The SURF Program is for students considering a research career in pharmacology and toxicology. The program provides an excellent opportunity for each of these students to become immersed in a research project using cutting-edge techniques to address an important health-related question. Students work on their project full time for a 10-12 week period in the summer beginning in mid- to late-May. Get SURF flyer (pdf file)
Each student is mentored by a departmental faculty member and may work closely with graduate students and/or postdoctoral trainees in the mentor’s laboratory. Research interests of departmental faculty include neuropharmacology, neurotoxicology, cardiovascular pharmacology, immunopharmacology, carcinogenesis, hepatic and pulmonary phamacology and toxicology, and gastrointestinal pharmacology.
Projects of SURF students are expected to produce data which will be presented at state, national and international scientific meetings and may be published in peer reviewed articles - with the student as an author. Although many SURF students attend Michigan universities and colleges, about half of our previous SURF students come from out-of-state institutions (as far away as Connecticut, California and Puerto Rico).
Following their research, undergraduate students participate in an undergraduate
research
symposium. 2008 SURF student Eileen Rodriquez pictured here. It's fun, too!
Although the SURF students are focused on their research projects, there is time for social activities. These have included laboratory-organized barbecues, canoe trips, local theater, minor league baseball (in Lansing) and visits to the Great Lakes beaches.
Financial Support
Each SURF Program student receives a stipend of $3,500. This stipend is usually paid in part from a grant from the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), by departmental funds and by funds from research grants obtained by individual faculty. Some SURF students have obtained funds from alternate sources including the American Heart Association. Minority students have also been funded by MSU’s McNair-Shrop Program. Students may elect to rent an apartment in the East Lansing area or to stay in one of the student residence halls on MSU’s East Lansing campus. Travel funds may also be available for SURF students coming from out of state.
Application
Applicants for the SURF Program must be undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.75 or higher and must graduate no earlier than December. Each applicant must submit: (i) an application letter describing why he/she is applying to the Program (including, for example, short and long term career objectives); (ii) an official, transcript from his/her current undergraduate institution; and (iii) letters of recommendation from two individuals who can provide relevant information to support the applicant (e.g., former mentors from previous research experiences, course instructors or academic advisors).
Applications are reviewed by potential faculty mentors with respect to each student’s application materials to find the “best match” between student applicants and individual mentors. Application materials, and questions regarding the SURF Program, should be directed to Dr. Peter Cobbett. Applications must be submitted by 15 March and all applicants will be informed of whether their application is successful in early April.
Peter Cobbett, Ph.D.
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1317
(517) 353-5479
cobbett@msu.edu