Getting started

There are a lot of ways to run a DRP. What they have in common is:

  • a one-on-one pairing between grad student and undergrads

  • 1x/week meetings with mentor-mentee pairs (possibly more if a summer program)

  • a semester long reading, not research, project, on a topic of mutual interest not typically seen in a class. Many topics are introductory and accessible.

  • a final presentation done by the undergrad, to peers and mentors or the math department community

  • all of this facilitated by a grad student organizing committee, with modest faculty oversight

This page covers the following basic structural questions that you'll want to consider before getting started

  • Term time or summer?

  • Compensation, books, and budget

  • Project ideas

  • Size of program

  • Faculty oversight / mentoring the mentors

  • Big picture: important goals

Term time or summer:

  • Most programs run in the academic term, with a DRP project lasting a quarter or a semester, and presentations occurring at the end of the semester or beginning of the next semester.

  • It's also possible to run a DRP in the summer on a condensed timeframe, or concurrently with an REU. Some schools have used this as a source or supplement to grad student summer funding. This might work for you if grad students at your institution have a heavy term-time teaching load and there are enough local undergrads to support a summer program.

  • See "timing" on the toolkit page for a sample timeframe for a standard semester project.

Compensation/Budget

DRP's can be run very low budget. You can work with library books or e-texts (or order a minimum of supplemental books), and provide pizza at the final presentations, and no more. However, higher budget operations can have advantages. Here are some things you may wish to spend money on.

  1. Books. Many programs purchase books for undergrads. We believe that owning a physical math book that one has worked through aids in identity formation as a mathematician. Providing undergrads with a physical object can also remind them to take the project seriously. Being given a book enters them in a contract to read from it and spend time on the DRP. (On a lower budget, some programs have built a "DRP Library" of DRP-owned books, displayed somewhere in the math department, and available for loan for projects.)

  2. Compensating graduate students. Some, but not all, programs compensate graduate students with an honorarium. Other programs offer one or more mentors-only lunch or tea times (with good food!) during the semester to check in with mentors and reward them for their work. Some programs offer to buy books for the mentors as well. At least one summer program we know of has been able to use a DRP to justify summer grad student support. Some programs compensate just the organizing committee in recognition of their extra work.

  3. Food. An end of semester celebration (lunch, dinner) during the final presentations is, in our opinion, absolutely key to the success of a DRP. (unless there is a global pandemic and everything is being run over zoom; hello 2020!). You may also wish to have food at an initial info session meeting for mentors and/or mentees, a training session for mentors, or in-term mentors only meetings as time for an informal check-in. Some large programs have reported this to be very successful. In small programs (5-10 projects running at a time), you likely won't have the numbers to make for successful regular mentor meetings.

Funding can come from your department, grants (we know several that got started out of NSF CAREER grants), university funds such as grants for grad student enrichment, inclusivity and diversity initiatives, teaching-learning centers, etc. Look around! A small grant may allow you to get a pilot program started and convince your department head that a DRP is a valuable permanent addition to the math program, worth budgeting for. Before you get started, assess how much funding you will need and strategize where to get it!

Project structure

There are two basic models for DRP projects.

  1. Pre-arranged. Grad students propose a project ahead of time (e.g. "Knots are the mathematical framework for understanding tangled strings in space. We'll read from Adams' The Knot Book and learn basic knot theory. This project is accessible to anyone who has taken a 300-level class"). Undergrads apply to work on specific projects, or indicate some that they are interested in. This tends to work well at smaller schools with fewer grad students.

  2. Negotiated after pairing. Grad students and undergrads indicate their interests on an application form (e.g. "geometry" "more/less advanced"), are paired by the organizers, and then the grad student proposes some possible topics at a first meeting.

Size of program

  • Start small! You may have many enthusiastic graduate students. However, they have research to do and shouldn't participate every semester. Starting too big, or even allowing all interested grad students to participate immediately can lead to burnout and a quick death of your DRP. As a general guideline, to start you should aim to have no more than 10-15% of the grad student population participating in the DRP at any time.

  • Most programs find themselves with many more undergrad applicants than grad student mentors. See the "applications" section of the toolkit page for tips on dealing with this.

Faculty Oversight

  • The faculty supervisor is essential for continuity, and can keep a repository of program information and data.

  • Faculty can also help graduate students think through the process of recruitment and admissions to the program. Some places have a meeting between faculty and grad student organizers to discuss pairings after organizers have looked at applications. Faculty can help ensure fairness and attention to inclusivity issues.

  • Training mentors and offering guidance on running meetings can also be done by a faculty member (or by senior grad students). Effective training can be done in a single meeting and/or handout, and improve the mentorship experience, and set helpful expectations.

  • We believe a largely hands-off approach is best: faculty let the grad students take ownership of a program so that it works for them!

Big picture summary: important goals

Our toolkit page gives more details on the many small decisions you'll need to make when setting up a program. But before you head there and get lost in the details, here are some key goals to keep in mind.

  • Done well, a DRP can broaden participation in mathematics. Undergraduate students who aren't comfortable in a traditional classroom environment may thrive in a DRP mentor-mentee relationship. You can advertise broadly, being careful in your use of language on advertisements so as to communicate these expectations, and have projects at many levels - beginner as well as advanced.

  • Mentorship experience for grad students. Grad students can also benefit from the DRP. Mentoring often helps grad students clarify their career goals (research, teaching, academia or not)

  • Individual attention for undergrads: DRPs give undergrads a glimpse of math beyond the classroom and a first taste of independent work, building identity as a mathematician.

  • Manage grad student expectations: A DRP only works for grad students if they have time to enjoy and do it well. When you set up your program, consider what level of DRP commitment your institution can support. Do grad students already have a heavy teaching load and time constraints on graduation? If so, you may need to run a small-scale or summer program or offer compensation. And a DRP is about encouraging an undergrad interested in math. It's not about research; so do not expect to be reading Higher topos theory. Grad students who are less familiar with the U.S. college math experience might need extra guidance on what a DRP project should look like and what to expect as a mentor.

  • Manage undergrad expectations: DRP's require enough background to read independently (typically, a first proofs-based class is a fine prerequisite). They don't require straight A's or excellent in classes; rather they require interest and a serious time commitment. Your goal is (hopefully!) to attract, not intimidate, students with a non-traditional path in mathematics. Do also make sure that undergrads are not expecting a computation/lab/programming project (possibly because that's what they've seen in other departments).

  • Ready to think more about structuring a DRP program? See the toolkit and inclusivity page for more tips!