Collaborative Research: HDR DSC: Data Science Training and Practices: Preparing a Diverse Workforce via Academic and Industrial Partnership

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

A significant number of modern scientific studies rely upon processing and analyzing a large amount of data for information extraction, scientific discovery, and decision making. This motivates the need for training a new generation of data scientists with interdisciplinary skills and a deep understanding of appropriate and applicable data analysis methods, as well as the ability to communicate the outcomes of the scientific inquiry. Historically, a considerable number of students graduating from traditional programs in statistics, mathematics, and computer science are not prepared to handle the emerging challenges of data-intensive problems. To address this issue, this project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary curricular, research, and career preparation program in data science. Moreover, it will create a paradigm for taking data science training from academia into real-world applications through close partnership with industry, government, and non-profit organizations. This project will have a broad societal impact by creating a diverse community of learners, equipped with the required skills to join the workforce. Through engaging students selected from a pool of highly diverse populations in STEM areas, this project, California Data Experience Transformation (CADET), will facilitate data science training via curriculum development, hands-on experiences, and close interactions with both academic and non-academic organizations. The CADET project gives rise to the creation of an integrative, dialectical, and interactive ecosystem between the University of California at Irvine, California State University at Fullerton, and Cypress College. These institutions represent the three tiers of higher learning in California, namely, University of California, spearheading research and discovery; California State University, combining research and pedagogy; and Community College, offering two-year preparatory programs. The primary components of the CADET project include generating data science opportunities for underrepresented STEM majors, developing and implementing modern data science curricula at the three participating institutes and disseminating them to other institutions, and finally creating a gateway to diverse career opportunities through mentoring and direct involvement in real-world projects. More than 120 CADET scholars will participate in a host of activities including a summer bootcamp, team science training, weekly seminars, and a collaborative research project, all of which will lead to presentations at symposiums and conferences. Ultimately, through implementing new curricula and student and faculty training, the CADET project will establish a data science culture across STEM disciplines that extends beyond the lifetime of this award. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.