David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute
A collaboration between the UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) department, the UCLA Math department and the Stanford bioengineering department.
about the program
David Harold Blackwell is widely regarded as the top African-American mathematician of the 20th century. As the first African-American elected to the National Academy of Sciences who made seminal contributions to the fields of statistics, economics, probability theory, and information theory, he epitomized the word excellence in all fields he touched. We aim to honor Blackwell’s legacy by attempting to increase the number of undergraduate students who aspire to achieve his level of excellence and widen participation of African-Americans in obtaining PhDs in the mathematical sciences. This research program will take place on one of the California campuses, from June 17 to July 26, 2024. African Americans comprise 4% of PhDs in engineering and 3% of PhDs in mathematics granted from 2010-2020.
The David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute will be led by Profs. Todd Coleman (Stanford), Wilfrid Gangbo (UCLA Math), and Jelani Nelson (UC Berkeley EECS), who will mentor the students directly.
Application deadline is January 15th, 2024.
The David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute is a six-week competitive summer activity designed to provide research experience to talented undergraduate students. Students will conduct research in Applied Probability, Analysis, or Theoretical Computer Science, under the supervision of faculty members who are experts in these areas. During the program, each participant will:
- conduct research on one of the California campuses under the direction of a faculty member.
- receive funding for six weeks of lodging, meals and incidentals.
After the six-week program, each participant will:
- continue receiving advice from their program mentor for graduate school applications.
- get connected as needed to students with more experience
Student Mentors
Each student will work directly with a faculty mentor. We expect two students per faculty mentor, allowing for substantial individual attention. A summary of the schedule is as follows:
June 17: Orientation day; Zoom meeting to introduce all the participants to each other; Visit of the campus and its facilities; Assessment of the basic background of the students to determine their level.
June 17 – July 22: Reading, Training and Research work.
July 22 – July 26: Discussion and information to enter graduate programs. Final presentation of research work.
July 26: Final report from the students (due by 3 pm).
The research projects will be on one of the following themes. Optimal Mass Transportation, the Calculus of Variations, Machine Learning, Theoretical Computer Science.
Our long term goal is to increase the number of talented researchers and teachers in mathematical and computer sciences. With the support of our respective campuses, we would like to ensure that the leading institutions in the state of California increase their participation in training the next generation of students underrepresented in the mathematical sciences. We would like to develop a sense of community where mentees feel welcome in California and an increasing number of mentors receive concrete invitations to participate in changes which transcend group barriers.
We will ask the students to fill out an anonymous evaluation form at the end of the program.
Funding information for student applicants:
- Up to $600 travel expense per student plus $200 for extra trip to Berkeley
- $7K for living expenses and housing allowance at host institution
- $0.8K per student for housing allowance for week 5
How to Apply
Eligibility. Preference will be given to applicants in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year. Interested students should apply through https://www.mathprograms.org/db/programs/1523 and should provide transcripts, a statement of purpose, a diversity statement, a CV, and the names and contact information of two faculty members who will provide letters of recommendation. We expect this to be a competitive process. Applications received by January 15th, 2024 will be given full consideration.
Contacts
For any inquiries, please email: