Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CFDA 47.070: Computer and Information Science and Engineering) awarded $489,999 to the University of California, San Diego on July 15, 2026, to establish a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on community-driven design technologies. The award supports a nine-week summer program hosting nine undergraduate students annually through June 30, 2029. The primary deliverables include the development and implementation of technological tools and methodologies that facilitate community participation in addressing societal challenges such as extreme weather, affordable housing shortages, and unequal access to education and healthcare. Research focus areas encompass data visualization, health monitoring, citizen science, and collaborative online spaces, with emphasis on designing technologies with community members rather than exclusively for them.

The program, hosted by UC San Diego's Interdisciplinary Design Lab, delivers hands-on research training through faculty-led projects in collaboration with community partners and graduate students. Key educational components include weekly workshops covering research methodologies, computing skills, and responsible artificial intelligence use, alongside mentoring in graduate school and career pathways. Undergraduate interns gain practical experience in prototype development, research execution, and idea communication while engaging with external partners on real-world initiatives. The structure emphasizes knowledge sharing across multiple projects to build collective understanding of processes and technologies supporting community engagement, with opportunities for student publication in related academic fields.