Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2025
Overview
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offers the opportunity to highly motivated undergraduate students from around the world to engage in research activities in the summer under the mentorship of faculty at INSAIT. The program is modeled after the top successful summer research programs at MIT, Caltech, and ETH Zurich.
This is the third edition of SURF, following the successful launches in 2023 and 2024. Similarly to the first two cohorts, we expect that all participants will actively contribute to ongoing projects in their groups and have the opportunity to co-author paper submissions to top computer science and AI conferences. You can read more about the experiences of students from the first and the second cohorts below.
Duration
The program is 8-12 weeks long with the exact duration of the summer project decided between the student and their mentor. In order for students to optimally benefit from the program, we do not allow summer projects to be carried out remotely. Students are expected to be present at the institute in Sofia, Bulgaria for a minimum of 8 (max 12) weeks during the summer.
Stipend
All selected students will receive a monthly stipend of 1500 EUR to cover their living expenses. INSAIT will arrange the accommodation for the students and cover the cost in addition to the stipend. We also cover travel expenses and provide assistance for visa applications for the selected candidates.
Who can apply
Undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor degree program at any accredited university are eligible to apply. The students should be enrolled in a STEM major, such as computer science, mathematics, physics, or engineering. To be eligible, applicants should also have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (out of 4.0) or the equivalent in the corresponding grading system. We strongly encourage applications from communities generally underrepresented in STEM.
Program timeline
| Open application window | Jan 17 – Mar 03, 2025 |
| Reviewing applications | Mar 04 – Mar 18, 2025 |
| Shortlisted candidates are invited for a brief online interview | Mar 19, 2025 |
| Interviews with shortlisted candidates | Mar 19 – Mar 28, 2025 |
| Selected candidates are invited to the program | Mar 31, 2025 |
| Selected applicants need to confirm their participation in the program no later than | Mar 31 – Apr 06, 2025 |
| Selected summer students reach out to their mentors to discuss projects and define a project scope/plan | Apr 06 – Apr 30, 2025 |
| Approximate dates for the summer research projects (exact dates discussed with mentors). The duration of the project cannot exceed 12 weeks | June 1 – Aug 31, 2025 |
How to apply
Applicants need to submit their application materials before the deadline via our online platform. Your application should include:
- A current CV (in PDF format)
- An unofficial transcript from your university (in PDF format)
- A one-page motivation letter (in PDF format)
Please state (1) Why you are interested in our summer research program, (2) General research areas that you are interested in, and (3) Whether you have prior research experience.
Program requirements
Throughout the program, summer students have to deliver:
- Project plan discussed with their mentor. The project plan should be ready at the beginning of the summer program.
- Final report which summarizes your work structured as a conference paper. Very often the aim will be for the final report to be submitted to a suitable conference.
- Final presentation to be given as part of the INSAIT seminar series.
Past Students
My internship in INSAIT truly impacted me as a person and as a scientist in many ways. It inspired me to do more impactful research.
Anna Mihalkova, ETH Zurich
The best part of INSAIT is the sheer diversity of expertise available. Need advice on a niche topic? Just message a PhD expert, and voilà—an answer (and usually a fascinating discussion) was right around the corner.
Sanjana garai, Indian Institute of Technology
It was an honor to participate in this program, where I gained valuable experience in the field of large language models (LLMs) and met some truly brilliant students and researchers. Sofia itself is a fantastic city with beautiful parks and a charming city center.
Csaba Dékány, Eötvös Loránd University
I’ve always been interested in technology and how it interacts with our world. At INSAIT, I was working on identifying bias in large language models. The project allowed me to explore the concept of social fairness and how AI technology interacts with society. I learned a lot about AI’s potential to reshape the world.
Anna-Maria Gueorguieva, University of California, Berkeley
INSAIT is an incredible place that combines academic rigor with an innovative spirit, making it a perfect environment for learning.
Marwa El Kamil, Université Euro-Méditerranéenne de Fès
INSAIT is a new institute and it has a lot of potential to be one of world-class research institutes in the future. Bulgaria is a really nice place, as well! I had great time!
Thien Udomsrirungruang, University of Oxford
I had the opportunity to participate in AI research along top researchers from all around the world, read cool papers, meet many talented people and attend presentations on a diverse set of topics such as Federated Learning, Computer Vision, Large Language Models, Quantum Computing and more.
Emma Anastassova, Bocconi University
Contact
For questions about the summer research opportunities at INSAIT, please contact [email protected]
FAQ
Q. If I am graduating in the spring of the year I am applying in, am I eligible for the program?
A. Yes.
Q. When exactly can I start working on my research project?
A. The exact start and end date of your summer project are decided between you and your mentor. Once you have been selected and matched to a mentor, you need to contact them to discuss the timeline of your project.
Q. If I do not have a complete application in time, can I still send in my application?
A. Unfortunately, we can not consider late applications.
Q. Is any preference given to local students compared to international ones?
A. No! Students are evaluated solely on their application materials, irrespective of where they come from.
Q. Do you take first-year undergrads into the program?
A. Yes
Q. Can I continue to work on this project beyond the end of the program?
A. In general yes, this is something to be discussed between you and your mentor.
Q. Can I take a vacation during the research program?
A. Vacation time during the summer can be taken only with the approval of your mentor.