Center for Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS REU)

Opportunity Description:

The DIMACS Research Experiences for Undergraduates features projects in CS, Math, Bioinformatics, Physical Sciences, and more.

A brief overview of the program:

• You will spend 9 weeks in DIMACS at Rutgers 
• This is an in-person program at Rutgers and you are expected to be here for the entire duration.
• You will be matched with a Rutgers faculty member, who will mentor you in your project.
• The project will be original research, based on the mentor's research interests.
• There are no courses to attend during these 9 weeks.
• You will be part of the DIMACS REU cohort, which is roughly 30-40 students per year.
• Every student works on a different project.
• There are many organized events, such as seminars and field trips to industrial partners.
• The program will cover your housing in Rutgers student apartments.
• You will receive a stipend for the duration of the program.
• A small number of participants will spend the last 2 weeks of the program at Charles University, in Prague.

Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements: 

• Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to apply.
• You need to be an active student, enrolled in a US or foreign University.
• You should not have graduated before the end of the REU program, i.e. most seniors are not eligible.
• Our program primarily accepts students who apply as juniors, as well as some exceptional sophomores. We do not usually admit freshmen.
• You cannot have any other commitment during the program, such as a summer job or enrollment in summer classes.

Application Process: 

Before starting the application process, please make sure you have the following:

• A short resume (pdf or Word).
• A short statement (one page or less) describing your general areas of interest and why you are interested in participating in the DIMACS REU program. (pdf or Word).
• A current transcript from your Institution in pdf (it does not need to be an official transcript)
• The names and emails of two faculty members who have agreed to write a recommendation letter for you, and who can discuss your potential to successfully complete a research project. They should expect to receive an email from us with a personalized link in order to submit their letter.
• A list of your classes for the spring semester.
• A list of all proposed REU projects that you are interested to work on. You can select as many as you want, but you need to identify up to 5 as your top choices. You cannot otherwise rank your choices, so if you have specific interest for some projects please mention this in your personal statement.
• The projects will be announced when the application portal opens. 

Application deadline is usually January 31st.