The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, runs the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, known as SURF. The Caltech SURF summer research fellowship gives undergraduates ten full weeks on a real research project with an experienced mentor. The work is in person and full time.
SURF differs from an ordinary summer job. You shape a project with a mentor, write a proposal, and carry out the work. At the end, you write a technical paper and present your results at a seminar day.
What the ten weeks look like
Fellows do research full time for the whole summer. No courses, other jobs, or remote projects are allowed. You must be on site for the full ten weeks.
Alongside the research, fellows join weekly seminars by Caltech faculty and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers. Fellows submit interim reports and an abstract, then a final paper and oral presentation.
The award and what it does not pay for
Fellows receive an award of $8,354 for the ten-week period. That figure comes directly from the official programme page. Treat it as the programme’s award, not a salary, and plan your budget around it.
Housing is a separate cost. The official FAQ states that housing for visiting students is limited and not guaranteed, and its cost is not part of the SURF award. Travel costs are not specified on the official page.
Who can apply: read this before anything else
SURF is open to continuing undergraduate students. You must still be an undergraduate when the programme ends, and you must be eligible to register for the fall term. Students finishing their degree before the programme ends do not fit this rule.
Caltech students need a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, while visiting students need at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Visiting students must also have completed the second semester or third quarter, and Caltech students the third term. Applicants must not be under any academic or disciplinary sanction.
International students can apply, but only for projects on the Caltech campus. Jet Propulsion Laboratory placements are open only to United States citizens and permanent residents. International students travelling to the United States for SURF receive visa instructions after an award, while those already studying there must arrange off-campus work authorisation before the programme begins.
The single hardest requirement is the mentor rule. A Caltech faculty mentor must agree to support your application before you apply. The mentor helps define the project and write the proposal, and contributes financially to your award. The official page states this plainly: do not apply without a faculty mentor’s approval first.
A quick self-check: should you apply?
Apply if you are a continuing undergraduate with the grades above, you can spend ten weeks in person in Pasadena, and a mentor has agreed to support you. The programme fits students who want to own one research question for a whole summer.
Do not apply if any of these points describe you:
- You will have graduated before the summer ends.
- You cannot be in Pasadena in person for the full ten weeks.
- You want a Jet Propulsion Laboratory placement but you are not a United States citizen or permanent resident.
- You have no Caltech faculty mentor who has agreed to support you.
Caltech SURF at a glance
| Detail | What the official page states |
|---|---|
| Organisation | California Institute of Technology |
| Location | Pasadena, California, USA, in person |
| Duration | Ten weeks, starting in mid-June |
| Award | $8,354 for the ten-week period |
| Deadline | 22 February, applications and recommendations |
| Mentor rule | Mentor approval required before applying |
How to find and approach a faculty mentor
Finding a mentor is the real first step, and it takes longer than filling in a form. Read the research pages of Caltech faculty in your field, and look for groups whose recent work you genuinely understand. A short list of three to five names is better than a long list of strangers. Use your academic network first: ask home-university faculty whether they know anyone at Caltech.
When you write yourself, keep it short: say who you are, what you have studied, and which of their projects caught your attention. Do not send broad, spam-like messages to dozens of professors.
How to apply for the Caltech SURF summer research fellowship, step by step
Once a mentor has agreed to support you, work with that mentor to define the project and write the research proposal. Visiting students should also prepare an unofficial transcript from their home university. Then enter your recommenders’ details in the SFP Online system, and submit by 22 February.
Two confidential letters are required, and at least one must come from a faculty member. The other can come from an instructor, teaching assistant, research assistant, or coach. Your prospective Caltech mentor completes a separate evaluation and should not write a recommendation letter.
Your proposal is the heart of the application. It should be technical and specific, explaining what you plan to do, why it matters, the background theory, the methods, and a work plan. Reviewers judge whether the project is clear, whether you can take intellectual ownership of it, and whether it can realistically be finished in ten weeks. Pick a clear question, and let your mentor read drafts early enough for one full revision.
For comparison, see our guides to the MIT Summer Research Program, the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) and the EPFL Summer Research Program.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can international students apply for Caltech SURF?
A: Yes, for Caltech-campus projects only. Jet Propulsion Laboratory placements need United States citizenship or permanent residence.
Q: Do I need a mentor before I apply?
A: Yes. A Caltech faculty mentor must agree to support you before you submit anything.
Q: Can I do SURF remotely, or alongside a course or a job?
A: No. Research is in person for the full ten weeks, with no courses or other jobs allowed.
Q: Is housing included in the award, and when are results announced?
A: No, housing costs are not part of the award. Results are announced on April 1, with email notification and acceptance instructions.
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