Complexity Explorer Santa Few Institute

The information in this section is intended to provide a sense of who may be available to guide research projects this summer and their general areas of expertise. The availability of a pariticular SFI researcher to mentor a UCR project will be determined during the first two weeks of the program. UCR students should not contact potential mentors prior to the start of the program.

How do I find a mentor? How do I find a project?

During weeks 1 and 2 of the UCR program, you will follow a defined process for finding both a mentor and a project. While you will have a chance to meet many potential mentors informally on your first day at SFI, the formal "mentor matching" process will not start until Wednesday. On that day, UCR students will hear an introduction from each potential mentor as to their current research directions and general area of expertise. In addition, potential mentors will highlight one or more project ideas that align with their research interests and could be a good opportunity for a UCR student.

Depending on which mentor(s), project(s), or both you become interested in based on this introductory meeting, you will spend the remainder of week 1 and as much of week 2 as needed setting up individual meetings with potential mentors. In those meetings, you should discuss their project ideas, your project ideas, and new project ideas that emerge from this synthesis. UCR projects very rarely match the exact project idea of any one person and ideally reflect an evolution of ideas over the course of several conversations (and a continued evolution over the summer).

Before the end of week 2, once you have found both a project and a mentor (or mentors) that you are excited about, and a mentor who is likewise excited about working with you on the project, you will let the UCR program staff know. We will make sure that no mentors are over-extended in terms of their commitments before confirming the final UCR-mentor matches. Then you are ready to start your summer research project!

May I have more than one mentor?

Yes! But make sure that your multiple mentors know they are co-mentoring and get them together for a conversation early in the project. It may be helpful to ask one of your mentors to be your primary mentor for day-to-day questions, etc. Please also keep in mind that you can get guidance and input from researchers who are not your "mentor", such as the UCR Resident Advisor or a project consultant. See the UCR Program Roles for more details.

May I collaborate?

Yes! If you and another UCR student discover that you have similar or complementary interests and want to develop a project together, that is encouraged. You may find that this type of collaboration makes your summer more productive in terms of research accomplishments and can be more "fun" or supportive when there are frustrating parts of the project. Some students are concerned about taking on collaborative projects because they are unsure they will get "credit" for the ideas or accomplishments – for instance, when applying to graduate school – but this is not a problem in reality and any e.g. recommendation letter from your mentor will clearly outline your individual contributions. Collaboration skills are essential to research success in most disciplines, so evidence of successful collaboration can benefit you in future job or academic applications.