Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER)
Program particulars:
- The program runs for 10 weeks: June 21 through August 27, 2027.
- Stanford students who will be enrolled as an undergraduate the following Fall '27 Quarter are eligible (graduating seniors are ineligible).
- Summer scholars will be engaged in on-campus research (field work or remote work may be an option on a case-by-case basis).
- There are no pre-requisites to participate in the SUPER program. Priority is given to frosh, sophomores, and those who have never experienced research before.
Student requirements:
- Participate in spring quarter research preparation activities (faculty mentor meeting & research cohort lunch).
- Engage in full-time work effort (35+ hrs/wk) for the 10-week summer program.
- Attend the weekly seminar series during the summer, which includes lectures by faculty and workshops on scientific communication.
- Participate in cross-cohort experiences throughout the summer as availability allows, which include cohort lunches and field trips.
- Give a 3-minute thesis presentation (4-5 slides, plus 2 minutes of Q&A) at the end of the summer.
- Submit a title and 200-250 word research synopsis (in abstract form) at the beginning of Autumn Quarter.
- Give a public oral or poster presentation of your research at the SDSS Undergraduate Research Symposium (mid October).
Application process:
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Students can either:
- Choose from available summer research project teasers proposed by faculty, or
- Students can reach out to specific faculty they would like to work with to discuss possible research projects for the summer.
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Regardless of your option, students must meet with the faculty member (and likely a graduate student or postdoc who will serve as additional research mentors) to develop a project proposal.
The proposal will include:
Written summary: 1000 word limit (not including references; note: references are not required) ~ roughly 2 pages double spaced. Summarize the research question(s) that you and your mentors plan to answer. Answer the question, why is this research important?
Proposed summer work plan: 1 page limit. Describe what you will be doing this summer with a rough breakdown by week. Please include the skills you will be developing, types of data collection or modeling you will do, location or field site, etc.
- The project proposal will then be submitted by the student through SOLO, and students will be notified in early spring whether their project has been funded for the summer.
Housed in the Precourt Institute for Energy, the Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER) provides Stanford undergraduates opportunities to engage in energy research with the support of faculty mentors, educational programs, and cohort experiences. Students from across the University come from all disciplines to bring their perspective to the global energy challenges. The program prepares students to engage as professionals in tackling real world problems.
Stanford students who will be enrolled as an undergraduate the following Fall '27 Quarter are eligible (graduating seniors are ineligible).
