• Propose a Project
• Become a Scholar

Opportunities

Proposing a project to the Schmidt Academy

The Academy makes an annual call for proposals to host Schmidt Scholars in Caltech and Carnegie Institution for Science (Pasadena campuses) research centers or faculty research groups. The Schmidt Scholars, recent Caltech graduates with interest and experience in software engineering, are hosted in the research groups for 1-2 years. The one to two-page proposals describe a software engineering project aimed at developing software that will accelerate scientific and technological progress. Software projects that have the potential for lasting impact beyond a faculty research group are encouraged. Proposals will need to name a graduate student or post-doctoral scholar who will work with the Scholar in developing the software. The student/post-doc will be invited to attend the yearly software engineering bootcamp. Faculty will need to commit to providing a third of the Scholar’s salary and benefits. Proposals will next be due Dec. 16, 2024.

Continuing Call for Proposals for Research Software Engineers

The Academy accepts proposals for Research Software Engineers (RSEs) assigned to faculty projects. As part of the Software Accelerator, the Academy is expanding its full-time staff of experienced Research Software Engineers (RSEs). The time of RSEs will be allocated to groups throughout campus on a competitive-basis, independent of any earlier collaboration with the Academy. Support for the RSE is shared between the Accelerator and the faculty group. On a rolling basis, faculty can submit proposals describing the need for a RSE assigned to their project/group. Annualized RSE time of 10-50% will be considered. The proposal should include the following: (1) present and future science goals achieved through use of the software; (2) status of the software and how it is currently maintained; (3) language(s) the software is written in; and (4) any specialized CS and software engineering skills needed to maintain it. Submit to sase@caltech.edu.

Become a Schmidt Scholar

Applications are now opening for Schmidt Scholars in Software Engineering starting in the summer of 2025. Find out more here.

Graduate Student Fellowships

The Software Academy is offering fellowships for graduate students developing new software as part of their thesis, allowing graduate students to spend six months to one year entirely focused on software development under the mentorship of academy senior engineers. This will facilitate software development using best industry practices for code health, robustness, portability, and scalability, and thereby accelerating scientific discovery. These Fellowships are offered to a limited number of existing Caltech students who have passed their qualifying exams. Applications are due next on Oct. 15, 2024. Find out more here.