SURF
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium is a showcase of students’ summer research accomplishments. This event will be held Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, from 3 to 5 p.m., in the Grand Salon on the first floor of Plant Hall. This is a drop in activity.
The University of Tampa offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in inquiry-based research, ranging from class-based projects to laboratory and field research to research-informed art installations and performances. Students work with expert faculty in a variety of fields to gain valuable experience and discipline-specific knowledge that will benefit them in future careers, studies and applications for competitive grants and programs.
Introduction to Research
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry is dedicated to making research accessible to all students at the University of Tampa. The Spartan Undergraduate Research Experience program offers selected incoming students a yearlong orientation to research, including disciplinary mentoring and introductions to ongoing research projects. OURI also offers periodic workshops on ways to get involved in research projects at UTampa, as well as one-on-one advising for students embarking upon their research journeys.
Get Paid to Research
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry offers a number of grants to support student research. Students may be eligible for travel funding, supplies such as lab equipment or computer technology, dues for professional organizations, summer housing and even cash stipends and student awards to support their research projects. See the OURI grants page for details and deadlines for grant applications.
Opportunities to Present and Publish
Students undertaking research projects at the University of Tampa have a variety of opportunities to showcase their work. In addition to on-campus conferences and symposia, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry takes select students to the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference ( FURC) and the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) annually. Every two years, top students are invited to present at the Posters @ the Capitol event at the state capitol building in Tallahassee, with travel and lodging covered by the University.
Students at the University of Tampa also have numerous pathways to publishing their research. The University of Tampa Press offers the following student-edited venues for publication:
Royal Road: The journal of UTampa’s Academic Writing Program, featuring essays written in AWR 201 classes and revised for publication under faculty mentorship.
Q: Journal of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry: UTampa’s journal for university-wide undergraduate research and inquiry projects.
Students may also submit their work for publication in undergraduate research journals such as FURJ, or collaborate with faculty members on publication in disciplinary research journals.
Please direct your questions regarding undergraduate research and inquiry to ouri@ut.edu.
Student Research Stories (see the photos below)
