Undergraduate Research
The Student-Faculty Programs office is currently closed for in-person meetings and visits. Please contact us via sfp@caltech.edu if you have any questions or would like to speak with a team member.
Welcome to the world of undergraduate research at Caltech! Research has always been a big part of the undergraduate experience at Caltech. In fact, today it is one of the main reasons why students choose to come to Caltech. The low student-faculty ratio (3:1) provides undergraduates with many opportunities to be involved in cutting-edge scientific research. Considering the Caltech professorial faculty and the postdoctoral population, there is at least one Ph.D.-level researcher for every undergraduate!
Our mission is to provide excellent undergraduate research opportunities that help prepare future generations of scientific leaders and support the academic, professional, and personal success of our students. We are committed to:
- Inclusive excellence by ensuring access for students of diverse backgrounds and interests and by supporting the retention and persistence of students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields.
- Promoting a culture of research and building a community of student scholars by involving students in Caltech's research enterprise.
- Encouraging strong mentor-student relationships by providing training and support to undergraduate research mentors (including faculty, senior researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students).
- Exposing students to enrichment programs and activities that foster engagement with the broader Institute community and provide opportunities to develop as leaders.
We invite you to check out our programs!
Announcements
In response to a request made by the Academics and Research Committee, we are extending the SURF application deadline to Monday, March 15. We hope that this allows interested students time to secure a mentor and organize all parts of your application. Please note the SURF@JPL applications will still be due on February 22.
Please remember to reach out early to the Student-Faculty Programs office for assistance. SURF Drop-in hours are every Tuesday at 10:00 am PT and Wednesday at 2:00 pm PT. Links can be found at www.sfp.caltech.edu/sfp-calendar.
Off-Campus and Exchange Information Slides
Perpall Final Winners Announced
Congratulations to our all of our Perpall Finalists on advancing to the final round of the Perpall SURF Speaking Competition. Please join us in congratulating our winners:
Abigail Jiang, First Place
Yasmin Veys, Second Place
Vidhya Dev, Third Place
Congratulations Abby, Yasmin and Vidhya!
Congratulations to the Gee Poster Competition Finalists!
Hernan Caceres, Robert Daigle, Evan Dicker, Aanica Gonzales-Rogers, Benjamin Juarez, Charley LaFayette, Arya Mevada, Toussaint Pegues, and Maxwell Vale.
Congratulations to Katie Wong, Rachel Sun, and Molly Crotteau for being awarded the 2020 Marcella and Joel Bonsall SURF Prize for Technical Writing!
Eligible students included Caltech seniors who did their research with a Caltech faculty mentor, completed all SURF requirements, and were nominated by their mentor. Nominees' SURF final papers were reviewed by two judges for clear and concise writing, statement of the importance of the work to the ongoing work of the mentor's research group, and accurate and clear discussion of the results.
