Apply
Admissions decisions for Summer 2026 will be released in late February.
Application Instructions
The application for the 2026 C-CAS SURF Program includes the following components:
Preferences for Site Placements
You will be able to select five C-CAS faculty members you are interested in working with this summer. We encourage you to to read about the work being done by C-CAS labs here and expand on why you made these selections in your research statement.
Personal Statement
Your personal statement should be a maximum of 500 words and should describe your motivation for participating in this program and how the work of C-CAS aligns with your personal and professional goals. This is your chance to explain how C-CAS will impact you.
Research Statement
Your research statement should be a maximum of 500 words and may describe what areas of research you are interested in, any research experiences you have, and/or what impact research and innovation has on society. This is an opportunity to expand upon why you picked certain PIs earlier in the application and to explain how you will impact C-CAS.
Curriculum Vitae/Resume
You will be asked to upload a CV or resume describing your background and experiences up to this point. Guidance from the Columbia University Center for Career Education on crafting an undergraduate CV can be found here.
Letters of Recommendation
You will be required to have two letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. The letters should describe your academic strengths, laboratory skills, and curiosity about chemistry and/or computer science, using specific examples when possible. These letters should speak to your potential to succeed and contribute in a rigorous research environment.
Still have questions?
Feel free to contact ccas-surf@nd.edu
Please Note
For purposes of the SURF program, undergraduates are students who will not yet have completed their undergraduate studies at the start of their summer fellowship.
The University allows students to work a maximum of 40 hours per week during the summer (all campus jobs combined). This means that students cannot participate in the SURF program on a full-time basis and at the same time hold any other paid, on-campus, summer position. (Fellowships of less than 40 hours per week (i.e., to also work for Residential Life) would be considered on a case-by-case basis.)
In addition, fellowship recipients who attend Notre Dame and have 2025-2026 on-campus, academic-year jobs may have restrictions on their SURF start date. Contact ccas-surf@nd.edu for more details.