Program Requirements | Expectations
All
SFP Programs operate under the Caltech Honor Code http://donut.caltech.edu/about/boc/ug_handbook.php
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 137 Beckman Institute.
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.
