SURF 2013

This page is intended for students interested in working on SURF projects in the Summer of 2013. It contains a list of project areas where I will be supervising projects this year along with information about how to apply for a SURF project in my group.

Applying for a SURF project

Because I get many students interested in doing SURFs in my group and because we have several projects available, we use the first few weeks in January to sort out who we will work with in writing proposals. We only submit one proposal per project area and so we often can't accommodate everyone who wants to work in my group over the summer.

1. A list of SURF project descriptions is given in the table below. Due to the number of SURF projects that we support, we are only able to support students who select from among these projects. Please make sure to read the project descriptions, required skills (if any) and skim a few of the listed references before contacting me about doing a SURF project.
2. Students interested in writing proposals for SURF projects should contact me via e-mail by 11 Jan (Fri) and provide the following information:
   • A list of up to three SURF projects from the list below that you are interested in working on
   • A one page resume listing relevant experience and coursework
   • If you are not a Caltech student, I will also need the following additional information:
     • An unofficial copy of your academic transcript
     • Names of two faculty members at your current institution that I can contact for a reference
3. Starting on 12 January, I will go through all applications and work with my group to identify who is a possible fit for each project. We will then contact you and ask for you to meet (or talk with) possible co-mentors so that we can eventually work out who we will work with in writing up a proposal.
4. We hope to make final decisions on projects by about 20 Jan, at which point we will start working with students on writing up proposals.
5. All applications should go through the normal SURF application process, described at www.surf.caltech.edu. SURF applications are due on 22 Feb 2013.
6. If you are selected for a SURF, please be aware of the following information
   • All SURF projects in my group will start on 18 Jun (Tue). If you can't start on that date, please make sure that you indicate this when you contact me
   • All SURF projects are for a minimum of 10 weeks, although I usually recommend that you try to stay for 12 weeks if possible (at no additional pay). It's hard to complete a project in just 10 weeks and spending a few extra weeks can greatly improve the project.
   • All SURF students in my group will be expected to devote full-time effort to their SURF project, so you cannot have a second job in addition to your SURF.

List of available projects

Title	Grant/Project	Co-Mentors	Comments
The costs and benefits of various designs of biochemical 'decision engines'		Dan Siegal-Gaskins
Robot Motion Planning with Complex Tasks		Eric Wolff