JOB: Summer research program for undergrads in interactive virtual experiences

The Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) offers a 10-week summer research program for undergraduates in interactive virtual experiences. A multidisciplinary research institute affiliated with the University of Southern California, the ICT was established in 1999 to combine leading academic researchers in computing with the creative talents of Hollywood and the video game industry. Having grown to encompass a total of 170 faculty, staff, and students in a diverse array of fields, the ICT represents a unique interdisciplinary community brought together with a core unifying mission: advancing the state-of-the-art for creating virtual experiences so compelling that people will react as if they were real.

Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of ICT research, we welcome applications from students in computer science, as well as many other fields, such as psychology, art/animation, interactive media, linguistics, and communications. Undergraduates will join a team of students, research staff, and faculty in one of several labs focusing on different aspects of interactive virtual experiences. In addition to participating in seminars and social events, students will also prepare a final written report and present their projects to the rest of the institute at the end of summer research fair.

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The site is expected to begin summer 2013, pending final award issuance.  For questions or additional information, please contact reu at ict.usc.edu.  

Research Labs
When you apply, we will ask you to rank your top three interests from the labs listed below. We encourage applicants to explore the lab websites to learn more about the individual research activities of each group.

	MxR Lab Research areas: virtual reality, interactive media, human-computer interaction, gestural user interfaces, spatial illusions, human perception
	Graphics Lab Research areas: image-based lighting, 3D scanning, surface reflectometry, image-based modeling, 3D displays
	Multicomp Lab Research areas: human communication, machine learning, facial and body gestures, verbal content, prosodic signals
	Natural Language Dialogue Group Research areas: human-human and human-machine dialogue, dialogue management, speech recognition, natural language understanding, natural language generation, expressive conversational speech synthesis, information retrieval
	Narrative Group Research areas: social media, information retrieval, natural language discourse, storytelling, triangles
	Virtual Worlds and Avatars Group Research areas: activities in virtual worlds that promote health, avatar identity, avatar emotions, web-based virtual worlds, social support spaces
	Computational Emotion Group Research areas: affective computing, emotion and decision making, cognitive modeling, virtual humans, human-computer interaction, media psychology
	Embodied Cognition Group Research areas: studying the relation between cognitive and emotional processes and physical behavior with the goal of creating more life-like animated virtual humans
	MedVR Lab Research areas: resilience training, allostatic load, psychophysiological assessments, advanced statistical analysis, post-traumatic stress disorder

Location and Housing
The ICT facility is located in the Playa Vista community of West Los Angeles, about 10 miles west of the main USC campus, and includes a 150-seat theater, game room, and gym. There are numerous restaurants and stores within walking distance, including the Westfield Culver City mall, and the beach is only a 10 minute drive away. The university also provides free shuttle service between the institute and the downtown USC campus.  Since ICT is located in its own separate facility, summer students typically live in apartments near the institute rather than on-campus dorms. We will direct accepted students to a number of resources for locating nearby housing and provide a stipend to support the cost of living.

Benefits

• Participate in a unique multidisciplinary community that combines academic research with the creative talents of Hollywood and the video game industry.
• Work with some of the leading researchers in human-computer interaction, computer graphics, and virtual humans.
  Receive a total of $5000 over the ten week program, paid as an hourly wage.
• Receive an additional $2800 stipend for housing and living expenses.
• Travel will be reimbursed up to $600 for students living 95 miles or more outside of the Los Angeles area.

Eligibility

• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required.
• Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program.
• Students must not have completed an undergraduate degree prior to the summer program.

Important Dates

• Application deadline: March 31, 2013
• Notification of acceptance begins: April 12, 2013
• Notification of declined applicants: April 30, 2013
• Start Date: June 3, 2013
• End Date: August 9, 2013

How to Apply
Step 1: Application Form
Fill out the online application. You must first complete this form before the rest of your application materials will be reviewed.

Step 2: Submit Additional Materials
Email the following materials to Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. :

• The most recent unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate institutions you have attended.
• A one page personal statement. This may include your research interests and how you came to be interested in them, your previous research experiences, your reasons for wanting to participate in the research at the ICT, and how this participating in this experience might better prepare you to meet your future goals.

Step 3: Recommendation Letter
Please direct a faculty member to email a letter of recommendation directly to Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. .

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