Program aims to drive future of Internet forward with undergrad grants

March 31, 2016

Thanks to the generous support of a UCLA Engineering alum and a desire to break down the barriers between disciplines at UCLA, the Internet Research Incubator is a new program offering $15,000 to UCLA undergrads pursuing research related to the Internet in any field of study. The undergrads selected for 2016-17, the inaugural year, will receive a $15,000 undergraduate research grant, as well as a lab and access to mentorship/advisors. The application, which is available online, will close on May 4, and recipients will be notified by June 10.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science will award $15,000 to undergraduate students who propose research that can contribute to the future of the Internet, school officials announced Tuesday.

The Internet Research Incubator program will provide research grants to 12 undergraduate students during the 2016-2017 academic year, said Brad Fidler, a program developer and post-doctoral researcher in computer science. Entrepreneur and alumnus Venky Harinarayan will fund the project for the next two years.

Leonard Kleinrock, a distinguished professor of computer science who developed the theory of packet switching used to create the Internet, said he launched the project to broaden the scope of Internet research and involve more researchers and students in other academic fields.

“The Internet is often seen as the field for engineers, but we believe researchers from all academic fields can contribute meaningfully to Internet research,” he said.

— Jorge Valero, Mar. 31

Read the full article at the Daily Bruin website.