Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program
The MCPHS Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program provides students with opportunities for mentored learning by working closely with faculty on a scholarly project.
In the course of the project, students apply critical thinking skills in formulating significant questions, proposing solutions, testing the proposed solutions and effectively communicating the outcome of their work to others.
SURF Objectives
SURFing helps students to develop the confidence, creativity and intellectual skills necessary to become a future scholar, educator and leader in their field.
The activities of the Program are designed to provide opportunities for:
- Creative growth in the process of recognizing current problems in a field of study and formulating possible solutions
- Intellectual growth in the process of discovery of original knowledge in solving a problem
- Improving oral and written communication skills by relating the results of research to the general public and to others in the field
- Developing confidence in the ability to actively contribute to knowledge in the field and to educate others regarding that knowledge
Responsibilities of Undergraduate Research Fellows
Each Fellow can expect a unique experience from the Program since the process of discovery varies among disciplines.
All Fellows will be expected to:
- Submit a written project description and budget prior to the start of a Fellowship. A mentor will help students to describe the problem being investigated, express ideas for possible solutions, and list the techniques they would use to test the validity of the proposed solutions.
- Devote full effort to the project. Fellows in Boston are expected to work forty hours per week on their project for the ten weeks of the Program in summer. Fellows in Worcester/Manchester are expected to work part time on their projects during the regular academic year as determined by the mentor.
- Give an oral presentation of the work at the end of the Fellowship.
- Submit a written report of your final results shortly after completing the Fellowship.
- A poster presentation of the project at the MCPHS SURF-Graduate Student Research Day in the fall after completing the Fellowship.
Compensation
The Fellowship provides a stipend of $4,000 regardless of whether the Fellowship is full-time for ten weeks or part time during the regular academic year. Monies are available to help defray travel expenses to another MCPHS campus (if the Fellowship is not associated with the student's home campus) and to a conference at which the student will present his/her work.
Questions about the SURF program should be directed to:
Lawrence Gracz, PhD
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Pharmacy-Boston
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
179 Longwood Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
lawrence.gracz@mcphs.edu