The SURF Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is designed to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through a unique research experience that supports the NIST mission.

Over the course of 11 weeks, SURF students contribute to the ongoing research of one of the six NIST facilities which are the Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL), Engineering Laboratory (EL), Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Material Measurement Laboratory (MML), NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), and Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) (which now includes project in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology).  The SURF Program is administered at the Boulder, CO and Gaithersburg, MD locations.

Note:  Only U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful residents are eligible to participate in the SURF Program.