February 08, 2011 –
This summer CALIT2 and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program will again offer UCI faculty members an opportunity to have undergraduate researchers assist them in mentored projects. The projects may be in any discipline, but they should have a substantial IT component. Projects on the use of IT for health care, energy, and the environment are especially encouraged. The SURF-IT program (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Information Technologies) will provide several UCI students a $2,000 stipend each for 10 weeks of work on their projects. As in past years, the students will be expected to put in a full-time effort. The SURF-IT program only provides the undergraduate salary, so the proposed work should be one for which you can provide any other needed expenses. Faculty sponsors will be expected to provide mentoring for the students and will be encouraged to present a seminar about their work to the group of students.
Faculty are asked to submit proposals for projects by Wed., March 2, 2011. In past years most of the proposals have been accepted for presentation to the student applicants. Students will be matched to projects based on qualifications, interests, and available resources. Each project proposal should contain the following:
a) Project Title
b) Project Description: A summary of a few paragraphs about the research questions being addressed or the goals of the creative activity. The project should involve a substantial IT component, and preference will be given to interdisciplinary projects. A SURF-IT project is usually part of the faculty member’s larger efforts – for example, working out a new technique or investigating a special sub-topic.
c) Student’s Involvement and Expected Outcomes: Indicate the kinds of activities intended for the student, the expected project outcomes, and specific skills that the student will develop as a result. The student should be engaged in solving a research question, not merely providing labor assistance.
d) Student Eligibility: You may specify preferences or requirements for the student’s prior coursework or special skills. The program targets students who have junior or senior standing, but that is not a strict requirement. Students expecting to graduate in June 2011 will receive low priority. There is no minimum GPA standard, although GPA will be a factor in the selection process.
e) Recommended Readings: Please provide a list of reference materials students may review to learn more about the topic and the proposed activities.
Proposals should be sumbitted to Stuart Ross, CALIT2 Assistant Director for Research Development, by e-mail: stuross@CALIT2.uci.edu. He may also be contacted at 824-9602.
If a faculty member already has a student working for him/her and doing well, he/she is encouraged to submit a project proposal for SURF-IT and encourage the student to apply to SURF-IT. Selection of that student by SURF-IT is likely, though not guaranteed. Such faculty-student teams should also apply to the campus-wide Summer Undergraduate Research Program offered by UROP. While a student is not allowed to win both awards, faculty members can win SURP and SURF-IT for different students, so submitting both applications will improve your chances of getting campus support. Check the UROP web site for further information.
