Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS-UCLA)

The Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS UCLA) Program provides an opportunity for talented undergraduate students to work in teams on a real-world research projects proposed by sponsors from industry or the public sector.

RIPS-UCLA is not exactly an REU. It is a research experience, but the projects come from industry rather than academia, so it is essentially a cross between an REU and an internship. Furthermore, IPAM is independent of the UCLA Math department, so RIPS students do not have regular interaction with the Math department. That said, IPAM arranges occasional lectures given by UCLA postdocs and faculty of math and related disciplines, and many of the academic mentors are UCLA math postdocs. There are no classes during RIPS; the focus is entirely on the research projects, and ultimately presenting the results.

Who can apply: It is a program for students who are enrolled in or have just completed an undergraduate (bachelors) degree. Students with a strong background in mathematics and an interest in seeing how mathematics is used in the real world are encouraged to apply. Most of the projects have a significant computational component, so that proficiency (or at least some experience) in computer science, data analysis or numerical computation is valuable, but not necessary for everyone.

International students, including students attending a university outside the US, are eligible to apply for RIPS-LA, as are graduating seniors.

Location: Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at University of California, Los Angeles

Duration: 9 weeks (June 20-August 19, 2016)

Stipend: IPAM provides each undergraduate student with a travel allowance and a stipend of $3,000. Housing and most meals are also included. RIPS students will live in residence halls on the UCLA campus and will work at IPAM.

For more details and to apply online, visit RIPS-UCLA’s website.

The last date to apply is February 14, 2016.