APPLY BY: February 6, 2026, by 5:00 PM
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Overview:
- The NSF Artificial and Natural Intelligence Institute (ARNI) at Columbia University is offering a 10-week program for undergraduate students interested in gaining research experience at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. Our program is offered in collaboration with the SURE Columbia Engineering program.
Research:
- Students will have the opportunity to be placed in a lab associated with one of ARNI’s research projects. ARNI projects are interdisciplinary within five research core themes: Robust and Flexible Learning, Continual Learning, Reasoning about Causality and Uncertainty, Neural Mechanisms, Language and Vision, and Biological Learning. You can learn more about ARNI’s mission and research projects here.
Community and Professional Development:
- ARNI collaborates with the SURE Columbia Engineering program to enrich students’ experience with engaging personal and professional development programming, exposure to industry, and fun activities in New York City. The program culminates in a presentation at the Summer Research Symposium, where each student showcases their research efforts to peers, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals.
- This summer research opportunity provides hands-on research experience, fosters networking, and serves as a valuable stepping stone for students pursuing careers in research within these fields.
- 10 weeks of laboratory research
- Graduate student and faculty mentoring
- Room and board
- Summer stipend
- Weekly professional development
- Social engagement activities in NYC
- We encourage undergraduate students interested in computer science, neuroscience, cognitive science, or related fields to apply. In your statement, please indicate your relevant courses or prior research activities to date. While relevant, research experiences are not required for acceptance to this program.
Eligibility:
- US citizen or permanent resident
- A non-Columbia University rising junior or rising senior from any U.S.-based college or university
- Available to complete the entire 10-week program from Monday to Friday, from late May to the first week of August
- Basic knowledge of computer science, programming, and/or coding
- Basic knowledge of neuroscience, cognitive science, or artificial intelligence (AI)
How to Apply:
- Personal Statement (up to 2 pages, single spaced, New Times Roman font size 12, PDF)
- Explain why this specific research opportunity aligns with your research interests and future career goals
- Indicate relevant coursework or prior research experience
- Indicate 3 ARNI research projects that interest you and why (use this link to access more information about the research projects)
- List of one professor or professional reference, included their contact information (email and phone number) and a letter of recommendation per reference
- Most up to date unofficial transcript (PDF)
- Most up to date resume (PDF)
