Capstone Projects: Sponsor Guide | NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Capstone Projects: Sponsor Guide

Empower the next generation of urban innovators

Three people in front of a NYU branded backdrop, the person on the far right has a microphone and is speaking to a seated audience.

This guide is intended for professionals interested in sponsoring a capstone project at CUSP. If you are a prospective or currently enrolled CUSP student, please visit the Capstone Projects: Student Guide for more information.

The 2026–2027 capstone project proposal form is now open for submissions through Friday, July 17, 2026. To submit a project, please follow these instructions on MindHive, a collaborative research platform for students, educators, and researchers:

1. Create Your Sponsor Account
  1. Visit the mindHive sign-up page and select Sponsor.
  2. Enter your username, email address, and password.
  3. Click Create Account.
2. Complete Your Profile
  1. After signing in, you'll be taken to your dashboard.
  2. In the welcome card, click Open Profile Editor.
  3. Select either Organization or Individual.
  4. Complete the profile questions and click Save. Some fields are optional.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Select your areas of interest (optional).
  7. Click Complete to finish setting up your profile.
3. Create Your First Opportunity
  1. Once you're back on the dashboard, you'll see a welcome card. Click Create Opportunity to get started.
  2. Complete the required fields in the Overview of Capstone Project Proposal section.
  3. In the Publishing section, set the Status field to Submitted for Review.
  4. Click Create Opportunity to submit your opportunity. If you are updating an existing opportunity, click Save Changes instead.

If you encounter any issues during the process or have questions at any point, please contact cusp.capstone@nyu.edu for assistance.

Propose a Capstone project
View the Capstone Directory

Sponsor Info Session

Capstone Co-Director Manny Patole and MS Program Director Anton Rozhkov held an information session on May 21, 2026, to introduce CUSP, walk prospective sponsors through the process of proposing a Capstone Project, and address questions. If you were unable to attend, you can view a recording. Prospective sponsors are also welcome to contact cusp.capstone@nyu.edu to arrange a one-on-one meeting.

View the Presentation

Why Sponsor

By sponsoring a Capstone Project, you’ll gain access to a talented team of second-year graduate students in the M.S. in Urban Data Science program at CUSP who will apply the latest innovative methodologies in AI, machine learning, data science, and more to tackle your challenge. Since 2014, CUSP has guided nearly 200 capstone projects, collaborating with 29 government agencies, 23 nonprofits and think tanks, and 21 private companies worldwide.

Who Can Submit a Proposal

We accept proposals from:

  • Government agencies
  • Private sector companies including startups
  • Academic institutions and research centers (including NYU faculty and researchers)
  • Think tanks and nonprofits


If your organization is committed to making cities more equitable, efficient, and sustainable, we encourage you to apply! Your organization does not need to be located in New York City or the U.S., as long as you can maintain regular communication with your student team.

How It Works

Accepted project sponsors are matched with a team of 3–5 graduate students and a faculty advisor for a two-semester project tied to two required courses for second-year students: Urban Science Intensive I and II. Capstone projects must align with one of our core focus areas: urban health, urban environment, or urban infrastructure.

Deliverables

Deliverables are tailored to each project, ranging from analytic reports and web-based interactive visualizations to digital tools (hardware and software), technical reports, and policy solutions.

Example projects include:

  • Smart Pedestrian Counter: Class of 2022 graduates Abdulaziz Alaql, Alec Bardey, Turbold Baatarchuluu, and Branden DuPont developed a machine learning model that counts pedestrians on low-powered devices for the Smart Cities + IoT Lab in the NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
  • Augmented Reality Bus Locator App: Class of 2023 graduates Shantanu Anikhindi, Wanlingyi Lan, and Tianyi Li built an augmented reality app to streamline bus identification during morning departures for NYCSBUS.
     

Past Sponsors

We've collaborated with leading organizations across industries to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges facing cities.

Schedule

The current CUSP Capstone cycle runs from September 2026 to May 2027.

The dates below are tentative and subject to change.

July 17, 2026

Final Deadline for Submitting a Capstone Proposal

Aug 3, 2026

Announcement of Selected Capstone Sponsors

Sept 2, 2026

Capstone (Urban Science Intensive I) Course Begins

Sept 23, 2026

Announcement of Student Teams and Sponsor Matches

January 2027

Capstone (Urban Science Intensive II) Course Begins

April 2027

Urban Data Science Showcase

May
2027

Student Teams Submit Final Deliverables

FAQ

There is no cost to sponsor a Capstone Project at this time. However, sponsors are expected to contribute their time either as a sponsor or mentor, if possible.

Yes, each student team will create a 3–5 page Client-Team Agreement, which is signed by the client and students. This ensures alignment and clarity for all parties.



What’s Included in the Agreement?

  • Problem statement and objective
  • Project scope and boundaries
  • Interim deliverables and final product
  • Roles and responsibilities of all team members and client sponsors
  • Information and research methods specifying additional required data (if applicable) and approach for acquiring it
  • Client support and involvement
  • Confidentiality agreements (if applicable), data sharing protocols, restrictions on shared data, and any required permissions for accessing or using data
  • Timeline and work plan

We’re looking for engaged and enthusiastic sponsors who are passionate about leveraging data science to improve cities. 


Sponsor Responsibilities:

  • Appoint a primary Point of Contact to ensure the data-sharing agreement is executed and facilitate communications
  • Provide Feedback by participating in regular meetings, reviewing progress reports and presentations, and offering input
  • Attend two presentations at the end of the Fall semester (December) and the Spring semester (May)


Time Commitment:
The level of involvement varies by project, but sponsors should commit 1-2 hours every two weeks for meetings and feedback. This engagement helps ensure that student teams deliver valuable, actionable insights relevant to your needs.

The CUSP Research Computing Facility (RCF) is a secure environment that provides student teams and sponsors with expert research support services. We recognize the sensitivity of the data we manage—from streaming sensor data to agency administrative data—and have a Safe Data Environment in place. This framework ensures adherence to data governance standards with:

  • Safe people: CUSP students receive training on responsible data use, privacy, and confidentiality.
  • Safe projects: RCF adheres to strict standards and protocols for managing datasets and databases at the project level
  • Safe settings: RCF is a secure data environment with restricted data ingress and egress
  • Safe outputs: Statistical disclosure limitation measures are undertaken before any export of products derived from restricted data

Students, faculty, sponsors, and mentors are encouraged to conduct research related to Capstone Projects within the RCF to ensure secure handling. Dedicated project workspaces are created where designated team members can securely collaborate on data analysis and visualization. These workspaces are isolated, ensuring that no other RCF users have access.

Student teams are assigned based on a combination of factors, including:

  • Ranked student preferences
  • Diversity of backgrounds, skills, and expertise


Project Sponsor Input
:
While project sponsors can suggest desired skills for their assigned team, they do not directly select the student teams as the final selection is determined by the course instructor. Sponsors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in advance. If a project does not receive interest in the student selection process, it may not move forward.

A high-impact Capstone Project:

  • Aligns with both the sponsor's needs and CUSP’s mission to make cities more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable
  • Has a clear, tangible deliverable that provides actionable insights
  • Has accessible data at the start of a project
  • Uses quantitative data that can be leveraged with a range of data science and informatics methodologies like network analysis, predictive modeling, machine learning, and spatial analytics
  • Is supported by an engaged sponsor who connects the team to the necessary information, experts, and stakeholders

Contact

Still have questions? Contact us at cusp.capstone@nyu.edu.