Brown CS News

Brown CS is glad to announce that applications are open for the Randy F. Pausch '82 Computer Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, which provides $15,000 annually to support an undergraduate engaged in an intensive faculty-student summer research partnership with the Department of Computer Science. Typically, the award supports established student-faculty relationships. Recipients should be CS or joint-CS concentrators, and cannot be graduating in May 2027. 

The award is available thanks to a generous gift from Brown CS alum Peter Norvig, now a Director of Research at Google and a thought leader in the areas of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, information retrieval, and software engineering. He was drawn to Brown as an undergraduate by the open curriculum and his interests in computer science and linguistics, which he studied in high school. His gift honors the life and work of Randy F. Pausch '82, a renowned expert in computer science, human-computer interaction, and design who died of complications from pancreatic cancer in 2008 and whose "Last Lecture" has been widely praised. "I didn't know Randy when I was at Brown," Peter says, "but we met afterward and corresponded for many years. His story is inspiring, and this is an opportunity to remember him."

Norvig sees this award as a "multiplier" that will amplify the value of his gift and extend it through time. "I'm interested in students with a wide range of personalities and interests," he says, "and in putting students and faculty together. In the past, we had to build all our own tools, and we didn't have time to combine computer science with other fields. Now, there are so many opportunities to do so. I think it's a wise choice: you invest in things that you think will do good, and educating a student allows them to help add to the things that you're already trying to accomplish." 

To apply, no later than February 19, 2027, students should email cs-dus@brown.edu with either: (A) a copy of their summer UTRA application or (B) a two-page description of their proposed research and a letter of support from the Brown CS faculty member they intend to work with. The faculty member may send the letter of support to the above address separately.

For more information, click the link that follows to contact Brown CS Communications Manager Jesse C. Polhemus.