Guide for New Members

Welcome to MAVENs. This page covers what you need to know before your first week and what we expect through your time here.

What We Do

We use computational methods — density functional theory, Monte Carlo simulations, and machine learning — to understand and design materials. Our problems span energy materials, quantum and spintronic materials, and ML-driven discovery. If you are joining, you have already discussed your specific project; the methods and mindset below apply across all of them.

How Research Works Here

There are no predetermined answers. You will spend significant time not knowing what to do next — that is normal and expected. The skill we want you to develop is reformulating questions when you are stuck, not looking for someone to hand you the answer.

Richard Hamming’s lecture You and Your Research is worth your time early on.

Tools

Operating system: Linux. Fedora is what we use, but any Unix-based system is fine. You need to be comfortable at the command line.

Version control: Git, with repositories hosted on GitHub. All code and analysis scripts go here from day one — not after things are cleaned up.

Communication: Google Chat Spaces for group discussions. Conversations are archived and searchable, so use them in preference to email for technical matters.

Writing: LaTeX for all reports and manuscripts. Start early; do not wait until you have results.

Expectations

For project students (BSc/MSc): Minimum 10 hours per week during coursework, full-time during your thesis semester. Your final report should be drafted from the first month — begin with the expected conclusions and work backward. This forces clarity on what you are actually trying to show.

For PhD students: Full-time (40+ hours per week). Monthly progress updates as LaTeX reports, written toward eventual publication quality from the start.

Across both: document as you go, not at the end. Code that is not version-controlled does not exist as far as the group is concerned.

Before You Arrive

Bring or send:

• Your CV and academic transcript
• A photograph for the group website
• Your email and phone number

In your first month, review the group’s GitHub repositories, get the tools above installed and working, and read the literatures on topic assigned to you. Ask questions in Chat, not in private messages — others benefit from the answers.