Data Science Undergraduate Research Focus
Data Science Undergraduate Research Focus (DataSURF) is a 10-week, in-person summer program that connects undergraduate students with faculty across campus conducting research involving data science. The 2026 program will run from June 22 to August 18, offering hands-on experience in applying data-driven methods to real-world projects.
Please note: DataSURF was previously known as the Summer Undergraduate Research Program through the Statistics Department (SURP-Stats). The new name reflects our expanded project areas and audience across the data science community.
[DataSURF] is a summer program where undergraduates work with faculty mentors on research in data science or statistics. I’d recommend it to students curious about any kind of quantitative research in general. It’s a great way to gain hands-on experience, learn new methods, and build connections with faculty and peers.
Eligibility
- This research opportunity is for current Stanford University undergraduate students only. To participate, students must not have conferred their undergraduate degree (even if they are a coterm student).
- Students must be in the undergraduate (not graduate) tuition group to participate. Please refer to this Registrar webpage for details on when coterm students are switched to graduate tuition.
- To ensure that students are eligible, please review VPUE’s eligibility requirements.
- Stanford undergraduate students from any department who meet the prerequisites are encouraged to apply. Students in the Data Science (B.S. and B.A.) and Mathematical & Computational Science (MCS) majors will receive additional consideration.
- Students should have taken some coursework in math, probability, statistics, data science, and/or computer science. Some course examples include: DATASCI 112, 120, 154, 156, STATS 32, 60, 117, 118, 141, 191, 195, 200, 202, 217, 229, MATH 51-53, 104, 113, 151, CS 106A/B, 103, 107, 109, MS&E 120, 125, 226.
- More specific prerequisite classes or skills are listed for each project.
Projects
- Explore the projects for DataSURF 2026! (Posted in mid-December 2025.)
- Faculty mentors will select which students are a good match to join their project.
Program Expectations
Students should expect to do the following:
- Do research on campus (in person) for 35+ hours per week for a full 10 weeks during the summer. This should be your primary activity this quarter.
- Attend weekly community meetings, where students will informally share about their research experience and connect with their DataSURF cohort.
- Attend group meetings, talks, seminars, or professional development activities to learn about research (usually 1 or 2 per week).
- Prepare a poster and lightning talk, and present at a final poster session during the last week of the program.
Stipend
Students will receive a stipend of $8,500, with a needs-based supplement (of up to $1,500) for eligible students.
How to Apply
Applications for DataSURF 2026 will open in mid-December and will be due by February 8, 2026 at 11:59pm (PST)
We strongly recommend that students concurrently apply to the Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) program to maximize opportunities. Those who would like to participate in DSSG need to complete a separate application.
Questions about DataSURF may be directed to datasciencemajor-inquiries [at] lists.stanford.edu (datasciencemajor-inquiries[at]lists[dot]stanford[dot]edu).
What are students saying about DataSURF?
We surveyed participants from the summer 2023, 2024, and 2025 cohorts -- when the program was still known as SURP-Stats. Each year, all respondents reported that their research experience was intellectually interesting, meaningful, and beneficial, and they all said they would recommend SURP-Stats to a friend.