What is SURF?
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
* Fellows are considered student employees for the summer period.
Program Description and Requirements
Caltech Students/Non-Caltech Students
Caltech Students
Requirements
Upon receiving a SURF award, students sign an agreement to fulfill the following requirements:
* To devote full effort to conducting the SURF project (Fellows are strongly discouraged from taking courses or holding a job).
* To submit progress reports signed by their mentors
* To submit an abstract of their project
* To submit a written technical report approved by the mentor
* To give an oral presentation on one of the scheduled seminar day symposia
Compensation
SURF Fellows are considered Caltech student employees and will receive $600/week. Wages will be subject to state and federal taxation. International students may qualify for federal tax treaty exemption. For further information on payroll tax issues, please contact sfp@caltech.edu and we will forward your question to the SURF payroll coordinator.
Payments will be distributed in equal installments on the first business day in July and August.
Funding
SURF payments are funded from a variety of sources including individual, corporate, and foundation donors; income from an endowment; JPL; and faculty grants. Mentors pay all research-related costs and provide space. Caltech and off-campus mentors generally pay half the amount. JPL mentors pay the full amount plus an administrative fee.
Proposals are reviewed on their merit, not on the mentor’s ability to contribute funds.
Named SURFs
Each year a number of students are selected to represent SURF to special donors. These students are carefully chosen by matching their research interests, fields, and activities to those of the donors. Students will be notified in early July if they have been designated named SURFers. Named SURFers may be invited to meet their benefactors and will be required to write a “thank you” note.
SURF Activities
To enrich the research experience, SURF offers:
* Weekly seminars by Caltech faculty and JPL technical staff. Lunch is provided.
* A participatory discussion series on developing a research career, graduate school admissions, and other topics of interest to future researchers.
* Social and cultural activities coordinated by the SURF Student Advisory Council (SURFSAC).
* Weekly SURFSAC Suppers give small groups of students the chance to get together with two to four faculty members for informal conversation at local restaurants.
* Special field trips.
Non-Caltech Students
Requirements
Upon receiving a SURF award, students sign an agreement to fulfill the following requirements:
* To devote full effort to conducting the SURF project (Fellows are strongly discouraged from taking courses or holding a job).
* To submit progress reports signed by their mentors
* To submit an abstract of their project
* To submit a written technical report approved by the mentor
* To give an oral presentation on one of the scheduled seminar day symposia
Compensation
SURF Fellows are considered Caltech student employees and will receive $600/week. Wages will be subject to state and federal taxation. International students may qualify for federal tax treaty exemption. For further information on payroll tax issues, please contact sfp@caltech.edu and we will forward your question to the SURF payroll coordinator.
Payments will be distributed in equal installments on the first business day in July and August.
SURF has extremely limited funding for non-Caltech students. In most cases, mentors will have to pay the full amount.
Housing
Students may live in Caltech housing during the ten weeks of SURF. Non-Caltech students cannot move into Caltech housing before the first day of SURF. Rates will not be finalized until late spring, and there is no board contract. For more information on Caltech housing, click here.
SURF Activities
To enrich the research experience, SURF offers:
* Weekly seminars by Caltech faculty and JPL technical staff. Lunch is provided.
* A participatory discussion series on developing a research career, graduate school admissions, and other topics of interest to future researchers.
* Social and cultural activities coordinated by the SURF Student Advisory Council (SURFSAC).
* Weekly SURFSAC Suppers give small groups of students the chance to get together with two to four faculty members for informal conversation at local restaurants.
* Special field trips.
Eligibility Statement
Eligibility Requirements for Caltech Students
To be eligible for SURF you must:
* Be a continuing undergraduate student
* Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
* Complete the third term at Caltech, or at another school under a program approved by a Dean
* Be eligible for fall term registration before beginning your SURF project and no later than July 1.
* Not be under any disciplinary sanction
Eligibility Requirements for Non-Caltech Students
To be eligible for SURF, you must:
* Be a continuing undergraduate student
* Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5/4.0
* Complete the second semester or third quarter at your college or university
* Not be under any disciplinary sanction
Application Information for International Students
Special Requirements for International Students
International students are eligible to participate in SURF on the Caltech campus, however, students applying for SURFs at JPL must be United States citizens or U.S. permanent residents.
Once SURF awards are made, international students not currently attending a university in the U.S. will be given instructions on how to apply for a visa abroad and also the forms needed for this application. Students coming from abroad must secure an F-1 visa to participate in the SURF program.
International students attending a college or university in the U.S. who are awarded a SURF must secure special employment authorization before they can participate in SURF. Students who are currently in the U.S. on an F-1 visa will be required to apply for either Curricular or Optional Practical Training. Students currently in the U.S. on a J-1 visa must apply for Academic Training.
International students currently in the U.S. who are pursuing a SURF must discuss securing employment authorization with an international student advisor at their home institution as soon as they start the SURF application process. In some cases, authorization may take in excess of 3 months to secure!
Special Note: Caltech international students are not required to secure this employment authorization.
Practical Training for F-1 Students in the U.S.
Optional Practical Training: This type of practical training requires students to submit an application for work authorization directly to the Immigration Service. Prior to submitting this application, students must secure a written endorsement from an international student advisor at their schools. Therefore, students should stop by their international student programs offices to discuss this endorsement and application.
Special Note: The Immigration Service may take in excess of 3 months to approve an application for Optional Practical Training. Once this application is approved, the Immigration Service will send the student an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Students are NOT allowed to begin their SURFs until they have received this EAD from the Immigration Service.
Curricular Practical Training: This type of practical training can be granted through a student’s current academic institution and does not require an application to be submitted to the Immigration Service. Each college or university in the U.S. has established specific guidelines and procedures for authorizing Curricular Practical Training. To find out the specific qualifications for this type of Practical Training, students should stop by and talk with an international student advisor at their current academic institutions.
Academic Training for J-1 Students in the U.S.
Academic Training is granted through a student’s home institution and does not require an application to be submitted to the Immigration Service. Each college or university in the U.S. has established specific guidelines and procedures for authorizing Academic Training. To find out the specific qualifications for this type of employment authorization, students should stop by and talk with an international student advisor at their current academic institutions.
If you have been awarded a SURF and, after consulting with your current academic institution, still have questions about securing work authorization, you may contact an advisor in the Office of International Student Programs (ISP) at Caltech for additional guidance and information. ISP can be reached by phone at (626) 395-6330 or by email at isp@caltech.edu.
