Purdue Systems Collaboratory initiates Systems Fellows Program

Purdue Systems Collaboratory is inviting Purdue faculty to nominate outstanding PhD students for the new Systems Fellows Program. 

The Systems Fellows Program is meant to support graduate students who want to participate in the convergence of knowledge and expertise from diverse disciplines to identify and address a complex system problem. This approach requires that faculty and students explore research questions at the intersection of their respective fields, conduct joint research projects and develop methodologies that can be used to reintegrate knowledge in pursuit of a new science of systems. Examples include research projects in developing a technology that also investigate the effects, reception and implications of the technology on humans, society and social interactions, or studying the advancement of secure communication and investigating the policy implications.

Student eligibility and responsibilities:

* The student’s research must be related to addressing a systems problem or advancing systems science.

* The primary home of the student is in his or her home college, and is co-supervised by a faculty from another college.

* The student nominee must have completed at least one year of the PhD program.

* Assistantship recipients are required to submit an annual report to the PSC’s Research Committee outlining their progress and showcasing the relevance of their research to systems thinking/science.

* Systems fellows will be required to contribute to PSC’s activities (for example, assisting with PSC’s seminars and courses, mentoring, course coordination).

The Purdue Systems Collaboratory provides 50 percent of the student stipend and tuition per year, renewable for up to three years contingent upon satisfactory academic and scholarly progress and work performance. The remaining 50 percent of the student support is provided by equal contributions of the faculty co-advisors or their departments. The PSC Systems Fellows Program can be used in conjunction with other fellowships/assistantships.

Those making a nomination -- applications can be submitted by either the student or the advisors -- must turn in the following items by April 23 to Boshra Afra (afra@purdue.edu) with the subject of "PSC Systems Fellows":

* Completed application form.

* A research project summary of no more than two pages describing the nature of the student’s research topic, highlighting its systems perspective.

* A short management plan outlining the role of each advisor, how the background and expertise of each advisor support the research topic, and a proposed schedule for interaction of the team.

* Short NSF-style CVs of the two faculty members, and CV and academic transcript of the nominated student.

The application packages for nominated Purdue Systems Fellows will be evaluated by the PSC’s Research Committee, which includes faculty members from different colleges across Purdue.

For more information, contact Afra at afra@purdue.edu.