VA Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)

The participation of underrepresented (UR) individuals in the biomedical sciences, as well as in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in general, remains a critical issue affecting our nation’s medical and research enterprises. Projections based on 2014 U.S. census data indicate that the demographics of our nation’s population will change dramatically in the next fifty years. Also, UR researchers may be more inclined and better positioned to address diseases that disproportionately affect the population they represent. As such, a diverse healthcare and biomedical research workforce is critical to link scientific advancements with quality health service and delivery in increasingly diverse communities. Programs such as SURF-Charleston, start early in a student’s career with the goal of stimulating interest in STEM and will provide exposure to “hands-on” research opportunities through the lens of what the VA has to offer across all aspects of the VA Office of Research and Development, including broad and targeted research in basic laboratory sciences (BL), clinical science (CS), rehabilitation research (RR), and health services (HS) research. SURF- Charleston will provide critical and highly relevant real-world experience capable of igniting interests and enhancing perspectives of the innerworkings of science and its integration with clinical care, particularly in the VA enterprise, beyond what can be received through a typical undergraduate curriculum. To begin to address this educational gap, we have developed a comprehensive program with the following Specific Aims: 1) Train early career undergraduates in scientific and soft skills required for successful subsequent professional educational programs (e.g., M.S., R.N., D.M.D., M.D., Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D.); 2) Introduce the VA research program through hands-on research experiences under the guidance of successful VA Mentors; 3) Enhance diversity within the VA medical and research workforce; 4) To coordinate with other SRP sites to develop best practices and procedures for a successful summer research program. We believe that by initiating training and exposure early, through this undergraduate research program, we will plant seeds that will continue to grow throughout the trainee’s educational experience, highlighting the past successes and emerging opportunities for funding, and support within the VA Health Care System and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and priming them with the knowledge of how research discoveries can be applied to improve clinical care for Veterans.