2024 Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN) Guidelines for Host Laboratory Applications

The goal of the Simons Foundation’s Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN) program is to spark and sustain interest in neuroscience among undergraduate students from diverse and/or historically underrepresented backgrounds in science. SURFiN provides funds for paid research assistantships for undergraduate students living near participating laboratories in the U.S., Canada and Europe that are supported by the Simons Foundation’s Autism and Neuroscience division. SURFiN fellows will gain hands-on in-person research experience during the 2024-2025 academic year with direct mentorship, typically from early-career scientists, such as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Description of the SURFiN Host Laboratory Opportunity

SURFiN is an initiative of the Simons Foundation’s Autism and Neuroscience division, which includes the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB) and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). We are soliciting letters of intent (LOIs) from invited investigator laboratories interested in hosting an undergraduate student as part of the SURFiN program.

The goal of the SURFiN program is to spark and sustain interest in neuroscience among undergraduate students from diverse and/or historically underrepresented backgrounds in science. SURFiN provides funds for paid undergraduate research assistantships for students living near selected laboratories in the U.S, Canada and Europe that are supported by the Simons Foundation’s Autism and Neuroscience division (SCGB, SCPAB and SFARI). SURFiN host laboratories provide undergraduate fellows with hands-on in-person research experience during the 2024–2025 academic year, including by providing direct mentorship, typically from early career scientists, such as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, here referred to as SURFiN mentors.

We are invested in supporting the next generation of researchers and recognize that scientific innovation and excellence requires the inclusion of diverse voices and ideas. SURFiN is a pathway through which undergraduate students who may have limited access to research opportunities and/or no prior laboratory experience can apply their talents and curiosity to neuroscience research. Through programs like SURFiN, we aim to support excellence in science, expand access to research experience, support early career scientists in advancing in their careers, and work to create a more inclusive research training environment.

The SURFiN program is named in honor of neuroscientist Krishna Shenoy. Shenoy was an SCGB investigator and seminal figure in developing the dynamical systems approach now widely used to understand and model the nervous system and its functions. He nurtured a collaborative environment in his lab, launched the careers of dozens of neuroscientists and engineers and inspired them to be dedicated mentors for their team.

Because we aim to spark new interest in science, the SURFiN program is likely to be an undergraduate student’s first introduction to a research laboratory. SURFiN fellows will be embedded within a research laboratory, participate in the Simons Foundation’s virtual community and professional development meetings for fellows and SURFiN mentors, and present at an end-of-year undergraduate research symposium in New York City in Spring 2025.

SURFiN host laboratories identify SURFiN mentors. Typically SURFiN mentors are early career scientists, such as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. SURFiN mentors are expected to do the following:

• Coordinate with the host lab and the host institution for the onboarding and the employment and/or registration of the SURFiN fellow’s undergraduate research assistant appointment. Students’ participation in SURFiN is contingent upon successful completion of the onboarding process at the host institution in time for the start of the program: September 2024.
• Mentor SURFiN fellow(s) through an in-person research project from September 2024 through April or May 2025.
• Participate in formal mentorship training based on the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER)’s Entering Mentoring curriculum conducted by Simons Foundation staff to develop productive and culturally responsive mentoring relationships.
• Participate in professional development and community-building activities offered through the SURFiN program and intended for SURFiN mentors and fellows.
• Travel to the Simons Foundation in New York City in Spring 2025 for an undergraduate research symposium, with travel and lodging coordinated and covered by The Simons Foundation, Inc.

The SURFiN mentor role is a volunteer position without salary/stipend. It is designed to benefit mentors, typically early career scientists, by providing opportunities for mentoring experience and formal mentor training, taking part in and contributing to inclusive training environments, and receiving assistance with research projects from an undergraduate student for a substantial time frame.

After the academic year program, Principal Investigators (PIs), SURFiN mentors and SURFiN fellows may have the opportunity to request an extension of the SURFiN fellowship to support the undergraduate research assistant’s work for an additional summer or second academic year. This is contingent upon availability and mutual agreement between the SURFiN fellow, SURFiN mentor, host laboratory and the Simons Foundation. Extensions are only possible for fellows who continue to meet the eligibility requirements of the program, including maintaining undergraduate enrollment through the extension time period.

Principal Investigators and lab members interested in the SURFiN host lab opportunity are encouraged to review the informational webinar held on Thursday, January 11, 2024 – Click here to watch the recording.

Informational videos on how to navigate the grants management system Simons Award Manager (SAM) can be found here. Answers to frequently asked questions on how to navigate SAM can be found here.

PIs must be invited in order to submit an LOI to host a SURFiN fellow. To be able to serve as a host lab for a SURFiN fellow, you are expected to:

1. Have at least one lab member interested and available to serve as a potential SURFiN mentor to at least one undergraduate student. We encourage host laboratories to identify early career scientists, such as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to serve as mentors. We encourage interested individuals belonging to groups underrepresented in science to serve as mentors.
2. Identify a project for the SURFiN fellow. Many SURFiN fellows are new to research and we encourage mentors to design projects that are accessible to students with a range of skills. Prior laboratory experience is not required of undergraduate applicants and will not be heavily weighted in the review process.

We welcome LOIs from invited labs in or outside of the U.S. A host lab may submit an LOI listing multiple SURFiN mentors and if each are paired with a fellow(s), host multiple SURFiN fellows. It is our intent to consider all LOIs as potential SURFiN lab opportunities and publish the proposed projects, mentors’ bios and labs on our website for undergraduate student applicants to review and select as labs they wish to be considered for. If there are any questions or concerns about your lab’s proposed project(s), our staff will contact you to request additional information. If you have questions about your lab’s eligibility, please contact [email protected].

Grants will be for the 2024–2025 academic year. Each host laboratory that is successfully paired with a fellow will receive funds to provide up to 30 weeks of support for each undergraduate fellow paired with a SURFiN mentor.

All funds are administered by the SURFiN host laboratory’s Institution. Host laboratories are responsible for explaining to fellows how funds will be administered during the academic year prior to or at the start of the SURFiN program. The institutions of the host laboratories will receive $11,500 USD per fellow, to be used as follows:

• $7,500 USD salary support/stipend: The institution department or host laboratory must access these funds to cover the total wages earned by the fellow during the academic year at a rate equivalent to $25/hour for 10 hours a week over 30 weeks and administer them to the fellow in a timely manner.
• $2,000 USD resource stipend: The institution department or host laboratory may administer these funds to be used to support the fellow’s work and professional development during the academic year. Allowable expenses include small equipment such as a laptop computer for coding projects or fees for training courses. The resource stipend may also be used to cover any travel costs or registration fees for the SURFiN fellow to attend conferences related to the research project. Any equipment purchased with these funds will be the property of the laboratory and should remain with the lab after the SURFiN fellow’s project concludes. Please note that commuting costs, renewable reagents, and animal costs are not allowed.
• $2,000 USD Administrative Fee: These funds may be used towards institutional, administrative, indirect and/or overhead costs associated with administering the award, including but not limited to fringe benefit costs, human resources, payroll services and other related grant and project management services. The administrative fee is intended for the use of the host institution, not the fellow.

Please refer to our grant policies for guidelines. Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations, The Simons Foundation, Inc. reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Each laboratory must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Full step-by-step instructions for the LOI are provided within the application in SAM. Applicants must download and read the instructions provided within the LOI carefully. You will be required to provide information about your lab, the lab members interested in serving as mentors for the 2024–2025 SURFiN program, their proposed projects and other application requirements. Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) are available to download in SAM.

Potential SURFiN lab opportunities will be posted online when the undergraduate student request for applications (RFA) opens on March 26, 2024. It is our intent to have all labs that apply listed on our website as potential SURFiN lab opportunities the undergraduate students can apply for. However, if there are any questions or concerns about your lab’s proposed project(s), our staff will contact you to request additional information.

When undergraduate students apply to the program, they will be required to indicate at least one (1) laboratory opportunity from the list of potential SURFiN host laboratories as their preferred choice. Based on recommendations from an external review committee, we will select undergraduate finalists for interview(s) with potential mentors. Potential mentors will have the opportunity to interview the finalists selected for their lab in June 2024. Our staff will assign final pairings based on mentor and finalist feedback from these interviews. We will attempt to make as many mentor-fellow pairings as possible. Please note that not all potential mentors are guaranteed to be paired with an undergraduate fellow. Typically, we expect one (1) undergraduate student to be assigned to one (1) mentor. However, if the mentor agrees, they may be paired with more than one (1) fellow. Host laboratories that are successfully paired with a fellow(s) will have their LOI approved and will be invited to submit a budget and institutional sign-off via a full application in SAM.

Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to grantmaking that inspires and supports greater diversity and inclusiveness by cultivating a funding environment that ensures representation of all identities and differences and equitable access to information and resources for all applicants and grantees.

The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants for funding without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law. We also fund programs directed at supporting scientists from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups, often working closely with professional societies and other funding agencies.

 
Administrative Inquiries: [email protected]

Scientific Inquiries: [email protected]

Technical Assistance: [email protected]

Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Office Closures: The Simons Foundation offices will be closed December 23, 2023–January 1, 2024, and January 15, 2024.