Program Requirements | Expectations
The
Honor Code
All
SFP Programs operate under the Caltech
Honor Code. Please
be sure to review the Honor Code prior to the start of LIGO.
Get help!
The friendly, helpful staff of the Student-Faculty Programs office is here
to assist you with questions or problems that arise during the summer. If
you need help, please do not hesitate to contact us or come in. The summer
passes very quickly, so it is better to address issues sooner than later!
We can be reached at 626.395.2885, sfp@caltech.edu,
or visit us in Room 08 Parsons-Gates.
You get out of your program what you put into it
Like most any opportunity, students will get out of their undergraduate research
experience what they put into it. Those who work hard on their projects,
ask questions, delve into the subject and reflect on what they are doing
and why they are doing it, will learn a great deal. They will gain self-insight
about what they like (or don’t like) to do. They may get strong recommendations
from their mentors for graduate school or jobs. Participants can develop
good communication skills, which will benefit them throughout their careers.
Mentors and co-mentors expect students will commit themselves fully to the
research.
Your project is not just a summer job!
SFP programs are designed to be an educational and professional research experience.
Students should devote full effort to the project during the ten-week period
and are discouraged from holding jobs, taking classes, etc. Students should
have their own small projects that are part of the ongoing research in the
mentor’s lab. Students should become colleagues with other members
of the group. They are not “laboratory or research assistants.”
Laboratory relations
Students are expected to participate fully in the life of the research group,
respect the work of all members of the laboratory, and attend and participate
in laboratory meetings or other gatherings. Students should work as hard
and as long as other members of the group work. Often students work directly
with a co-mentor, a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar or a member
of the technical staff at JPL, who will have day-to-day supervision. The
co-mentor’s responsibility is to guide and assist the student, provide
expertise, and answer questions.
Communicate!
Ask questions! For most students, your program provides an introduction to
research. It is a chance to learn a lot, and it is important to ask questions
about things you don’t understand. Participants should also communicate
their expectations to their mentors and/or co-mentors, just as mentors/co-mentors
should discuss expectations with students. Most problems that arise during
the summer come from misaligned expectations.
Meet all requirements – on
time
Requirements for SFP students are few but extremely important:
- Meet the eligibility requirements
- Students awarded a fellowship should expect to work hard on the project
during the ten-week summer period
- Students must submit two progress reports
- They must write and submit an abstract for publication in the annual abstract
book
- They must give an oral presentation on one of the scheduled seminar days
(or another time mutually agreed upon with mentor and Student-Faculty Programs
office).
- Participants are required to submit a technical paper by the stated deadline
Future applications
or recommendations could be jeopardized by not completing all requirements.
Compensation
Students receive $500/week.
