REU Site: DIMACS REU in Algorithms from Foundations to Applications

这个项目建立在新泽西州立大学罗格斯离散数学和理论计算机科学中心DIMACS的长期本科生研究经验(REU)计划的基础上。该项目每年为十名优秀的本科生提供丰富的科学和文化体验，由来自罗格斯大学多个系和DIMACS工业合作伙伴的教师指导。该项目的科学目标主要集中在算法和复杂性上，强调DIMAC在理论计算机科学方面的传统优势，应用于社交网络、DNA分析、预测市场等环境中。学生的研究涵盖理论和应用两个方面，展示了大数据分析、隐私和网络安全、生物信息学、机器学习以及流媒体和隐私算法分析中的算法。除了吸收来自不同领域甚至不同学科的导师外，该项目还整合了与附近行业合作伙伴的活动，招募担任助理导师的研究生，并与其他罗格斯大学本科生研究项目相结合，通过与欧洲资助的CoSP项目合作，增加文化多样性和国际元素。该项目由普拉格查尔斯大学应用数学系领导，由欧洲资助。该项目将学生沉浸在一个独特的多学科环境中，进行算法设计、分析和使用的研究。精心计划的课程表为学生提供了丰富的研究体验，将一对一的指导与研讨会、研讨会、实地考察和其他活动相结合，以获得广泛和丰富的科学体验。该计划特别努力招募在计算机科学领域代表性不足的群体的成员，以及来自本科研究机会有限的机构的学生，方法是与服务于少数族裔的机构联系，并在相关邮件名单和网站上发布公告。除了引导科学论文和讲座，还与导师、研究生助理导师和项目协调员发展了新的合作关系。让研究生助理导师和博士后参与，发展初级研究人员的指导技能，同时为REU参与者提供直接观察研究生生活的能力。这个项目的一个重要目标是建立对研究生院的认识，以及研究生职业和研究选择的广度。通过这种方式，该计划向学生提供关于继续教育和未来职业的选择，并为他们提供追求这些选择的基础和信心。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project builds on the long-running Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at DIMACS, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. The program provides a rich scientific and cultural experience to ten outstanding undergraduates each year mentored by faculty from several Rutgers departments and DIMACS industrial partners. The scientific goals of the project are mainly focused on algorithms and complexity, emphasizing the traditional strengths of DIMACS in theoretical computer science, applied in settings that include social networks, DNA analysis, prediction markets, and others. Student research spans both theory and applications showcasing algorithms in big data analytics, privacy and cybersecurity, bioinformatics, machine learning, and analysis of algorithms for streaming and privacy. In addition to involving mentors from different areas and even different disciplines, the program integrates activities with nearby industry partners, it recruits graduate students who act as assistant mentors, and combines with other Rutgers undergraduate research programs to add cultural diversity and an international element, through partnership with the European-funded CoSP program which is led by the Department of Applied Mathematics in Charles University, Prague.The program immerses students in a unique multidisciplinary environment for conducting research on the design, analysis, and use of algorithms. A carefully planned schedule offers students a rich research experience that combines one-to-one mentoring with seminars, workshops, field trips, and other activities for a broad and enriching scientific experience. The program makes a special effort to recruit members of groups underrepresented in computer science as well as students from institutions with limited opportunity for undergraduate research, through contacts with minority-serving institutions and announcements to relevant mailing lists and websites. In addition to leading to scientific papers and talks, new collaborations are developed with mentors, graduate student assistant mentors and program coordinators. Involving graduate student assistant mentors and postdocs develops the mentoring skills of junior researchers, while offering the REU participants the ability to directly observe graduate student life. An important goal of this program is to build awareness of graduate school and the breadth of options for post-graduate careers and research. In this way, the program informs the students on choices about further education and future careers, and gives them the foundation and confidence to pursue these choices.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.