Join the Lab > Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program 2021-2022

Paid, hands-on experience conducting research and attending conferences

The VECTR Lab at SJSU (PI: Dr. David Schuster) is seeking two undergraduate students to serve as paid research assistants on an NSF-funded research project. We are conducting research to improve cybersecurity by understanding the thinking and behavior of the people involved. So far, this research has suggested ways to improve cybersecurity by teaching cybersecurity professionals about cognition, introducing people to cybersecurity careers, and empowering the public to be safer online.

Your Role

You will assist with the next steps in this research by developing and running your own training validation study based on the research findings. You'll get hands-on experience with all aspects of the research process.

Responsibilities

• Meet virtually or in-person to set goals, plan for conferences, and discuss your progress
• Work as part of a two-person team, about 10 hours each week
• Complete the CITI Research Ethics training course
• Conduct literature reviews
• Further develop the training strategies that have been suggested by past research
• Develop, run, and present the results of one or more psychological studies related to cybersecurity
• Prepare a research report each semester summarizing your accomplishments under the program

Stipend

• The time and effort required is about 10 hours per week, approximately equal to that of a 3-unit SJSU course.
• You'll receive a stipend of $7200 plus $800 for conferences for the academic year, with half awarded this semester (a $3600 stipend) and the other half in the spring. The stipend will be posted to your financial aid as a scholarship.
• The conference funding will pay for you attend virtual or in-person conferences throughout the academic year. The purpose of the conference funding is for you to attend big, interdisciplinary, and/or expensive conferences that would be difficult to attend otherwise.
• The program starts on September 6 and continues through December 17, 2021. There is no required work over the winter break. The program continues in the spring from February 1, 2022 through May 27, 2022.

Requirements

• You must be enrolled at SJSU as an undergraduate in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022.
• You must be a US citizen or permanent resident (this is an NSF requirement and applies only to this program, not to the lab).
• You should be willing to participate in the program for the entire academic year (Fall 2021 and Spring 2022).
• You should be self-motivated, responsible, reliable, and curious about psychological research. You do not need any technical background in cybersecurity (we'll provide all background readings). Knowledge or experience with human factors research is a plus, but applications are welcome from all majors interested in applied research.
• Although scheduling is flexible, you need 10 hours every week to work on this project.
• Satisfactory progress is required in Fall 2020 to continue the program in Spring 2021.
• You could do this work virtually or in-person. You will be provided with a lab-managed laptop if you need one. You will need reliable Internet access, but we will find a solution if this is an obstacle.

Selection Process

• Apply for the REU program by completing the VECTR Lab application.
• Applications will be evaluated on or after 5pm on Monday, August 30, 2021, and then on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
• Applicants will be selected based on past research experience (if any), interest in research, and the quality of argument in the application (i.e., why do you want to do this?).

Apply to the VECTR REU Program as part of your application to the lab

Any questions, concerns, or issues with the application? Contact Dr. David Schuster.