URECA Summer | Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities

URECA Summer Program

Application Deadline:
March 13, 2026 (applications can be submitted up to midnight!)

Dates:
May 26 - July 31, 2026

Description:
The URECA (Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities) Program supports SB students doing full-time faculty-mentored research or creative activity for ten weeks (i.e. 9-5 Monday-Fridays) on campus. At the end of the ten-week period, the URECA participants will prepare abstracts of their work and commit to presenting their work at the University's annual poster symposium in the following spring.

Award:
URECA Summer Research Program participants receive a $5,000 stipend.

Campus housing?. URECA students who opt to live on-campus while participating in the URECA summer program are responsible for paying their housing bill. Housing is not provided as part of the program. The cost for URECA students staying from May 26-July 31 is estimated to be: TBD
Please consult the Campus Residences Website for online housing forms, rates, and updated information regarding available dates for check-in; interested students are encouraged to become familiar with all applicable campus regulations regarding covid testing, quarantine, and financial responsibility.

Eligibility: The URECA summer program is open to current Stony Brook undergraduates with at least one semester of spring/fall coursework remaining (seniors graduating in May/August are not eligible to apply).

Applicants are required to list the name of the faculty supervisor/mentor who has agreed to supervise the project; and should provide a project proposal/description.

Please note that the URECA summer program requires a full-time commitment (40 hours/week): URECA participants who intend to take a class or work at another job [limited hours only in an activity that does not interrupt a full time commitment to the program] must obtain written permission from their faculty mentor and notify URECA at the time of application.

Applicants may not receive both a stipend and credit for doing research during the same time period; and proposals for doing research as part of a credit-bearing study abroad program will not be eligible for URECA funding.

Requirement re full-time in person research?. If for any part of the upcoming 10-week program you are planning to work remotely , are employed in a part-time job on or off campus, or plan to take summer classes (with permission of your faculty mentor), please describe in your application. If you are planning to conduct research off-campus at libraries/archives or are able to do the work remotely, please explain how you will communicate with your mentor and receive guidance on a regular basis. Be sure to explain how you will fulfill commitment to research for ~ 40 hours/week for 10 weeks.

Application/Form:
The application consists of the following:

ONLINE APPLICATION, found here, requires uploads of the following documents/files):

a ) Personal statement (up to 1 page). Please indicate why participating in undergraduate research is important to your long-term career goals. What makes you particularly excited about the upcoming summer research project? You may also include any other information you would like the faculty selection committee to know about you.
b) Research project proposal (1 - 3 pages). Describe the research project that you plan to become involved in during the upcoming summer, if selected for the program. The project description/proposal should be written entirely by the applicant, in consultation with the faculty mentor/research supervisor.
Clearly state the goals of the project and describe the particular activities and area of work which will be the focus of your summer activities (for ex., provide a brief outline of a research plan or set of experiments you hope to accomplish). Include reference to work that you may have done already and to the skills you possess that qualify you to carry out the project.
c) Transcript (unofficial)
d) CV/resume (recommended/optional)
LETTER of RECOMMENDATION from the faculty mentor/supervisor (please direct to Karen Kernan at: karen.kernan@stonybrook.edu ) The faculty letter should comment on the student's research or creative capabilities and potential to carry out the specified project, and confirm that the faculty has agreed to oversee/supervise the research project proposed.

All application materials should be submitted by the deadline.

**** - Opportunity for Rising juniors/seniors majoring in Mathematics. Learn more about Summer Math Scholarship. URECA is proud to be a collaborative partner of the Summer Math Enhanced REU Scholarship program and encourages eligible Mathematics majors to apply!

Summer Research