Explore Energy is an effort of the Precourt Institute for Energy, which is part of the Doerr School of Sustainability.
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Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research

The Precourt Institute for Energy's Summer Undergraduate Program on Energy Research (SUPER) internships provide undergraduates with opportunities to work on faculty-mentored, individualized energy research. Undergraduates delve deeply into one energy topic, while also learning about energy research across Stanford University. The program is designed to inspire students to consider energy as a field of study at Stanford and to prepare them to engage as professionals in solving this real world challenge.

2023 Program Features:

  • The program runs June 26 through September 1, 2023.
  • Stipend of $7,500 to support student researchers with supplemental stipend available based on financial need
  • On-campus research (field work or remote work may be an option on a case-by-case basis)
  • Weekly seminar showcasing a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary energy research and discussing current energy news. Faculty will present their research as well as personal stories about how they decided to pursue research in energy.
  • Opportunities to connect with other undergraduates conducting research on-campus research through our sister programs: Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research (SESUR), Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR), and Summer Undergraduate Research in Geoscience and Engineering (SURGE)

  • Students present results during fall term at the university's Symposia of Undergraduate Research and Public Service

The Application Process

Please note: We are changing our application process this year to foster the best possible project matches and align with similar programs within the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Projects will be added to the SUPER website as descriptions become available. Interested students should directly contact mentors who have projects of interest; then student and mentor will work together to submit a joint application to the Precourt Institute for Energy. You are also welcome to seek out a faculty mentor not listed on this website and develop an application to work with them.

Joint applications are due March 3. (This is an extension from our original February 15 deadline.)

The joint application should be a text document of 3-5 pages giving background/context for the project, a plan of what you will work on and how, and a list of relevant references (if any). Sample proposals from our sister program, SESUR, are available at the bottom of this page – direct links here, here, here, here, and here. As you'll see from them, the goal is not to produce an in-depth research paper, because you haven't done the research yet; rather, it's a way for you and your mentor to think through a plan for your summer research, and for you to start to understand the landscape in which it will fit.

Email proposals to Sarah Weaver (sarah.weaver@stanford.edu), and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Student Requirements

Eligible students must be a Stanford undergraduate who will be enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year. Participants funded by the program are required to:

  • Undertake a research project during the 10 weeks that correspond to summer quarter
  • Write a blog post about their research
  • Meet with their faculty advisor weekly (every other week at a minimum). Postdoctoral fellows or advanced graduate students may serve as Energy Research Mentors.
  • Complete an online questionnaire on the SUPER experience
  • Write a research summary
  • Present their research at a poster presentation

2023 Projects

Check out our current projects on our Projects page.

Remember, you are NOT limited to only the posted projects. We encourage you to reach out directly to faculty if you are interested in their research.

Faculty Requirements

  • Meet at least every other week with the undergraduate researcher to advise and adjust the work plan. In addition to faculty mentorship, postdoctoral fellows or advanced graduate students may serve as Energy Research Mentors and meet more frequently with the student
  • Actively include the undergraduate in your lab or research community
  • Participate by giving a talk at a lunchtime seminar, if invited
  • Complete an online questionnaire on the SUPER experience

FAQs

What if I'm interested in more than one project?

You are welcome to contact multiple professors from this site and/or others not listed here.

Is housing provided?

Participants in summer programs are eligible for housing on campus. However, SUPER does not arrange or pay for housing; you will need to organize it yourself.

What other summer research opportunities are there?

Check out other programs in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability here.