Applying to SAGE

Key SAGE Dates

  • 1 December

    SAGE applications open for the following summer

  • 28 February

    SAGE applications close

  • 15 March

    SAGE acceptance letters sent

  • 31 March

    SAGE participants finalized

  • Mid-May

    SAGE virtual program begins

  • Late June - Early July

    SAGE in-person program in Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

SAGE Attendees

SAGE, Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience. Two women in outdoor field wearing orange safety vests holding environmental sampling equipment.

Professionals

SAGE welcomes applications from professionals seeking development opportunities. Examples include:

  • Industry professionals

  • College and university faculty

  • Postdoctoral fellows

  • And more

Students

SAGE accepts applications from undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world. SAGE applicants typically major in geophysics, geology, physics, math, engineering, or a related field.

Successful applicants will have:

  • A strong background in math and physics (see required coursework below) 

  • Completed at least their sophomore year of undergraduate studies prior to the start of the program

Course credit may be available—and must be arranged prior to arrival at SAGE and is subject to approval of your home institution and advisor.

Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE). Two people, one man and one girl, outdoors on rocky terrain with desert vegetation, engaged in a scientific or environmental activity.

How to Apply to SAGE

  • The following coursework is required to be considered for SAGE:

    • Minimum of one year—two semesters or three quarters—of college physics

    • Minimum of three semesters of calculus; four semesters preferred. Coursework should include multivariable calculus

    • Structural geology and introductory geophysics is recommended but not required

    Note: Required coursework must be completed prior to attending SAGE, but does not have to be completed prior to submitting an application. Applicants currently enrolled in the above coursework will be considered to have met the coursework requirement.

  • Please fill out the online Application Form to the best of your ability, which is available the start of the application period.

    Submit a letter—limit one page, single-spaced—describing:

    • How your educational background, courses, and experience have prepared you for participation in SAGE

    • Your career goals and your interest in SAGE as it relates to your academic and/or career development

    Please provide transcripts for all colleges or universities that you have attended (unofficial copies are acceptable).  For your identity protection, please mark through/black-out any Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as address, SSN, etc. 

    We request that you include your first and last name in all submitted application documents (eg, JohnSmithLetterOfInterest.pdf)

  • Please supply two references from an academic advisor, research advisor, academic mentor, professor of relevant coursework, or supervisor.

    A reference consists of a completed reference form and may include a letter of recommendation (which is encouraged but not required).

    Reference forms will be available at the start of the application period.

Follow our 3-Step Application Process

SAGE Application Form
SAGE Recommendation Form
SAGE, Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience. Group of people posing on rocky terrain with a canyon in the background, raising their hands and smiling.

SAGE Program Timing

SAGE attendees must be available to complete all virtual and in-person touch points throughout the hybrid program.

  • Mid-May to mid-June: Before SAGE field camp begins, students will participate in 3 to 4 weeks of part-time virtual activities—including introductory meetings and material discussions

  • Mid-June to early July: In-person SAGE field camp in Los Alamos, NM—including lectures, group projects, and final presentations

  • Mid-July to early August: After the in-person camp ends, volunteer students will continue research activities

  • A full course schedule and details will be provided with acceptance letters

Sample SAGE Syllabus

This is a high-level overview of topics covered at SAGE. Note that topics and timing will adjust accordingly for each SAGE program.

    • Week 1

      • Gravity

      • Structural Geology

      • Volcanic Processes

    • Week 2

      • Earth Interior/Plate Tectonics

      • Magnetics

      • Sedimentary Processes

    • Week 3

      • Hydrology

      • Reflection/ Refraction

      • Seismicity

      • Wave Types - Seismic Properties

    • Week 4

      • Fourier Analysis and Filtering

      • Maxwell’s Equations

      • Resistitivity as a property

    See the SAGE Online Book

    • Field safety

    • Rock properties

    • Geophysical methods

    • Instrumentation

    • Local geology and field trip

    • Field work - use and deployment of geophysical methods

    • Data processing and interpretation

    • Final presentations

  • Volunteer students may elect to extend their SAGE research project.

SAGE Course Fees

Following acceptance into SAGE, participants will pay a $1,000 USD registration fee. This fee is used to help pay for food, materials, and accommodations throughout your time at SAGE. A limited number of grants are available.

Attending SAGE
SAGE, Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience. Person holding a portable seismograph device outdoors on grassy ground. The device displays a seismic graph.
Map of the United States highlighting New Mexico with a gold color. A red star marks the location within New Mexico. The map shows state boundaries and a label indicating New Mexico.

Field Camp Location

Northern New Mexico
USA

SAGE participants will spend approximately 2.5 weeks at a campground in the Jemez Mountains near Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA—participating in fieldwork, group activities, and lectures.

Travel to SAGE

All participants are asked to make their own travel arrangements to New Mexico in mid-June. The closest major airport is Albuquerque, NM (ABQ).  Detailed logistics will follow with SAGE acceptance letters.

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