ACM Research is a semester-long, research-based initiative for students who want to explore various subfields in computer science. You will be guided by a research lead and faculty advisor throughout the semester to successfully create a tangible research project.

What is the application process like?

The first step is to fill out our application. Our application consists of general questions intended to give us insight into your previous development and leadership experience. Next, you'll be followed up with a coding challenge. You can explore our challenges from past semesters here for Spring 2022 and here for Fall 2021. From these applications, we select the most promising candidates for one-on-one interviews. The interview is the last step of the application process. Based on the application and interview, we select the very best candidates to create around 5 teams of 5 people.

Do I need to have prior development experience?

ACM Research is designed for those new to performing academic research. We do not require prior research experience but we do recommend being familiar with a moderate level of software development. If you are able to work on the coding challenge then you should have no issues in participating in ACM Research.

How do I stand out during the application process?

Be genuine! We want to see your passion for research and desire to be curious. We can only judge your experience and character based on what we see in the application, so fill all of the questions out! Leaving questions blank is a lost opportunity for us to learn more about you.

How is ACM Research structured?

You will be placed into a team of approximately five students with a project and a research lead (who is a past ACM Research participant). Additionally, each team will be supported by a professor who will serve to mentor the team in conducting research. We will have weekly (and mandatory) build nights every Monday from 8:30 pm - 10:00 pm. This is time for you to work with your team, meet with your mentor and learn. Some build nights may include a short tech-related workshop designed to diversify your tech skills.

What is the time commitment?

The minimum time commitment is the 1.5 hours required for each weekly build night. Beyond this, you and your team may need extra time to complete your project so it's up to you to schedule the time amongst yourselves.