This project creates a new Research Experience for Undergraduates site focused on the area of home networking technologies. During the experience, students investigate viable solutions on a home network test platform that they construct. The projects allow students to achieve a better understanding of the technical issues, performance, and trade-offs in areas of multimedia communications, wireless networking, copyright protection, and network security. A regional recruitment process selects cohorts of undergraduate students to participate in a ten-week summer research program at the host institution. Particular emphasis is placed on recruitment of students from institutions where they may have had limited opportunities for research experiences. The goals are to expose students a collaborative research environment, foster student enthusiasm for science and engineering, and develop the skills the students need to pursue advanced research degrees. The project includes mentorship by the experienced faculty members, technical seminars and workshops, team building activities, student presentations, and other professional development opportunities.
The intellectual merit of this project lies in strong research basis and the expertise of the faculty. The projects involve an emerging research area that is timely and important to the field as well as attractive to the students. The students participate in a full range of research activities from preparing research literature review to production and dissemination of research results.
The broader impacts of the project include providing a quality research experience for undergraduate students, particularly students from underrepresented groups and community college students. The participating faculty members are committed to recruiting and engaging women and students from underrepresented groups in their research. Thus this project has the potential to produce new computer science graduate students and faculty members and to advance discovery and understanding while promoting learning. The project will also provide a better technically educated workforce to meet national security and economic priorities.
