Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards

Houston Early Research Experience (HERE)

All rising sophomore or junior students at the University of Houston with a 3.5 cumulative GPA and at least four semesters remaining after the coming summer may apply for the HERE program.

• HERE is a two-week workshop (typically in May) intended to orient undergraduates to the fundamentals of research.
• In small groups led by a faculty mentor, students will develop a research proposal related to a contemporary topic or problem.
• Participants receive a $1,000 scholarship.
• Participants receive 2 points towards the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement (HCCE).
• Participants will be invited to apply for the Houston Scholars program in the fall semester.
• HERE does not count as any credits towards the participant's degree.

Application

• Accepted students are required to attend an orientation session prior to the program's start date.

For more information visit the HERE Website.

Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS)

All undergraduate students at the University of Houston may participate in the PURS program after their freshman year conditional on meeting the following eligibity criteria. Students at the junior level or higher are espcially encouraged to apply.

• PURS is a semester-long research project that involves at least 6-7 hours of research work per week and a total of 100 hours per semester under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
• Participants receive a $1,000 scholarship.
• Participants receive 2 points towards the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement (HCCE).
• PURS does not count as any credits towards the participant's degree.

Eligibility

Undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the PURS program if they have:

• A 3.0 GPA or higher
• Earned at least 30 credits excluding credit hours earned during high school.
• Enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours in the semester of the award unless they are graduating that semester.
• Not enrolled in Senior Honors Thesis or Independent Study Course in the semester of the award.
• Not previously participated in PURS. (A student cannot participate in PURS more than once.)

Application

To apply for and participate in the PURS program, students should:

• Contact Dr. Piruz Saboury at psaboury2@uh.edu to discuss research proposal and identify potential faculty mentor.
• Obtain approval from the faculty mentor. (The faculty mentor will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation.)
• Write a PURS Research Proposal (500 word limit including references) that:
  • discusses the importance of the proposed research,
  • states the specific tasks to be accomplished during the proposed research,
  • and defines the scope and goals of the proposed research.
• Complete the online PURS application by the given deadline (typically in April for the fall semester, and in November for the spring semester).

Requirements

To complete the PURS program a student must:

• Meet the requirements set by their faculty advisor.
• Attend the PURS orientation during the first week of the semester.
• Complete three short reflection essays at the start, mid-point, and end of the program.
• Present a research poster at the Undergraduate Research Day.

For more information visit the PURS Website.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)

All undergraduate students at the University of Houston may participate in the SURF program after their freshman year and before their graduating semester conditional on meeting the following eligibity criteria. Students at the junior level or higher are espcially encouraged to apply.

• SURF is a focused, full-time, 10-week summer research project conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
• Participants receive a $4,000 scholarship.
• Participants receive 3 points towards the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement (HCCE).
• SURF does not count as any credits towards the participant's degree.

Eligibility

Undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the SURF program if they have:

• A 3.0 GPA or higher (A 3.5 GPA or higher if less than 12 credit hours completed at UH)
• Not enrolled in any course for the summer of the award. (For extenuating circumstances, a petition must be submitted that may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.)
• Not previously participated in SURF. (A student cannot participate in SURF more than once.)

Application

To apply for and participate in the SURF program, students should:

• Contact Dr. Piruz Saboury at psaboury2@uh.edu to discuss research proposal and identify potential faculty mentor.
• Obtain approval from the faculty mentor. (The faculty mentor will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation.)
• Write a SURF Statement of Research (500 word limit including references) that:
  • discusses the importance of the proposed research,
  • states the specific tasks to be accomplished during the proposed research,
  • and defines the scope and goals of the proposed research.
• Prepare a timeline for the proposed research project.
• Complete the online SURF application by the given deadline (typically in early March).

Requirements

To complete the SURF program a student must:

• Meet the requirements set by their faculty advisor.
• Attend weekly summer brown bag lectures.
• Complete a survey at the end of the program.
• Present a research poster at the Undergraduate Research Day.

For more information visit the SURF Website.