LIGO SURF: Information for fellows
Project Reports
Guidelines for written reports for the LIGO SURF Program are the same as those for the Caltech SURF Program.
Students are required to submit a project proposal (by May), two written progress reports, an abstract, a final technical paper, and a final oral presentation. These reports help students develop good communication skills, focus on progress toward their research goals, and synthesize the work done over the ten-week period.
Summer requirements and expectations
Project plan
You will work with your mentor to develop a project plan by May 15.
Interim reports
Students will write two interim reports over the course of the summer. We recommend that the second report be created by extending and updating the first report, and follow the SURF guidelines for interim reports.
Abstracts
Abstracts are compiled in an abstract book for each of the scheduled seminar days. Please follow these abstract writing requirements.
Final reports
Follow these final report writing requirements. Please read and follow them carefully. Deadline is 4th Friday in September.
Final oral or poster presentation
All students are required to give an oral or poster presentation on one of the regularly scheduled seminar days. Most or all LIGO SURF students will give their presentation during the last two days of the summer program; so you should expect to be present on those last two days. However, some students may arrange to give their presentations at other times.
The SURF presentation guidelines provide assistance in the preparation of the oral presentation. Their purpose is not a speech textbook providing useful information for all types of speaking presentations, rather its focus is for undergraduate students presenting highly technical information to a general audience. For the guidelines, see the final presentation page.
Failure to complete all of these requirements by the deadline will jeopardize future applications, recommendations, and the posting of SURF on a Caltech transcript.
Students are strongly encouraged to present their work when they return to their home institution, and at regional conferences such asThe Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR), or the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR).