2027 Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (SUFP)

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program is a 10-week summer program that gives undergraduate students hands-on experience in medical physics. Fellows conduct research in a medical physics laboratory and shadow professionals in a clinical setting.

Program Highlights

  • Competitive selection: Fellows are chosen through a competitive review process.
  • Mentor-guided projects: Each fellow selects a mentor with a clinical or research project based at a university, research facility, hospital or clinical facility in the U.S. or Canada.
  • $6,000 stipend: Fellows receive a $6,000 stipend to help cover living expenses during the 10-week program, once the fellow and mentor have agreed on the project's expectations. The program runs between May and September, on dates that work for both the mentor and the fellow.
  • Full-time commitment: Fellows may not take summer courses or outside classes, or hold other employment, during the 10-week program.
  • Annual Meeting opportunity: Fellows are invited to attend the 2027 AAPM Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, with complimentary registration and $500 toward travel expenses.

► Got questions? Find answers in the SUFP Frequently Asked Questions.

► Curious about the field? Explore What Is Medical Physics?

► SUFP is made possible by the AAPM Education & Research Fund, with special thanks to the Northwest AAPM (NWAAPM) Chapter for its generous support of the next generation of medical physicists.

Eligibility

To apply, students must:

  • Have completed at least two years of undergraduate study by the start of the fellowship, must not yet have graduated, and must have at least one full semester of undergraduate study remaining after the summer fellowship. Students graduating in spring 2027 or earlier are not eligible.
  • Have declared, or be eligible to declare, a major in physics, engineering or another science
  • Have completed a mathematics course in differential equations
  • Have completed at least one of the following physics courses, or an equivalent course in the engineering sciences: modern physics, quantum mechanics, or electricity and magnetism
  • Must be legal U.S. residents, regardless of national origin or immigration status. Students with DACA status are welcome to apply. For applicants who hold a visa, the following visa types are generally acceptable for meeting the program’s U.S. residency requirement:
    • F-1 Student Visa for study at an accredited US college or university or for the study of English at an English Language institute
    • J-1 Exchange Visa for participation in an exchange program which would include university study
    • The M-1 Student Visa for non-academic or vocational study or training.
  • Previous recipients of the fellowship are not eligible to apply.

Fellowship Program Application Requirements:

  • To be submitted no later than 11:59 PM ET on February 9, 2027:

  • Personal Statement (approximately one page) describing your interest in the AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (SUFP). Your personal statement should be uploaded as a PDF file and serves as a writing sample to evaluate communication.

  • A Note on the Use of AI Tools: Please write your statement in your own words, and do not use large language models (LLMs) or other AI tools to generate content. Light editing support, similar to a spelling or grammar checker, is fine as long as the ideas and sentences are yours. 

  • In your statement, be sure to:

    • Why are you interested in the field of medical physics?

    • Include any previous academic, professional, or extracurricular work as part of a team.

    • Include any previously demonstrated interests in medical physics or healthcare.

    • Include how the SUFP would be beneficial to your professional trajectory.

    • Explain how your intellectual, problem-solving, interpersonal, and intrapersonal strengths will contribute to a fellowship program.

  • Transcripts

    • An unofficial transcript is required at the time of application (a second transcript may be uploaded, if applicable).

    • Finalists will be required to submit an official transcript within two weeks of notification.

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    • Use the required [CV template].

    • Upload your completed CV as a PDF file.

  • Letters of Recommendation (2 required)

    • You may submit the recommendation letter requests before your application is complete. We encourage you to finish this section as early as possible to give your recommender ample time to respond. You are responsible for ensuring this task is complete. Please check your application before the deadline to confirm the letter has been uploaded.

    • You will need to provide the names and email addresses of your recommenders.

    • Once you submit, the system will automatically email your recommenders instructions. (Please advise them to check for an email from noreply@secure-platform.com, which may be directed to their spam/junk folder.)

  • As part of your application, you'll be asked to confirm that you have read and understand these Fellowship Requirements.

Timeline

► Student Application Deadline: February 9, 2027 | 11:59 PM ET
► Mentor Application Deadline: February 9, 2027 | 11:59 PM ET

► Decision Notifications: by March 3, 2027
► Mentor Matching: March 22 - 26, 2027

Closed

 
Mentor Eligibility

Each selected fellow will have a mentor employed by a university, a research facility, a hospital or clinical facility, or a radiological industry within the United States or Canada. Mentors must be a faculty medical physicist in a university environment, a person working in a medical physics-related field, or a qualified medical physicist.  Each mentor must be a full member of AAPM. Attestation of Employer support and Indemnification is an application requirement. More information on Mentor Requirements and Guidelines.

In the application, the mentor will specify a 10-week period during the summer academic period (May to September) during which the mentor will supervise the undergraduate student fellow.

► Mentor Application Deadline: February 9, 2027

Closed

Program Contact: grantsandfellowships@aapm.org