About CSUMS

The CSUMS project at ASU

CSUMS stands for Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences. ASU's program provides up to $10,000 in stipends for students who want to pursue research programs in computational mathematics. Openings are available for approximately 11 students. We are currently recruiting students for

• Calendar year 2009 (January to December, including 8 weeks from mid-May to mid-July)
• Academic year 2009-10 (August to July, including 8 weeks from mid-May to mid-July)

Students selected for this program will undertake research projects that utilize the state-of-the-art Fulton High-Performance Computing Center and Decision Theater at ASU.

All research projects carry academic credit in mathematics and may be applied to major and university graduation requirements.

What kinds of projects will students work on?

Several types of projects are planned. In Summer 2008, the projects will focus on weather and climate forecasting, environmental fluid dynamics, modeling of biological systems, and models of complex supply chains.

Students work on their projects full-time in summer and part-time for two semesters and present their work at an appropriate research conference. Each project will be suitable material for an Honors thesis, and we hope that some of them can be published in research journals.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible to apply for the program, you must be

• a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• a Computational Mathematical Sciences major or a Mathematics major (or be a double-major in one of these two areas)
• a sophomore or junior (i.e., with 3 to 5 semesters of full-time study remaining at ASU)
• have an ASU GPA and major GPA of at least 3.0.

You should also have completed the following courses (or their equivalents) before the summer in which you want to participate:

• MAT 272 (Calculus III)
• MAT 274 or 275 (Differential Equations)
• MAT 342 or 343 (Linear Algebra)
• CSE 205 (Data Structures)
• MAT 420 (Scientific Computing) is recommended.

Time commitment and stipend information

Students selected for the program will enroll in the CSUMS Seminar beginning in January 2008 (for Summer '08 project participants) or in August 2008 (for Summer '09 participants). The time commitment is expected to be

• part-time (5-10 hours/week) during the academic year
• full-time (40 hours/week) for 8 weeks from mid-May to mid-July.

Students are expected to enroll in the CSUMS Seminar for at least 3 semesters. Stipends of up to $5,000 for the summer project and up to $2,500 for each of up to two semesters are available to qualified students. Office space and laptop computers will be supplied to all project participants.

How to apply

Approximately 11 students will be selected for Jaunary 2008 and another 11 students for August 2008. The selection is based on

• academic achievement,
• letters of recommendation (from math or science course instructors or advisors), and
• a personal statement.

Arizona residents and first-generation college students are encouraged to apply. Simply complete the CSUMS application form and forward it to 

Deadline for applications:

• NEW DEADLINE: April 29, 2009 (for August 2009)

For more information

Please contact the CSUMS coordinators:

• Eric Kostelich (480-965-5006, kostelich at asu.edu)
• Bruno Welfert (480-965-7195, welfert at asu.edu)