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Program Overview & Goals

The Salk Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Salk SURF) is a paid 10-week mentored research internship that provides access to world-class research facilities, hands-on training to learn and build research skills, access to a network of mentors, and foundational experiences for students interested in, or actively considering, pursuing a career in STEM.

The mission of Salk SURF is to broaden access to summer research experiences that inspire and empower students to identify their strengths and explore research, academic, and career possibilities. Our vision is that, through their participation in the program, students will build relationships and confidence to persist through the scientific training and workforce pipeline.

Salk SURF provides roundtrip travel and transportation to the Salk Institute, housing accommodations and a competitive full-time hourly wage.

Students attending Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research are encouraged to apply. This program aims to build and sustain a diverse biomedical research pipeline to advance the Institute’s mission for training the next generation of bold, innovative scientists.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program.
• Be entering their junior or senior year at the time of participating in the program.
  *If you are a graduate of a two- or four-year institution, please consider applying to one of our open positions.
• Have a minimum of 3.0 GPA.
• Be able to commit to the program dates and requirements; this includes, but is not limited to, not enrolling in summer courses or participating in other internships while participating in the Salk SURF.
• Be eligible to work in the United States.

Application Requirements

Applicants must complete an online application and submit all supplemental documents:

• Resume
• Unofficial transcript

Click here to view the SURF Scoring Rubric »
 

Selection Process

1. Applications will be reviewed through December.
2. Candidates will be notified of their selection in January.
3. Selected candidates will then be invited to interview with prospective lab groups, based on their ranked preference of available summer research projects.
4. Selected candidates will receive an invitation letter that contains the details of their internship and notification of their lab placement.

SURF Project Descriptions

For those applying to the Salk SURF 2025 program, please click here to review the available project descriptions and learn more about each host lab.