Main content start

Summer Undergraduate Research Program through the Statistics Department (SURP-Stats)

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program through the Statistics Department (SURP-Stats) matches students with faculty across campus doing research that includes statistics and/or data science. This is an in-person (on campus) experience. It is 10 weeks long, starting on June 23, 2025, and ending on August 29, 2025.

SURP-Stats is an undergraduate research experience that allows you to use statistical methods and thinking in a variety of fields. I would recommend the program to people who are interested in strengthening their quantitative skills and statistical work beyond class. The benefits of SURPS-Stats is a small program with many levels of support, and the opportunity to work with and learn from professors on exciting projects.
SURP-Stats 2023 Participant

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).
  • 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. Preference will be given to students in the Data Science (B.S. and B.A.) and Mathematical & Computational Science (MCS) majors.
  • Students should have taken some coursework in math, probability, statistics, data science, and/or computer science. Some course examples include:  MCS/DATASCI 120, DATASCI 112, 154, STATS 32, 48N, 60, 101, 116,  117, 118, 141, 191, 195, 200, 202, 216, 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.

 View the 2025 Project List 

Faculty mentors will select which students are a good match to join their project. 

Program Expectations

Students should expect to do the following:

  • Take DATASCI 120 (Data Narratives) in the spring quarter to prepare for the summer research experience.
  • 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 SURP-Stats 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 $8,000, with a needs-based supplement (of up to $1,500) for eligible students.

How to Apply

Apply now for SURP-Stats 2025! 

Applications will be due by February 9, 2025, 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 SURP-Stats may be directed to datasciencemajor-inquiries [at] lists.stanford.edu (datasciencemajor-inquiries[at]lists[dot]stanford[dot]edu).

A student presents her final poster for SURP-Stats

What are students saying about SURP-Stats?

We surveyed participants at the end of the Summer 2023 and 2024 programs. Both years, 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.

“[SURP-Stats] is a program to allow students to apply many of the statistical concepts they may have learned about (and some they haven't) to completely new situations that require more problem solving and understanding. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in any field that data science could be applied in, and it allows for people to gain real experience from a data-based side of whatever field they're working in.” 

-- SURP-Stats 2023 Participant 

“SURP-Stats is a welcoming community that will support you while you work on your research project. It brings great opportunities to learn in the form of talks and getting to know your peers. I would recommend it to anyone interested in stats research, especially those exploring it for the first time.”

-- SURP-Stats 2024 Participant 

“SURP-Stats is a great opportunity to conduct statistical research and/or work on statistics-related projects under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students interested in focusing deep into a particular subfield or continuously working on a specific project should apply to the program. A major benefit of the program is the cohort of students participating as well as the associated technical and general programming for the program, including multiple speaker sessions and a close relationship with the Data Science for Social Good program.” 

-- SURP-Stats 2023 Participant 

“[SURP-Stats is] A great way to get an introduction to statistics research. I would recommend [it for] people who are not sure whether they want to study statistics/data science. It gives a great feel of what a project in the space looks like.”

-- SURP-Stats 2024 Participant

“Throughout the experience, I got better at reworking problems. Usually, your first approach doesn't work, and as the summer progressed, I got better at finding alternative angles to approach the problem. I also got better at formalizing my thoughts in writing.” 

-- SURP-Stats 2023 Participant 

When asked about the best parts of the SURP-Stats experience, one student said, “Interacting with my mentor every week, attending talks, and meeting other students. Getting to know/hear from people was not only socially rewarding but also taught me a lot about many topics and the nature of doing research.”

--SURP-Stats 2024 Participant 

One of the most rewarding parts of SURP-Stats was “being able to learn how certain concepts, while first taught abstractly, apply in the real world!” 

-- SURP-Stats 2023 Participant 

“SURP-Stats is a great opportunity to refine both your statistical and data science skills by applying skills you've learned in class to real projects. I would highly recommend anyone interested in stats or data science to apply!”

--SURP-Stats 2024 Participant