NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowships (NURF)
Each year, NDnano awards several undergraduate summer research fellowships. Students selected for a fellowship will conduct their research within a team atmosphere alongside an NDnano faculty mentor, postdocs, and graduate students in the University’s science and engineering labs or core facilities.
opportunity to gain experience, but it also helped determine my future.
I received a fellowship the summer before my junior year, and
now I am pursuing my Ph.D. at Notre Dame. My summer fellowship
gave me first-hand experience in a research environment and put me right
alongside graduate students. Through my work and conversations with
Ph.D. students, I realized how fulfilling and challenging research work
is compared to the other jobs I had held. My experience taught me how much
I love research work and helped convince me to apply to graduate school
to continue the same work I love." - Nick Slusher, 2021 NURF recipient
For the summer 2026 NURF program, NDnano has compiled several research projects from faculty who are affiliated with the Center. The projects offer motivated undergraduates the opportunity to learn more about a specific area of research, gain valuable skills, and be part of a cutting-edge research project in nanoscience or nanoengineering.
The program dates for summer 2026 are May 18 - July 24. The expectation is that student researchers would participate in this opportunty for 40 hours each week for the duration of their 10-week project.
The fellowship payment is $6,500. Student researchers are responsible for securing their own transportation to the University, housing, and food for the summer. The University offers summer housing (detailed information is available at summersession.nd.edu/student-services-resources/), or students can opt to live off campus. For international students accepted into the program, NDnano will assist with the visa process. See section 2 of the Frequently Asked Questions for additional considerations for international students.
Fellowship recipients will be part of Notre Dame’s summer research community and have the opportunity to participate in a variety of social and professional development activities. At the conclusion of their research, each NURF recipient is required to prepare a summary of their project accomplishments for posting on the NDnano website.
View the project summaries written by past NDnano fellowship recipients (filter by year).
Questions?
Review the Frequently Asked Questions or feel free to contact Heidi Deethardt.