University of Washington

Student Fellows

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Become a UW DSSG Student Fellow

Are you interested in using data-intensive research for social benefit?

Student Fellow applications for the 2024 UW DSSG program are now closed

UW DSSG Student Fellows work on data-intensive projects that have concrete relevance and social impact.

Up to 16 UW DSSG Student Fellows are selected each year to work closely and collaboratively with project leads, data scientists, and community stakeholders for 10 weeks from June through August.

Each Student Fellow is part of a team working full-time on an applied research project that involves a range of stakeholders that may include academic researchers, government officials, non-profit organizations, and the general public. They also participate in a wide range of data science tutorials, discussion-based workshops, and subject matter talks with experts from outside the program.

This year’s projects will leverage data science approaches to address societal challenges in areas such as transportation, human services, public policy, health and safety, environmental conservation, accessibility, social justice, and urban informatics. Click here for summaries of projects from previous UW DSSG summer programs.

Who

Graduate students and undergraduate seniors who are starting graduate school in Fall 2024 at degree-granting colleges or universities are eligible to apply. Applicants must be enrolled students in the Spring 2024 term AND enrolled graduate students in Fall 2024. This means undergraduates are eligible to apply only if they are seniors who are beginning graduate school in the Fall.

International students are eligible to apply as long as their visa status allows them to work in the U.S. and they can obtain Curricular Practical Training (CPT) status. Unfortunately, we cannot offer admission based on Optional Practical Training (OPT) status and we cannot sponsor student visas for this program.

PLEASE NOTE: Former students are not eligible for the program – no exceptions can be accommodated.

What

Each student will be part of a team working full-time (i.e. 40 hours/week) on an applied research project that has concrete social relevance and impact. Students are expected to work closely and collaboratively with team members for the duration of the 10-week program. 

Projects may involve a range of stakeholders, including academic researchers, government officials, non-profit organizations, and the general public. 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. See the FAQs for more information on this curricular component of our program.

Where

Student Fellows will be required to work in person on campus of the University of Washington and will be expected to be present during most regular business hours. However, teams will have some flexibility to incorporate a certain amount of remote hours into their team’s schedule. Please note that the Project Leads and Data Scientists working with teams of Student Fellows may work either remotely or in person, depending upon selected projects.

When

This is a 10-week long, full-time program beginning June 10th and ending August 16th, 2024.

Compensation

Students will receive a stipend of $9,000 for the 10 weeks. All UW DSSG applicants are also eligible to apply for additional funding through the UW DSSG Opportunity Scholarship.

Requirements

  • Demonstrated interest and experience in issues related to social good
  • Previous computer programming experience
  • Ability to work on highly interdisciplinary teams and with multiple stakeholder groups
  • Research experience with quantitative and/or qualitative methods
  • Strong academic record

Application

Student Fellow applications for the 2024 UW DSSG program closed on February 12, 2024.

Questions?

A recording of the information session for the 2024 UW DSSG program may be found on our YouTube channel.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page for UW DSSG Student Fellows. Additional questions may be directed to UW DSSG Program Manager Mark Welden-Smith at mweldens@uw.edu.

To learn more about last year’s program, read our blog about Student Fellows’ experiences or view their final project presentations. You can read quotes from former Student Fellows below and see project descriptions from the 2015-2023 UW DSSG summer programs here.

“The connections I made through UW DSSG are ones that I’ll carry throughout my career. My team established a working environment grounded in collaboration, communication, and meaningful relationships.”

— Hikari Murayama, 2020 UW DSSG Student Fellow

Alumni Testimonials

“The eScience Institute and the UW DSSG program have cultivated a space where the staff, faculty and affiliates are aligned on determining and working towards what social good looks like in data science. As this work unfolded in the summer of 2021, we approached data science as an interdisciplinary pursuit that requires expertise and knowledge across fields and backgrounds. I appreciated how eScience and DSSG operated as a hub that brought together content area experts, data scientists, researchers, fellows and stakeholders to tackle the big social problems that our projects were investigating.”

-Katherine Chang, 2021 UW DSSG fellow

“Before joining the Data Science for Social Good program, I had some background experience in machine learning, but I had never applied these experiences to a real-world project like identifying disinformation in coronavirus news articles. Participating in this project helped me to strengthen my experience and also my skills related to data science. In addition, I was able to build a network of people that I talk to, especially data scientists.”

-George Hope Chidziwisano, 2020 UW DSSG Fellow

“DSSG was a great learning experience for me. I gained an understanding of how to develop a Data Science project from beginning to the end. The focus was always on the fellows and their learning, which I think is a unique trait of the UW DSSG fellowship. Though we missed out on the in-person interactions, the folks at eScience Institute took measures to make us feel a part of the bigger UW DSSG family. Through UW DSSG, I was able to get a great network of like-minded people and get another internship as a direct result.”

-Richa Gupta, 2020 UW DSSG fellow

“Participating in the UW DSSG program at UW eScience Institute was a fantastic experience. I picked up a great deal of technical expertise, and the interdisciplinary team structure gave me an increased understanding of career options in many different industries. My time at UW DSSG gave me the confidence to explore opportunities outside of my own discipline, and I was able to land a digital research manager position as a direct result.”

– Sean Wang, 2016 UW DSSG fellow