Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program

Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program introduces students to research under the guidance of seasoned research mentors at Caltech and JPL. Students experience the process of research as a creative intellectual activity. SURF is modeled on the grant-seeking process: students collaborate with potential mentors to define and develop a project; applicants write research proposals for their projects; faculty review the proposals and recommend awards; students carry out the work over a 10-week period during the summer. At the conclusion of the program, students submit a technical paper and give an oral presentation at one of several SURF Seminar Days, symposia modeled on a professional technical meeting.

Award / Eligibility Details:

To be eligible for SURF, applicants must: be a continuing undergraduate student and eligible for fall term registration; have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5/4.0; complete the second semester or third quarter at your college or university; and not be under any academic or disciplinary sanction. Students must identify and contact a mentor in advance of submitting an application. A mentor must agree to support your application, help you to develop and define a research project, and assist you in the writing of the research proposal. Fellows receive a $6,000 award for the ten-week period. Award payments are distributed in equal installments in late June and late July.

Deadline: Late February each year

Academic Level: Undergraduate

Type/Purpose: Research

Field of Study: All, Arts & Humanities, Business, Education / Teaching, Public Affairs / Policy, Social Sciences, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

Location: United States

Citizenship eligibility: All, Foreign Citizen / International Student, Permanent Resident, US Citizen, US National

Special Circumstances:

For more information: http://sfp.caltech.edu/programs/surf