Rising Stars in Data Science
- Description
Applications are due on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.
Info Session (virtual): Thursday, July 23, 2026 3:00-4:00 PM CT. Register for the info session here. A livestream link will be provided closer to the event date.
The Rising Stars in Data Science workshop will take place November 9-10, 2026 at the University of Chicago, in collaboration with Harvard University, the University of California San Diego, and Stanford University. The workshop focuses on celebrating and fast tracking the careers of exceptional data scientists at a critical inflection point in their career: the transition to postdoctoral scholar, research scientist, industry research position, or tenure track position. Over the past five years, the Rising Stars workshop has hosted over 180 Rising Stars from nearly 50 institutions.
The University of Chicago will host the seventh annual Rising Stars workshop to showcase the exciting, innovative data science initiatives at UChicago, Harvard, UC San Diego, and Stanford. This event will provide PhD students and postdocs the opportunity to plug into these networks, platforms, and opportunities. The workshop also aims to increase representation and diversity in data science by providing a platform and a supportive mentoring network to navigate academic careers in data science. All graduate students and postdocs, including those who belong to groups underrepresented in data science, are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to people of all racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, and persons with disabilities.
The two-day workshop will feature career and research panels, networking and mentoring opportunities, and research talks from the Rising Stars. Participants will gain insights from faculty panels on career development questions such as: how to start your academic career in data science; how to strategically sustain your career through research collaborations, publications, and skill development; and how to form meaningful interdisciplinary collaborations in data science with industry and government partners. Participants will also hear inspiring keynote talks from established, cutting-edge leaders in data science.
Eligibility & Guidelines
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please send an email to data-science@uchicago.edu.
- Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher.
- We welcome applicants from a wide variety of fields and backgrounds: any eligible PhD or postdoc who is engaging in rigorous, data-driven inquiry is encouraged to apply.
- Applicants from all institutions, including but not limited to the University of California San Diego, the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Harvard University are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants may only submit one application.
- Applicants may have nominations from a maximum of 2 faculty members or advisors.
Workshop Format
- Rising Star research talks
- Panels (career development, data science research)
- Keynote address
- 1:1 meetings with faculty members
- Networking within the UChicago, Harvard, UC San Diego, and Stanford data science ecosystems
- Application
Applications are due on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.
Application Requirements:
- Resume/CV
- Biography (100 words)
- Research keywords
- Research talk title
- Research talk abstract (250 words)
- Research statement outlining research goals, potential projects of interest, and long-term career goals (2 pg, standard font at a size 11 or larger)
- Recommendations indicating support from at least 1-2 faculty members or advisors
- UChicago, UC San Diego, Stanford University, and Harvard University are committed to broadening participation in the field of data science. In a 300-word statement, please share your experiences and contributions to broadening participation and outreach in data science and the scientific community at large. (300 words)
- Committee and Mentors
Coming soon.
- FAQ
Any questions regarding the application or the workshop can be directed to data-science@uchicago.edu.
- Application
- When is the application due?
Applications are due on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.
Letters of recommendation are due with the application. 1 letter of recommendation is required, and you can provide up to 2. Recommenders can submit their letters of recommendation through our online application system and specific instructions are available through the application website. If recommenders have any issue submitting their letters via the InfoReady application interface, they can email as a PDF attachment to data-science@uchicago.edu.
- Where can I apply?
- How many recommendations can I receive?
You must request at least one letter of recommendation, and no more than two.
- Who can I request a recommendation from?
You are encouraged to request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or advisor who can speak first-hand to your research and academic strengths and qualifications for the program.
- Where do letter writers submit recommendations?
Letters of recommendation are due with the application. 1 letter of recommendation is required, and you can provide up to 2. Recommenders can submit their letters of recommendation through our online application system and specific instructions are available through the application website. If recommenders have any issue submitting their letters via the application interface, they can email as a PDF attachment to data-science@uchicago.edu.
- Can the research statement include references?
Yes, your research statement can include references. References do not count towards the page limit and are allowed to run onto an additional third page beyond the two-page limit for the statement.
- When is the application due?
- Eligibility
- Do I have to be in a data science program (PhD or postdoc) to apply?
We do not require that applicants are currently in a data science program to apply. However, applicants should be pursuing doctoral degrees or postdocs in computer science, statistics, computational and applied math, data science, or a related computational field.
- Who can apply?
Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to send an email to data-science@uchicago.edu.
- Do I have to be in a data science program (PhD or postdoc) to apply?
- Workshop Details
- Is travel funding available?
Accepted participants will be reimbursed up to $1000 for qualified travel expenses.
- When will the workshop agenda be available?
The workshop agenda will be available in October 2026.
- Who is the audience for the student research talks?
The primary audience for the student research talks are the Rising Stars Committee and PhD students, researchers, faculty, and staff in the data science ecosystems at UC San Diego, UChicago and Stanford University. Certain panels and workshop events will be open to the public. Registration for the event will open in September.
- What should the research talk cover?
The research talk should highlight your research interests in data science and computing, and ideally showcase your unique approaches to the nascent field as it takes shape.
- Do I need to cover established research in my talk, or can it cover early-stage projects?
Your talk can use research work that is either early-stage or published, so long as you are confident that it appropriately and best showcases your research methodology and approaches.
- Is travel funding available?
- Application