With USDA and Gates Foundation funding support
Applications are now closed for DSPG
A recent news article about DSPG.
Program Overview
The Data Science for the Public Good (DSPG) Young Scholars program is an immersive summer program held at the Social Analytics Laboratory in the Department of Sociology at Iowa State University. The program engages students from across Iowa to work together on projects that address local and state government challenges around critical social issues relevant in the world today. DSPG resident scholars conduct research at the intersection of statistics, computation, and the social sciences to determine how information generated within every community can be leveraged to improve quality of life and inform public policy.
The summer 2020 program runs for 10 weeks (May 18 - July 24). Working in teams, fellows and interns collaborate with project stakeholders and research faculty across the Iowa State University data science community. Research teams combine disciplines including statistics, data science, and the social and behavioral sciences to address complex problems proposed by local, state, and non-profit agencies. Students work on multiple projects of their choice and interact with different scholars, faculty, and sponsors over the course of the training program.
To learn about the kinds of projects scholars can expect to work on during the 2020 program, see DSPG projects and young scholars from the 2019 program at the University of Virginia.
Fellows and interns are selected through a competitive state-wide search. Graduate fellows should possess strong quantitative, statistical, computational and programming skills. They lead, support, and guide undergraduate students together with ISU faculty and research associates. Undergraduate students acquire experience in programming and statistical analysis through a combination of both formal training and practical application to the real-world problems of our community and agency partners.
Program Highlights
The DSPG program equips a new generation of emerging scientists with the skills needed to inform intelligent governmental policy and decision-making.
- Horizontally and vertically integrated team research with dedicated graduate students and faculty in collaboration with sponsors from local, state, and\or federal agencies
- Expert training in foundational tools for quantitative computing and data visualization, including R, GIS, Tableau, and databases
- Professional training through workshops, seminars, and career talks
- Individualized mentors working closely with students
- Technical report and publication opportunities
- Opportunity to interact with decision-makers in local communities, non-profits, and state government agencies
For information on how to apply to be a summer intern or fellow, see here.
Annual Symposium
At the end of the summer program, scholars have an opportunity to present their research at the DSPG Annual Symposium, a signature event of the DSPG Forum that brings together a community of scientists, scholars, researchers, and policy-makers hoping to gain insight on using data science to positively transform the areas in which we live, work, and play.
The Annual Symposium takes place in early August and features several keynote speakers and poster presentations by the young scholars. Prior keynote speakers have included:
- Nancy Potok, Chief Statistician of the United States, Office of Management and Budget
- Catherine Woteki, former Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics and former Chief Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and currently, Distinguished Institute Professor at the Biocomplexity Institute
- Ron Jarmin, Deputy Director, U.S. Census Bureau
- Phil Bourne, Dean, University of Virginia School of Data Science
The 2019 symposium keynote speakers and the young scholar poster speed session are available on YouTube.
Iowa Program Directors
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Cass Dorius Assistant Professor Human Development & Family Studies |
Christopher Seeger Professor Architecture |
Shawn F. Dorius Associate Professor Sociology |
To apply, please follow the link to our application form. You will be asked to tell us a little about yourself and to upload a copy of your CV\resume. Undergraduates, please have one confidential letter of reference sent to dspg2020@iastate.edu with your name in the subject line. Graduate students, please have two confidential letters of reference sent to dspg2020@iastate.edu with your name in the subject line. The deadline for applications is February 29, 2020.