Working With Us
Join our research team and contribute to cutting-edge work in Systems and AI
Where Should I Start?
Choose the pathway that best describes what you are looking for. Outreach opportunities are separated from research positions so you can quickly understand whether you are eligible and what to do next.
Explore Systems & AI
For students, schools, families, and counselors looking for an introduction to the lab rather than a formal research position.
Join the Research Team
For students seeking sustained research experience with the lab.
Learn About the Lab
These opportunities are intended for exploration and outreach rather than formal research appointments.
Exploratory outreach for K-12 students, families, teachers, and counselors who want an introduction to Systems and AI research. Activities depend on lab availability and are designed for learning, demonstrations, or visits rather than formal research appointments.
K-12 students, families, teachers, and counselors interested in learning about Systems and AI research.
Participate in age-appropriate outreach, demonstrations, lab visits, or exploratory activities when available.
Outreach opportunities are scheduled based on lab availability. Contact the lab before planning a visit or activity.
Exploratory / Outreach
Contact the lab with your school, grade level, area of interest, and the type of outreach experience you are looking for.
Dr. Hari Subramoni · subramoni.1@osu.edu
This information sheet is intended for families, guidance counselors, and students interested in middle school and high school opportunities connected to SAI Lab.
Lab Environment & Expectations
SAI Lab works in a fast-moving, startup-like environment centered on problem solving, experimentation, and building useful systems. Students may be exposed to a combination of research and development activities, including working with data, testing tools, supporting prototypes, helping document results, and learning how computing connects to real-world problems. The lab often collaborates with people from other domains, which means students may learn alongside researchers, engineers, and domain experts from areas outside computer science. Some projects may also include field-based activities such as data collection, testing, observation, or deployment support.
- ✓Students should show curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn new things.
- ✓Students should be dependable, communicative, and respectful of deadlines and team responsibilities.
- ✓Students should be open to working with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise.
- ✓Students should be comfortable asking questions and learning step by step.
- ✓Some roles may begin with basic support tasks and grow as the student gains confidence and demonstrates reliability.
- ✓Some activities may take place outside the lab, including field visits, demos, or supervised project support.
Available Outreach Activities
General Notes for Families and Counselors
These roles are intended to introduce students to research, technology, and project-based learning in a supportive environment. Students may begin with simpler tasks and gradually take on more responsibility as they demonstrate maturity, reliability, and interest. Depending on the opportunity, the focus may be on learning, exploration, mentorship, field exposure, technical skill building, or early research engagement.
Ready to explore?
Contact Dr. Hari Subramoni to discuss youth outreach, exploratory opportunities, or lab visits.
Email Dr. SubramoniJoin the Research Team
Undergraduate, master's, and PhD pathways are intended for students seeking sustained research experience.
Research opportunities for undergraduate students ready to build systems, AI, HPC, or distributed-systems experience through sustained project work. Students should be prepared to learn actively, communicate consistently, and contribute over multiple terms when possible.
Current undergraduate students interested in Systems, AI, high-performance computing, distributed systems, or related research.
Meet the listed prerequisites, participate consistently in research activities, communicate progress, and work with lab mentors.
Research opportunities depend on active projects and mentor availability. Students should reach out before the semester in which they hope to participate.
Research — volunteer, course-credit, or funded arrangements may vary by project
Review the lab research areas and prepare a short description of the research area or project that interests you.
Dr. Hari Subramoni · subramoni.1@osu.edu
We welcome motivated undergraduate students to join our lab and gain hands-on research experience in high-performance computing and systems. Use the following checklist as a guideline for preparation, expectations, and progression.
Working With the Lab
Students interested in working with the lab will usually start with an initial volunteer period, which gives them a chance to learn about the lab and gives me a chance to evaluate fit, commitment, and readiness.
Students who show strong performance and engagement may then continue with me for course credit or in a paid role, depending on project needs and funding availability.
- ✓The lab operates in a startup-like mode. The best fit is someone who is proactive, eager to learn, and comfortable stepping into new challenges.
- ✓Students should expect to contribute at least 10–20 hours per week through a combination of research and development activities.
- ✓Because our projects often involve collaboration with people from other disciplines, students should be open to interdisciplinary teamwork and learning from different domains.
- ✓Some work may also involve field visits, testing, or data collection outside the lab environment.
Prerequisites
- ✓Complete CSE 2431 (Systems II: Introduction to Operating Systems) before or very early in the research period
- ✓Complete CSE 5441 (Introduction to Parallel Computing) - introduces parallel programming models, performance issues, and high-performance architectures
- ✓Have a solid grasp of C/C++ and basic data structures and algorithms from prerequisite courses (e.g., 2231, 2321, 2421 sequences)
- ✓Be prepared to commit at least 2 consecutive semesters to research (including summer if possible)
Expectations
- ✓Agree on a fixed weekly research meeting time and be responsive on email/Teams
- ✓Maintain a research log (e.g., Lab's Git repo + shared notes) documenting tasks, experiments, and results every week
- ✓Follow basic research professionalism: meet deadlines, communicate blockers early, and do not share code/data outside the group without permission
- ✓At the end of each semester, prepare:
- ✓A short written summary of contributions
- ✓A brief presentation or demo of work to the group
Application Process
- ✓Schedule an initial meeting to discuss research interests in high-performance computing and how they align with current projects
- ✓Prepare a brief 1–2 page document summarizing:
- ✓Relevant coursework and grades
- ✓Programming experience (HPC, MPI, CUDA/OpenMP if any)
- ✓Any prior project or internship experience
Interested in undergraduate research?
Contact Dr. Hari Subramoni with your research interests and relevant background.
Email Dr. SubramoniGraduate research opportunities for master's students with relevant technical preparation and interest in contributing to active lab projects. Fit depends on project needs, advisor capacity, and the student's research goals.
Master's students with relevant technical preparation and an interest in contributing to Systems and AI research.
Meet the listed prerequisites, contribute consistently to a research project, communicate progress, and work toward defined research outcomes.
Availability depends on active research projects, advisor capacity, and funding. Contact the lab before the semester in which you want to begin.
Graduate Research — funding and appointment type vary by project
Review current research areas and contact the lab with your CV, technical background, and research interests.
Dr. Hari Subramoni · subramoni.1@osu.edu
Master's students have the opportunity to work on impactful research projects while developing expertise in high-performance computing and systems. Use the following checklist as a guideline for preparation, expectations, and progression.
Prerequisites
- ✓Enroll in and complete CSE 5441 (Introduction to Parallel Computing) as early as possible in the program
- ✓Ensure strong background in systems and architecture via prior coursework such as operating systems (e.g., CSE 2431 or equivalent) or related graduate systems courses
- ✓Commit to working for at least one full year before expecting or discussing funding; focus first on building sustained contributions and trust
Expectations
- ✓Set up a regular weekly or biweekly meeting schedule and stick to it
- ✓Maintain a reproducible workflow: use version control, document build/run steps, and keep experiment configs and results organized
- ✓Read and discuss key papers from the group's research areas to understand the ecosystem you will be working in
- ✓Aim to contribute to at least one publication-quality project (conference/workshop or strong technical report) during the MS
Application Process
- ✓Schedule an initial meeting with an updated CV highlighting:
- ✓HPC, systems, networking, Deep Learning, or parallel programming experience
- ✓Prior research, theses, or publications (if any)
- ✓Preferred timeline (thesis vs non-thesis, graduation target)
- ✓Decide early whether you are targeting a thesis option and define a tentative research direction within the first semester
Funding Discussions
- ✓Before requesting funding discussions:
- ✓Demonstrate consistent productivity over ~2 semesters
- ✓Show ownership of a well-defined part of a project (design, implementation, or evaluation)
Interested in graduate research?
Email Dr. Hari Subramoni with your CV, technical background, and research interests.
Email Dr. SubramoniDoctoral research opportunities for students pursuing long-term work in high-performance computing, distributed systems, AI infrastructure, and related areas. Prospective PhD students should be ready for sustained, publication-oriented research with the group.
Prospective or current PhD students interested in high-performance computing, distributed systems, AI infrastructure, and related research.
Pursue sustained research, develop independent research skills, collaborate with the group, and contribute to publications and research outcomes.
PhD opportunities depend on admissions, advisor availability, active projects, and funding.
Doctoral Research — funding depends on available projects and appointments
Email Dr. Subramoni with your CV, research interests, and a brief statement explaining why you are interested in joining the lab.
Dr. Hari Subramoni · subramoni.1@osu.edu
We are always looking for motivated PhD students to join our research group and work on challenging problems in high-performance computing, distributed systems, and AI infrastructure.
Interested in pursuing a PhD?
Please email Dr. Subramoni with your CV, research interests, and a brief statement about why you would like to join our lab.
Email Dr. Subramoni