Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program introduces students to research under the guidance of seasoned research mentors at Caltech and JPL. Students experience the process of research as a creative intellectual activity.

SURF is modeled on the grant-seeking process:

- Students collaborate with potential mentors to define and develop a project.
- Applicants write research proposals for their projects
- A faculty committee reviews the proposals and recommends awards
- Students carry out the work over a 10-week period in the summer, mid-June to late August
- At the conclusion of the program, they submit a technical paper and give an oral presentation at SURF Seminar Day, a symposium modeled on a professional technical meeting