Joining the Lab
If you are interested in joining the lab, please follow the instructions below before taking any actions. The volume of emails we receive is a bit daunting, and it is hard to respond to all in a timely manner. Following this will help make sure that your application/query is seen and addressed. Thank you in advance for your patience!
Specific Research Questions
If you are reaching out with specific technical research questions about papers and projects in the lab (regardless of whether you are applying), please feel free to email Prof. Herbert (sherbert at ucsd.edu) at any point, with a subject line including the words “Research Question”. This will help us ensure that your emails are sorted separately so we can address your technical questions promptly. You may receive a faster response if you also email the graduate student(s) listed on the paper(s), as they tend to have a lower volume of emails.
Prospective Students and Postdocs
Prospective PhD Candidates
Prospective graduate students are encouraged to apply to the college of engineering before the deadline (typically mid-December). The home department of this lab is Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, in the area of Dynamics and Controls. If you do not apply to this department and this area, it is possible that your application will not be automatically assigned to Prof. Herbert. In some cases we may be able to accept students from other departments as well, including Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, and related areas. However, in this case you must ensure that Prof. Herbert is made aware of your application.
In your application, please note that you are interested in the group of Prof. Herbert. After you submit your applications, you are encouraged to contact Professor Herbert via email (sherbert at ucsd.edu) with the subject line including the words "Prospective PhD Student”. Please include a copy of your CV and an overview of why you are interested in this lab and your application documents. Due to the volume of emails received, emails that request joining the lab before the submission deadline will not be read until after the submission deadline.
It would be especially impactful if you can briefly mention which research projects in the lab interested you and why.
Students who are actively applying for and/or obtained external fellowships are of particular interest. It will be easier for you to find a spot in any lab (since you are self-funded), and the fellowship will stand out on your CV. Unfortunately, many of these fellowships are focused on domestic students. Two of the most prestigious fellowships are the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the DOD NDSEG. Others include:
Prospective MS Students
Please apply to the MAE MS program. I would love to chat more about potential research collaborations after you have been admitted.
Prospective Postdoctoral Scholars
Excellent postdoctoral candidates are encouraged to contact Prof. Herbert via email (sherbert at ucsd.edu) with the subject line including the words “Prospective Postdoc” to discuss current openings. In your email, please enclose:
your academic CV and publication list
description of past and future research interests
names and contact information of 2 academic references.
I am happy to work with you to obtain external funding for your postdoctoral research. An extensive list of postdoctoral funding opportunities can be found on the UCSD Office of Foundation Relations and UC Berkeley websites.
Current Students
Current PhD Students at UCSD
I encourage prospective students to take my course MAE 248: Safety for Autonomous Systems. Through this course you will get to know the lab’s research and do a course project that will give you a feel for work in the lab.
In addition (or if the course is not currently being taught), please send me an email with subject line including the words “Current PhD Student” and the information below (emails that don’t follow these instructions will not be prioritized due to volume of emails).
CV
UG and graduate transcripts
A brief description of why you are interested in the lab, and which research projects in the lab interested you and why.
Experience and background (if any) in control, robotics, machine learning, or cognitive science. Note that experience is not necessary, but knowing your background can help with finding a fit
Experience (if any) with MATLAB, Python, C++, ROS, and/or working with real hardware. Again, experience is not required.
Please indicate whether you will need funding or not. The students who are applying for/or have received fellowships are of particular interest. Please see the section on Prospective PhD Candidates above for some fellowship suggestions.
Current MS Students at UCSD
I encourage prospective students to take my course MAE 248: Safety for Autonomous Systems. Through this course you will get to know the lab’s research and do a course project that will give you a feel for work in the lab.
You may also apply to work in our lab through this form, which my PhD students regularly check when they are looking for new students on their projects.
Current Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students who are eager to join the lab are encouraged to apply through this form, which my PhD students regularly check when they are looking for new students on their projects.
Additionally, we encourage undergraduate students to look into the Summer Training Academy for Research Success (STARS), Triton Research & Experiential Learning Scholars (TRELS) and the UCSD Undergraduate Research Scholarships (URS) programs!