Projects


Projects

You will be required to complete a project for the course. You can do this solo or in a group of 2-3 people.

If it involves human participants, then you are REQUIRED by MIT to obtain PRIOR approval of COUHES before you do any work with the human participants.


  • Mon Sep 17: Submit short descriptions of 2 project proposal ideas (by Wed interact with proposed teammates)
  • Wed Sep 26: Project proposal due: planned design/timetable/who will do what, background references, COUHES status
  • Wed Oct 3: Present project proposal to class;
  • Wed Oct 10: Get your advisor (or Prof. Picard, if you want her help) a good draft of your COUHES forms (fill in everything you can)
  • Thurs Oct 18, Last day to get Linda Peterson/MAS/Your department head's sign off if you are doing COUHES through the Media Lab
  • Thurs Oct 25, Last day COUHES can accept your completed (and signed by both advisor and department) application for human subjects experiment


*** REMINDER: Attendance on the two final project presentation days is REQUIRED ***

2013 Project Examples, 2011 Project Examples, 2008 Project Examples, 2005 Project Examples.



What is COUHES?

All projects that involve research on human participants must have the prior approval of the MIT Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES). If you can piggyback on a current COUHES protocol, that is fastest/easiest. If not, you need to MOVE FAST to submit a COUHES application before the fall COUHES meeting dates:

  • due Thurs Sep 20 to department (for arrival by Sep 27 to COUHES, for their meeting/decision Oct 18)
  • due Thurs Oct 18 to department (for arrival by Oct 25 to COUHES for their meeting/decision Nov 15)

If you are in the Media Lab, then Linda Peterson asks to sign off before COUHES sees it.



IMPORTANT, before your COUHES application can be approved you must pass your "CITI certification"

If you've never done a COUHES application, you should start this more than two weeks before the deadline.

Please plan to meet w/Prof. Picard to brainstorm project ideas as soon as possible. She and Oliver will both have several office hour times before COUHES forms and project plans are due, and you can always book time with her through Mary as well. Let's work together to help you have a positive experience and a successful project!