Our site’s core activity is six-week on-site research and training that will be hosted at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. This activity is preceded by a three-week virtual pre-REU/RET phase that focuses on team building, on-demand teaching of advanced mathematical concepts, and finalizing the design of the research projects. During the on-campus phase, the teams will work on their research project and receive mentorship from faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. The pre-REU/RET phase will start on May 23 and the on-campus phase will begin on June 13.

We particularly encourage women, students from underrepresented groups, first-generation college students, and institutions where research programs in STEM are limited to apply.

Supported participants will receive a stipend of $3,600, travel support of up to $800 to and from Emory, and free on-campus accommodations.

** 2022 Theme: “Models meet Data” **

Computational and data-enabled science has become the third pillar of science, completing theory and experimentation. One simplified way to organize the vast number of approaches in this area is by the specificity of the model and the amounts of data required. This idea is often used to categorize approaches as model-based and data-driven approaches. Model-based approaches calibrate unknown parameters in integral or differential equations derived from first principles using measurement data; a process known as data assimilation. Advances in theory and computation have impacted many applications, e.g., numerical weather prediction, medical applications, and storm surge modeling. Due to the high specificity of the modeling, one often needs only a few measurements to predict reliably. By contrast, data-driven approaches use a fairly generic model (e.g., a neural network) that is trained with larger amounts of data. Their use has been successful in applications in which the relevant first principles are ill-defined, or a consistent model is mathematically and computationally intractable for real problems. Despite achieving impressive results, with some notable exceptions, these models are data greedy and often lack understanding and interpretability. In our projects, the teams will apply, compare, and combine data-driven and model-based approaches to solve real problems.

For additional information about the theme and projects visit http://www.math.emory.edu/site/cmds-reuret/

** Prerequisites and Expectations **

The research projects are accessible to undergraduate students with a strong background in Linear Algebra, Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, and elementary programming experience. To help participants learn other project-specific materials, our site includes a comprehensive research training plan. Our activities include professional development, a weekly lunch seminar, and social excursions in the Atlanta area.

**Eligibility:**

- Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate program at a US institution. US citizenship or permanent residency is preferred but not required (i.e., we have limited funds to support international students that are currently enrolled at a US institution)

- Students need to be able to commit some time during the pre-REU/RET phase between May 23 and June 12 (no more than one-hour synchronous activity per week) and must be available full-time between June 13 and July 22.