Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

• Exploration of Machine Learning techniques for prediction of blood flow
  • Faculty mentor: Prosenjit Bagchi, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering
• Robot Learning, Perception and Planning
  • Faculty mentor: Kostas Bekris, Computer Science, School of Arts and Sciences
• Control of Large Language Models (LLM)
  • Faculty mentor: Laurent Burlion, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering
• Talking to Air: Designing an AI agent for Accessing and Interpreting Satellite-Based Air Pollution Data
  • Faculty mentor: Xiaomeng Jin, Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• Ai-PEAT: AI-based Protein Engineering AgenT for Sargassum degradation using AI-High Performance Computing interfaces
  • Faculty mentor: Sagar Khare, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Arts and Sciences
• Data for Everyone: An Open-source Time Series Generator for Accurate Energy System Models
  • Faculty mentor: Roberth Mieth, Industrial and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering
• Navigating AI Tools for Personalized Learning in Economics and Business Education
  • Faculty mentor: Sonal Pandey, Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• Ocean Exploration with Agentic AI
  • Faculty mentor: Hugh Roarty, Marine and Coastal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• AI-Driven Chemical Physics and Spectrophotometric Innovations for Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring
  • Faculty mentor: Siddhartha Roy, Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• Encoder-decoder finite-element-based physics-informed neural networks
  • Faculty mentor: Ryan Sills, Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering
• In Silico Drug Discovery with Computational Chemistry and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Faculty Mentor: Chong Sun, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Arts and Sciences
• Interpretable Multimodal AI Linking Immune Synapse Imaging and Gene Expression for Precision Immunotherapy
  • Faculty Mentor: Ruixiang Tang, Computer Science, School of Arts and Sciences
• Object-Object Physical Interaction Prediction with Transformers
  • Faculty Mentor: Jingjin Yu, Computer Science, School of Arts and Sciences
• Building data science bioinformatics tools for worldwide biology and biomedicine
  • Faculty Mentor: Christine Zardecki, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, School of Arts and Sciences
• New Optimization Approaches to Large Language Model Pretraining
  • Faculty Mentor: Zhao Zhang, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning to investigate biomarkers of psychomotor functioning and cognitive health
  • Faculty Mentor: Zeeshan Ahmed, Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers-Health
• Revealing the morphology and composition of sinking marine snow particles using AI and ML
  • Faculty Mentor: Kay Bidle, Marine and Coastal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• Deciphering Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Large Toxic Aggregate Transfer in Living Nervous Systems
  • Faculty Mentor: Monica Driscoll, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences
• 3D Genome Organization in Maintaining Cell Identity
  • Faculty Mentor: Kelvin Kwan, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences
• A Unified Framework for Cochlear Cell Profiling: Combining Deep Learning Morphometrics with Single-Cell Genomics
  • Faculty Mentor: Kelvin Kwan, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences
• Discovering molecular determinants of pathogen resistance to nitric oxide
  • Faculty Mentor: Zachery Lonergan, Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
• Machine-learning pipeline that predicts individual longevity from eating behavior
  • Faculty Mentor: Yang Lyu, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Arts and Sciences
• Gut microbiome as a primary mediator of the effect of drugs on healthspan and lifespan
  • Faculty Mentor: Michael Manhart, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers-Health
• How predictable is evolution at different scales of biology?
  • Faculty Mentor: Michael Manhart, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers-Health
• A Surrogate Machine Learning-based Material Modeling of Soft Tissue Mechanics
  • Faculty Mentor: Assimina Pelegri, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering
• Age-Related Changes in Auditory Processing, Memory, and Social Well-being
  • Faculty Mentor: Mimi Phan, Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science, School of Arts and Sciences
• Sequence-encoded biomechanics in protein-DNA biomolecular condensates
  • Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Schuster, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering
• Conformal bilayer release coatings for protein delivery
  • Faculty Mentor: Jonathan Singer, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering
• Immune-coagulation in health and disease
  • Faculty Mentor: Valerie Tutwiler, Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering
• Computational Structural and Functional Insights into Ribosomal Proteins
  • Faculty Mentor: Lu Wang, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Arts and Sciences
• Bridging Genes and Metabolites: A Spatial Multi-Omics Framework to Reveal Hidden Cellular Interactions
  • Faculty Mentor: Jackie Yang, Genetics, School of Arts and Sciences

In-person hands-on research project in artificial intelligence and/or data science or life sciences during summer 2026 (May 26, 2026 through July 31, 2026).

• Research projects are to be conducted hands-on and in-person in the faculty mentor’s research laboratory. There is no virtual option.
• Following the conclusion of the program, each CSI SURF student is required to attend and present a poster about their research at CSI SURF Symposium on July 30 and at the 2nd Annual CSI Research Symposium, where they will showcase their work through lightning talks and/or posters and network across the Chancellor Signature Initiatives community.
• To be eligible, students must be full-time rising juniors and seniors (Class of 2027 and 2028) at Rutgers–New Brunswick and in good academic standing.
• Previous experience in research is a plus, but not necessary.
• If selected for this program, you cannot enroll in any summer courses, hold employment, or participate in other internships during the program period.
• Selected students are required to attend all program events unless specified as optional.
• Because the RAD Collaboratory SURF and Life Sciences Alliance SURF are one-time fellowships, students who participated in 2025 are not eligible to reapply.

Before applying, please make sure you have the following information ready:

• Essay, PDF only: This typed 3–4 page essay should describe your qualifications for, and interest in, a maximum of three research projects in either the RAD Collaboratory SURF and/or the LSA SURF. The essay should also include your intended post-graduation plans and career goals.
• Resume, PDF only: Your resume must include information about employment history, research experience, and any organizations and/or activities you have been involved in.
• Rutgers unofficial transcript: By submitting your application, your unofficial transcript will be sent to the Aresty Research Center's office.

Applications to be considered as a RAD Collaboratory SURF or LSA SURF student must be submitted to the Aresty Research Center’s Summer Science Program application portal and are due on January 9, 2026.

• Applications will be reviewed by the New Brunswick Office of For Research, RAD Collaboratory Executive Steering Committee, and faculty mentors.
• Beginning in January 2026, faculty mentors will select top candidates for interviews based on their academic records and the compatibility of their interests with faculty projects. Not all applicants will receive an interview.
• Please refrain from contacting faculty mentors with questions or requests to discuss their research projects during the application period.
• All applicants will be notified by February.

How much is the stipend?

Each student will receive a $6,000 stipend as part of the CSI Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.

Is housing provided?

No, housing is not provided

Can I conduct the research virtually?

No, research projects are to be conducted hands-on and in-person in the faculty mentor’s research laboratory. There is no virtual option.

Are there any limitations on the number of applications I can submit?

You can apply to up to three research projects for the CSI Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.

What will be the approximate date for sending out the decisions?

Beginning in January 2026, faculty mentors will evaluate applicants and select top candidates for interviews based on their academic records and the compatibility of their interests with faculty projects. Not all applicants will receive an interview. Please refrain from contacting faculty mentors with questions or requests to discuss their research projects during the application period. Faculty mentors will conduct application reviews and interviews beginning in January. Student selection notification will follow in February.

I am interested in applying to the CSI SURF program this summer and will graduate this upcoming May. However, I would have been a rising undergraduate senior had I not decided to accelerate my degree and graduate this upcoming May. Can I still apply?

The CSI SURF program is specifically designed for rising juniors and seniors, so unfortunately, it is not open to graduating seniors. Additionally, seniors who have participated in an accelerated program or have plans to delay or extend graduation are also not eligible. Graduates interested in learning about other research opportunities are encouraged to subscribe to the RAD Collaboratory and/or the office's listservs. For more information, please contact Tracy Higgins at nb-research@rutgers.edu.

I am interested in participating in CSI SURF. Can I work and/or participate in other internships in addition to the CSI SURF program?

If you are selected for the CSI SURF program, you cannot enroll in any other internships, summer courses, or hold employment during the program period. Selected students are required to have full commitment to the program, including attending all program events unless specified as optional.

Is there a minimum GPA to apply?

Each research project will specify the GPA requirements along with requirements for the major, previous coursework, and skills.

Will there be opportunities to continue the research beyond the summer program through follow-up projects or collaborations with faculty?

Regarding research opportunities beyond the summer program, it is at the discretion of the faculty mentor. There may be possibilities for follow-up projects or collaborations with faculty. Additionally, we can notify you of other research opportunities through the RAD Collaboratory and/or the office's listservs if you would like to stay informed.

How do I search for research projects?

In the Aresty Research Center’s application portal, select the RAD Collaboration program or Life Sciences Alliance SURF program. Please note that since the research projects are interdisciplinary in nature, some faculty mentors' departments might not align with their preferred major(s). For example, the faculty mentor might be from the Department of Environmental Sciences, but they are looking for a student with a major in data science or computer science. Therefore, use the “Search” feature to assist with your search.