California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program is one of the “crown jewels” of Caltech. Since 1979, SURF students have had the opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of experienced mentors working at the frontier of their fields.

• Program Website: SURF Program

• Program Schedule: SURF applications are due on February 22. Awards will be announced on April 1.
• Program Duration: The program will run from the conclusion of June until the conclusion of August.

• Priority Recommended Fields:

1. Condensed matter physics
2. Quantum Information Physics
3. High Energy Physics
4. Astrophysics
5. Computer Science
6. Engineering
7. Neuroscience

• Eligibility Criteria:

1. Be a continuing undergraduate student and eligible for fall term registration
2. Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7/4.3
3. Complete the second semester or third quarter at your college or university
4. Not be under any academic or disciplinary sanction.

• Funding Amount: In 2025, Fellows will receive a $7,950 award for the ten-week period.

• Funding Options:

1. Provided by Caltech Mentor: Financial support may be available directly through the Caltech faculty mentor.
2. BABAR-SURF Fund: Sponsored by NTU alumni donations to the SURF program office. NTU can recommend 5–8 students for this fund.

• Application Materials:

1. An unofficial transcript
2. A research proposal
3. Two confidential letters of recommendation (one of which must be from a faculty member)

• Application Procedure:

【Caltech Side】

All applicants are required to adhere to the instructions provided on the SURF program website and independently reach out to Caltech faculty mentors. It is advised to consult the Announcements of Opportunity on the program website to verify the mentorship agreement. Online applications must be finalized by February 22, 2025.

【NTU Selection – BABAR-SURF Fund Recommendation Slots】

To apply for NTU’s recommendation slots for the BABAR-SURF Fund, please submit a single PDF file containing your English CV, academic transcripts, and a preliminary research proposal (file name format: StudentID_Name) to Jeffrey Huang at jeffreyhuang@ntu.edu.tw by February 7, 2025.

Important Note: The research proposal submitted to the Office of International Affairs does not need to be the final version required for the SURF application. It can be based on the project discussions held with your Caltech mentor to date. Additionally, please specify if your mentor will provide financial support.

• Coordinator: Mr. Jeffrey Huang (Email: jeffreyhuang@ntu.edu.tw. Phone: 02-3366-2007 #228)

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SURF計畫為加州理工學院的瑰寶，始於1979年，參與SURF計畫的同學有機會在各自領域首屈一指、經驗豐富的導師帶領下進行研究。

• 計畫網站 SURF Program

• 計畫期程

線上申請期限：2025年2月22日

錄取通知：2025年4月1日

計畫執行期間：2025年6月至8月

• 優先推薦領域：

1. Condensed matter physics
2. Quantum Information Physics
3. High Energy Physics
4. Astrophysics
5. Computer Science
6. Engineering
7. Neuroscience

• 申請資格

1. 本校大二以上學士生，且114-1會繼續於本校大學部註冊就讀者。
2. 在學期間本校GPA每學期均須達2.7。
3. 未受任何學術或紀律制裁。

• 補助方金額

所有獲SURF計畫錄取之學生將獲得$7,950美金補助

• 補助方式

1. 由Caltech指導老師提供補助
2. 由本校校友捐贈予SURF計畫辦公室之BABAR-SURF Fund 提供補助（本校可推薦5-8名學生）

• 申請資料

1. 英文版歷年成績表（向教務處申請，須含113-1修課紀錄／成績）
2. 英文研究計畫書
3. 英文推薦信2封（其1須為所屬學系師長）

• 申請方式

【Caltech端線上申請】

所有申請者都須依SURF計畫網站說明，自行聯絡Caltech指導老師，建議參考計畫網站Announcements of Opportunity，確認獲老師同意指導後，於 2025年2月22日前 完成線上申請。

【臺大甄選─BABAR-SURF Fund推薦名額】

如欲爭取本校推薦名額，請將英文版個人CV簡歷、歷年成績單、研究計畫書，合併成1個PDF檔（檔名設為學號+姓名），於2025年2月7日前前寄至jeffreyhuang@ntu.edu.tw（國際事務處黃子洋專員，+886-2-3366-2007 #228）。

註：提供本處之研究計畫書，不限為SURF計畫線上申請之最終版本，可單就繳件日期前與Caltech指導老師討論之計畫內容，並敘明指導老師是否提供補助。

• 承辦人：國際事務處黃子洋專員 Mr. Jeffrey Huang (jeffreyhuang@ntu.edu.tw、02-3366-2007#228)

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering Institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. Caltech's extraordinary faculty and students are expanding our understanding of the universe and inventing the technologies of the future, with research interests from quantum science and engineering to bioinformatics and the nature of life itself, from human behavior and economics to energy and sustainability.

Caltech is small but prizes excellence and ambition. The contributions of Caltech's faculty and alumni have earned national and international recognition, including 46 Nobel Prizes. The Institute manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA, sending probes to explore the planets of our solar system and quantify changes on our home planet; owns and operates large-scale research facilities such as the Seismological Laboratory and a global network of astronomical observatories, including the Palomar and W. M. Keck Observatories; and co-founded and co-manages LIGO, which, in 2016, observed gravitational waves for the first time.

The Institute has one of the nation's lowest student-to-faculty ratios, with more than 300 professorial faculty members offering a rigorous curriculum and access to varied learning opportunities and hands-on research to approximately 1,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students. Caltech is an independent, privately supported institution with a 124-acre campus located in Pasadena, California.