Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, (SURE), is a summer internship program for undergraduates from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups who are interested in research in psychology. This program provides hands-on training that will make students more competitive for top doctoral training programs. We are interested in recruiting African American, Latino, and American Indian undergraduates who are attending colleges and universities in Texas. Students who are accepted into the SURE program will be involved in all aspects of the research process, increasing the student’s knowledge about, and enthusiasm for, laboratory and field work in psychology.

SURE student comments | Faculty Labs | Areas of Study | Welcome to Austin!

2009 SURE Students

Front row (left to right): Virgina Pinto (UT), Victoria Rodriguez (St. Edwards), Kelly Banneyer (Rice U), Melissa Flores (UT)

Back row (left to right): Fabian Aguirre (SURE Coordinator)*, Patricia Moreno (UT), Estelle Anuwe (Baylor U), Sally Rocel (UTEP), Carlos Vargas (UTEP)

*Fabian is a graduate student researcher in Dr. Manuel Ramirez' Multicultural Psychology Lab, which, among its other goals, seeks to encourage undergraduate students from underrepresented ethnic/racial groups to pursue careers in social science research and mental health service.

Admission deadline for Summer 2010 is
MARCH 15, 2010.

Apply online by clicking
on the "Admission Application" link below.

Admission Application

Contact Us

Program Description

The SURE program provides stipends for students to conduct 2 months of full-time (40 hours/week) summer research under the supervision of a UT-Austin Department of Psychology faculty member. A $2500 stipend, including room and board, are provided for students outside the University of Texas at Austin. For students currently enrolled at the University, room and board are not provided, however the student will receive a $2000 stipend. The SURE program will run from approximately June 1 to July 31. This is a full-time research program which offers an intensive research experience to students with a keen interest in some field in which a member of the Department of Psychology works. All participants will be assigned a graduate student mentor. The program also includes a number of social activities as well as special seminars and sessions related to research and graduate programs.

Students will present their work at the end-of-the-program poster session. Students will also have opportunities to make oral presentations of their work during the course of their participation and access to the department’s computer facility in order to facilitate the successful completion of their projects. Housing is provided, and, for students outside the University of Texas at Austin, reimbursement for travel to and from Austin up to $250 for travel to and from Austin.

Program Requirements:

*Students will engage in projects for a minimum of 40 hours per week for two months.

*Students will attend weekly lab meetings and SURE program seminars.

SURE Eligibility

Applicants for both programs will be:

US Citizens or Permanent Residents

Undergraduates who are majoring in Psychology at a college or university in the state of Texas

All students are eligible but preference will be given to students from groups historically underrepresented within the field of psychology (African Americans, Latinos, American Indians)

SURE Selection Procedures

Interested students should complete an application that includes a statement of interest, two letters of recommendation from faculty, and an official transcript. Applicants must have finished one complete year of college. Preference will be given to students having finished their junior year by the time of the summer program.

Participant selection will be done by the Department of Psychology in consultation with prospective faculty advisors in order to assure optimal matching of student skills and interests to research projects.

SURE Program Sample Activities

Welcome Reception for Participants

Graduate Mentor and Undergraduate Participant Lunch

Weekly Brown Bag Meetings. Guest presentations by University staff, graduate students, and faculty covering topics such as: areas of research in psychology, library research resources, use of computers, scientific methods and experimental design, ethics in psychological research, GRE preparation, applying to graduate school, and financial resources for minority applicants to graduate programs in psychological science. [Information and resources to facilitate the attendance of local and national conferences] View list of past speakers

Poster Session Showcasing Participant Research Projects

Updated 19 August 2009
College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Austin
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An amazing experience...

Kelly Banneyer
Sophmore, Rice University
SURE 2009

I am a rising senior psychology and cognitive sciences major from Rice University. During this past summer, I had an amazing experience and look into the world of the psychology graduate program through the SURE program at the University of Texas at Austin. I had the opportunity of working in both Dr. Christopher Beevers’s and Dr. Jamie Pennebaker’s labs this summer. I was able to actively participate in the research occurring in both labs as well as interacting with the graduate students in both labs. Before this summer, I thought that I had an idea about what to expect in graduate school and how to go about applying. However, it soon became apparent that there was much for me to learn. The weekly seminars provided through the SURE program allowed me to learn everything that I needed to know about applying to psychology graduate programs. I also had the opportunity of working with a graduate student mentor. With the help of my mentor, I selected the programs that I am most interested in applying, and I developed a template for my personal statement that will aid me when I am filling out applications. Overall I do not think that I would have been able to get this kind of experience from any other summer research program.