ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Grant

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) support undergraduate students in plant biology research by providing a $6,000 stipend, membership in ASPB, and funding for materials. Awardees must present their findings at the annual Plant Biology meeting. This initiative encourages diverse participation, welcoming international students and those from non-traditional academic backgrounds. Successful applicants are preferred from their second year but well-prepared first- and third-year students are also welcome, fostering early engagement in plant science.

American Society of Plant Biologists
ASPB is a 501(c)(3) professional society devoted to advancing plant science research and education. It publishes three world-class journals and organizes conferences, and other educational activities that are key to the advancement of the science.
Over the decades the Society has evolved and expanded to provide a forum for molecular and cellular biology as well as to serve the basic interests of plant science. It publishes the highly cited and respected journals Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell. The Society also has a large student membership. ASPB plays a key role in uniting the international plant science disciplines.
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) fund promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers. SURF recipients must present their research at ASPB’s annual Plant Biology meeting in the year following the fellowship award.
Award Details
Successful applicants receive a $6,000 summer stipend, membership in ASPB, and $700 (paid to the mentor or institution) for materials and supplies. Each fellowship also provides a stipend to support student travel to Plant Biology 2026, the ASPB annual meeting, to be held  July 18-22, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada.
These travel funds are sent only to the SURF recipients who:
register for the meeting (free to student), submit proof of using social media or other outlets to engage the public or peers about the SURF project, and author and submit an abstract (free to student) about their SURF project to present as a poster at the meeting, including at the Undergraduate Poster Session.

Eligibility

Application is open to full-time undergraduate students in their freshman, sophomore, or junior year in a degree-granting program. Undergraduates needing more or less than the standard four years to earn a degree may still be eligible. International students or students following non-traditional academic calendars are welcome. In order to provide support to the maximum number of students, SURF awards are limited to those without other sources of stipend or salary for the proposed research.It is acceptable, however, to have supplemental funding for room and board.Faculty MentorsStudents may work with a mentor at their own institution or at another institution.Students must secure a mentor before submitting an application. The proposed research project must be pursued in the mentor’s laboratory.Mentors must be a member of ASPB, have an ongoing research program of high scientific merit, and demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate education and research. Mentors are expected to attend Plant Biology 2026 in Ottawa, Canada, with their SURF student.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Mentors (not the undergraduate student) must be a member of ASPB.

Ineligibility

Seniors are ineligble for a SURF.