Undergraduate Research at TAMU

If you are an undergraduate, getting involved in research is a great way to spruce up your expertise and your resume.

There are multiple ways to get involved:

Research for Credit
Talk to a faculty member (me included) and ask to take a 485 or 491 with an instructor. Many instructors will be happy to do this. To register for the class, you need to write a proposal listing what you plan to accomplish over the semester (which can be as short as a paragraph).

How to Apply: Tell any instructor that you are interested.

Undergraduate Research Scholars Program
The Undergraduate Research Scholars program provides students the opportunity to participate in an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member. Students produce an undergraduate research thesis, present their results at a conference, and receive recognition of participation on their transcript.

To qualify for the 2012-13 Undergraduate Research Scholars program, students must have completed at least 60 hours of undergraduate course work, including at least 24 credit hours at Texas A&M. Students must also have and maintain a cumulative Texas A&M GPR of 3.0 or better, be currently involved in or planning a suitable undergraduate project, and be expecting to graduate May, 2013 or later.

Questions? ugr@tamu.edu Honors and Undergraduate Research http://honors.tamu.edu/Research/Requirements.html

Scholars Informational Sessions:
· Thursday, March 1, from 6-7 pm in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) auditorium
· Wednesday, March 7, from 6-7 pm, also in the ILSB

Deadline for the 2012-13 Undergraduate Research Scholars spring applications:
March 30, 2012 at 5 pm

REU Program for money
The REU program offers funds for students who work over the summer.
http://www.cs.tamu.edu/reu
Deadline for this summer is February 15, 2012
The program runs from Tuesday, May 29th to Friday, August 3rd.
How To Apply: https://apply2.cse.tamu.edu/gts/applicant/reu/

Program Dates & Application Process.
The program will be held on campus at Texas A&M University in College Station from May 29 - August 3, 2012. Applications for the program should be submitted beginning November 1, 2011 using the web-based application. The application includes statements describing the applicant's research interests and technical skills, transcripts, and letters of recommendations (to be submitted on-line as well), so applicants are encouraged to start the application process well in advance of the deadline.
Web-Based Application for Summer 2012 Program — Available November 1, 2011!
Application Deadline: February 15, 2012
Program Offers Emailed: By end of March 2012
Eligibility.
To participate in the program, students must:
have an interest in and a desire to participate in ongoing research in computer science or computer engineering
have completed their sophomore year in a computer science or computer engineering curriculum
have a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.00 (exceptions may be made based on review of the applicant's last 60 hours of coursework)
plan to graduate no earlier than December 2012
be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
may not enroll in additional academic courses during the summer sessions
Funding.
$5,000 for your research work at CSE@TAMU for the summer
$2,500 during the fifth week of the program
$2,500 on the tenth and final week of the program
$1,000 meal allowance
Upon arrival in June
$1,000 housing allowance (if not living in luxury housing provided)
Travel expenses to and from Texas A&M University
References.
Because the evaluation committee is most interested in your potential for graduate studies and research, letters from professors or others who have advised you in research or taught you in class are most useful. However, since not all students will have had prior research experience, letters from supervisors from work or other individuals can be provided.

Program Details
Below is information related to the CSE@TAMU program itself as well as information about the Texas A&M University community. Deciding to join us for the summer is an important choice and we want you to be prepared!

Program Information
Travel and Housing Information
Miscellaneous
Additional Summer Research Opportunities
Travel and Housing Information

Travel Arrangements.
If you have accepted an offer to participate in the CSE@TAMU Research for Undergraduates (REU), you will be asked soon after your acceptance about your travel arrangements. We ask that you allow us to make your travel arrangements as they pertain to airline travel due to reimbursement procedures. If you plan to drive your own car to College Station instead of flying, there are other travel procedures that must be followed.

Upon Arrival.
Most participants arrive in College Station the weekend before the program begins. On Tuesday, May 29th, there will be both a CSE@TAMU Welcome and Luncheon.

Housing.
Housing for the CSE@TAMU group for the Summer of 2012 will be at the Tradition at Northgate. Within walking distance of campus, the Tradition is a fully-furnished, privately-owned dorm. Please see the website for more information on the actual location and look of the housing. You will room with one other person in the CSE@TAMU group. Housing is assigned randomly by the REU program administrator unless otherwise notified. Please let the REU program administrator know as soon as possible if you have any needs such as accessible living or any special arrangements.

Housing Amenities Include:
High-Tech Computer Lab
Student Game Room
Private Bedrooms
On-Site Dining at The Edge Cafe
Covered Garage parking
Heated Swimming Pool
Only One Block from Texas A&M Campus
24-Hour Fitness Center
Housekeeping Services
Free High-Speed Internet Access in Every Room
Surround-Sound Movie Theatre
Community Kitchens
Award Winning RA Staff

What you should bring with you:
Twin sheets
Personal linens
All toiletries
Laundry items (detergent, fabric softener sheets), etc.
Initial money to "get started"
Additional Housing Information:

If your research schedule this summer is not during the dates of May 27, 2012 to August 4, 2012, then you will be responsible for locating housing outside of this time. The Texas A&M class schedule does not allow either on or off-campus dorms to be available.

Program Information

Stipends.
Direct deposit is available through the Texas A&M website or the check(s) will be mailed to your address of record.

Programs, Seminars and Learning Opportunities.
This summer you have the unique opportunity of participating in innovative research, being in a new place, meeting new people, and experiencing many new and different things.

CSE@TAMU sponsors required weekly Thursday "Brown Bag" meeting in which you bring your own sack lunch for a seminar. A sample of seminar "Brown Bag" topics include:

Faculty Research Interest Panel
Graduate Student Panel
Graduate School Admission Information
Technical Writing
Research Poster Presentation
Lastly, you might ask, what are the requirements of me as a Research Undergraduate this summer in terms of deliverables? As an REU participant, you are required and expected to produce the following:

Research Abstract/Statement
Research Paper
Personal Website — see REU students' Personal Websites at http://www.cse.tamu.edu/reu/websites
Poster — for presentation at two poster judging contests
Participation in three programmatic surveys — to enhance the experience and receive feedback about our program
Miscellaneous

A Few Odds and Ends.
The average temperature for the summer is 90° F — so bring shorts and t-shirts. It might rain so don't forget your umbrella and/or tennis shoes. Don't worry: everyone has air conditioners!
Texas A&M University is a large, but friendly campus. Our summer enrollment is 19,000 so there will be plenty of students around town.
Texas A&M University is listed in College Station, Texas, but bordering College Station is Bryan, Texas—the total population of the two towns combined is around 160,000.
Texas A&M University is centrally located near many other towns in Texas and even Louisiana — 97 miles northwest of Houston, 183 miles south of Dallas, 183 miles northeast of San Antonio, and 120 miles east of Austin; 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations, a total of 21 million people, reside within 3½ driving hours of Bryan-College Station.


General Research for Money
This usually doesn't happen unless you have already worked with a lab significantly and have shown your worth in other ways.