Our Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) grant supports faculty-mentored undergraduate student projects during an 8-week summer period.
Funding
- Up to $750 for supplies, participant payments, etc. to carry out the project. For more details, see our chart of purchase types allowed by each RSCA grant.
- A stipend of approximately $3,700 (hourly rate) to the student.
- A stipend of $1,500 to the faculty mentor.
Supplemental Rising Sophomore Award
Most SURE applicants are advanced students (ex, rising seniors). Therefore, we offer the Rising Sophomore Award to a rising sophomore (someone in between first and second years) who works on the project with the faculty mentor and the upperclass SURE student. This award provides up to $3,700 stipend (hourly rate) for 300 hours of work, and an additional $300 stipend to the mentor. The award is not a stand-alone award; it must be associated with a funded SURE project. See the application below for details and expectations.
We hope that an early opportunity like this will develop into a fruitful long-term collaboration with the faculty mentor or prepare the student for later grant opportunities.
Eligibility
These competitive grants are open to all undergraduate students and their full-time faculty mentors.
Projects must satisfy these core criteria are:
- Through one-on-one training from the faculty expert, the project extends the student’s learning and professional development beyond what is possible in the classroom.
- Projects are also intensive, taking the 8-week summer period (or longer) to complete. Mentors should meet regularly each week with their student to discuss progress and problems that arise during the semester.
- The student is involved at a high level in multiple phases of the project.
Most projects involve only one faculty mentor and one student. But we have occasionally supported larger projects with two faculty mentors and/or two students who split the award.
SURE Application Materials
- SURE 2023 Call for Proposals (Word).
- SURE Supplemental Award for Rising Sophomores (Word)
- SURE Proposal Evaluation Sheet (pdf)
Samples of Prior Proposals (pdfs)
- SUREexample_Arts; SUREexample_Arts2
- SUREexample_Biological Sciences; SUREexample_Biological Sciences2
- SUREexample_Humanities; SUREexample_Humanities2
- SUREexample_Social Sciences; SUREexample_Social Sciences2
*These samples use discontinued proposal forms. None should be viewed as a flawless model to imitate. Rather, they should be viewed as good models for clarity in particular.
SURE 2023 Award Winners
Paula Abruzzo, Psychology with a concentration in Psychobiology, ‘25
Mentor: Giordana Grossi, Psychology
An Electrophysiological Exploration of Orthographic Precision
Michael Anderson, Mathematics, ‘24
Mentor: Jaiung Jun, Mathematics
The Linear and Integer Programming and Their Applications
Mireya Anthony, Biology, ‘24
Mentors: Maureen Morrow, Biology & Pamela St. John, Chemistry
Characterization of the New Bacterial Species: Bradyrhizobium NP1
Matt Benson, Printmaking, ‘26
Mentor: Aurora De Armendi, Printmaking
Exploration in Lithography; Lo-Shu, Manière Noire, and Creating a Negative Image
Briana Bonilla, Electrical Engineering, ‘25
Mentor: Kevin Shanley, Engineering
Diffusing CO2 Through Agilus-30
Vic Bucci, Biology, ‘24
Mentor: Kara Belinsky, Biology
Conservation in the Face of Urbanization: What Nest Boxes and Bird Banding Can Tell Us About Ecosystem Health
Jazmyne Daily-Simpson, Graphic Design, ‘25
Mentor: Keely Heuer, Art History
Before the Bauhaus: An Exploration of Branding in Ancient Greek Coinage
Mariah Day, Sculpture, ‘24
Mentor: Michael Asbill, Studio Art/Sculpture
Community Carbon
Dylan Frawley, Geology, ‘24
Mentor: Kaustubh Patwardhan, Geology
Study of the 3D Geomorphology of Magma Mingling Structures Using Digital Image Analysis
James Gordineer, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24
Mentor: Ping-Chuan Wang, Engineering
Simulation of Degradation in Al(Cu) Interconnect in IC Chip
Ryan Grodin, Chemistry, ‘24
Mentor: Megan Ferguson, Chemistry
Characterizing Bacterial Predator-Prey Adhesion Using Atomic Force Microscopy
Ezra Heller, Printmaking, ‘24
Mentor: Aurora De Armendi, Printmaking
Printmaking Inks with Local and Accessibly Foraged Pigments and Colorants as an Educational Practice
Emily Herbert, Physics, ‘24
Mentor: Cheyne Glass, Mathematics
A Category-Theoretic Approach to Language Processing
Delaney Long, Biology, Environmental Concentration, ‘24
Mentor: David Richardson, Biology
Understanding the Largest Daily Migration: Zooplankton Daily Migration in Mohonk Lake
Claire O’Connor, Physics & Astronomy, ‘23
Investigating Gravitational Waves with Data from LIGO
Brian Ordonez, Computer Engineering, ‘25
Mentor: Jiun-Hsin (Vincent) Liao, Engineering
Establishment of Semiconductor Test and Characterization Capability in SUNY New Paltz
Alessandra Papaleo, Art History, ‘25
Mentor: Beth E. Wilson, Art History
Cutting Critique: Dada Collage and Photomontage in Opposition to World War I
Jennifer Poroye, Music, Concentration in Recording & Electronic Music, ‘24
Mentors: Mark Dziuba, Music & Roy Thompson, Music
“In My Head”: EP Project
Glenda Rodrigues Santos Giordani, Mechanical Engineering, ‘’24
Mentor: Rachmadian Wulandana, Mechanical Engineering
Assessing the Thermal Conductivity and Moisture Transport of Hempcrete
Oliver Similton, Psychological Science, ‘24
Mentor: Matthew Wice, Psychology
The Morality of Ghosting
Katherina Szurnicki, Geography, ‘24
Zoe Eagle, Geology, ‘24
Mentor: Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro, Geography and Environmental Studies
Urban Soil Contamination in Kingston, NY
EmmaJean Taylor, Psychology, ‘23
Mentor: Tabitha Holmes, Psychology
How True Personal Stories Help Us Understand Ourselves and Others
Brandon Torres, Mechanical Engineering, ‘24
Mentor: Mahdi Farahikia, Mechanical Engineering
Machine-Dynamic Visualization Software Development - An Engineering Education Approach
Carolyn Weinstein, History/Geography/Political Science, ‘24
Mentor: Stephen Pampinella, Political Science & International Relations
Racial Hierarchy during US Military Occupations, 1898-1952