Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program - Gaithersburg, MD (STEM and Related Fields)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks undergraduate students for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. This vacancy announcement is for in-person fellowships in Gaithersburg, MD. An additional vacancy announcement is open for in-person fellowships in Boulder, CO (vacancy #SURF-2027-0002). Applicants may apply to both vacancies and use the same documents for all applications. Learn more at https://www.nist.gov/surf.

SURF participants do not earn benefits.

To apply for this position, complete the online application and submit the documents specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement no later than the announcement closing date. To begin, click the application link from the nist.gov/surf webpage. Click Apply Online to access the online application. Follow the prompts. This vacancy does not accept resumes or uploaded documents from USAJOBS. As expected, USAJOBS will notify you that this announcement does not accept USAJOBS resumes or documents. Prompts will direct you to upload documents directly into the application system. All documents are required and must be submitted for fellowship consideration. PDF is the preferred format for all documents. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. Upon clicking submit at the end of the application process, you will receive an on-screen notification that you have successfully submitted your application. Select Return to USAJOBS to verify your updated status in the USAJOBS Applications section. Completing this step and step 5 ensures your application status displays accurately whenever you check back. To verify the status of your application, log in to your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, and select Track this application. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. In the status information, you can also see the status of your letters of recommendation. For example, if one letter has been received you will see “1 of 2 references received”. References have up to 3 days after the announcement closing date to submit their letters. If you notice a letter missing and it is close to the deadline, you may want to give your reference a friendly reminder. The system will also send an automated reminder to references 2 days before the final due date. To return to your saved application while the announcement is open, log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login and click Applications. Click on the position title, then select Edit my application. You may update your application at any time before the closing of the announcement. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the online application and supporting documents well before the announcement closing date. Problems Completing Your Application If you have problems completing your online application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please email surf@nist.gov. You must complete this application and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM EST on the announcement closing date. Note: Paper applications will not be accepted.