Research Experience for Undergraduates: Computational Methods for Music, Media, and Minds

How can a computer be trained to discover motifs of polyphonic music? What are the neural encodings of musical features when humans listen to music and associate it with any memories? Can we leverage recent advances in ArtificialIntelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) to make communication easier between deaf children and their hearing parents? These are some of the questions that define the intellectual focus of our National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program.
Over ten weeks, students will work on cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, music, media, and public health. Students are supported with funding from the National Science Foundation and mentored by faculty from computer science, electrical and computer engineering, brain and cognitive sciences, music theory, neuroscience and public health.
Summer 2026
Applications for the summer 2026 program will open in late December 2025. Detailed information on the summer 2026 program and instructions for how to apply will be posted then.
How to Apply/Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if:
- You are a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year full-time undergraduate student at a college or university.
- You are a U.S. citizen or hold a green card as a permanent resident.
- You will have completed two computer science courses or have equivalent programming experience by the start of the summer program.
We are unable to support international students via this federally-funded NSF REU program. If you are looking for self-funded research opportunities, you can reach out to one of our affiliated faculty members directly to discuss your research interests.
Being a computer science major or having prior research experience are not requirements. We seek to recruit a diverse group of students, with varying backgrounds and levels of experience. We encourage applications from students attending non-research institutions, and from students from communities underrepresented in computer science.
Before starting the application, you should prepare:
- An unofficial college transcript (a list of your college courses and grades), as a PDF file. Please include the courses you are currently taking.
- Your CV or resume, as a PDF file.
- A personal statement (up to 5000 characters), explaining why you wish to participate in this REU, including how it engages your interests, how the experience would support or help you define your career goals, and special skills and interests you would bring to the program.
- The name and email address of a teacher or supervisor who can recommend you for the REU.
How to Apply:
- Create an NSF ETAP account and fill out all portions of the registration.
- Select our REU program and follow the prompts to apply. The personal statement should explain why you wish to participate in this REU, including how it engages your interests, how the experience would support or help you define your career goals, and special skills and interests you would bring to the program.
- Apply online no later than January 29, 2023.
- Notification of acceptance will be communicated between March 5 and April 5, 2023.
The REU Experience
Students accepted into the REU will receive:
- On-campus housing
- Meal stipend
- A stipend of $7000
- Up to $600 to help pay for travel to and from Rochester
Your experience will include:
- A programming bootcamp to help you learn and/or improve your programming skills in the Python language.
- Performing research with a team of students and faculty on one of the REU projects.
- Professional development activities, including graduate school preparation and career planning.
- Social events and experiences, including opportunities to meet and network with students from other REU programs and members of the University community.
The David T. Kearns Center coordinates summer logistics and activities for all REU programs across the University of Rochester campus, including travel, housing, the REU orientation and the undergraduate research symposium.
Visit our REU summer activities page for more detailed information on programs and events.
Projects, Participants, and Presentations
Information for the 2026 projects will be announced as it becomes available. Visit our past REU sessions page for more information on previous projects, participants, and presentations.
Contact
Email gids-reu@ur.rochester.edu for more information.
PI
Ajay Anand, PhD
Deputy Director
Professor
Goergen Institute of Data Science
Co-PI
Zhiyao Duan
Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Computer Science