018.
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are U.S. colleges and universities, including both 2-year and 4-year institutions, as long as they are located in the United States or its territories and offer degree-granting programs in relevant disciplines.
Do 2-year institutions qualify, or only 4-year universities?
Both 2-year and 4-year U.S. colleges and universities may be eligible, provided they are located in the United States or its territories and offer degree-granting programs in relevant disciplines.
Does an institution need to be located in the U.S. to apply?
Yes. The listing specifies that eligible institutions must be located in the United States or its territories.
Which academic disciplines are highlighted as aligned with SURF?
The opportunity highlights biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, and physics as academic areas aligned with the SURF research experience.
Where does the SURF research experience take place?
NIST operates SURF at multiple locations. The listing specifically references SURF Boulder and SURF Gaithersburg as sites with different nomination rules.
Is there a limit on how many students an institution can nominate for SURF Boulder?
Yes. Because of capacity constraints at SURF Boulder, any applicant institution seeking placements there is limited to nominating no more than eight undergraduate students.
Is there a limit on how many students an institution can nominate for SURF Gaithersburg?
Not at the time of this announcement. The listing states that SURF Gaithersburg does not have a nomination cap at the time of this notice.
Do the nomination rules differ by SURF site?
Yes. The listing indicates nomination rules differ by site, including an explicit cap for SURF Boulder and no cap stated for SURF Gaithersburg at the time of the announcement.
What are the student eligibility requirements?
Every student nominated must meet the eligibility and participation requirements specified in Section III.1 of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The listing points to that section as the source for detailed student-level criteria and compliance expectations.
Where can applicants find the detailed student-level criteria and compliance expectations?
The listing states these details are laid out in Section III.1 of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Does the listing specify the award ceiling?
No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided listing.
Does the listing specify how many awards are expected?
No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided listing.
Where should applicants look for budget details and allowable costs?
The listing indicates applicants would need to consult the full announcement for the budget structure, allowable costs, and the anticipated scale of the program.
What kind of research experience does SURF aim to provide?
SURF is positioned as a structured pipeline experience in which institutions identify promising undergraduates and NIST hosts them in research settings alongside federal scientists and engineers, with the intent to build skills, research readiness, and motivation for graduate-level study in STEM.
How are students supported during the program?
Based on the listing, participants are paired with NIST scientists and engineers and placed into NIST research environments for hands-on work. Additional details about support structures are not provided in the listing and would be found in the full announcement.
Is this opportunity focused on undergraduate education or graduate education?
The placements are for undergraduates, with an explicit program goal of encouraging participants to continue on to graduate study in science and engineering fields.
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