Undergraduate Research Procedures
In order for CS students to register for a CS 490, CS 497 (credit research) or work under a funded research you should first discuss your plans with your academic advisor or me (Janice Thomaz, thomaz@cs.purdue.edu ).
Each of these research types of support serves a different purpose. If you choose to work on research for credit you may NOT be working as a paid research for the same project. Faculty prefers that you first engage in one semester for credit research (CS 490, or CS 497 for the students in the honors program) and then approach the faculty member about the possibility of continuing working in the project and questioning what type of support, credit or funds, are available and which type would be best for you. We strongly recommend that you start your research in your 6 semester of your junior year.
The research project is an agreement between the student and the professor. Before approaching the professor you should have your transcripts and an up-to-date resume ready.
Choosing a Topic or Area Search the UGR database option:
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/research/ugrad/ugrad_database.html. Look at the project titles that strike you as interesting and see who the research advisor for that student was. The research topics are set by the student and the faculty member. This database is to give you an idea of possible topics.
Choosing a Faculty Member The faculty members must be from the CS department here at Purdue. You might want to choose a faculty member based on your experiences with him/her in courses that you have had. You should check the opportunities listed in UGR opportunities. Before contacting the faculty you should check his/her web page. Again, see if their area of research is that you want to get involved. A list of our faculty can be found at: http://www.cs.purdue.edu/people/faculty.sxhtml and then view their webpage. Some professors will have the procedure they want prospective undergraduate research students to follow when contacting them. (e.g. Dr. Bhargava)
Contacting your Academic Advisor Once you have agreed with the professor on a research project you should again contact your academic advisor for registering you for CS 490 or CS 497. If the research is funded then you do not need to register with the advisor, the faculty member will instruct you on what steps to take.
- CS 490 - You will need to fill out a form 23. The title of the project should be a 22 character long and will be title that will appear in your transcripts. The research should be between 3-5 credits. The amount of credits depends on how much time you want to put into the project. The rule of thumb is that for each credit hour you should put in 3 hours of work towards the project. Hence a 3 credit project means that you will be putting in 12 hours weekly of work. Your advisor will need form 23 filled out with the above info and the signature of the professor in order to register you for the research.
- CS 497 This is only for students in the Honors program. Your advisor can sign you up for the class and the title of the class will be HONORS RESEARCH PROJCT. You will then have to get in contact with the Honors coordinator and follow his/hers instructions. This project is very much like the CS 490 but perhaps with more challenging work. You will have a research advisor that may or may not be the course coordinator. Like a CS 490 you will need to choose a topic and a faculty member to oversee your research. (see how to go about choosing a topic and a faculty above). When contacting the faculty member make sure to let them know that you are in the honors program.
- Funded Research Some professors have grants designated for undergraduate research. It is more interesting for the faculty to support students through grants once students have worked with them for a semester under a CS 490, CS 497. However it is dependent on the faculty member and therefore you should approach your research advisor to ask about the availability of funds for research. Students can also consult the UGR opportunities but should not be limited to it.
Show off your research! There will be opportunities for you to show off what you have learned. More details to come.
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