Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (CU SPUR)

Undergraduate CU Boulder engineering and applied science students in the CU SPUR program earn hourly wages (currently $16/hr) while engaging in research with college faculty and graduate students. Positions are advertised in late February, and applications are accepted through the end of March for positions for the upcoming summer term.

You may work up to 300 hours in these positions over 10 weeks. You must be available for the entire 10-week program, which generally runs from early June to early August. You will also attend several mandatory seminars, and all CU SPUR students present a PowerPoint presentation at the end of the 10 weeks.

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"This is what a researcher looks like"

Undergraduate students participating in research – no matter the venue – can submit details about themselves to be featured on the college's undegraduate research experience page. Questions and comments can be sent to  by email.

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Overview

Program Details

Timeline

  • Project list released: Feb. 13
  • Watch ""
  • Deadline to apply: CLOSED
  • Students notified of decision: April 8
  • Summer 2024 program dates: May 28 - Aug. 2

CU SPUR project list 2024

  • Be in Good Academic Standing in the College of Engineering and Applied Science to apply for a position
  • Degree-seeking students should be meeting CU cumulative, semester and major GPAs of at least 2.0
  • CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science student
  • Must be a current or continuing student
    • Students graduating in May are not eligible

Application review will not begin until the application deadline closes, so take your time to submit your application. Prior CU SPUR and/or prior DLA students are not eligible to participate. Our goal is to get new students into labs, so if you are currently working in a lab, you are not eligilbe to apply for a project in that lab. Please read the descriptions carefully and make sure you meet all the requirements for each position.

  • Submit a resume and cover letter addressing your qualifications for each project you apply for, even if a faculty member recommended you for the position
  • Attend an introductory meeting during the first week of the program
  • Complete "Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct" and "Reseponsible Conduct of Research" online training modules
  • Work as directed by faculty member and/or graduate student mentor. Make a good-faith effort to work 30 hours per week during the summer
  • Attend four bi-weekly seminars 
  • Attend your practice presentation, final presentation, and final presentations for ten other students
  • Complete surveys regarding your experiences in the program
  • Choose the positions you're interested in
  • Fill out the CU SPUR application
  • Submit a professional cover letter and resume, detailing your qualifications for the research positions

All students who are in Good Academic Standing in CEAS will be emailed a link with the application. If you think you qualify, but didn't get the email, please email Sharon Anderson. 

  • Respond in your cover letter to any requirements mentioned in the project listing. For instance, if the project says you must have taken Material and Energy Balance, include that in your cover letter.
  • Select a diversity of projects. Be sure they are ones of interest to you, but try not to select three from one faculty member, as we may not give more than one student to each professor.
  • Select five projects. If you are only interested in one or two, don’t apply for ones that are not interesting to you, but applying to five will allow maximum flexibility when considering you for a position.
  • Contact the professor offering the project to learn more about it and see if it is a good match. If you ask relevant questions and make a good impression, the faculty member may ask for you. 
  • If you accept another position for the summer after applying, please notify Sharon Anderson to remove your application from consideration.
  • No housing or travel allowances are provided for this program.

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