We're happy to consider requests for UROP positions, whether for credit or for pay. We want UROP students who will make long-term commitments to working with us and becoming integral members of the group, rather than just people who do "a job" for a few hours a week and then leave at the end of the semester.
The major thing we consider in deciding to give a UROP is whether someone in the group wants to work with you on a project of mutual interest. The best way to get a UROP in our group is to first read about our projects. Then contact some of the people who are working on parts that interest you and see if the two of you together can come up with something for you to work on.
Currently the work of our group revolves around amorphous computing. To find out about this, first read the amorphous computing manifesto and the slide show from our December 97 DARPA presentation.
Then look at some of the projects described on the amorphous computing home page. On that page, you'll find more slide shows, a selective bibliography, and a list of people who work on the project.
You should also take a look at the course web site for 6.978, which is a seminar designed for students who want to get involved with our research.