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SURP provides a multi-week fellowship opportunity that either connects students with Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty research programs or facilitates student-driven projects. The goal of SURP is to support a broad range of activities that will continue to stimulate students' thinking and growth during the summer, including (but not limited to) reading, writing, collecting and analyzing data, and creative expression. We encourage all interested returning students to identify a line of inquiry or a creative project that they are eager to pursue. Projects should be manageable in scope so that they can be completed within 4 to 8/10 weeks. These projects may be:

• a Research Assistantship designed by and under the direction of a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty mentor,
• a student-designed Summer Project, which is a creative, artistic, or research project under the mentorship of a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty member. The level of oversight needed can be determined by the Pomona faculty member and the student.
• Additionally, unique research opportunities at other institutions can be considered provided that a Pomona faculty member endorses the student applicant's qualifications and the relevance of the opportunity to the student's academic goals. Students are strongly encouraged to primarily seek funding from the host institution and demonstrate these efforts in their SURP application.

Students interested in internships in a professional work environment should consider the .

Please contact grants@pomona.edu with any questions.

SURP General Timeline:

• December: Application and program information go live.
• January: Information sessions. Online applications due in SM Apply January 30, 2024.
• February and March: Proposals reviewed by the Research Committee. 
• April: Awards announced. Students and mentors are notified via email. Students have 1 week to accept or decline their SURP Award.
• May: Projects can start as early as a week after commencement.
• August: Projects must be completed by mid-August.
• September: Intensive Summer Experience Symposium.
  • Each student must plan to design a final report or product that best encapsulates what they learned, achieved, or created this summer, to be shared with the Â鶹´«Ã½ community. Some examples of final products include papers, posters, designs, models, programs, multimedia presentations, images of objects, recordings of performances, video essays, blogs, etc.

Faculty Information -

Research Assistantships

Students interested in training as an apprentice within the research program of a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty member should reach out directly to their prospective faculty mentor. Faculty who wish to support one or more student research assistant(s) will complete a Research Assistant application describing the project, the Research Assistant(s)’ role, and a training/mentoring plan; name and evaluate the student or students they would like to train; and direct these students to complete the Student SURP application. Faculty are strongly encouraged to be mindful of diversity, equity, and inclusion when selecting student Research Assistants. Research Assistantship SURPs can apply for funding for 4-10 weeks.

• Research Assistantship applications submitted by Faculty will be reviewed based on the following elements:
  • Quality of the research project proposal, as determined by clarity and conceptual or imaginative ambition of project, focus of research question or creative or pedagogical goal, and potential for significant intellectual/creative growth by the student.
  • Feasibility of proposed project
  • Quality of mentoring plan that ensures the student Research Assistants have a valuable learning experience.

Summer Projects

Students design and submit these projects independently from faculty, but the projects require consultation with, and endorsement by, a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty mentor whose expertise aligns with the proposed project. Faculty designated as mentors on student applications will be prompted by SM Apply to log in to view the student's proposal and submit their endorsement. Summer Project SURPs can apply for funding for 4-8 weeks.

Student Information -

Research Assistantships

Students must first approach a faculty to solicit joining their research team for the summer. Upon approval of the faculty, students apply on their own and:

• Specify the faculty SURP proposal they intend to join;
• Provide a statement on their intended contribution to the faculty research project and how their participation will enhance their Â鶹´«Ã½ education
• Explain what coursework and other experiences have prepared them to succeed on the project

Summer Projects

Summer Projects are student-driven creative, artistic, or research projects. Summer Projects require consultation with and endorsement by a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty mentor whose expertise aligns with the proposed project. Students will complete and submit the Summer Project application, which will describe the project, reference the influences or resources that are driving the project, and how it will enhance their Â鶹´«Ã½ education.

Each student applicant must prepare their own unique application. Students may propose group projects with similar overall descriptions, but each must specify their own project activities and expected benefits. Duplicate applications (where all parts are identical) will not be accepted.

Projects involving students working under the mentorship of an external person or program require both the endorsement of a Â鶹´«Ã½ faculty member and a letter of support from the external mentor or program.

For all SURPs:

• Research involving human subjects must be approved by the Â鶹´«Ã½ Institutional Review Board. Students are expected to consult with their faculty mentor to determine whether their project involves human subjects and would require approval from the Institutional Review Board.
• Each student must plan to design a final report or product that best encapsulates what they learned, achieved, or created this summer, to be shared with the Â鶹´«Ã½ community during the Summer Experience Symposium in September 2023. Some examples of final products include papers, posters, designs, models, programs, multimedia presentations, images of objects, recordings of performances, video essays, blogs, etc.
• Applications will be reviewed based on the following elements:
  • Quality of proposed project, as determined by clarity and conceptual or imaginative ambition of project, focus of research question or creative or pedagogical goal, and potential for significant intellectual/creative growth.
  • Proposals should reference the influences or resources that are driving the project and how the project outcomes will contribute to scholarly conversation or artistic productions.
  • Feasibility of proposed project
  • Endorsement of the identified faculty mentor via the recommendation form
• It is highly recommended that each applicant use campus resources, including the Center for Speaking, Writing, and the Image, the Quantitative Skills Center, and their faculty mentors, to edit and refine their proposals to create competitive applications.