The USC Viterbi Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) provides outstanding undergraduate students with the opportunity to compete for positions that allows them to spend 8 weeks in Los Angeles working on cutting-edge research projects under the supervision of Viterbi faculty and current PhD students. The USC Viterbi SURE program will help participants develop research skills and build important relationships that will expand their academic horizons and further their research careers. The overarching goal of SURE is to help students develop an understanding of research in engineering disciplines, and preparing students with skills for successful academic careers in engineering graduate programs.
All USC Viterbi SURE fellows are provided with a $5,000 stipend, campus housing, travel to and from Los Angeles, health insurance, educational and social activities during the program.
Program Dates: June 13, 2022 - August 5, 2022
- SURE participants will arrive on site June 11-12 and depart August 6-7
- Orientation Day is June 13, 2022. All program participants must be able to attend Orientation Day and be available for the entire duration of the program.
Program Goals
- Enable stellar undergraduate students with the opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research during the summer
- Promote equity and diversity in undergraduate research programs.
- Provide professional and academic networking opportunities that will enable participants to be more competitive when applying for graduate programs.
Program Components
USC Viterbi SURE fellows will:
- Engage in cutting-edge research under the guidance of USC faculty and PhD mentors.
- Attend community-building events with other SURE participants. both on campus and around Los Angeles.
- Attend professional development seminars on topics such as conducting literature reviews, delivering effective presentations, designing technical posters, developing best practices in research, writing scientific abstracts, and applying to PhD programs.
- Present their research at the end-of-summer Research Symposium.
Program Eligibility and Requirements:
- Sophomore or junior-year undergraduate students enrolled at a U.S. higher education institution outside of the University of Southern California.
- Current USC students are not eligible for USC-Viterbi SURE and should consider the USC-Amazon SURE program instead.
- U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or DACA recipient currently located in the U.S.
- Strong academic background (GPA of 3.5 or higher is recommended) in the fields of engineering, math, computer science, or hard science (biology, chemistry, physics)
- Application requires:
- Transcripts (official or student portal generated transcripts are acceptable)
- Resume/CV (1 page maximum)
- Statement of Purpose
- 2 Letters of Recommendation (academic references preferred)
Please contact us at sure@vase.usc.edu or visit https://viterbiundergrad.usc.edu/research/sure/ if you have any questions or concerns about this summer research opportunity.