Nico Deshler talking to EECS Professor James Demmel about his sensor arrays project at the 2018 SUPERB/URISE REU poster session
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)

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 collecting and using Big Data for the public good.

The 2023 application period is now closed. Our intention is to provide students the opportunity to engage in research through our program. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the campus policies will dictate whether we have the program in-person or remote. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our program coordinator (diversity@eecs.berkeley.edu). 

SUPERB participants spend nine weeks at UC Berkeley during the summer working on exciting ongoing research projects focused on Big Data with EECS faculty mentors and graduate students. Students who participate in this research apprenticeship explore options for graduate study, gain exposure to a large research-oriented department, and are motivated to pursue graduate study.

SUPERB participants receive a $5,000 stipend, room and board on campus in the International House, and up to $800 for travel expenses.

SUPERB is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site Program.

Principle Investigator: Professor David Wagner

At a Glance

  • Program dates: June 5 - August 5, 2023
  • Application deadline: January 29th 2023, 11:59 PM ET
  • Challenging 9-week 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
  • $5,000 stipend, housing, meals and $800 travel allowance provided
  • Underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply, as well as those from academic institutions with
    limited research opportunities in STEM.

REU Theme

The UC Berkeley Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) CISE Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site proposal for 2023 focuses on Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI).  RAI projects include working on the challenges and risks from the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence in areas such as marketing, finance, law enforcement, health care and entertainment.  The REU projects tackle many of the challenges in the responsible development of AI systems. Leading researchers in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will mentor students on their proposed REU projects.

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 2023 theme Responsible Artificial Intelligence. 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 2023 application period is now closed. 

Please submit your application for our program through NSF's ETAP portal - https://www.nsfetap.org/award/51/opportunity/462

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

  1. Fill out the online application
  2. A Resume or CV 
  3. One Letter of Recommendation
  4. A Transcript 
  5. A brief statement (no more than 250 words) of your research interests. Please include specific research areas and faculty you would be interested in working with. 

Deadline is January 29th 2023, 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 2023.

Contact

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