REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Computer Vision

今天，在我们的学院和大学里，年轻而有才华的人才将决定我们的技术未来。为了保持美国以前在科学和工程领域占据的战略指挥地位，美国学生需要更大的鼓励，在科学/技术/工程/数学(STEM)学科继续深造。本科生研究体验(REU)网站旨在鼓励更多的美国计算机科学本科生攻读研究生课程，并帮助他们充分发挥研究人员的潜力。研究人员认为，实现这些目标的最好方法是让有能力的本科生沉浸在一个成功的、活跃的研究小组中足够长的时间。这使他们接触到研究活动中的智力兴奋，鼓励他们创造性地和独立地思考，并帮助他们发展从事研究项目所需的技能。该项目代表了计算机视觉中REU站点的更新，该站点在过去30年中一直成功地运行。重要的是继续教育下一代计算机研究人员，包括特别强调让任职人数不足的成员参与计算机领域，以及那些就读于没有实质性研究机会的机构的学生。向其他机构传播最佳实践仍然是我们网站的坚定承诺，并通过在教育场所发布和参与REU社区来实现。该项目每年有十名本科生研究人员，为期三年。每年，本科生研究人员都会参加为期十周的全日制暑期项目，在随后的秋季和春季期间，还可以选择参加后续的兼职项目。我们方法的关键要素是(1)为本科生研究人员提供完整的暑期体验，提供足够的时间来跟踪一个实质性的项目直到完成，(2)向每个本科生研究人员展示几个可能的项目主题，以便他们可以感觉到他们选择了一个他们最感兴趣的项目，(3)让本科生研究人员沉浸在一般研究环境中，就像他们是研究生一样，通过让他们定期与他们的教师导师讨论他们的项目，参加每周的研究小组会议，参加研究报告，博士辩护和博士报告，并会见来访的杰出研究人员，(4)为本科生研究人员提供一年的可选后续工作，与本科生研究人员就他们的项目撰写一份(可出版的)技术报告；(5)通过半天的研讨会，让他们了解研究生院的好处，包括为什么上研究生院，如何申请研究生院和奖学金，如何准备标准化入学考试，(6)带他们去当地涉及计算机视觉现实应用的技术公司进行实地考察，以及(7)在社交活动中为他们提供指导：集体午餐、宴会、野餐、派对，等。这个网站成功地为教育一代又一代的研究人员做出了贡献。重要的是继续培养下一代计算研究人员，包括特别强调让未被充分代表的成员参与计算领域。另一个重要的重点是为那些就读于没有实质性研究机会的机构的学生提供密集的研究经验。此外，向其他感兴趣的机构传播最佳实践仍然是我们网站的坚定承诺，并通过在教育场所发布和参与REU社区来实现。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The young and talented minds passing through our colleges and universities today will determine our technological future. To maintain America's previously-held strategic position of command in Science and Engineering, American students need greater encouragement to pursue advanced studies in Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site aims to encourage more American undergraduates in Computer Science to pursue graduate studies, and to assist them in realizing their full potential as researchers. The investigators believe that the best way to achieve these aims is to immerse capable undergraduates within a successful, active research group for a sufficient duration. This exposes them to the intellectual excitement that is involved in research activity, encourages them to think creatively and independently, and helps them to develop the skills necessary to work on research projects. This project represents renewal of the REU site in Computer Vision, which has operated successfully for the past thirty years. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields and those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Dissemination of the best practices to other institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community.This project has ten undergraduate researchers per year, for three years. Each year, undergraduate researchers participate in a ten week, full-time Summer program, with optional follow-on part-time participation during the subsequent Fall and Spring. The key elements of our approach are (1) a full Summer experience for the undergraduate researchers, providing sufficient time to follow a substantial project through to completion, (2) to present each undergraduate researcher with several possible project topics, so that they can feel they have chosen a project which is most interesting to them, (3) to immerse the undergraduate researchers in the general research environment essentially as if they were graduate students, by having them meet with their faculty advisor regularly to discuss their project, participate in the weekly research group meetings, attend research presentations, PhD defenses and PhD proposal presentation and meet with visiting distinguished researchers, (4) to offer undergraduate researchers an optional follow-through over the year by working with the undergraduate researchers to write a (publishable) technical report on their project, (5) to expose them to the benefits of graduate school through a half-day workshop on Why grad school, How to apply to grad school and fellowships, How to prepare for the standardized entrance exams, (6) to take them for field trips to local technology companies involved in real world applications of computer vision, and (7) to offer them mentoring at social events: group lunches, banquet, picnic, parties, etc. This site has been successful in contributing to educating generations of researchers. It is important to continue educating the next generation of computing researchers, including a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented members in computing fields. Another important emphasis is to provide intensive research experiences for those students attending institutions that do not have substantial research opportunities. Additionally, dissemination of the best practices to other interested institutions remains our site's deep commitment and is achieved by publication in educational venues, and involvement in the REU community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.