The University of Washington eScience Institute runs an annual Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) summer program that brings together students, data scientists, and domain experts to work on focused, collaborative projects that are designed to benefit society. Previous projects have involved data analysis and visualization on topics such as voting rights, transportation, public health, homelessness, and social equity. DSSG projects are executed by a team typically consisting of: an external Project Lead, a Data Scientist from the eScience Institute, and four Student Fellows (graduate and advanced undergraduate) who apply through a competitive, national call. Project Leads submit the project proposals and bear primary responsibility for project design and execution. Data Scientists provide guidance on methods, technologies, and best practices in producing knowledge from large, noisy, and/or heterogeneous datasets, as well as general software engineering. Student responsibilities vary from project to project, but include developing code, selecting methods, conducting analyses, contributing to design, producing visualizations, and incorporating stakeholder perspectives into the project. In addition to project work, students participate in a wide range of data science tutorials, discussion-based workshops, and subject matter talks with experts from outside the program.

Due to uncertainty around the timeline for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 DSSG program activities will be conducted remotely via online video and chat platforms.

We are currently accepting applications for Student Fellows for our summer 2021 DSSG program, and seek to build a diverse cohort with varied disciplinary backgrounds and technical skills levels. For more information visit http://escience.washington.edu/dssg/.

Join us on zoom to learn more about the DSSG program!

Pre-registration is required.