Are you interested in climate change research? Using the latest technology to monitor crop yields in Tanzania? Creating computer simulations of tsunamis?

The Sustainability Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE) program provides undergraduates a mentored research experience at Stanford University. Students from any U.S. institution interested in Earth and environmental sciences, energy, ocean sciences, or civil and environmental engineering are invited to the Stanford campus to gain skills in research, science communication, and professional and personal development for eight-weeks in the summer. The SURGE 2024 program dates are June 21 to August 17. If you’re a STEM major starting to explore fields related to Sustainability, we invite you to apply to SURGE! We especially encourage students who are seeking a formal research experience for the first time to participate.

SURGE is the only undergraduate research internship available at the Doerr School of Sustainability for non-Stanford students.

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SURGE supports diverse perspectives in sustainability, energy, engineering, and the Earth sciences. Because we all live on this planet.    

SURGE aims to train students by creating a supportive and rigorous work environment at Stanford. We set high expectations for our scholars to prepare them for a potential career in the field of geoscience and engineering. We are committed to advancing a culture of inclusion, respect, and access for all the program participants.

Each SURGE scholar is matched with a faculty member from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and has the opportunity to work in a research group or laboratory. The scholar is assigned an interesting and challenging project from a broad range of Earth science and engineering topics within the eight-week summer period. SURGE also includes workshops on applying to graduate school and understanding geoscience and engineering careers. The program culminates with a research symposium at Stanford, where scholars present results from their summer projects to faculty, mentors, and colleagues. SURGE is a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site funded by the National Science Foundation and the school.

Are international students eligible for the SURGE Program?

• Since this is a NSF funded program, the primary audience are students who are US citizens or permanent residents. However, there is limited funding for international and DACA students. All students must be enrolled in a U.S. four-year college or university to be eligible.

Can high school students, community college students, college graduates, or graduate students participate in SURGE?

• Students must be current undergraduates enrolled in an accredited U.S. two or four-year college or university to participate in SURGE. Preference is given to rising sophomores, juniors, or non-graduating seniors, and Community College students in their second/last year of community college and planning to transfer to a four year college after SURGE. Students who have been accepted into graduate programs are not eligible.

Are students without previous research experience eligible?

• Yes. We are especially seeking students who do not have prior research experience and who come from undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities.