Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships 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. Click here for a full
description with eligibility requirements.
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
- A faculty committee reviews the proposals and recommends awards
- Students carry out the work over a 10-week period in the summer, mid-June to late August
- At the conclusion of the program, they submit a technical paper
and give an oral presentation at SURF Seminar Day, a symposium modeled on a
professional technical meeting
Through their participation in an undergraduate research project, students will be able to:
- Develop a research question, problem, or design;
- Apply basic principles and knowledge found in the literature related to the research question;
- Develop a research proposal to address or resolve a specific research question or problem;
- Apply and evaluate methodology throughout project;
- Collect, interpret, and critique data in order to resolve a research question or evaluate a design;
- Communicate research findings;
- Appreciate what the process of scientific research entails.
