Sustainability Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering Program (SURGE)
You belong at Stanford University.
Join us this summer for 8 weeks of fully funded mentored research and graduate school preparation. SURGE is a program for undergraduate students who are new to research and want to explore the field of sustainability in a community that celebrates inclusion. SURGE is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
Application window: Dec. 1, 2024 - Jan. 12, 2025
Program dates: June 20 - Aug. 16, 2025
Eligibility
- Current sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors or second-year community college students enrolled in a U.S. institution
- Demonstrated interest in pursuing graduate study toward a master’s or PhD in the Earth sciences, oceans, environmental sciences, energy sciences, or engineering
- Not yet accepted to a graduate program
We support a broad array of perspectives in science. Because we all live on this planet.
Overview
Each SURGE scholar is matched with a faculty member from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability to work on a research project during the 8-week summer period. Scholars join a cohort of summer researchers and participate in educational field trips, career panels, academic seminars, and workshops on science communication and graduate school applications. The program culminates with a research symposium on Stanford’s campus on August 15, 2025, where scholars present their summer projects to the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability community.
Undergraduates who are low-income or first-gen or interested in exploring sustainability research for the first time are encouraged to apply.
Dustin Schroeder
SURGE mentor, associate professor of geophysics and of electrical engineering
“My goal is to provide the students with the opportunity for the same kind of transformative experience that undergraduate research was for me. I am deeply indebted to many people who took time to mentor me as a first-gen college student, scientist, engineer, and researcher.”
Learn more about Schroeder’s journey
Support
- $4,800 stipend
- Round-trip travel expenses from home to Stanford
- University housing and meal plan
- Access to Stanford University facilities
- Health insurance, if needed
Professional development and training
- Mentored research training
- Coding bootcamp course
- Graduate school preparation
- Academic seminars
- Introduction to sustainability careers
- Networking
Social connections
- Community building activities
- Field trips around the Bay Area
- Housing on the Stanford campus
- Diverse cohort from around the country
Research topic areas include:
Earth.
ecology, evolution, agriculture, oceans, planetary science, biology
Climate.
hazards, extreme weather, energy, emissions, adaptation
Society.
engineering, cities, technology, sustainable development, environmental justice
SURGE 2025 projects will be posted through Dec. 20.
At the end of my internship, my mentor suggested I apply to present my summer results at the Stanford Geothermal conference. After that presentation, I was filled with so much unexpected confidence that it made me want to explore more, ask more questions, and become a better researcher.
– Lauren Abrahams, SURGE 2016, University of Wisconsin - Madison, now a scientist at Lawrence Livermore Lab
Stories about SURGE
Stanford Earth’s SURGE summer program completes its sixth year of encouraging budding Earth scientists.
Stanford Earth hosted students, teachers, and international visitors through its diverse educational programs this summer.
The Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) program celebrates 10 years of bringing students from diverse backgrounds to Stanford for a summer of Earth science research and graduate school preparation.
Spotlights on past participants
While at the University of New Hampshire, Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila knew graduate school was in his future, but it wasn’t until he participated in Stanford Earth’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering Program (SURGE) that he could envision himself at a place like Stanford.
Many ocean dwellers are much larger than their terrestrial relatives. But why? Research by William Gearty, PhD ‘19, has identified that in many cases, the larger the mammal, the more likely they can survive in frigid water. The same goes for many ancient reptiles, despite being cold-blooded.
With a natural curiosity and no-nonsense approach, Trent La Sage is pursuing research that brings together physics, Earth science, and materials science.
SURGE is a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site. Funding is provided in part by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Earth Sciences located in Alexandria, VA. Award Abstract #2243686. The NSF contact for this program is Aisha Morris. NSF does not handle REU applications; please contact each REU site directly for application information. More information about the NSF-REU programs