nicodeshler-2018
CS undergraduate Nico Deshler talking to EECS Chair James Demmel about his sensor array project at the 2018 SUPERB/URISE REU poster session

Summer Undergraduate Program in Engineering Research at Berkeley (SUPERB) – Artificial Intelligence for Engineering (AI4E)

The goal of the SUPERB Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program in EECS is to prepare and motivate a group of diverse, competitive candidates for graduate study. Our research focus is AI for Engineering.

Apply

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley proposes a new REU site SUPERB-AI4E, which stands for Summer Undergraduate Program in Engineering Research at Berkeley – Artificial Intelligence for Engineering. We are currently renewing our grant and will update our program status once we receive a decision from NSF. Applicants who are interested in our program are recommended to apply.

SUPERB participants receive a stipend and room and board on campus in the International House for the program.

SUPERB is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates site program.

At a Glance

  • Program dates: June – August, 2024
  • Application deadline: January 31st 2024, 11:59 PM ET
  • Challenging summer research experience in engineering for juniors and seniors
  • Research guided by faculty mentors and graduate students
  • Weekly presentations by researchers
  • Lab tours, Industry field trip and graduate school advising
  • Stipend, housing, meals provided
  • Underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply, as well as those from academic institutions with
    limited research opportunities in STEM.

REU Theme

The Berkeley EECS SUPERB site proposal for 2024 focuses on Artificial Intelligence for Engineering. This REU aims to study the challenges, risks, and limitations of this technology, focusing on machine learning algorithms, safety in human-robot interaction, provably-safe AI systems, defense against adversarial attacks, and managing unpredictability in engineering design and control that is influenced by Large Language Models. The SUPERB program recruits eight undergraduate students per summer to work with EECS faculty on projects in alignment with our proposed research theme which is “AI for Engineering”.  Our proposal is currently under renewal by NSF with an anticipated funding decision by early 2024.

SUPERB Opportunities & Research Areas

There are different ways to engage in research through SUPERB. This year, we have teamed up with BAIR REU in addition to the various labs in our department. Please let us know which program/lab you are interested in engaging with in your research statement.

1) EECS Research Areas
Here is a subset of the EECS research areas that align with the SUPERB 2024 theme AI for Engineering. Please indicate which research area you are interested in your research statement of purpose:

2) HBCU/PBI Pathways to AI via the BAIR REU
The BAIR REU program offers paid research experiences to undergraduates studying at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) who are interested in careers in Artificial Intelligence (AI), whether in industry or academia. Students interested in the BAIR REU should indicate their eligibility in their SUPERB application.

Apply

The 2024 application is now open.

Please submit your application for our program through NSF’s ETAP portal.

The SUPERB Application consists of the following six parts that need to be submitted through the ETAP portal:

  1. Complete ETAP application
  2. Personal statement
  3. A Resume or CV
  4. One Letter of Recommendation
  5. A Transcript
  6. A brief statement (no more than 250 words) of your research interests. Please include specific research areas and faculty you are interested in working with.

Deadline is January 31st 2024, 11:59 PM ET. However, students may be accepted on a rolling basis so please apply early.

The program is open to U.S. Citizens or permanent residents who are rising juniors or seniors and have completed some upper division course work in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS).  A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required with upward trends in grades being preferable. The program is open to students with or without prior research experience.

Recommendation Letters

You are required to to obtain at least one letter of recommendation. The letter must be from an individual that can speak on the applicant’s technical skills/knowledge (faculty member, research mentor/supervisor, etc.) in the students major, minor or course of study.

Applicants will be notified of their status by April 2024.

Contact

University of California, Berkeley
203 Cory Hall #1770
Berkeley, CA 94720-1770
diversity@eecs.berkeley.edu

Links