What is ERSP?

The Early Research Scholars Program, first developed at UCSD, is a team-based research program for computer science and electrical and computer engineering students in their early years of undergraduate. Students work in teams of 3-4 students on an active research project in the departments of Computer Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering. ERSP is a two-semester program that starts in the fall semester of the academic year.

What should I expect from ERSP?

Student scholars who are part of ERSP engage in a two-semester program that starts with an introduction to research course in the fall semester. Students are matched with a research project/lab that is supervised by a faculty member in CS or ECE. In the fall, students observe research lab meetings and meet as a team with the ERSP mentors (faculty and graduate student). In the spring, students execute their research proposal and contribute to the research project. While there is no class meeting in the spring semester, students continue to have mentoring meetings with ERSP faculty and graduate student. The program concludes with a poster celebration at the end of the spring semester.

ERSP Threefold Objectives

1. To nurture a diverse and supportive community within the Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments, with a particular focus on engaging students from minoritized groups in computing including women, Black, Latinx, Native American and Indigenous students.

2. To excite students through early exposure to research in computing and the challenges facing computing scientists and engineers today.

3. To teach participants the fundamental skills involved in conducting computing related research.