Caltech SURF 2027 in the USA ($8,354 Paid Summer Research Fellowship)

Caltech SURF 2027 is a paid summer research fellowship at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA. Fellows receive an award of $8,354 for ten weeks of research with a Caltech faculty mentor.

SURF is open to undergraduates from universities around the world, including international students. Before you apply, a Caltech faculty member must agree to be your mentor.

What is Caltech SURF?

SURF stands for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. Caltech has run it since 1979. It works like a real research grant: you and a mentor shape a project, you write a proposal, faculty review it, and if you win you do the research over ten weeks in summer.

At the end you write a technical paper and give a talk at a SURF Seminar Day. During the summer you can join weekly seminars by Caltech and NASA JPL scientists, workshops on research careers and graduate school, and student-faculty dinners.

What you get

• An award of $8,354 for the ten-week period
• Ten weeks of in-person research with a Caltech faculty mentor
• Weekly seminars, career workshops and social events
• Visa instructions for an F-1 or J-1 student visa after you get the award

The SURF pages list one award. They don’t list separate payments for flights or housing, so plan to cover those from the $8,354.

Who can apply

• A continuing undergraduate student in a degree programme, at any university
• A cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 out of 4.0
• You have finished your second semester or third quarter
• You will be registered for the next fall term
• Not under any academic or disciplinary sanction

Can international students apply?

Yes. International students can do SURF on the Caltech campus. Placements at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. If you already study at a U.S. university, you’ll need CPT, OPT or Academic Training work authorisation from your school before SURF starts.

How do I find a Caltech mentor?

This is the hardest step, and Caltech says so. Look through Caltech faculty pages for research that truly matches yours. Write a short, personal email to each one explaining why their work interests you. Don’t send the same mass email to many professors.

Caltech also suggests using your network. Ask your lecturers or graduate students at your university if they know anyone at Caltech who could introduce you. The mentor must agree to support your application and contribute to your award, so start early.

Is there an application fee?

No application fee is mentioned.

Required documents

• The online application on SFP Online
• A research proposal you write with your mentor’s guidance
• An unofficial transcript
• Two recommendation letters, at least one from a faculty member (your Caltech mentor writes a separate evaluation, not a letter)

How to write your research proposal

• Be technical and specific. It is read by people in your field.
• Explain the background, the methods you’ll use and why the work matters.
• Give a clear work plan for the ten weeks.
• Check with your mentor before using AI tools. Caltech doesn’t allow any use that hasn’t been specifically approved.

Our guide on how to ask a professor for a recommendation letter helps with your letters.

How to apply, step by step

1. Find a Caltech faculty mentor and get their agreement.
2. Develop your project with them.
3. Create your SFP Online account and start the SURF application.
4. Enter your two recommenders early so they get the request in time.
5. Upload your proposal and transcript and submit by 22 February 2027.

Selection process

After you submit, Caltech asks your mentor for a confidential evaluation. Faculty in your field review your proposal and recommend the awards. If you win, you’ll be asked for an official transcript.

Deadline

Deadline: 22 February 2027

Both recommendation letters are due on the same day. Finding a mentor takes time, so start contacting faculty now.

Have a question?

Ask in the comments and we’ll help where we can.

Related reading

• MIT Summer Research Program 2027 in the USA (Fully Funded)
• Stanford Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program 2027 in the USA (Fully Funded Stay)
• LPI Summer Intern Program 2027 in Houston, USA (Fully Funded)
• KAUST VSRP Internship 2027 in Saudi Arabia (Fully Funded Research Internship)

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Apply on the Official Caltech Website