Eligibility and Application

To be considered for the neuroSURF program, an applicant:

• Must be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior who attends a university or college in the United States
• Must be a United States citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Must possess a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (will consider a lower GPA due to extenuating circumstances)
• Must have completed an introductory course in biology, chemistry, physics, or psychology
• Must be able to devote yourself to full-time research for the duration of the 10-week neuroSURF program
• Previous coursework in neurobiology and previous independent research experience are not required
• Applicants who express commitment to careers in science will be preferred, and students from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply

Application

All application materials are due by February 1. A completed application package includes the following:

• General information about the applicant
• Your participation experience in independent research
• Why you are interested in translational neurobiology
• What you hope to gain from participating in the neuroSURF program and how it might contribute to your career
• Three short essays describing:
  
  • An up-to-date unofficial transcript and GPA (16MB maximum file upload)
  • A recommendation letter / faculty letter of support from a faculty member at your current institution, or a previous faculty mentor (16MB maximum file upload).  The recommendation letter can either be uploaded to the application or emailed directly to Dr. Alexandria Pilot Chambers at neurosurf@vtc.vt.edu.