Research Issues

1. Research Issues Sachin S. Sapatnekar ECE Department University of Minnesota

2. Setting a research agenda • Questions to ask yourself • What are my key skills? • Basic skills: Algorithms, design knowledge, probability theory, … • Areas: high-level synthesis, physical design, DFM, … • What’s important/interesting? • What would I like to do? • What’s hot? And likely to remain so? • Collaborative opportunities • How easy is it to “jump” to an allied area? • Pros vs. cons • Don’t jump too often! • Balance all of these appropriately

3. The life cycle of a new idea • Inception • A few “early adopters” pushing the idea • Adolescence • A number of people begin to address the problem • Proposals on the topic get funded • Sessions on the topic at conferences; “early adopters” in demand for invited talks • Youth • Tons of papers on the topic • But funding isn’t “automatic,” low-hanging fruit have been plucked • Middle age • Tons of papers on the topic (top conferences begin to get bored with it) • Funding becomes much harder • Can still make a strong contribution, though it’s harder • Retirement • Remember channel routing? • Reincarnation • The same idea becomes applicable in a new field, in a different way • The twentysomethings think they’ve invented new algorithms; the sixtysomethings sigh

4. Publishing paradigms • Two ways of making an impact • Define a new problem • Devise a clever solution to an old problem • Tread carefully • Working on what’s hot at DAC/ICCAD/… • Timing is key • Working on a brand new topic that nobody has tried before • Risk vs. reward

5. An incomplete list of concrete ideas • READ. READ. READ. • Corollary: Volunteer to review papers • Keep publishing • Funding is something you can’t control; publishing (to some extent) is • Talk to your colleagues, even in areas distant from yours • Sit in their classes, have lunch with them, … • Tried something and it didn’t work out? Learn when to move on • Let (some) ideas slow-cook in your head • Consciously learn to multitask, if it doesn’t come naturally • FOCUS. FOCUS. FOCUS.

6. Recruiting students • Undergraduates • You’ll find several who want research experience • Chances are, you may not get a (CAD) paper with them • There are exceptions to this • But you’re planting a seed • Check for systemwide opportunities in your university • WISE, REU, … • Grad student recruiting • Sight-unseen vs. try-them-out-first • Acing exams != doing research – GPA alone is not enough

7. Ties with industry • See how your work can be applied in industry • Making contact • Don’t be shy: talk to people at conferences, invite yourself over to their companies • The miss ratio is high • The time constant/delay can also be high • Industry is a good source for problem statements, internships, benchmarks, funding, … • Building relationships takes time: be patient

8. Students - friends or fodder? • Your students are your greatest asset • Nurture them • Support them • … but don’t spoil them! • e.g., make them think: resist the urge to solve problems for them • Set clear guidelines and expectations on standard issues • Communication: Meetings/email/reporting • Writing standards • Be flexible wherever possible • Recognize that each student has his/her own style of working, which may not be the same as yours • Recognize their aptitudes, and tailor their tasks accordingly • Learn from them • Leverage your classes where possible