Frequently Asked Questions
The SAIC Scholars Program is a research opportunity program in the College of Computing in which first-year students are paired with Ph.D. or MS Mentors. Mentors assist Scholars with their research projects. All Scholars are able to select which research project interests them, thus pairings are based on the individual's interest level in your particular research. Mentors and Scholars are paid a one-time payment Fall and Spring semester.
How much research will SAIC Scholars conduct per semester?
SAIC Scholars conduct 5 hours of supervised research per week. This amounts to 50-60 hours of supervised research per semester.
How much research experience are Incoming Scholars required to have?
Incoming Scholars tend to be freshmen and first-year MS students and, therefore, may not have advanced research knowledge. Nonetheless, Scholars attend research demos and professional development workshops in order to gain an understanding of research being conducted in CC. This occurs before they are paired with a graduate Mentor. Please keep in mind the purpose of this scholarship program is to introduce underrepresented talent to the GT research community and help them persist from freshman or first-year to graduation while in the College.
What are the eligibility requirements for being selected as a Ph.D. or MS Mentor?
All Ph.D. or MS students currently engaged in their research project are eligible for consideration as an SAIC Mentor. We seek those interested and enthusiastic about introducing their research while creating a sense of community for freshmen and first-year graduate students. As a retention program and research opportunity, we would like to partner with Ph.D. and MS students who have an understanding of the importance of research experiences for undergraduates (REUs). Finally, since we like to offer a variety of research projects in varying concentrations of Computing, we look for research that is non-HCI/HCC. Nonetheless, this is not a determining factor in the selection process.
What is a typical semester like for Mentors?
Ph.D. of MS Mentors are required to attend a Mentor Training as well as the SAIC Kick-Off Event which occur at the start of the semester. They are also expected to conduct weekly supervised research hours with their Scholars as well as fill out time sheets reflecting those research hours and submit to Room 138 CCB. Twice a semester, SAIC Mentors and their faculty advisor will meet with Scholars to discuss the progress of their research project. Finally, SAIC Mentors are expected to schedule (program-funded) monthly lunches with their Scholars.