Mentor Project for Undergraduate Females in Computer Science and Engineering The Computing Research Association's Distributed Mentor Project brings together for a summer of research undergraduate females in computer science and computer engineering (CS&E) and female professors at research institutions. The intent of the mentor program, which is funded by the National Science foundation, is to increase the number of women entering graduate school in CS&E. Because of the limited number of female researchers in CS&E who can serve as role models and mentors, undergraduates are brought directly to the professors' institutions. Alternatively, a student and mentor from the same institution may apply together. Students will be involved in research, learn how a research university operates, meet graduate students and professors and get a chance to observe a successful female researcher up close. It is an invaluable experience for any female student who is considering applying to graduate school. The program helps the student decide which graduate schools might be right for her and boosts her chance of acceptance at those schools. Basic Structure =============== A committee will examine the applications and select at least 20 student/professor matches for funding. Notification of matches will be given by March 13, 1998. funding for the student consists of $450 per week of research, plus travel assistance. A student's funding is intended to cover 10 weeks of research in the summer of 1998, but alternative arrangements are possible. Mentors and their universities receive no funding. However, students and mentors who participate in the program may apply for limited funding to assist them in attending a conference after the summer of research. Mentors and students will be given training packages on mentoring and will participate in an electronic discussion group. This will provide additional mentoring opportunities while distributing the load among mentors. It will establish cohesiveness among all participants and is intended to be a source of support for mentors and students. One aspect of the continuing project is a longitudinal evaluation, covering all five years of the project (1994-98). This third-party evaluation is intended to provide formative feedback and to assess the long-term impact of the project. The evaluation is not intended to check on the performance of individuals participating in the project, and participants' anonymity will be maintained as far as is possible. All participants are expected to take part in the evaluation; the time involved will be minimal. Evaluation reports covering the four years of the project are available on the Web at http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~condon/mentor.html. Students: Criteria for Selection ================================ Applicants should be female undergraduates (US citizens or permanent residents) at a US college or university who are seriously considering graduate studies in CS&E. First consideration will be given to sophomores and juniors who have completed two or three years by the summer of 1998. However, first-year students with the skills needed for research, as well as seniors considering graduate school, may also apply. The primary criteria for selection are: 1. The student's experience and skills must match the needs of a participating professor's research project. 2. The student's record and recommendations should indicate the potential for success in graduate school. 3. Preference will be given to students who stand to gain the most from the experience (for example, students at institutions unable to offer research opportunities with female professors). 1. Basic Information * Name * Social Security number (for tax purposes) * Indicate if you are a US citizen or permanent resident, or will be by summer 1998 (required by NSF) * School in which currently enrolled * Academic year address and telephone * Permanent home address and telephone * E-mail address * Number of years completed by May 1998 * Major 2. Transcript Send an official transcript, including courses taken through December 1997, grades and a list of courses to be taken spring 1998. An unofficial copy may be sent first if the official copy cannot be sent before the application deadline. 3. Letters of Recommendation These letters are important for predicting likely success in graduate school. However, some students may not have connected enough with a professor to obtain a substantive letter of recommendation. Therefore, letters are optional, but we encourage students to have two letters submitted. Recommenders may either e-mail their letters to cra-student@cs.wisc.edu or send it postal mail to Anne Condon at the address in Item #7. 4. Technical Statement Submit a statement of about 500 words detailing your interests in CS&E and the specific skills you have attained (programming language proficiency, operating systems familiarity, hardware design experience and other skills not evident from your transcript). 5. Mentoring Statement Rank the following topics according to your interest in them: career opportunities in academia or industry, balancing work and family life, improving self-confidence, dealing with a chilly working environment, establishing professional contacts and learning about the research process. You may, but are not required to, indicate minority status, disability, sexual orientation or other factors you would like considered. List any mentoring-related resources you have used in the past (such as mentoring programs, electronic resources, extracurricular technical groups). 6. Restrictions Indicate geographic restrictions or time constraints that would affect a match. In previous years, a number of worthy applicants could not be funded because of overly precise geographical preferences. Is there a particular professor with whom you would like to work? 7. Deadline All application materials are due on or before Feb. 2, 1998. Electronic submission is encouraged: cra-student@cs.wisc.edu. Send transcripts and other nonelectronic information to: Professor Anne Condon Computer Sciences Department 1210 West Dayton Street University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 Tel. (608) 262-3158; Fax: (608) 262-9777 Comments of previous student participants on their experience: "Choosing the right graduate school is important, but now I know better how to do that. And I know that I can go to grad school and make it through and enjoy the time, and get something very important out of it." "She [my mentor] is like this shining model of success. Not a success in terms of business school success, but success in terms of how one would want to live one's lives." "I'm being pulled right into their=8Aresearch project! Right at the heart of it, and I wasn't expecting that. It's been a confidence booster for me." Mentors: Criteria for Selection =============================== Potential mentors should be female CS&E professors at US universities with active research programs into which the students may be integrated. The primary criteria for selection are: 1. The professor should have a research project suitable for undergraduates. The project should match the skills of some student applicants. 2. The professor's university environment should be one conducive to the goals of the mentoring project. For example, an active graduate summer research population provides the prot=E9g=E9 with a window on future graduate life. 3. The professor should have demonstrated some skill in the delicate task of mentoring undergraduates. Professors who already have funds to support undergraduates (e.g., through an REU supplement to an NSF grant) may still apply to be matched with a student. In such cases, CRA funding will be applied toward those students' travel expenses. Mentors may request more than one student, especially if a single student would be isolated. However, we expect to limit awards to two students per mentor. Two or more mentors may submit a single application to jointly supervise one or more students. 1. Basic Information * Name * US postal address, telephone and fax * E-mail address * Names and addresses of your department chair, dean or anyone else who should be notified of your award and contributions if you are selected. 2. Curriculum Vitae Acceptable in any form. The short form used for NSF grants is the most convenient. 3. Research Proposal(s) Submit a one-page description of each undergraduate project. A copy of material prepared for another grant proposal is acceptable. The target is the selection committee, not the students. 4. Special Requirements Indicate the basic skills required of the students, either in courses taken-calculus, linear algebra, data structures, computer graphics, logic design and so on-or other proficiencies (for example, knows C and Unix). This information is crucial for arranging appropriate matches. Highly specific and advanced skills requirements reduce the likelihood of a match. Are there particular students you wish to work with? 5. Mentoring Skills Include information on your mentoring skills and experience. To help us in matching you with a student, indicate specific topics on which you can provide good advice (see Item #5 in the student application for ideas). Are you willing to participate in an electronic discussion group involving other mentors and students? 6. Working Environment and Lodging If possible, describe the expected working environment for the student. Useful information includes opportunities for technical and social interaction with graduate students, and institutional commitment (office and computer facilities, and access to institutional recreational facilities). Can students obtain low-cost lodging-for example, at the university dormitories? 7. Deadline All application materials are due on or before Feb. 2, 1998. Electronic submission is encouraged: cra-mentor@cs.wisc.edu Nonelectronic information should be sent to: Professor Anne Condon Computer Science Department 1210 West Dayton Street University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 Tel. (608) 262-3158; Fax: (608) 262-9777 Sponsored by Computing Research Association CRA Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research. Additional copies of this booklet are available from CRA. Send your request to: CRA Distributed Mentor Project 1100 Seventeenth Street, NW, Suite 507 Washington, DC 20036 Fax: (202) 667-1066 E-mail: info@cra.org An electronic version of this booklet is available: * at http://www.cs.wisc. edu/~condon/mentor.html * by anonymous FTP at ftp://ftp.cs.wisc.edu:/cra-mentor * from the AFS file system at /afs/cs.wisc.edu/p/ftp/cra-mentor. The Computing Research Association (CRA) is an association of more than 160 North American academic departments of computer science and computer engineering, industrial and government laboratories engaging in basic computing research, and affiliated professional societies. This project is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Grant No. CDA-9507756. Permission is given to reproduce the contents, provided such reproduction is not for profit and credit is given to the source. Computing Research Association 1100 Seventeenth Street, NW, Suite 507 Washington, DC 20036 Tel. (202) 234-2111 / Fax: (202) 667-1066 E-mail: info@cra.org www.cra.org