Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Terms and Conditions
- Research Mentor must be current UWM faculty or academic staff members. People with on-going adjunct faculty appointments may be eligible.
- Applying for a SURF award does not guarantee funding. The review committee tries to award as many students as possible, but funds are limited and award rates are less than 80%.
- Students applying for funding through the Office of Undergraduate Research are required to disclose in writing to the OUR all sources of campus and other funding supporting this research. This information should be sent to Deputy Director Kyla Esguerra, kylam@uwm.edu upon notice of an award. The Deputy Director will decide whether the SURF award will need to be adjusted.
- Students cannot simultaneously receive funding through multiple programs for the same work. Thus, students should not apply for SURF funding if they are already receiving funding for the work through other means, including NSF, NIH, McNair and departmental funds. SURF Awards are intended to provide support where other resources are not available.
- Students cannot receive both credit and salary for doing the same work.
- In compliance with federal and university policies, students must not work more than 25 hours per week across all campus appointments during the academic year, including Winterim and spring break. During the summer, students may work up to but not exceed 40 hours per week. Students working in excess of 25 hours in a week during the school year or 40 hours in a week during the summer risk losing their SURF awards.
- Students are expected to present some of the results of their research at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the spring. Details about the Undergraduate Research Symposium can be found at www.our.uwm.edu.
- Special Students are not eligible for SURF funding.
- Minimum enrollment. Students receiving SURF awards must be degree-seeking UWM undergraduates enrolled for a minimum of six credits.