For those that have been in Summer Research Programs...

RFU has a summer research fellowship program. the program is publicized to students sometime in the spring. they send out a list of research advisors (research faculty who are willing to take a summer research fellow) with their contact info and area of research, who you then contact to discuss a project, but if you have someone else in mind on faculty, you can do one with them as well. you come up with an idea for a short project that can be completed over the summer (mid May-end of july), at the end of which you prepare and present a poster at a poster presentation session in the fall. mid-summer there is a meet-and-greet picnic for all participants, and weekly (optional) research-related seminars are conducted by faculty, on topics ranging from animal protocols to publishing.

when you have a project in mind, together with your advisor you draft a proposal and submit it, after which you will hear back whether it's approved (they all pretty much are, since there are more spots than student fellows). it comes with a $4000 grant stipend for the summer. your role, autonomy, level of involvement, etc. is all up to you and your advisor.