The Salk Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) is a paid 10-week mentored research internship that provides access to world-class research facilities, hands-on training to learn and build research skills, access to a network of mentors, and foundational experiences for students interested in, or actively considering, pursuing a career in STEM. The program will run from June 2, 2025 - August 8, 2025. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Read and discuss relevant research articles (learning how to do so if this is not an existing skill)


• Understand and abide by lab safety requirements


• Review and follow lab protocols


• Prepare and conduct experiment under the guidance of a research team


• Record and analyze data


• Maintain lab notebooks


• Participate in lab meetings, recommended research and other trainings


• Attend weekly enrichment sessions for summer interns


• Participate in professional development opportunities


• Prepare slides and a presentation about the summer research experience


• Deliver a formal presentation of summer research experience to a broad audience

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong attention to detail and effective notetaking skills


• Self-starter, organized, strong time management abilities


• Motivation and ability to investigate and troubleshoot problems that may arise in research


• Willingness to ask questions and be proactive in clarifying understanding


• Interest in data analysis and curiosity in approaches to it


• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written


• Strong interpersonal skills, including tact, diplomacy, and flexibility


• Respect and understanding for individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program


• Be entering their junior or senior year at the time of participating in the program. *If you are a graduate of a two- or four-year institution, please consider applying to one of our open positions.


• Have a minimum of 3.0 GPA


• Be able to commit to the program dates and requirements; this includes, but is not limited to, not enrolling in summer courses or participating in other internships while participating in the Salk SURF.


• Be eligible to work in the United States.

The expected pay for this position is $16.85 per hour. Salk Institute provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the institute reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Deadline for Applications is November 17, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). 

Applicants must submit the following documents with their application:

1.  A resume or curriculum vitae (CV)


2.  An unofficial transcript 

Please review the project descriptions linked below.  Question #12 of the application will ask you to rank your top 3 project preferences (1 being the project that you most prefer).  

Salk Institute SURF 2025 Project Descriptions

SURF Scoring Rubric

Please contact jobs@salk.edu if you have any questions.