Last update 08/30/23
The Post-Program Survey and Abstract Collection is now open for SURF 2023. Students should click here for more information and to submit their responses. You can see a preview of the questions here.
The stipend rate for summer 2024 is expected to be $6,500 for 40 hours per week over 10 weeks, prorated for shorter projects at $650 per week, for 40 hours per week.
The stipend rate for summer 2023 was $6,000 for 40 hours per week over 10 weeks, pro-rated for shorter projects at $600 per week, for 40 hours per week.
Keys and card access for SURF students
- have 24-7 exterior door access to Science Buildings (Bass, Burton, Ford, McConnell, Sabin Reed)
AND - card access to the relevant labs/shared resources that currently are on card access (mostly in Ford).
If a student had card access to specific spaces for research during the semester, they should still have it and there is no need for an additional request. Course clearances are not maintained.
Summer 2023 SURF process
1. The Science Center Resource Manager will keep the informational website up to date but will not hold SURF informational meetings or be designated as a central point of contact for the application process.
2. The Science Center Directors, in consultation with Science Planning, will allocate the available Science Center funds to departments and programs. The Science Center operations budget and Schultz Foundation endowment fund 31 10-week “slots” each summer. The Science Center Directors’ Office distributes the slots to the Departments/Programs and they decide how to use them. You do not need to “apply” for these funds – just talk to your Chair or Director.
3. There will be no Center-wide application process. Departments and programs will decide how to solicit student participation in SURF and what information to collect in addition to what is required to pay students which is provided in item 5 below. The Resource Manager will also share a google form with departments and programs to use as a template upon request if they would like to use a google form to collect applications.
4. There will be no Center-wide award and acceptance process. Departments and programs will notify students whether or not they are offered a SURF award, how much, and under what terms.
5. Departments and programs will forward to the Resource Manager a list of SURF participants. It is suggested that this be done by the Friday after spring break, 03/24/23 in order to allow ample time for processing payments, particularly for graduating seniors who must be paid before the semester ends. For each student to be paid for SURF the following information must be provided:
- Departmental/Program application deadline (this could be in an email accompanying the SURF student info)
- Full legal first and last name
- Preferred first name
- Class year
- Smith ID (99#)
- Smith e-mail addresses
- US citizen, Nationality/Residence Status (a US Citizen, or a permanent resident with a green card, an international student with residency outside of the US including the country of residence, or other)
- the name of their SURF advisor
- the duration in weeks of their SURF project
- For each student to be paid, the funding source(s) and the exact total dollar amount to be paid from each funding source must be listed.
Incomplete information will result in delays in processing payments.
6. The Resource Manager will e-mail a commitment form to each student. Each student needs to complete the form in order to get paid via stipend. The Resource Manager will return incomplete forms to students, but will not follow-up with people who submit nothing. SURF students cannot be paid until the commitment form is submitted. Graduating seniors MUST commit by 4/28 in order to be paid before graduation to avoid tax witholding on their stipend
6a. SURF participants who must be paid hourly from a funding source that mandates hourly dispersal, will still have to be hired in Workday by their advisor (or advisor’s admin) prior to the start of their SURF project in order to be paid on the college’s bi-weekly payroll schedule.
7. The Resource Manager will submit the necessary information to the appropriate College offices to make the payments: Student Financial Services, International Students and Scholars, and Accounts Payable.
8. For fundings sources that mandate paying students hourly, such as NIH or CFCD, Faculty/Academic Admin Assistants will hire SURF participants to be paid hourly in Workday prior to the start of their SURF project in order to be paid on the college’s bi-weekly payroll schedule. More information about CFCD eligibility and funding can be found in the AY 22-23 Moneybook.
9. The Resource Manager will facilitate repayment of stipends for SURF students who have to shorten their SURF project after the commitment form is submitted.
10. The Resource Manager will facilitate additional stipend payments to SURF students who were not paid the correct amount and require an additional payment.
11. Any SURF advisor who identifies a student they want to pay via stipend to after June 1, will be directed to submit an Accounts Payable voucher to acctspay@smith.edu.
12. At the end of the summer, the Resource Manager will solicit abstracts, create a final report and perform any other close-out tasks, and add that summer’s data to the records kept by the Science Center.