Trinity University’s 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program runs from May 2 19 - July 24. Undergraduate Research in the Arts & Humanities (URAH) accepts SURF submissions through the Trinity Common Application. The submission window is January 14 through February 9, 2026.
Instructions
- Please read the Requirements for URAH SURF teams (below) to confirm your eligibility for the fellowship and your ability to fulfill the requirements.
- The URAH SURF application process is through the Trinity University Common SURF app and has four requirements: a student questionnaire, a student transcript upload, a faculty mentor questionnaire, and a short questionnaire and reference letter upload to be completed by a separate faculty member.
- To complete the application, the faculty mentor and student(s) should meet to discuss the project and how they will fill out the application. Below you will find information on the student and faculty components, so you know what is on the application and can create drafts to questions that require longer answers prior to completing the online form. The letter of recommendation will also be submitted through the faculty component of the application.
- The student(s) and mentor should each complete and submit their respective components of the application by the deadline: 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026.
- The application form will not provide you a copy of your responses after submission. Please save a copy for your records.
Requirements for URAH SURF Teams
Student Requirements
- Must have a graduation date of December 2026 or later.
- Must commit to work full-time on the project for the entire summer research period and not take other coursework or have other employment.
- Must participate in URAH events, such as any workshops or weekly lunches (during the summer).
- Must present your findings (to date) at the Trinity Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, which is held at the end of the summer research period.
- Must turn in a final copy of the presentation for the URAH archive.
Faculty Mentor Requirements
- Can only serve on one research team.
- Must agree to mentor the student for the entire summer research period.
- Must plan to meet with student weekly for all of the summer research period.
Application Components
Faculty Application Components
- Faculty name & email, student name & email, mentor or reference
- Abstract (100 words max)
- Project significance (250 words max)
- Project Outcomes (150 words max)
- Relationship of the project to the Faculty Mentor's Research (150 words
max) - Methods and tasks to be completed and how the student will be mentored
(200 words max) - Student's preparation and qualifications (150 words max): Be sure to
address any potential shortcomings (e.g., student class year, low GPA, or
lack of background coursework).
Student Application Components
- Student Name, email, and other basic information.
- Information about faculty mentor and faculty member who will write your letter of recommendation.
- Narrative responses
- Please provide a summary of your proposed research project. If this work is part of a larger or more long-term project, please state so. Describe here only the portion of the project that will be the focus of your summer experience. (300 word limit)
- Describe your plan for carrying out this research project over the summer, which will culminate in an oral or poster presentation at the summer research symposium. How will you organize your work, stay on track, and meet your project goals? (250 word limit)
- Describe your motivation for pursuing undergraduate research, and your project specifically. Include your career goals and what you currently plan to do upon graduation from Trinity University. (250 word limit)
- Describe why you are qualified to conduct undergraduate research and to conduct this specific project. Your statement should include any courses and other experiences that have prepared you to carry out your planned research project. (200 word limit)
- Unofficial Transcript.
Note:
- The student is responsible for finding a faculty member to write a short letter of recommendation.
- The letter should come from a Trinity faculty member who knows the student’s academic work well but does not have to be from the discipline of the proposed project.
- The letter of recommendation cannot be from the faculty mentor.
- Please make sure your letter writer is aware of the application deadline and have them submit their letter via the faculty component of the application by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026.
Selection Criteria
The URAH Steering Committee will evaluate the proposals holistically; however, certain factors help make a proposal stand out. The best applications explain clearly how the project contributes directly to the faculty mentor's research, demonstrate that the students are familiar with the project and have adequate background to contribute to the research, and include clearly defined project outcomes that have demonstrable benefit for both the student and the faculty member.