Statistics and Biostatistics Department Chairs Workshop

American Statistical Association, Alexandria VA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports travel for participants in the U.S. Statistics and Biostatistics Department Chairs Workshop held July 12-13, 2016 at the American Statistical Association in Alexandria, Virginia. Enrollments in statistics courses as well as statistics degrees awarded are surging across U.S. universities. The numbers of universities granting both graduate and undergraduate degrees in statistics and biostatistics are at all-time highs. At the same time, data science is emerging as an important research program and the demand for data science skills is rapidly increasing in the public and private sectors. Since statistics represents a foundational discipline in data science, statistics and biostatistics department chairs need to ensure statisticians are effective partners in intramural and extramural university data science programs. This workshop brings together statistics and biostatistics department chairs to address current challenges and learn directly from funding agency and private sector representatives about data science and research funding trends, in order to help statistics and biostatistics departments ensure a comprehensive approach both to data science research and to training graduates with skills that meet workforce demands. Statisticians and statistics play a very important role in advancing science. This workshop provides an opportunity for statistics, biostatistics, and related department chairs to discuss current trends, challenges, and opportunities relating to surging enrollments, workforce needs, research trends, data science, and other issues. To inform discussions, participants will hear from private sector representatives concerning workforce needs, funding agency representatives on funding programs and trends, academic leaders on statistics and data science education, and university administrators on cross-campus research and educational efforts. Because a goal of this workshop is to equip department chairs to further engage their faculty in cross-campus interdisciplinary research and data science efforts, the workshop has strong potential to improve scientific research. Proceedings of the workshop will be recorded, summarized, and disseminated in a format constructive to the participants and the broader community. More information can be found at the workshop web page: https://www.amstat.org/meetings/dcworkshop/