The Undergraduate Research Support Office is your hub to uncover and apply for relevant research opportunities. Below, and listed in menu at right, are our URS Funding Opportunities. Please be sure to contact us if you have any questions regarding these opportunities.
Along with these opportunities, we provide a full listing of opportunities that may be of interest to Duke undergraduates.
General Opportunities
URS Assistantship Award
URS Assistantship Awards provide funds for wages for students to assist faculty on a research project. Applications are open to all Duke undergraduates for summer, fall and spring funding. URS Assistantships can only be awarded if the research project is completely separate from a course or course credit. These assistantships can help to cover the gap in wages for work-study that financial aid does not cover or can help defray the cost of wages paid by faculty grants or other funds.
URS Independent Study Award
URS Independent Study Awards are provided to help defray research expenses of up to $500 for students enrolled in faculty-supervised independent study courses or the equivalent such as thesis and research capstone courses. An award makes funds available to purchase approved supplies and equipment (nondurable goods) for the research project. Awards may not be used to buy personal items, textbooks, pay for training or classes, or to pay salaries.
URS Conference Award
A URS Conference Awards is an award of up to $800 to use towards presenting research done at a national or regional meeting of a professional organization. The URS office can handle direct payment for registration or travel up to $800 or can work with a student to get reimbursed.
Summer Research Opportunities
Participating in a summer research program is a great way to gain hands-on experience and enhance your network!
Trinity Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (T-SUMR) Fellowship
The Trinity Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (T-SUMR) Fellowship (formerly called the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)) supports the engagement of Trinity undergraduate students in immersive research and inquiry over the summer as they work towards Graduation with Distinction. The goal of the T-SUMR Fellowship is to provide an opportunity to students for full-time research engagement for 6 or 10 weeks, either on or off campus.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
We are pausing the URS-run SURF Program for Summer 2026 as we work with Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Leadership to develop a strategic plan to sustain undergraduate research across departments and disciplines. Be sure to check the DSE database to find various opportunities for summer research across campus.
The Undergraduate Research Support Office is pleased to announce a new summer research program for rising-Sophomore Duke students, expanding on the success of the previous B-SURF program. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is an 8-week paid summer program for rising sophomores interested in research. Students work with faculty mentors to learn how to ask research questions, engage disciplinary methodologies, and explore those skills in workshops to develop professional competencies and learn how to share research with a range of audiences. Students will receive a stipend and housing on Duke’s campus as part of the fellowship.