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Undergraduate Research Experience Internships. Andrea Danyluk , Williams College Jamika D. Burge, Information Systems Worldwide Co-Directors, Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CREU).
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Undergraduate Research Experience Internships Andrea Danyluk, Williams College Jamika D. Burge, Information Systems Worldwide Co-Directors, Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CREU)
CRA-W Computer Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research Mission increase the participation and success of women in computing research www.cra-w.org
Industry/government Graduate Students Undergraduates Academic careers What does CRA-W do?Individual & Group Research Mentoring Undergrads: UndergraduateResearch Experiences Undergrads: Distinguished lecture role models Grad Cohort: group mentoring of grad students Grad Students: Discipline Specific Research workshops PhD Researchers: group mentoring of early & mid career @ CMW, CAPP, Hopper & Tapia 600+ students and PhD researchers a year www.cra-w.org
What is Research? • The search for knowledge • Establishing novel facts • Solving new or existing (but previously unsolved) problems • Proving new ideas • Developing new theories • In CS • Developing new algorithms • Proving theorems • Building and evaluating systems • Empirical investigations • And much more • Distinctly different from homework assignments and even big projects
Why participate in research opportunities? • Earn stipend, scholarship, or credit • Think through (and even solve!) challenging problems • Gain knowledge and expertise • Work with accomplished researchers • Prepare for graduate school • Learn life-long skills • Build professional relationships • Apply and discover new ideas and methodologies • Improve your communication abilities • Contribute to a specific area of knowledge
Research Opportunity Stipends and more • Summer research • Stipends often range from $350 to $600 per week • Housing and meals • Often included, but expect the stipend to be a bit lower • Sometimes not included, but then expect the stipend to be a bit higher • Transportation subsidy • Sometimes provided if you need to temporarily relocate • Academic year research opportunities • Might provide a stipend (typically an hourly amount) • Often provide academic credit • Intangibles • Personal and intellectual growth • A great thing to put on your resume • Publications (possibly) • Opportunities to present your work • Opportunities to travel to conferences • Contacts for future work • References for grad school and jobs
How Do You Find Research Opportunities? • What inspires or interests you? • Ask your professors, advisor for opportunities. • Visit research groups in your department • Continue a project that you start in a class • CS Department Summer/Research Programs • Government and Public Sector • Office of Naval Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Energy, IBM • Organizations • NSF, CDC, CRA-W • Use the web! • Google: “Undergraduate Research Engine” • Science.gov
Getting the Research Experience • Figure out what kind of research you’d like to do. • Research area, working for credit, summer research, paid or volunteer opportunity • What do you want to get out of the experience? • How many hours a week can you commit? (Most research requires at least 10 hours a week during the semester; 40 hours during the summer.) • Learn the requirements for the position or opportunity. • Keep in mind: Professors often require that you take at least one class with them prior to joining a research project.
Finding the Opportunities • Apply! • IBM: • US Student internships: IBM Research, http://www.research.ibm.com/interns/ • For International Students: IBM Research, Extreme Blue (http://www-01.ibm.com/employment/us/extremeblue/) • Office of Naval Research: http://nreip.asee.org/ (Online application opens Oct. 1) • NSF: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU):http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm(August Deadline for faculty proposing REUs; Feb/March deadlines for students applying) • American Mathematical Society REU Programs: http://www.ams.org/programs/students/undergrad/emp-reu • NSERC USRA in Canada (inquire with your department to find out how it works at your university) • These and more can be found on the Computing Community Consortium (CCC)’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Education page: http://cra.org/ccc/csurge-opportunities.php • Team up with your advisor, other students • NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&from=fund • Coalition to Diversity Computing (CDC) and Computing Research Association-Women (CRA-W) • CREU/DREU (May and February Deadlines, resp.) • More information: http://www.cra-w.org/
CRA-W/CDC Research Programs Ask us for more information!
Applying to Research Opportunities • Faculty Research • Meet with Research Professor • Discuss expectations, including workload and compensation • Research Programs • You will need to complete and submit an application • Provide academic background information • Submit an official transcript • Write an essay • Include recommendation letter(s) • Follow up with an telephone or in-person interview
When to apply • Summer internships • Private companies and government labs • Early January to February • NSF Summer REUs (including DREU!) • Mid February to mid March • Your own college/university • Often early in the calendar year as well • The dates above are typical final due dates – many start accepting applications and awarding positions much sooner. • Don’t wait! • Some companies and labs also have academic year programs • CREU proposals are due in May
Writing an Undergraduate Research Resume • Relevant courses • GPA • You’ll also typically need to submit a transcript • Publications • Major projects • Work experience • Languages, tools, etc • Level of proficiency • Be careful, neat, and honest
Contacts and Networking • Many people have experience to share • Use your contacts • Don’t be afraid to network • Be willing to provide help and advice to others • You may have more resources than you think