Let's SPACE
Together!
We are always looking for motivated students to join our lab! Our lab aims to produce strong research and good quality open-source software prototypes. We focus on publishing our results in top quality computer systems (OSDI, SOSP, etc) or security (USENIX Security, S&P, ...) venues. We also have a strong culture of teaching and mentorship of students from all levels, and enjoy an active and vibrant community and social life. If you are interested in joining, read the information below.
Prospective PhD Students
We are looking to admit several PhD students this admission cycle. We encourage interested students to apply to CDS's PhD Program and mention Kinan in their application and statement. The application deadline is December 15, 2025.
We encourage applicants to look at our research projects, including active and future projects, to identify whether our interests are aligned. A strong personal statement describes what problems the applicant is motivated to work on and why, and highlights how these problems relate to or fit within the lab's research directions.
Strong applicants must have a solid foundation in either Computer Systems (operating systems, distributed systems, databases), Programming Languages (including static analysis, verification, or lightweight formal methods), or Applied Cryptography, as demonstrated by some combination of:
- Strong coursework in some of the areas above.
- Research experience in some of the areas above, even if it did not lead to publications.
- Technical internship experience where applicants built production or production-adjacent software or worked on problems related to the areas above.
- A strong record of software or system building, e.g., as demonstrated by open-source projects or contributions.
- Strong letters from active researchers in the above areas.
- A detailed personal statement that demonstrates the applicants working knowledge in some of these areas, including hands-on implementation and technical skills.
BU is a research hub for systems, security, and privacy research, and we are excited to collaborate with any of the other research groups in those areas. We encourage applicants to learn about these other groups, and highlight their interest (if any) in collaborating with them in their statements.
- Other CDS faculty interested in privacy and security: Mayank Varia, Allison McDonald.
- BU Labs working on data systems and systems security research: BU Systems, CASP, DiSC.
- Privacy, Cryptography, and Security groups: BUSec, SeclaBU, NISLAB.
- Programming Languages: BU POPV.
Applicants can reach out to Kinan if they have any questions.
BU CDS Master's and Bachlor's Students
We are excited to work with master and undergraduate students! You can reach out to Kinan if you are intereted in joining SPACE or working on research!
The lab receives a lot of requests from students. The best way to stand out is to take Kinan's DS593 and do a good course project! Alternatively, if you are a CDS undergrad, consider joining Kinan's new research exploration program (check back in early January for details!). In all cases, if you email Kinan, make sure you:
- Attach your CV/resume and your transcripts.
- Describe why you are motivated to do research and show that you did your homework: discuss specifics or ask concrete questions about the lab's research projects or Kinan's recent papers.
- Highlight any course work (DS210, DS310, or DS551), internship, or professional experiences you think are relevant to the lab's research areas.
BU Students Outside of CDS
We are happy to work with PhD, master, and undergraduate students from schools and departments across BU. We especially welcome interested CS and ECE students, especially if they have some background in systems, security, or PL (e.g., some combination of CS210, CS320, CS351, CS357, CS392, CS460, EC440, EC521). Students should follow the same guidelines from the section above.
High School Summer Interns
We are planning to host 1-2 interns in Summer 2026. We encourage interested students to apply to either BU RISE (internship track) or BU GROW. Students should either mention Kinan by name in their application or mention an interest in privacy or data systems.
Visitors and Interns
We are happy to host visitors or interns from other institutions who are interested in working with SPACE, such as visting master students working on their thesis. If you are interested, you should reach out to Kinan. In addition to your transcripts and CV, send a 1-2 page proposal about the project you would like to work on and describing why you think SPACE is a good fit for it.