WAVE Fellows

The WAVE Fellows program recognizes that diversity of background, experience, and thought is essential to achieving and maintaining scientific excellence. The WAVE Fellows program supports this goal by providing support for undergraduates, intent on pursuing a Ph.D., to conduct a 10-week summer research project under the guidance of a Caltech faculty mentor.

• Applicants will identify several possible mentors with whom they are interested in working.
• Once accepted, Fellows will work with their mentor to define and develop a research project.
• Fellows will carry out the work over a 10-week period during the summer and submit two interim reports, a research abstract, and final paper. At the conclusion of the program, students give an oral or poster presentation at one of several Seminar Days, symposia modeled on a professional technical meeting.

The 2024 WAVE Fellows award will be set by November 1. (Please note the 2023 award was $7,100 for the ten-week period, plus a $2,300 on-campus housing and travel supplement.) Caltech housing is available and we strongly encourage all Fellows to live on campus. The 2024 WAVE Fellows program dates are June 18 through August 23.

In addition to the research experience, WAVE Fellows will participate in:

• Weekly seminars by Caltech faculty & JPL scientists and engineers
• An academic and professional development series on developing a research career, graduate school admissions, effective writing and oral communications, and other topics of interest to future researchers
• Effective writing workshops
• Social and cultural activities
• Weekly small student-faculty dinners
• Special field trips

The WAVE Fellows program is generously supported by on and off-campus partners, including: