SURGE Student Information
Interested in learning more about research? Heard about research and want to give it a try? Already know you enjoy research and looking for a summer opportunity? Apply today to SURGE, the College of Computing’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Growth Experience.
- High-quality, mentored, experiential learning research experience
- $6000 stipend for the program
- Additional housing stipend
- Opportunity to earn credit for the research (counting as either elective, capstone, or internship). Credits can be taken either during the summer or in the following semester.
- Incoming undergrads who have accepted admission for GVSU, scheduled an orientation date, and intend to select a major or minor within the College of Computing. This includes prospective students currently enrolled in high school, prospective students not currently enrolled in high school, and transfer students.
- Current GVSU undergraduate students in good standing with a major or minor in the College of Computing
- This includes students who will return in Fall 2026 and students who are graduating in either April 2026 or August 2026
- Students enrolled in the BS/MS combined degree program must have at least 1 full year remaining (e.g. they must graduate no sooner than April 2027) to be eligible.
- All applicants are expected to have a minimum GPA of approximately 3.0. We recognize that overall GPA is not always representative, so those with special circumstances explaining a lower GPA are welcome to apply.
- Join pre-program zoom sessions to meet, match with a project, and develop community with mentors and fellow participants
- Complete a small amount of pre-program background work
- Be able to work in person for 40 hours per week during the entire 10-week program period (with the exception of any national holidays / observed holidays)
- Meet in person at least twice per week with your mentor(s). Students should be prepared for each meeting and should send an update document listing what they have done, questions they have, and any potential next steps they’ve thought of to their mentor at least 1 hour prior to the meeting.
- Attend each week’s professional development workshop in person
- Participate in the weekly research status discussions, providing a one slide update to the program manager(s) at least 12 hours in advance
- Present the research at the end of program presentations, December Innovation Day, and Student Scholars Day
- Submit a final written report
- Remain in contact after the conclusion of the program and support the dissemination of the work
- Participate in all program social events, including those occurring on weekends unless excused by the program manager
- Complete all necessary paperwork in a timely fashion
- Collaborate with College of Computing marketing / communications team to promote their work, their experience, and the program overall
- Complete assessment surveys in a timely manner
- Take initiative to ask questions and communicate when they are confused
- Work to create a positive, collaborative, welcoming environment for all participants
- Behave professionally and treat all program participants with respect
- Represent the College of Computing well and behave responsibly at events
- Digitally document the research results, keeping clean, detailed notes, organized data, and, if applicable, committing all code to a github repo shared with their mentor
- Help develop and lead a short (e.g. one full-day or two half-days) summer camp for local students
- Student application submissions open: Early-January 2026
- Webinar for student applicants: Late-January 2026
- Deadline for student applications: Friday, February 27, 2026
- Notification of initially selected students: Monday, March 16, 2026
- Deadline for first group of selected students to accept: Sunday, March 22, 2026
- Notification of additional students until program is full: Late-March 2026
- All cohort introduction and student-project matching meetings: Early-April 2026
- Additional all-cohort student + mentor zoom meetings for community building and planning: Late April - Early May 2026
- Pre-program student preparation (on their own time): May 2026
- Program start (first day of program): Monday, June 8, 2026
- Program bootcamp sessions: Monday, June 8, 2026 - Friday, June 12, 2026
- Student-led outreach short day camp: TBA (sometime in late July / early August)
- End of program presentations: TBA (sometime August 3, 2026 - August 14, 2026)
- Program end (final day of program): August 14, 2026
- Innovation Day: TBA (likely December 11, 2026)
- Student Scholars Day: TBA (April 2027)
SURGE Undergraduate Webinar
Interested in research? Already know you enjoy research and looking for a summer opportunity?
Join this webinar to learn more about SURGE, the College of Computing’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Growth Experience. This webinar, designed for current and incoming College of Computing students, will provide an overview the SURGE program, discuss important dates, and include ample Q&A time for student applicants.
Date: February 6, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Location: Zoom
Page last modified January 30, 2026