CS+ is a ten week summer program for Duke undergrads to get involved in computer science research projects with faculty in a fast-paced but supportive community environment. Students participate in teams of 3-4 and are jointly mentored by a faculty project lead and a graduate student mentor. The experience is meant as a rich entry point into computer science research and applications beyond the classroom.
Logistics:
- The program will run for ten weeks from Tuesday, May 26, 2020 (the day after Memorial Day) through Friday, July 31, 2020.
- Located at the Department of Computer Science on Duke’s West Campus.
- Participants will receive a stipend of $5,000 to cover living expenses.
- Applications will open in December 2019 and go through February 2020. First round offers will begin late January/early February.
Applications for CS+ will open in early December, and will be accessible through this page.
FAQs:
What is the difference between Code+, Data+, and CS+? All three “plus” programs have the same model: students collaborating in teams on a project in tech/data for the same 10 weeks of the summer and receiving a stipend of the same amount. We also partner to provide some common events (talks, social events, final poster fair, etc) in order to create a larger ecosystem of students studying in tech and data over the summer; over 100 students participated in 2019 across all three programs. Each program has their own application.
- Data+ focuses on interdisciplinary data science projects from all over the university, and is run by Rhodes I.I.D. in Gross Hall. Project leads are typically faculty from diverse areas of the university, with frequent additional participation from community and/or industry partners.
- Code+ focuses on projects in software and product development and is run by Duke OIT taking place at the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. Project leads are professional IT developers with the emphasis on developing real-world development experience.
- CS+ focuses on projects in computer science research and applications and is run by the Department of Computer Science. Project leads are typically computer science faculty.
Do I apply to the program, or can I pick the projects I want to be a part of? You can apply specifically to the projects and faculty of interest to you.
How much background do I need? CS+ is intended for students who have some computer science experience, but students do not need to be computer science majors or rising seniors in order to apply. We welcome and encourage applications from rising 2nd and 3rd year students who have completed the introductory course sequence in computer science and have skills and interests that make them a good fit for their projects.
What projects will CS+ run in 2020? For 2020 we anticipate having about 8 projects in areas spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, networking, consensus protocols, CS education, and software development. Full project descriptions will be available at the same web page before applications go live in December.
Summer 2019 Projects
Learn more about summer 2019 projects, participating students, materials and activities:
Activities
As a team-building exercise outside of the classroom and just for fun, 2019 undergrad researchers enjoyed the challenge of an escape room activity over the summer. Participants had the opportunity to work together to solve the escape room's mystery and get to know each other in the process. The group also enjoyed bowling.
