SURF-CTC
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry (SURF-CTC) is hosted by the Chemical Theory Center (CTC) at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. Support for the fellowships is provided by the Inorganometallic Catalyst Design Center (ICDC), the Nanoporous Materials Genome Center (NMGC), and various other research funds.
This fellowship is a full-time appointment for a ten-week period between June and August.
Research projects are available in all areas of theoretical and computational chemistry. Fellows will perform research under the guidance of one or more of the following faculty mentors:
Jiali Gao
Jason Goodpaster
Matthew Neurock
Sapna Sarupria
Ilja Siepmann
Donald G. Truhlar
In addition to their research projects, participants will also learn about:
- Machine Learning
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute
- OpenMolcas
- Scripting
- Poster and Presentation Design
Who can apply?
The program is open to all national and international undergraduates with a major in chemistry, chemical engineering, or materials science who will be entering their senior year in Fall 2022.
Will I receive a stipend?
Fellowship recipients will receive a salary / stipend of $5,000, which may be subject to taxation. If SURF-CTC takes place in person on the Twin Cities campus, then Fellows can request a housing and travel allowance up to $2,500.
Where will I present my research?
All participants will also present their research in a minisymposium at the end of the summer and be invited to participate in an undergraduate research poster exposition on campus. If sufficient progress is made, the program will also provide funds up to $500 to present summer research results at a national conference.
When is the application due?
The application deadline for the summer 2022 program is February 9, 2022. All application materials are due by this date. When possible, decisions will be made by the end of February.
How do I apply?
To apply, applicants need to submit the Online Application Form with the following materials:
- Personal statement of purpose (300-word maxiumum) — Statement should describe your motivation for participating in this program, your preference for research in a specific subfield of theoretical chemistry, and your career goals. Please submit as a PDF
- Resume — Please submit as a PDF
- Transcript (unofficial transcript is okay) — Please submit as a PDF
In addition, applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. These letters must be submitted directly by faculty members who applicant has had either as an instructor or as an advisor for independent study or research. To submit the letters of recommendation, applicant must submit the e-mail address for their recommendation writers in the Online Application Form. This will send an e-mail request with a submission form to the recommendation writer for them to submit their letter directly to the CTC.
Are there options for on campus housing?
Fellowship recipients are responsible for covering their own housing costs. For those who wish to stay on campus, there will be private and shared rooms available to rent at the 17th Avenue Residence Hall. In summer 2019, the 10-week cost for private and shared rooms were $2,000 and $1,670, respectively.
Who can I contact for questions?
For questions or further information, please contact Director Ilja Siepmann (siepmann@umn.edu).