Purpose
To pair a motivated, talented UW–Madison undergraduate student, who is in the first half of their undergraduate career and is interested in pursuing research in the regenerative medicine and stem cell sciences, with a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow mentor in one of the labs in the UW SCRMC.
Funding
Up to six students will be selected for funded fellowships, which include a $6,000 stipend. All selected mentors will receive $1,000 of travel support for a scientific meeting of their choice. The SURF program is administered by the SCRMC Graduate Student Association (previously known as the Wisconsin Stem Cell Roundtable), an organization of UW graduate student and postdoctoral researchers that aims to foster interaction, collaboration, dialogue, and support among UW stem cell and regenerative medicine researchers.
Interview and Lab Matching Process
Up to twelve undergraduate applicants will be invited to interview. Up to six mentors will be selected from the pool of graduate and postdoctoral applicants. Each undergraduate applicant will meet with all selected mentors (postdoctoral or graduate mentors). All undergraduate candidates will then rank mentors by order of preference. Up to six undergraduate finalists will be selected by the mentors and the SCRMC GSA board to participate in the program. Matching an undergraduate finalist with a mentor will then be performed based on a combination of mentee and mentor ranks/preferences.
Generous support for the SURF program has been provided by WiCell.
Undergraduate Fellow Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a first or second-year undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the time of application (based on time not credit standing)
- Must not currently be involved in regenerative medicine research efforts within an SCRMC faculty lab
- Student must commit to 10 weeks of research (May 27th – August 1st, 2025)
- Student must present their research (poster or oral presentation) at the SCRMC Fall Conference (September 2025) and during the end of summer REU poster presentation
- Previous research experience is not required
- Students cannot receive funding simultaneously through any other program (e.g. Hilldale, NSF, NIH, McNair, departmental funds, etc.)
- Students must not co-apply with a specific graduate student or postdoctoral mentor in mind (must be willing to be paired with a mentor based on compatibility from the interview process)
To Apply to be an Undergraduate Fellow:
No letters of recommendation are required. The application consists of several short response questions.
Please fill out the application by 11:59 p.m. CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2025:
https://forms.gle/bp9arPzfUgpuP9Cg9
To Apply to be a Mentor:
No letters of recommendation are required. The application consists of several short response questions.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows must be working in a laboratory of an SCRMC faculty member.
- Mentors will be expected to enroll in (Summer 2025) or have taken the DELTA Research Mentor Training Seminar or similar mentor training course.
- Previous mentors in the SURF Program may apply, but will be lower priority in the selection process.
- Mentors must not co-apply with a specific undergraduate student in mind (must be willing to be paired with an undergraduate fellow based on compatibility from the interview process)
Please fill out the application by 11:59 p.m. CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2025:
https://forms.gle/KL9r3FaPZhuYKPHi7
If you have any questions, please contact us at:
uwstemcellroundtable@gmail.com