2027 Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program applications open at Sanford Underground Research Facility
Davis-Bahcall Scholars travel the world for four weeks each summer touring cutting-edge research facilities and meeting scientists who are leading their fields.
The Institute for Underground Science at SURF has opened applications for the 2027 Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program. The annual program takes students into the depths of the Sanford Underground Research Facility and then around the world on an all-expense-paid STEM learning opportunity. The program is designed for students focused on physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering.
The program is named after Nobel laureate Dr. Raymond Davis Jr. and renowned astrophysicist Dr. John Bahcall. The Davis-Bahcall Scholar program celebrates their historic collaboration that led to groundbreaking discoveries in solar neutrino research in the Black Hills.
The Institute hosts the Davis-Bahcall Scholars program through a collaboration between Sanford Underground Research Facility and Black Hills State University (BHSU). The trip includes logistics support and chaperones provided by BHSU for the select group of scholars who visit top-tier research institutions and meet leading scientists working on groundbreaking projects. Along the way, scholars will learn about research on dark matter, neutrinos, and other STEM-related fields. See photos and updates from past cohorts on the Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program Facebook page.
Lewis Carlyle, a 2026 Davis-Bahcall Scholar, is now a mechanical engineering and physics double major at South Dakota State University.
“Davis-Bahcall just has changed my life in so many different ways, getting to see cutting edge technology alongside dark matter and neutrino physics, getting to go abroad and see how all this research is connected around the world has been coolest thing ever,” Carlyle said.
The 2026 Davis-Bahcall Scholars visit the Davis Campus on 4850 Level of SURF where the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter detector is in operation.
Photo by Doug Tiedt
Emma Plamp, a 2026 Davis-Bahcall Scholar, is now a physics and electrical engineering double major at South Dakota State University. Plamp added that the Davis-Bahcall program illuminated real-world work in engineering and scientific research happening around the globe.
“Getting to see the boots on the ground, real people engaged in research and engineering, was super interesting,” Plamp said. “Getting to meet other people who are just as excited about all of these nerdy things, was also super fun. I really didn't understand how big some of the stuff that was happening at SURF was. It's being talked about all over the world, and it's super cool that it's just like happening in our backyard,”
Carlyle echoes Plamp on the value of meeting engineers and scientists, and the value of getting to know the cohort of scholars during the 2026 summer program.
“It's been a terrific experience, the scholars this year came from all different walks of life, and we were able to find so many common interests,” said Carlyle. “I think that was a really good perspective in seeing how different people from different walks of life can come together and be passionate about the science and things that are changing the world.”
The Davis Bahcall Scholars program will run from Sunday, June 13 through Sunday, July 11, 2027. (Final itinerary is subject to change.) Interested students can now apply here. The application deadline is Friday, January 15, 2027.
Since 2008, more than 100 students have participated in the Davis-Bahcall Scholars Program. The program has built a solid track-record of inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. Read past scholar interviews here.
Significant financial and in-kind support are provided by South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, Black Hills State University, First PREMIER Bank, and South Dakota Space Grant Consortium.
Carlyle believes the sponsors of the program are seeing a real return on their investment in on-going success of the Davis-Bahcall Scholars over the history of the program.
“I would say that the Institute for Underground Science at SURF and all the sponsors, of the Davis-Bahcall Program, have significantly changed my life. I'm very confident that every person in this program is going to leave and go change the world for the better, and I think that goes to show how worthwhile this investment is,” he said.
