Overview
The Baskin School of Engineering is committed to anti-racist practices in our research and teaching activities and we want to advance a climate of belonging and mutual respect within our entire community. The Fellowship for Anti-Racism Research is designed to advance anti-racism research at both the student and faculty levels, by supporting faculty-supervised student research that investigates racism and bias in technology/engineering and explores tools to fight racism and bias through technology. Awards will range from $2000 to $6000, depending on the scope of the project, and will be provided to students in the Baskin School of Engineering to work on an original project of their choice. Awardees will receive feedback on their projects from faculty and will be invited to present their completed projects in public speaker series.
Topics might include:
- Algorithms currently in use to uncover racial bias in the massive data sets used in machine learning. Companies and organizations that are leading the way in these efforts and/or policies that exist or should exist to expand the use of such algorithms?
- Technologies using sensors to determine the proximity of a human being (e.g., automatic faucets in public restrooms) and connection with skin color. Possible technologies to improve artificial intelligence skills with sensing all skin colors.
- Use of inclusive language in computing code and in workplaces.
- Efforts game developers could make to avoid propagating racist stereotypes in their games and even help promote anti-racist themes.
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 protects Americans from discrimination based on their genetic information in both health insurance (Title I) and employment (Title II). In which ways could GINA be expanded to protect individuals from being the target of racist actions or systems?
Eligibility for FARR
All Baskin Engineering undergraduate students who are declared majors and those enrolled in Engineering minors. Also, Engineering graduate students enrolled in MS or PhD programs. Students may apply individually, or in teams of up to three students.
What to submit:
We welcome applications that highlight the clarity and importance of the proposed project and its potential technical applications and/or applications to engineering. Final projects may take a variety of forms, depending on the nature of the work, including a research paper or digital resources such as a video game, toolkit, podcast series, or short film.
To apply, submit:
- Description of the proposed project (up to 3000 words)
- Timeline for research (up to 300 words)
- Brief statement of support from your faculty advisor
Materials are due March 29, 2021, and awards will be announced by April 5, 2021.
If you need assistance finding a member of the Baskin Engineering faculty or another faculty member at UC Santa Cruz to serve as an advisor to the project, let us know. If you are submitting a team application, explain the role of each team member in the project.
More information
Two information sessions have been scheduled for prospective applicants: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 4:00-5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, March 17, 1:00-2:00 p.m.. To receive the Zoom link, please email Abigail Kaun at akaun@ucsc.edu.