Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship: A Comprehensive Guide

A career in biomedical research can be incredibly rewarding for those passionate about science, driven by discovery, enjoy tackling complex problems, and aspire to contribute to medical breakthroughs. The Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offers an immersive experience for undergraduate students to explore their interests in this field.

Introduction to the SURF Program

Each year, Mayo Clinic welcomes approximately 180 undergraduates from across the nation to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge biomedical research at one of the world’s leading medical centers, offering real-world research insight and experience. The SURF program is designed to provide research experience and skills to college sophomores and juniors considering a career in biomedical research. Since 1991, 2,671 students have gained experience in research labs on Mayo campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Program Overview

The Mayo Clinic SURF program is an amazing opportunity for high-caliber students interested in medical research or pursuing an M.D.-Ph.D. to explore health-related research at such an esteemed health institution. As a summer fellow, participants are immersed in research opportunities, gaining hands-on experience with real-world research projects at a major medical center.

Key Components of the SURF Program

The SURF program offers a multifaceted experience, including:

Hands-on Research: Participants conduct their own small research project or work on part of an ongoing research investigation for 10 weeks.
Technical Skill Development: The program helps students develop their technical skills in a research setting.
Weekly Seminar Series: A special weekly seminar series introduces participants to rapidly progressing research areas.

Benefits of Participating in the SURF Program

Participating in the SURF program offers numerous benefits, including:

Real-world Research Experience: Gaining hands-on experience with real-world research projects at a major medical center.
Exploration of Interests: Exploring interests in medical research or pursuing an M.D.-Ph.D.
Gateway to Graduate Education: The program serves as a gateway to graduate education at Mayo and throughout the country.
Networking Opportunities: Connecting with researchers and other students in the field.
Competitive Advantage: Enhancing applications for postgraduate education programs.

Eligibility and Application Process

Eligibility Criteria

Illinois students in their sophomore or junior year, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, who are seriously considering a biomedical research career as a Ph.D. or M.D.-Ph.D., are eligible to apply. The Mayo Clinic Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery's Summer Research Exploration Program requires applicants to be undergraduate students or have graduated within one year before the program start, and be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Each applicant must complete a postoffer placement assessment at least 10 business days before the program start date.

Application Requirements

To apply, students must complete an application and upload a personal statement and current transcript or web academic history. Two letters of recommendation are required from the graduate-level or higher (e.g., professors, mentors, advisors). Approximately 12 weeks before the program start date, the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Student Services Office will reach out to accepted trainees with additional requirements, including documentation regarding immunizations, a background check and tuberculosis status.

Application Timeline

Illinois Pre-Selection Deadline: The Illinois pre-selection deadline for the 2026 program has passed, but you may still apply directly to the Mayo Clinic SURF program by Feb.
Mayo Clinic Application Deadline: February 3.
Program Dates: May 26 - July 31, 2026.

Whitman College Partnership

Whitman College has a strategic partnership with Mayo Clinic to support students for a biomedical summer research experience at Mayo Clinic research centers. For summer 2026, one to two students will be funded by Whitman College to work in a laboratory at Mayo Clinic for 10 weeks as a member of the Mayo Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

Financial Aspects

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program award is $5,000 (minus taxes) for 10 weeks. The stipend for the Whitman College program is $6,500. From this stipend, students are responsible for their own travel, housing, and meals. Most students live together in a convenient summer student housing area, which costs about $200 per week.

Spotlight on University of Illinois Students in the SURF Program

Each year, a cohort of talented students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are selected for the SURF program. These students bring diverse skills and experiences, with strong backgrounds in fields like bioengineering, neural engineering, chemistry, computer science, and integrative biology. Their research interests span a wide range of areas, from personalized medicine and immunoengineering to neurodegenerative diseases and computational biological systems.

Student Profiles

Here are some examples of University of Illinois students selected for the 2025 SURF program:

Cindy Chen: A sophomore Cancer Scholar and James Scholar majoring in neural engineering with a minor in biomolecular engineering. At Mayo Clinic, Cindy will work with Dr. Richard Weinshilboum studying pharmacogenomics in major depressive disorder.
Sarah Guo: A sophomore Cancer Scholar, Chancellor’s Scholar, and James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a minor in chemistry. At Mayo Clinic, Sarah will work with Dr. Elizabeth Enninga to investigate the impact of chronic inflammation on the cells of the placenta.
Sharon Ignatius Newton: A junior James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a therapeutics concentration and a minor in computer science. At Mayo Clinic, Sharon will work in the Functional Epigenomics Lab with Dr. Alexandre G. Maia using advanced epigenomic profiling techniques to understand how expression patterns are modulated in tumor cells, leading to individualized cancer treatments.
Rayyan Iqbal: A sophomore James Scholar majoring in chemistry with minors in Spanish and molecular and cellular biology. At Mayo Clinic, Rayyan will work with Dr. Kristin Zhao to develop innovative technologies, imaging methods, and devices to help people with various disabilities achieve a better quality of life and reduce the burden of injury or disease.
Roxana Jafari Haddadian: A sophomore majoring in neural engineering with a minor in computer science. At Mayo Clinic, Roxana will work with Dr. Nuri Ince to conduct basic and translational research in neural engineering and brain-machine interfaces, developing machine learning algorithms to analyze large-scale neural activity in clinical settings and uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic methods through close collaboration with leading medical institutions.
Lucas Jimenez: A junior James Scholar with a double major in integrative biology honors and chemistry and a minor in psychology. At Mayo Clinic, Lucas will work with Dr. Arjun Athreya to develop AI-driven health engineering systems that integrate multi-omic, physiological, and digital health data to enable precision care, with a focus on early diagnosis and individualized treatment of mental health and chronic disorders.
Manasi Kulkarni: A sophomore majoring in bioengineering on the cell and tissue engineering track with minors in computer science and French. At Mayo Clinic, Manasi will work with Dr. Arun Kanakkanthara studying antitumor immune response using an FDA-approved drug in cancer cells, as well as learning more about PARP inhibitor resistance in ovarian cancer oral chemotherapy.
Rose Olvera: A junior majoring in neuroscience. At Mayo Clinic, Rose will work with Dr. Young M. Erben, who studies cerebrovascular disease, aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection, peripheral vascular disease, comparative effectiveness research, quality improvement initiatives and initiatives to eradicate disparities in care, especially those related to cardiovascular diseases and women.
Ranjani Ramesh: A junior James Scholar majoring in computer science with a minor in econometrics. At Mayo Clinic, Ranjani will work with Dr. Darian Tabrizi (he/him) is a sophomore Cancer Scholar and James Scholar majoring in bioengineering with a concentration in computational and systems biology and minors in computer science and chemistry. At Mayo Clinic, Darian will work with Dr. Stacey Winham to develop statistical and machine learning methods to analyze high-dimensional genomic data and identify genetic risk factors for complex diseases such as (breast and ovarian) cancer and psychiatric disorders.
Sophia Witola Reyes: A junior majoring in bioengineering with a concentration on computational and systems biology and a minor in computer science, receiving honors for high achievement from the President’s Award Program. At Mayo Clinic, Sophia will work with Dr. Pablo Zamora is a junior with a double major in integrative biology honors and psychology with a minor in chemistry.

These students exemplify the caliber of individuals who participate in the SURF program and highlight the diverse research opportunities available at Mayo Clinic.

The Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Summer Research Exploration Program

The Mayo Clinic Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery offers a Summer Research Exploration Program, which is a paid internship for undergraduate students who are interested in careers in medicine, science or healthcare. The program supports undergraduate students who may have faced limited access to resources or opportunities commonly available to others pursuing careers in the healthcare field.

Program Components

Through the Summer Research Exploration Program, students gain exposure to a wide breadth of the medical field. They also gain research experience with close one-on-one mentoring by a resident physician and faculty team. Students have the opportunity to shadow Mayo Clinic otolaryngologists one day a week in the clinic and operating room. Students gain valuable experience assisting throughout the department with basic science projects, clinical research projects or both.

For the first week of the summer, students participate in a research boot camp to gain insight into the research process. In addition, they participate in an on-site graduate school exam preparation course for the MCAT or GRE through The Princeton Review, except for students who have already completed their chosen exams. Students participate in weekly didactic sessions and are invited to attend all applicable departmental events.

Read also: Mayo Clinic High School Programs

Program Goals

The ultimate goal of the program is to help students create competitive applications for their postgraduate education programs of choice. To support this goal, faculty, near-peer and program director mentors identify opportunities to submit the team's work to a regional or national conference. Mentors prepare students to take their graduate exams, including helping create study schedules, identifying supplementary tutoring opportunities, and providing frequent debriefs and encouragement. Before students submit their graduate applications, the program works with them to review their applications, facilitate mock interviews and help financially support applications.

Mentorship and Support

Each Summer Research Exploration Program student is paired with a primary faculty mentor and near-peer mentor - such as a medical student, resident, fellow, postdoc or junior faculty member - and meets weekly with the faculty research mentor. The program also connects students with nonacademic mentors to provide additional support as students navigate professional and academic career pathways.

Availability and Funding

Mayo Clinic's Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery offers up to five positions within the department and five within partnering departments.

SURF Program Alumni: Success Stories

The SURF program has a proven track record of success, with many alumni going on to successful careers in biomedical research.

Nathan Huber: A former lifeguard who participated in the SURF program and joined the research team in Mayo’s Magnetic Resonance Laboratory. He helped advance the effort to use blood flow as an indicator of cancer and later enrolled in Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Charles Howe, Ph.D.: Director of Mayo’s Translational Neuroimmunology Laboratory, landed a SURF fellowship in the early 1990s while studying biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He completed a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco, and a research fellowship in neurology at Stanford University Medical Center.

These stories highlight the transformative impact of the SURF program on students' career trajectories.

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