Participating in the program

• research experience in physics
• exposure to the rich culture of Santiago de Chile
• an opportunity to learn Spanish in an immersion environment

What to do if you're interested

• Read about the structure in our overview and annual report pages.
• Explore potential projects: Find a subject area that interests you by looking at the Chileans' web sites, looking up their papers, and talking to Prof. Witten.
• Read about Chile A recent intern names Sergio Correa prepared a slide show for prospective Chicago interns about life in Santiago: A Taste of Chile. Two former students chronicled their trips with entertaining blogs: Andrew Alexander and Hillel Wayne Have a look.
• Tell us about your interest (2/26/08 revised for clarity and consistency) Write an email to Prof. Witten telling about your interest. The letter is supposed to give him and the Chilean profs an idea of what you would like to do and how you might help them. Tell us
  • Why you are interested in participating, and what projects or subject areas appeal to you,
  • Where you are in your U of C studies (year and major) and what are your plans after graduation,
  • What big projects, science or otherwise, you have done, if any,
  • What courses you have taken that made a particular difference to you,
  • What summer jobs you have had,
  • Any lab experience you have had, even undergraduate labs,
  • Any skills that might be useful, such as mechanics, machine shop or wood shop experience, electronics, scientific computing, computer programming,
  • Did you fix a bike or a car? Did you fix a TV or a computer? Did you build a structure of wood or metal on your own? Did you build an electronic device or piece of software or web site on your own? We'd like to know about some big project you did that you are proud of.
  • Any foreign travel you've done,
  • Any foreign language knowledge you have, especially Spanish,
  • When you'd be available to participate.
  To leave time for the necessary arrangements to be made, we should receive this letter of interest by the beginning of Spring Break

  Then Profs. Witten, Cerda and Mujica will consult with the Chilean physicists and identify a project or two. We'll organize a remote meeting for you to meet the supervisor and talk about the project. Then you decide whether you want to go ahead.

• Confirm your intention: (2/26/08 revised for clarity and consistency) Write a brief email confirming that you plan to work on the project you and your prospective Chilean boss have discussed. Once we've gotten a similar confirmation from your prospective boss, we accept you for the program.
• Arrange the details: (May2011 revised for clarity and consistency) The main advance arrangements to be made are passport, plane reservations and your travel advance. You are traveling to Chile as a tourist, not a worker.
  • Passports and visas. A passport is required. If you are not a US citizen, you may well need a visa from the Chilean consulate authorizing entry into Chile. U.S. Citizens do not need a visa for a stay of up to three months. However, a tourist card is issued at the international port-of-entry, ie. Santiago airport. To get this card, US passport holders have to pay an entry fee of $140.00 payable in U.S. dollars only. They take credit cards. (The Chilean government levies this fee because that's what the U.S. charges Chileans who want to come to the US.) The tourist card is valid for multiple entries during the validity of the traveler's passport.
  • Purchase an airline ticket. We ask you to arrange your own transport to Chile by the cheapest published economy class rates. Be sure your Chilean advisor knows when to expect you and is OK with that. We expect your air ticket to cost you not more than $1600 or so. The Science Foundation who is paying for this requests that you use a US airline, and these appear to be among the cheapest anyway. Before you spend any money, check with our administrator Pegg Anderson.
  • Travel Advance. We pay for your travel and part of your living expenses via a travel advance check issued before you leave for Chile. Advances are only issued within 30 days prior to the planned departure date.
  • Paperwork for travel payments. All the money we give you has to be justified by providing receipts to Ms. Anderson. Your expenses will certainly exceed what we pay you. But if your submitted receipts don't add up to the amount we paid you, you would have to pay the difference to the University. These payments come from government funds, so the accounting is strict. Save all original receipts proving that you paid. Original receipts must be submitted to Ms. Anderson within 30 days of your return flight to the US listed on your travel advance. (Policy No. 1214) Here is a link telling what they mean by that.

    The allowed expenses are flight ticket, local travel expenses at each end of your trip, the Chilean visa fee, rent, food (no liquor) metro tickets.

  • Health Insurance (updated May2011) As a UChicago undergrad, you have to have health insurance, either via your parents or by the University's Student Health Insurance Plan. The University's plan covers you in Chile, according to this site. Another plan may not provide much coverage. It is wise to check and obtain any needed coverage.
  • Keep us posted. Keep your Chilean advisor and us apprised about your travel plans. Also please provide Ms. Anderson with the following safety-net items:
    • a copy of your passport ID page (electronic or paper).
    • The contact information for someone we can contact in case of an emergency involving you.
  • Line up temporary housing Santiago has a number of by-the-day student lodgings. Our Chilean partners generally provide information about these each year. You should book lodging at one of these places before your trip to cover the first few days of your stay. Our students generally rent apartments during these first few days. Our Chilean partners have provided leads about apartments.  Here are the suggestions from 2011

Frequently asked questions

• Could I apply for the program in the middle of Spring quarter?
  If you wait this long, it's quite possible that we wouldn't be able to make it work in time. Also, we're likely to have someone else lined up.
• Do I have to know Spanish?
  No, but it helps. Our partners are active contributors to the international research community, so they have a good knowledge of English. On the other hand, many people you will meet and want to meet won't know English so well. So the more Spanish you know, the better. Prof. Witten studied Spanish a little bit every night in preparation for his Chile trip.

  It makes a lot of sense to use your time in Chile to learn Spanish well enough to pass the UC language requirement.

• What does the program pay for?
  We pay your travel expenses as outlined above and your Chilean entry fee. We and the Chileans pay your living expenses for up to ten weeks in Santiago. Some of our payment to you may be delayed until you return from your trip.
• Where would I live?
  Our intent is to house the U of C participants in the same style as Chilean undergrads are housed. Recent Chicago students have lived in rented commercial apartments shared with 2-3 other students. The Chilean profs identify a few likely choices and the students decide which places to rent during their first few days in Chile. This method has worked well and the students found their living arrangements satisfactory. You pay your own rent out the money we give you.
• Do I need to get a work visa from the Chilean government?
  Our Chilean partners say no. The expense money they are paying is not salary. Therefore you may enter as a tourist See the Santiago US embassy site; go to "american citizens" then "U.S. Citizens Issues and Services", then look for "visa" Sorry it's so complicated. I couldn't find a stable link to the information.. That's what the first U of C student did, and he says it was fine.
• How much money should I bring to Chile? In what form?
  Your out-of-pocket expenses need not be more than about $20/day. Your travel advance from the U of C will take care of the first 4-6 weeks of expenses. By then you should receive money from your Chilean supervisor. ATM machines that can access your U.S. checking accounts are readily available in Santiago and have the best exchange rate. Prof. Witten used these and found the rates and fees favorable. You can readily exchange U.S. Dollars and do a cash advance on your credit card using ATMs. But this latter incurs fees.

  [You probably found a site that gives more specific advice on this subject. Can you email me and send me the link? --T. Witten]

• How many UC students will be in Chile at a time?
  In 2007 there were seven. In 2011 there were eight.
• What's it like to live in Chile? How should I prepare for my trip
  Buy a travel guide such as Lonely Planet. It gives information travelers need and want. The Santiago climate is milder then Chicago, but it will be midwinter when you go there. You will miss one summer of your life. Make a point to spend time in the sun before you depart for Chile.

--T. Witten 4/25/06

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