To be eligible, complete student applications must be submitted to the Office of
Undergraduate Research (104 Burruss Hall) by February 2, 2015 so that the NIST deadline can be met.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is one of the nation’s premier institutions for the physical and engineering sciences and through its Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURF) offers unique research and training opportunities for undergraduates, providing them a research-rich environment and exposure to state-of-the-art equipment.
NIST SURF applications are now available for Summer 2015. The NIST has two SURF program locations in Gaithersburg, MD and Boulder, CO. Virginia Tech is allowed to submit one application to each program – this one application may include multiple student applications. NIST will then select the students to whom they wish to offer the summer research experience. The websites indicated provide all the information necessary to create the student application, review and select research areas, and includes contact information for questions. Students may apply to both program locations, but will need to submit a separate application for each.
Eligibility. Student must be a US Citizen or permanent resident, registered as an undergraduate student at a US university with a scientific major at time of application, considering pursuing a graduate degree, and it is recommended that the student have a GPA of 3.0 or above. Students pursuing the following majors are particularly encouraged to apply: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering,
materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron research, and physics.
Successful students will receive funding for travel, lodging, and a stipend.
At the Boulder CO location http://www.nist.gov/surfboulder/index.cfm
o pportunities are available in the fields of:
 Chemical Engineering
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Electrical Engineering
Information Technology
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Materials Science
Physics
No more than eight (8) VT undergraduates will be nominated for this site. Anticipated program dates are
May 18 through July 31, 2015.
The Boulder student application package consists of (this information is from their website )
1.
Student Application Form
2.
Copy of transcript (official transcript to be provided by institution, if requested by NIST)
3.
Personal statement (including statement of research interests)
4.
Resume
5.
Two letters of recommendation

6.
Verification of citizenship or legal permanent residence; e.g., copy of permanent resident card, birth certificate, passport, etc.
7.
Verification that student will arrive at NIST with health coverage; e.g., copy of health insurance card
At the Gaithersburg MD location http://www.nist.gov/surfgaithersburg/welcome1.cfm
, students can participate in any one of the NIST laboratories:
 Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
 Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)
 Engineering Laboratory (EL)
 Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
 Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST)

Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)
 NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
Anticipated program dates are May 26 through August 7, 2015.
The following table describes the specific disciplines that can apply for a position in the designated labs:
EL CNST MML/
NCNR
PML ITL/
CTL
Special
Project
Biochemistry
Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Computer Science
Engineering
Materials Science
Mathematics
Physical Sciences
Physics
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Statistics X X X
The Gaithersburg student application package consists of (this information is from their website )
1.
Student Application Form (including info about citizenship/legal resident)
2.
Resume
3.
Personal statement (including statement of research interests)
4.
Two letters of recommendation
5.
Transcripts (unofficial copies acceptable)
6.
Verification of U.S. citizenship or permanent legal residence (e.g. copy of birth certificate, passport, or green card)
To be eligible, complete student applications must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Research (104 Burruss Hall) by February 2, 2015 so that the
NIST deadline can be met.