Undergraduate Research Initiative (ITCS 3050) – Spring 2024

general information

1. What is the purpose of this course? We want to encourage our Undergraduate Students to participate in research as early as possible. So, we are looking for Sophomore and Junior students. To you, this may be your first exposure to research! You can learn interesting techniques and get to know another career/education path!
2. Who organizes this course? Faculty members in the Computer Science Department, particularly the High Performance Computing Systems (HPCS) lab, organize this course. We are Harini Ramaprasad, Qiong Chen, Tyler Allen, Dong Dai, Erik Saule, and Yonghong Yan. These faculty and their respective Ph.D. students will be your mentors. In addition, Md. Hasanur Rashid (mrashid2@uncc.edu) will be our TA to interact with you during the semester.
3. How can I participate? Spend 5-mins to fill this Google Form to Apply: (Deadline Nov. 1st). Then, attend one of the in-person info sessions (details will be provided after Nov. 1st). We will contact you in November to learn more about your background and interests.
4. What is the format of this course? This course is project-driven. You will be matched to a research project based on our availability and your interests. You will work with a specific faculty member and their research group, generally meeting at least once a week to discuss your progress and the goals for the next week. You will also talk with Md. Hasanur Rashid (TA) biweekly to ensure your project is going well. The course will also occasionally (e.g., once a month) include seminars and “field trips” that students are expected to attend when possible. These supplementary lectures include material about graduate school and research as a career.
5. What are the potential course outcomes? Outcome of these projects include software artifacts and potential publications, which can be listed in your resume. Independent projects with guidance from faculties look very good on both industry and graduate school applications. Strong students may be asked to return and continue their projects as research assistants or capstone projects, depending on capacity and funding constraints.
6. What are the Research Projects? Our mentors are currently working on their project offerings for next semester. We are also interested in hearing your ideas, if you would like to propose a project. Below is a list of sample projects from previous semesters.

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Faculty

projects from previous semesters

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

• Do I need to do a lot of pre-studying for this course? No, we will try to match your project to your skill background. You will mostly learn while working in the project.
• Will multiple students be collaborating on the same project? In most of the case, students will work with their mentors individually, although some students may be assigned to the same project. Teams may be allowed in some circumstances; talk to the course TA.
• Do students need to set up their own machines to work on the research project? It depends on the project. In most of the cases, we will provide computing resources. The HPCS lab hosts local clusters and also leverages the University Research Computing facilities to conduct research.
• How will the course be structured?
  First 1-2 Weeks: Faculty members and Ph.D. students introduce the projects. Students match with projects.
  
  During Semesters: Students work with their mentors during the semester via Weekly Meeting. There will be occasional sessions to talk about specific topics, such as How to use terminal; How to read a paper; How to prepare a poster.
  
  Last 1-2 Weeks: There will be a poster/presentation session at the end of the semester for CS Research Day (Fall) or the Undergraduate Research Conference (URC, Spring).
• What is the weekly workload for this course? The workload is self-paced and similar to a typical 3 credit hour course. This means that you should be prepared to meet with your mentor at least once a week for 30 minutes. Afterwards, you should expect to spend between 9 and 15 hours a week working on your course project. Research progress is hard to predict, so it is important to have sufficient time to dedicate towards your project to get your expected outcome.
• What is the final exam for this course? There will be a poster/presentation session at the end of the semester that serves as your final exam. However, this is intended to be a fun opportunity to share your progress with others, and not an intense examination session.
• Will the students get the chance to learn about relevant concepts before starting the project? Yes, doing the project itself includes learning phase at beginning.

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