DSI Summer Lab
-
Overview
2022 Program Dates: June 13th – August 19th, 2022
Questions? Check out the FAQ or email us at data-science@uchicago.edu.
OVERVIEW
A summer research opportunity for high school, undergraduate, and UChicago Masters students focusing on rigorous, applied, interdisciplinary data science research and rooted in a cohort community.
The Data Science Institute Summer Lab program (launched in 2018 as the Data & Computing Summer Lab) is an immersive 10-week paid summer research program at the University of Chicago. In the program, high school, undergraduate, and UChicago Masters students are paired with a data science mentor in various domains, including: computer science, data science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, and biomedical research. Through this pairing the research assistant will engage with and hone their skills in research methodologies, practices, and teamwork. UChicago Masters students specifically, as well as eligible high school and undergraduate students, are paired with projects in the Social Impact Track (more details below). We encourage participation from a broad range of students, and require no prior research experience to apply.
BENEFITS
Students in the program are immersed in a research lab and given unparalleled, first-hand access to impactful, applied data science research. Students will gain not only an understanding of fundamental data science methodologies but specialized training within the application areas specific to their lab’s research thrust. Students are asked to practice communicating their research findings throughout the summer, culminating in final videos. The final videos are presented during an end-of-summer symposium, which is run like a professional conference and provides students a chance to field questions about their project and share the outcomes of their research projects. Students also engage in professional development and training that can help them prepare for future careers in data science and computing. Additionally, many alumni continue research work with their mentor after the program ends.
COHORT
In the program, students are welcomed into a cohort of their peers who represent diverse backgrounds, interests, and ambitions. Through near-peer mentoring, social gatherings, and group work on projects, students in this cohort not only become better trained data and computational scientists, but better equipped to tackle any challenges ahead through their experience with group work and collaboration. Students meet weekly in small thematic groups called “clusters” to discuss progress, ask questions, and hear about each others’ projects.
MOTIVATION
Broadening participation in data science, especially among historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, is essential not only for equalizing opportunities but envisioning – and creating – a future that is truly representative of the world around us. Creating an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming cohort for students to become a part of is a critical component of Summer Lab, as well as providing opportunities for students to see themselves represented in program mentors, guest speakers, and leadership. Computational work is often stereotyped as people working alone writing code, when in reality data science is a team sport, inherently interdisciplinary, and in constant conversation with real-world issues to achieve measurable, meaningful impact. We aim to not train and immerse students in research methodologies, data science skills, and domain expertise, but also to prepare them for critical transitions and sustained career paths.
PROGRAMMING
To supplement their research work, we provide an exciting array of programming for students during the summer. A highlight of the summer programming is a weekly speaker series featuring researchers at the forefront of data science. Speakers address topics ranging from their own unique and unconventional paths to data science research, to their innovative approaches to tackling important, impactful research questions. Students have the chance not only to hear from first-class speakers but also to introduce and be in conversation with them. In the 2021 program, we hosted 28 different speakers from a wide array of data science domains. You can watch select talks from the 2021 speaker series here.
SOCIAL IMPACT TRACK
The Social Impact Track is an opportunity for students to work as a part of a team on a data science project, with topics ranging from energy, food and agriculture, human rights, to marine technology. The projects are scoped and run in coordination with organizations who have been awarded grants by the 11th Hour Project, a grant making foundation serving the nonprofit community. Teams in the social impact track serve as a centralized hub for software and data science for the organizations – providing both open-source and custom data-driven solutions.All student types – high school, undergraduate, and Masters students – are eligible to participate in the Social Impact Track. 1st year UChicago Masters students are only eligible for projects through the Social Impact Track.
ALUMNI
Summer Lab alumni have been co-authors on published papers and posters, created apps and software tools used by thousands of people, and pursued a variety of future paths within research and beyond. Check out the Project Profiles to learn more about previous student cohorts, and watch videos overviewing their summer research projects. Summer Lab alumna Aarthi Koripelly (‘19, ‘20) shared this about her experience in the program:
“Summer Lab was a great experience for me to have exposure to the applications of computer science in other domains and gain technical knowledge. My projects have helped me hone my research and communication skills in writing reports, presenting to others, and submitting to a conference, which would not have been possible without the opportunities the program has provided.”
Read about the 2021 Summer Lab program.
2021 Summer Lab Cohort -
Project Profiles
See 2019-2021 Cohort Project Profiles here.
-
Mentors
If you are interested in mentoring in future iterations of the DSI Summer Lab program, please see the mentoring opportunity here and feel free to contact Katie Rosengarten with any questions (krosengarten@uchicago.edu). See previous Summer Lab mentors here.
-
Staff
Interested in joining the 2022 program as a Lab Coordinator? Check out the job posting here, we are currently accepting applications.
-
FAQ
For more questions, contact Katie Rosengarten at krosengarten@uchicago.edu.
-
When is the application due?
The 2022 application is due Sunday February 20th by 11:59pm CT. Late applications will not be considered for review.
Please subscribe to the DSI Mailing List to receive notifications about the 2022 program and application.
-
Where can I apply?
The application for the 2022 DSI Summer Lab program can be found here. If you have any issues accessing or submitting the form, please email Katie Rosengarten (krosengarten@uchicago.edu).
-
When will I be notified of my application decision?
The 2022 application is due Sunday February 20th. Decision notifications will be sent out in early April 2021, no later than April 15th.
Please subscribe to the DSI Mailing List to receive notifications about the 2022 program and application.
-
Are letters of recommendation required?
We do not require letters of recommendation for the application.
-
Are there any program prerequisites?
We do not require any previous research experience to participate in the program. Familiarity in at least one programming language (Python, Java, C++, etc.) is preferred, as well as relevant coursework in areas such as computer science, statistics, and math.
-
What grade or age of students are eligible to apply?
The following students are eligible to apply to the DSI Summer Lab:
- High School: current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors;
- Undergraduate: current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors;
- Masters: current 1st year UChicago Masters students.
-
Are international students eligible to apply?
Yes, international students are eligible apply. However, all students must be authorized to work in the United States and provide all necessary documentation in support of their stipend. To see the documentation required to process stipends, please consult this page. We recommend that all international students check with their home institution’s international affairs office to ensure that they qualify.
-
What are the stipend rates for the program?
The stipend rates for the 2022 program are below:
- High School stipend rate: $5,625
- Undergraduate stipend rate: $6,000
- Masters stipend rate: $6,375
-
How many hours a week is the program?
While students are not required to log their hours, we expect each student to work roughly a full-time schedule each week (>37.5 hrs/wk) — i.e. 8am-4pm; 9am-5pm; or 10am-6pm. Schedules are to be consulted with and confirmed by program mentors.
-
Is housing provided?
Unfortunately, we do not provide housing as part of the program.
-
Will the 2022 program be in person?
We anticipate that the 2022 program will take place in person. If so, participants will be provided work space on the UChicago campus, and will meet often in the John Crerar Library, home to the Data Science Institute and the Computer Science Department. Unless otherwise agreed upon by their mentor and program leadership, all students are expected to work in the open research space provided — the goal of which is to foster problem-solving and engagement across projects, domains, ages, and skill sets.
The program administration will consult the recommendations of the University of Chicago and UChicago Medicine to determine the safest format for the Summer Lab 2022 program. We successfully ran the 2021 program remotely, and are prepared to do so for 2022 if necessary.
We will confirm the format of the program as soon as possible, no later than when decision notifications are sent out in April 2022.
-
What are the 2022 program dates?
The 2022 program dates are June 13th – August 19th, 2022. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students may request a late start on June 15th.
-
Where can I see past projects in the program?
You can view profiles of past projects in the program on our Project Profiles page. Each profile includes details about the student’s mentor, a description of the project, and their final poster. Final videos from the 2021 cohort will be available shortly.
-
If admitted, how will I be paired with a project?
On the application, we ask for your research areas of interest, as well as self-reported experience and expertise in relevant data science and computational skills and tools. During the application review process, in combination with your research goals and resume, we will use those self-assessments to determine an applicant’s aptitude and eligibility for available research projects.
-
What is the Social Impact Track?
The Social Impact Track is an opportunity for students to work as a part of a team on a data science project, with topics ranging from energy, food and agriculture, human rights, to marine technology. The projects are scoped and run in coordination with organizations who have been awarded grants by the 11th Hour Project, a grant making foundation serving the nonprofit community. Teams in the social impact track serve as a centralized hub for software and data science for the organizations – providing both open-source and custom data-driven solutions.
-
Who is eligible to participate in the Social Impact Track?
All student types – high school, undergraduate, and Masters students – are eligible to participate in the Social Impact Track. 1st year UChicago Masters students are only eligible for projects through the Social Impact Track.
-
How can I indicate interest in the Social Impact Track?
On the application, you will be able to answer “yes” or “no” to the question, “Are you interested in participating in the Social Impact Track?” Selecting “yes” does not limit you to projects within the Social Impact Track, but will flag your interest in potential eligibility for projects within that Track.
-
When is the application due?