LIGO Caltech SURF 2026
California Institute of Technology·Pasadena, CA·2026 cycle
Closed for cyclePhysical SciencesEngineering / Applied Technology✓ verified
Undergraduate students in physics, astronomy and engineering are invited to participate in the development of gravitational-wave astronomy through the Caltech LIGO Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program. This intensive summer program takes place each year at Caltech or one of the LIGO observatory sites, funded in part through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program of the National Science Foundation. Undergraduate students from all institutions (both U.S. and foreign) are invited to apply to the Caltech LIGO SURF program. We encourage students at different undergraduate levels and levels of experience to apply, and we value the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals from many backgrounds bring to our research community. The LIGO Laboratory is an NSF-supported endeavor to design, build, and operate an astrophysical observatory for the detection and study of gravitational radiation. LIGO is a joint Caltech-MIT endeavor. The observatory includes two sites (Hanford, Washington and Livingston Parish, Louisiana) with laser interferometric detector systems. The aim of the Caltech LIGO SURF program is to organize the participation of undergraduate students in research associated with the LIGO Laboratory. Research awards include a summer stipend and some funding for travel to the research site as needed. The program includes participations from several different research groups, including both the LIGO/Caltech astrophysics group and the Caltech Gravity Experiment group: https://labcit.ligo.caltech.edu/groups/astrophysics-group/index.shtml https://caltechexperimentalgravity.github.io/
LIGO, gravitational wave, gravity, astrophysics, lasers, cosmology
Requirements: Be a continuing undergraduate student Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale Complete a full year of undergraduate education at your college or university, including at least one full year course in undergraduate physics Not be under any disciplinary sanction
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