The Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement

Visit the University's undergraduate research website, The Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, which promotes the intellectual development of undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.

College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (COS-SURF)

The College of Science, with support from Indiana University School of Medicine - South Bend, Glynn Family Honors program, and many benefactors and foundations, supportS Notre Dame undergraduate science students to engage in summer research each year. 

Program Activities. Full-time research should be conducted for 9-10 weeks on research mentored by College of Science (COS) faculty, or with current international collaborators of COS faculty at an institute abroad. Participants must provide a thank-you letter to donors and summary of their research experience before the fall semester begins, and present their research at a scientific conference or symposium within one academic year.

Support: The domestic COS Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award consists of a $4500 stipend and $500 for supplies. For the international COS-SURF the award for stipend, accommodation, and travel support will be $6000 total. Successful applicants with demonstrated financial hardship will be given additional support.

Eligibility: Current sophomores and juniors eligible to apply should be enrolled in a College of Science major and have worked with their College of Science faculty mentors for at least one semester prior to the summer of research. For the international COS-SURF only juniors are eligible. Successful applicants are expected to continue working with their COS faculty mentor beyond the summer of funding. Exceptional first year students who have started research with a College of Science faculty are also eligible to apply.

Application: The following needs to be submitted to Submittable:

A. Proposal narrative - a pdf of no more than 4 pages with the following sections: (1) Your previous research experiences; (2) Research proposal (project background, description of proposed summer research and its significance) (3) Career Plans (explanation of how a summer research experience fits into your career plans, both immediate and long-term). Format: single spaced, 12pt font, all margins 1". 

B. A Letter of Support from the research mentor. International proposals should also be supported by a letter from the foreign collaborator, which should include an explicit statement of willingness and capacity to host the student for the duration of research.

C. Official Transcript 

Deadline. Application materials are due by March 3, 2023, including the letter of support.

*Please note: Due to the uncertainty of COVID19, the program may be offered virtually.

For more information, please contact Undergraduate Research Director Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu, by email or (574) 631-0883.

College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Rare and Neglected Diseases (CRND-SURF)

The Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Disease (CRND) and College of Science, with support from Powers family fund, will support Notre Dame undergraduate science students to engage in summer research.

Program Activities. Full-time research should be conducted for 9-10 weeks on research mentored by CRND and College of Science (COS) faculty. Participants must provide a thank you letter to donors and summary of their research experience before the fall semester begins, and present their research at a scientific conference or symposium within one academic year.

Support. The CRND Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award consists of a $4500 stipend and $500 for supplies. Successful applicants with demonstrated financial hardship will be given additional support.

Eligibility. Current sophomore and juniors with interest in natural histories or laboratory research in rare and neglected diseases eligible to apply should be enrolled in a Notre Dame College of Science major and have worked with their College of Science faculty mentors for at least one semester prior to the summer of research. Seniors may apply to carry out clinical research in the area of natural histories of rare and neglected diseases.

Application: The following needs to be submitted to Submittable.

A. Proposal narrative - a pdf of no more than 4 pages with the following sections: (1) Your previous research experiences; (2) Research proposal (project background, description of proposed summer research and its significance) (3) Career Plans (explanation of how a summer research experience fits into your career plans, both immediate and long-term). Format: single spaced, 12 pt font, all margins 1". 

B. A Letter of Support from the research mentor.

C. Official Transcript

Deadline: Application materials are due in April each year for the following summer, including letter of support.

For more information, please contact crnd@nd.edu.

The DaVinci Grant Program

The Colleges of Arts and Letters and Science welcome the submission of proposals from undergraduates who wish to carry out interdisciplinary research or creative projects during the summer (2020). Students may independently design their projects or propose a project related to some aspect of their faculty mentor's research.

Examples of eligible projects might include application of statistical analysis or computer modeling to history, economics, or anthropology; the creation of a documentary featuring some aspect of science or engineering; or the integration of biological and psychological perspectives on cognitive science. The fund is interested in projects involving such areas as science writing; theoretical physics and philosophy; sociology and bioinformatics; cancer biology and psychology; economics and sustainable energy; environmental science and political science; and science and literature in the popular media.

Students can begin applying for the DaVinci Grant Program in January 2020.

Eligibility: Undergraduates in the Colleges of Arts and Letters and Science, particularly those with interdisciplinary interests or majors or minors in multiple Colleges are eligible to apply. Students may work alone or in teams.

Support: Students working with faculty outside the College of their major are also encouraged to apply but should articulate how the research will enhance the interdisciplinary nature of their undergraduate research experience. For example, design students should explain why working with science faculty widens their array of potential projects; psychology students should explain how working with faculty studying cancer biology makes accessible to them different areas of research.

The maximum award per student is $4,500, which may be used for travel, living expenses and the purchase of research materials. Students should apply to the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA) using instructions outlined in the website guidelines. 

Deadline: April 9, 2021.

For more information please contact Karla Cruise, undergraduate research opportunity program advisor, College of Arts and Letters, or Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu, undergraduate research director, College of Science.

Summer Naughton Programs in Ireland

Overview

Notre Dame students can earn valuable research experience in the STEM disciplines through the Naughton Fellowship Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The fellowships offer motivated undergraduates the opportunity to learn through research, gain valuable skills, and be part of a cutting-edge research project. Fellowship recipients will conduct their research within an exciting team atmosphere, working with a faculty mentor, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students.

The program lasts approximately 10 weeks between May and August. Students will receive airfare ($1,500 maximum USD), accommodation (either the University College Dublin summer residences or the Riverside Apartments in Cork), airport pickup upon arrival in Dublin, a cultural enrichment program, and a stipend for food and other living expenses.

Areas of Study

A number of research projects will be available for University of Notre Dame students to participate in Ireland during the upcoming summer. Students will have the opportunity to conduct research at either Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, or University College Dublin.

Please check back again soon for an updated list of projects from each university.

How to Apply

The deadline for applying is typically in February of each year. Please check back again soon for more details.

General Terms and Conditions

The REU position is full time (40 hours per week). Each recipient must complete a one page summary of his/her research accomplishments while on the program and give an oral report.

Questions?

For questions about the REU program in Ireland, please contact naughton@nd.edu.

Vincent P. Slatt Fellowships for Undergraduate Research in Energy Systems and Processes

Slatt Fellowships are awarded annually to undergraduate students at the University of Notre Dame to conduct research in energy systems and processes. Administered by the Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy), these competitive awards are granted to students who have research interests in energy technologies and America’s energy future. Energy technologies range from means to improve use of fossil, nuclear, and alternative energy sources for power or fuels production to the development of more efficient transportation and energy utilization systems. Projects must be focused on creating better energy systems and devices or strengthening America’s energy future through the development of policies and infrastructure to support new technologies.

Students who wish to be considered for a Slatt Fellowship must submit an online application in collaboration with their faculty adviser. Faculty advisers will submit a separate online application in support of their student applicant. The role of the faculty adviser is to assist the student in articulating the goals of the research project and to guide and direct them in pursuit of solving major energy issues through research and analytical study.

Each fellowship award will be up to $5,000, depending on the needs of the research project. Funds may be used to support the student's stipend, materials and supplies, and travel for the student to present his/her research findings at a conference or national meeting. The fellowship award must be used within the project period indicated in the application.

Slatt scholars will be required to submit a final report at the conclusion of their research projects and also will be expected to present their research findings at the Undergraduate Research Symposium sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE), which is held at the end of the summer and spring, or during another professional meeting or national conference held anytime throughout the year.

Final applications accepted February 1 through 28

Awards will be announced by March 15, 2017. Please contact Barbara Villarosa in ND Energy with any questions.

Scientia's Charles Edison Foundation Fellowship

The Charles Edison Foundation Fellowship will provide two Notre Dame undergraduate students with $1,500 each for a full academic year. The goal of this fellowship is to help students that because of financial circumstances are unable to fully commit to undergraduate research because of on-campus or off-campus employment. Moreover, the hope is that the fellowship will promote undergraduate research at Notre Dame and help students reach their highest potential, regardless of economic circumstances.

Further details are outlined below but any questions concerning the fellowship, eligibility, or the application process should be directed to the Scientia Editors at scientia@nd.edu.

Students interested in applying should submit their application through this Google form.  

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. March 31

Requirements for nomination:

-Applicants should be sophomores or juniors in good academic standing, have at least one major in the College of Science, and demonstrated financial need. 

-Students should be involved in undergraduate research during the academic year at the University of Notre Dame. 

-Successful applicants will receive the funds for the next two semesters they are enrolled on campus. In the event that a student elects to study abroad after receiving the scholarship, then funds will be provided for whichever subsequent two semesters they are on campus. 

-Funds will not be provided during the summer session. 

-All applications will be reviewed by Scientia, and decisions will be announced by April 21st.

Expectations upon receipt of fellowship:

-If selected to receive the fellowship, the recipients will be expected to write a one-page reflection at the end of each semester. This reflection should include the benefits of the fellowship to the recipients research, their progress over the semester, and any suggestions for improvements to the fellowship program. 

-Students will be expected to be the student speaker at one of Scientia’s monthly Talk Science meetings and/or submit an article to Scientia before graduation. 

-Recipients will be expected to serve on the fellowship selection committee for the following year, which will occur during the Spring semester of the academic year.

Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SCReM-SURF)

The Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, with support from several donors, will support Notre Dame undergraduate students to engage in summer research in 2022.

Program Activities. Full-time research should be conducted for 9-10 weeks on research mentored by faculty associated with the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, or pursuing a project related to stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, or cell/tissue regeneration. Participants must provide a thank you letter to donors and summary of their research experience before the end of their summer research experience, and present their research at a scientific conference or symposium within one academic year after completing the fellowship.

Support. The Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award consists of a $4,500 stipend and $500 for supplies. If students apply for and receive support from other university sources, the total stipend from the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and the other university sources will not exceed $4,000.

Eligibility. Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors should have worked with their faculty mentors for at least one semester prior to the summer of research. Successful applicants are expected to continue working with their Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine faculty mentor beyond the summer of funding.

Application.  Please submit your application through Email to Dr. David Hyde (dhyde@nd.edu) and ensure that the subject line states SCReM-SURF Application; no budget justification is needed. To be considered, the following information needs to be submitted:

A. Proposal Narrative - A proposal of no more than five (5) pages should be uploaded as a PDF document and formatted exactly as follows:

1. Cover Page: Name, gender, ethnicity, email, college, major(s), overall GPA, science GPA, career intent (e.g., M.D., Ph.D.) and research mentors, and 3-5 keywords describing the proposed research
2. Research Experiences: Description of all research undertaken
3. Research Proposal: The proposal will include project background, description of proposed summer research, and its significance. 
4. Career Plans: Explanation of how a summer research experience fits into the applicant’s career plans, both immediate and long-term

B. Official Transcript – Submit an original PDF document provided by the University of Notre Dame along with the application to Dr. David Hyde (dhyde@nd.edu).

C. Letter of Support - The research mentor must submit their recommendation letter via Email to Dr. David Hyde (dhyde@nd.edu) and ensure that the subject line states SCReM-SURF Application. The mentor will NOT receive an email upon submission of the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the recommendation letter is submitted. Only the research mentor for the proposed research should provide such a letter, including: 1) an assessment of applicant’s potential, 2) the worthiness or potential of the proposed research, and 3) a statement of the likelihood of continuing research beyond the summer in the mentor’s laboratory.

If you already submitted a COS-SURF application for the summer of 2021, you may submit the identical materials for the SCReM-SURF EXACTLY as described above.

Deadline. Application materials are due by Wednesday, March 17, 2022 at 5 PM. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete; include a proposal narrative longer than five pages; are not formatted correctly; and/or submitted after the deadline. Complete applications will be acknowledged by an email when submitted. If you do not receive an acknowledgement by March 18, please contact Dr. David Hyde immediately as it is likely there is some issue with the content of the application.

Selection. Final selections will be based upon the qualifications of the candidates, quality of proposed research, whether proposals are well written, concise, and compelling, and the support of the research mentor. All efforts will be made to notify successful applicants by April 7.

For more information, please contact Dr. David Hyde, Director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, at (574) 631-8054 or dhyde@nd.edu.

NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowships 

Overview: Each year, Notre Dame Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NDnano) awards several undergraduate summer research fellowships. Students awarded a fellowship will conduct their research within a team atmosphere, working with an NDnano faculty mentor, postdocs, and graduate students in the University’s science and engineering labs or core facilities.

For the summer 2022 NURF program, NDnano has compiled several research projects from faculty who are affiliated with the Center. The projects offer motivated undergraduates the opportunity to learn more about a specific area of research, gain valuable skills, and be part of a cutting-edge research project in nanoscience or nanoengineering.

Each NURF position is full time (40 hours/week maximum) and provides a total stipend of $6,000 over a 10-week period (starting as early as May 16 or ending as late as early August. Students awarded a paid fellowship are responsible for securing their own transportation to the University, housing, and food for the summer.

Eligibility: Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are welcome to apply.

Application: Visit  https://nano.nd.edu/opportunities/ndnano-undergraduate-research-fellowships-nurf/apply/ for the project descriptions, application, and instructions.

Deadline: 8:00 am (Eastern) on Wednesday, February 9. Award notifications will begin in early March.

Questions? Feel free to contact Heidi Deethardt at  deethardt.1@nd.edu .

External Programs for Notre Dame Students

The College of Science sponsors Notre Dame students to participate in several summer programs at other institutions including:

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program -- Cold Spring Harbor (Long Island), New York

The University of Notre Dame, through generous alumni donations, will provide students with the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research under the auspices of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Undergraduate Research Program each year. The program allows undergraduates to be mentored by research staff at CSHL, a prestigious institution located on Long Island. The successful Notre Dame student will receive full financial support from the University to participate in the CSHL-URP. More information about the CSHL-URP, including program description and instructions on how to apply, can be found at https://www.cshl.edu/education/undergraduate-research-program/.

To apply, please complete the application online. An account needs to be registered first before applying. Prior research is an asset but not a requirement. The selection committee places particular importance on letters of recommendation and the applicant's personal statement. 

Should you have any questions about this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu,  (574) 631-0833. 

MD Anderson Cancer Center - University of Notre Dame Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Duration: Tuesday, June 6 - Friday, August 11, 2023

Details: This is a competitive 10-week summer research program designed for outstanding Notre Dame undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in cancer research.  The program is located on the MD Anderson Cancer Center campus in Houston, Texas. MD Anderson Cancer Center is a center of excellence for cancer treatment and research. 
 
The program will provide research experience in a broad range of cancer biology topics; students interested in the areas of quantitative biology, bioinformatics, imaging, and technology-oriented research are especially encouraged to apply.

Support: Students receive a stipend of $6,000 for the ten-week program. It is expected that students pay for housing and travel from their stipend. In case of in person research not allowed due to COVID, remote options will be available with adjusted stipend.

Students should apply to: https://ndcollegeofscience.submittable.com/submit

Required information includes the following:

1. Resume
2. Official transcript
3. Personal statement (expressing motivation for participating in terms of past experiences, current activities and future plans)
4. Explanation of area of research interest
5. Two (2) letters of recommendation 

All application materials must be received by December 2nd, 2022. Students accepted to the 2023 Summer Research Internship Program will be notified by December 9th, 2022.

Questions about the program can be directed to Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu (xlu1@nd.edu, 631-9040), Ph.D., undergraduate research director, College of Science.

Indiana Clinical Translational Sciences Institute

The Indiana CTSI’s Undergraduate Summer Internship is designed to provide Indiana University and University of Notre Dame students with experience in translational research and the opportunity to work with Indiana CTSI-affiliated faculty mentors at the IU School of Medicine Indianapolis campus, IUPUI. Student will have the opportunity to interact with medical students, graduate students and fellow undergraduates from other programs during the summer experience.

Students are selected through a competitive application process. The application for this upcoming summer is now open. The eight week program requires a full time commitment for 40 hours per week. Participating students will receive a stipend. Students from the University of Notre Dame will receive assistance in securing summer housing, when needed. in March, and preference is given to those with prior research
experience. We encourage all interested to apply as soon as possible before the deadline as top applicants will be accepted early. Please click this link to view internship dates, and application details. To apply, please complete this short invitation form.

For detailed information, please visit https://indianactsi.org/researchers/education-training/undergraduate-research/. If you have any questions, please contact Elmer Sanders, Program Director, at  elsander@iu.edu. 

Questions about any of the programs mentioned above should be directed to Xuemin (Sheryl) Lu.