Frequently Asked Questions

Curious and dedicated 

As our Director shares, “We look for curious, passionate students. It doesn’t matter to us about where you are now; we care more about who you are when you complete our program.” 

We seek highly motivated and dedicated students willing to be involved in research and creative activity for at least one year. They need to have a sense of personal vision, curiosity, and a passion to learn.

By the time they complete our program, our team members are articulate, determined, goal-oriented, and leadership-ready.

Students from all disciplines

ARCS comprises students from all disciplines, majors, and career paths. That’s because the core of our center is Convergence Research, which requires a deep integration across specialities.

As experts from different disciplines pursue common research challenges, their knowledge, theories, methods, data, research communities, and languages converge. New frameworks, paradigms or even disciplines may be formed to facilitate interactions across multiple communities.

Class Level

Undergraduates

All CSUN majors can apply, as we embrace multidisciplinary teamwork. We prefer Juniors and Seniors, but highly motivated Freshmen and Sophomores can be involved as well.

Community College Students and Transfers

If you are an incoming transfer student or are planning to attend CSUN within the next year, we encourage you to apply.

Each semester, we offer one Fellow position to a College of the Canyons student that allows the student to receive funding and internship credit for their Associate Degree program.

Graduate students

All CSUN graduate students, from any department or program, can apply. We are seeking and will give favorable consideration to graduate students who wish to use ARCS-related research as the focus of their graduate thesis.

US Citizenship

While we strive to make projects available to non-citizens, some projects may be limited to US citizens.  We will always communicate any limitations.

How does participating in ARCS help you?

ARCS’ goal is to provide a career pathway to our partner organizations in government and industry, including NASA, Medtronic, WM, LADWP, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Aerospace Corporation, and more.  We also encourage our grads to become entrepreneurs, creating their own start-ups.

Knowledge and skills gained at ARCS are transferable to many occupations. The faculty Co-Investigators (Co-I’s) and staff provide mentorship and guidance to help you discover educational or career opportunities.

Possible career areas

The opportunities resulting from ARCS membership are wide and diverse.  A few: 

• AI Development and Applications
• Agriculture and Food Production
• Astronautics and Aeronautics
• Biomedical and Biotechnology 
• Business Analytics and Applications
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Entrepreneurships
• Exploration
• Game Design
• Healthcare
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Human Factors
• Post-Baccalaureate Education – Master’s and PhD Programs
• Project Management
• Science Communication and Education
• Sustainability 
• Technology Start-ups
• Wearable Tech

Overview

ARCS Fellows lead their student research team.  Along with their project’s faculty Co-Investigator (Co-I) and/or industry collaborator, a Fellow supervises Associates and acts as a mentor to them.  Fellows are often graduate students who use their research toward a thesis, but a qualified undergrad may also be a Fellow.

A Fellow:

• Develops, implements and leads a Convergence Research Project
• Dedicates 10-20 hours per week to the Research Project
• May engage with an external collaborator to conduct research
• Takes advantage of internships and explores employment with our partners
• Publishes or presents research findings
• Takes advantage of competitions
• Seeks funding, entrepreneurship, and commercialization opportunities
• Maintains a 3.0 or better GPA
• Signs and follows all the provisions in the Fellowship Agreement

As a Convergence Research Leaders, an ARCS Fellow:

• Is committed to the ARCS mission, vision, and values  
• Upholds ARCS standards of excellence, ideals, and culture  
• Can articulate a clear vision of convergence research 
• Works collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary cohort of Fellows
• Supervises and mentors Associates 
• Participates in ARCS meetings, seminars, colloquia, and other events/activities
• Effectively communicates and engages with ARCS mentors, staff, and other Fellows  
• Actively pursues at least one professional conference presentation and leads the writing of a conference/journal paper

Funding will be provided to support Fellows in: 

• Conducting approved research or creative work under the direction of a CSUN faculty Co-Investigator (Co-I) and a NASA, JPL, or industry partner within a one-year period
• An internship with one of our partners

Other funding opportunities may be available through additional ARCS projects and initiatives.

Fellow stipends over a one-year period are:

• $9,000 for graduate students
• $7,300 for undergraduate students

In order to receive a stipend payment, Fellows must meet all the provisions in their Fellowship Agreement and receive approvals from their faculty Co-Investigator (Co-I) and ARCS Director. 

IMPORTANT: This stipend may affect your financial aid eligibility. You should discuss the possible impact with your financial aid advisor.

How can I become a Fellow?

Speak to an ARCS faculty Co-I in your related research field, as criteria for involvement as a Fellow varies.

Overview

ARCS Associates provide key support to their research project. As team members, they execute many important functions toward the project’s work, and may participate in presentations, journal articles, and conferences.

An ARCS Associate:

• Participates in research projects under the guidance of Fellows, faculty Co-I’s and collaborators
• Is committed to 5-15 hrs per week based on the project’s requirements
• Is expected to actively participate in preparing and making presentations to senior researchers (e.g., asking questions, providing feedback, etc.)
• Is strongly encouraged to attend ARCS events and activities
• Will receive favorable opportunity to advance to an ARCS Fellowship

How can I become an Associate?

Speak to an ARCS faculty Co-I in your related research field, as criteria for involvement as an Associate varies.

To find an existing project that interests you:

• Review our current project list and talk with the faculty Co-I(s) shown.
• Speak with a faculty Co-I in your research area of interest to see if project membership is available.

To learn more about ARCS membership:

• Attend our Annual Fall Open House every fall, held in the CSUN Reseda Annex. Check our Events Calendar
• Stop by the ARCS Office and speak with a member of our staff.

To apply to be an ARCS Fellow or Associate:

• Complete the ARCS Application 
• Primary recruitment occurs every fall, but applications may be considered at other times.