Here are some descriptions for research assistants we've put out -- although we may still be looking for people to work on these projects, this is mainly a place to archive them for later reuse/repurposing.
UROP: software interface design/dev for DIY infrared balloon photography
Looking for a UROP familiar with Git-tracked JavaScript development (and maybe Ruby) to work on activist cartographic tools. We need better graphical interfaces for aligning DIY aerial photography with base reference maps.
Advanced work could include interfaces for compositing near-infrared balloon photography for assessing photosynthesis and monitoring environmental impacts: http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/ndvi. Don't worry about the cartography/remote sensing; we just need people interested in clean, easy-to-use interface design who want a creative project to work on.
The software in its current state can be found at http://cartagen.org/maps
jeff@publiclaboratory.org
UROP: DIY spectrometer & thermal camera for open source hardware
http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spring-2011-spectrometry-urop
Interested in a UROP to work on a DIY visible/infrared spectrometer (http://publiclaboratory.org/tool/spectrometer) and/or a thermal IR camera for <$100 (http://publiclaboratory.org/tool/thermal-camera) made from Legos. The ideal student would refine and test the tool in the field (detecting contaminants in, for example, the Charles River, with a possible trip to NYC to map toxins while canoeing in the Gowanus Canal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/grassrootsgowanus) but also develop visual documentation -- videos, drawings, and tutorials -- as part of an open source community working with these tools.
If you're interested in working with residents of contaminated areas to measure pollution, and are willing to regularly document/publish your work online and collaborate with others, please get in touch: jeff@publiclaboratory.org