Information for Faculty
Overview
The DSI Scholars program can advance your research efforts by helping you source talented students with data science expertise to collaborate with you. Each semester, the DSI Scholars program accepts new project proposals from Columbia faculty who are looking for hands-on research support. If you have a project that can benefit from the help of a dedicated undergraduate or masters student, the Data Science Institute encourages you to apply!
The Spring 2025 application for Faculty is now closed.
Participation Benefits
- Skilled Students: DSI can connect you with skilled students to help you successfully complete a data science research project. You will have the ability to meet with, interview, and select the best student talent for your research.
- Administrative Support: DSI will coordinate the student application process from start to finish. Students will apply to your project through a DSI-managed application portal. DSI will organize the logistics of the student interviews, including communicating with the applicants and supporting their onboarding process.
- Funding for Students: DSI will provide up to five (5), $3,000 stipends to help cover student living expenses. An additional five projects will be selected where the PIs have funding in place, but would like support in the selection process and to access a wide array of skilled students.
Application Process
Submit your research project using the DSI application portal. Each application cycle, DSI will select up to 10 projects to participate.
You will be notified if DSI will provide the stipend for students or whether your project is selected, but you will need to provide funding for students.
If your project is selected, you’ll have the opportunity to interview students to support your research.
The best student will be matched to your project based on their skills and experience. DSI will handle all of the scheduling and communications.
Throughout the following semester, you will provide mentorship and guidance to your student.
Students will commit 8-10 hours per week to support your project.
Program Timeline
| Term | Project Duration | Faculty Application Dates | Student Application Dates | Student Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | January – May | Opens: Aug. 19 Closes Sept. 15 |
Opens: Oct. 4 Closes Oct. 20 |
Expected: Oct. 28 – Nov. 8 |
Time Commitments & Requirements
- The proposal selection and interview process is conducted the semester prior to the research project start date. Students will commence research on selected projects at the beginning of the next term. Please note that the research assigned to students should be easily completed within that term. If you need a student immediately, please consider submitting your project through the Campus Connections program.
- As the faculty supervisor, you are expected to actively engage with the DSI Scholar for at least one hour per week over the course of the project. DSI Scholars are expected to commit 8-10 hours a week on your research project.
- Faculty supervisors are expected to have sufficient data science expertise to be able to provide mentorship and research advice to scholars on these aspects of their projects. It’s important to remember that DSI Scholars are students and cannot serve as data science subject matter experts on your project.
Budget Details
The Data Science Institute will select up to 10 faculty-led interdisciplinary research projects to participate in the program each semester. Five (5) projects will be DSI funded and another five (5) will be supported through faculty funding. If you are selected as a faculty funded project, you will be required to provide full funding support for your student (minimum stipend of $3,000 required), and provide a DSI verified/approved funding source to use for the student stipend prior to finalizing your student selection. DSI cannot post a project without a verified funding source.
Application Criteria
DSI Scholars projects will be assessed based on the below criteria. Please consider addressing these questions in your proposal:
- Please describe the interdisciplinary nature of your proposal.
- Student mentorship is a high priority aspect of this program. How do you intend to mentor the DSI Scholar?
- What responsibilities will you assign to the DSI Scholar? Please clearly outline the tasks they will complete during the semester assigned to your project.
Selection priority will be given to:
- Projects that involve novel research and interdisciplinary projects that span two or more disciplines
- Proposals that align with one or more of the DSI’s Research Centers or focus areas
FAQ for Faculty
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Submit a project proposal through the DSI Scholars: Faculty Projects form by the deadline. Please note that all proposals accepted are for student research opportunities the following semester/term. This allows for adequate time for the student application process and for students to maximize their time engaged on any individual project. If you would like to submit a proposal for immediate support, please consider the Campus Connections program. Please note that Campus Connection opportunities are fully funded by you, and any administrative hiring and payments must be executed through your home department.
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We will try to accommodate a late request if possible, but cannot always accommodate you. Still, DSI maintains a number of ways to help you recruit students. Please reach out if you have any questions.
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You will be notified if your project is as a DSI Scholars Project, and if the DSI can provide funding for your selected student. For those projects that are not provided funding, you will be given the option to self-fund. If you accept the invitation to participate, your project will be posted on the DSI site so that students can apply. Once student applications are in, DSI will share with you the list of applicants to your project, and you will decide which students you would like to interview. You DSI will coordinate the interview process over a designated two week period. Spring 2024 Project Interviews are expected to take place between Monday, November 27, 2023 – Friday, December 8, 2023.
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The DSI Scholars project should last for one semester. If you would like to extend your time with the scholar, you will need to discuss the opportunity with the scholar directly. Any additional engagement with the scholar beyond the assigned and awarded semester may require employing them directly through your home department, or providing academic credit for their research experience.
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Yes. We are happy to provide match matching services to faculty. If you are not selected for the DSI Scholars program, we can still advertise your project through the Campus Connections program, which is a great resource to source skilled student talent.
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Yes. The DSI maintains a number of programs that can connect you with student or faculty resources. Please submit your project through Campus Connections, or contact us at dsi-scholars@columbia.edu. Please see here for a high-level overview of DSI programs.
DSI Scholars Campus Connections DS Capstone Frequency Spring/Summer/Fall Continuous Fall/Spring Target All Students All students MS in Data Science students only Student Selection Centralized Application Process, PI decides Students apply directly with the PI 5 – 6 MSDS students; assigned by course instructors Project Criteria Research internship, Mentoring, Interdisciplinary focus? Various Clear project, sufficient work for the semester long study Student Incentive Research experience Paid work, course credit Required, course credit How to Apply Link Link Apply here Deadline Spring 2024: Summer 2024
Fall 2024
No deadline Apply for Fall in the summer -
You may be able to select more than one student provided you have an eligible funding source to provide stipends to students. If you are interested in this option, you will need to contact DSI to coordinate and confirm funding.
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If selected as one of the five (5) DSI Funded projects, the student that you select through the DSI Scholars application process will receive a stipend. Stipends are issued directly by Student Financial Services in coordination with the Data Science Institute.
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The DSI scholars program is a research experience program that provides a stipend to defray incidentals incurred during a research internship, and to foster new PI-student collaborations. To hire a research assistant directly (through your home department), faculty can submit their project to Campus Connections and indicate their preference.
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While both programs are designed to connect Columbia faculty with Columbia students with data science expertise to conduct research, the programs differ in both structure and timing.
The DSI Scholars program is offered three times per year (Spring, Summer and Fall), and requires faculty to submit a proposal to participate in the program. DSI will select up to 10 faculty-led interdisciplinary research projects to participate in the program each semester. The proposal selection and student interview process is conducted the semester prior to the date you would like student support. . DSI coordinates the student application process from start to finish, including communicating with the applicants and supporting their onboarding process. DSI Scholars projects are open to qualified Columbia University students, regardless of degree program. Students in Columbia affiliate programs (Barnard and Teachers College) are not eligible for this program.
DSI Campus Connections is continuously open and available for Columbia faculty looking for immediate support from data science students. While DSI will share the project information with students, as the Faculty PI, you will manage the application process directly. You may submit paid work or projects that can be completed for academic credit. Campus Connections projects are open to qualified Columbia University students, regardless of degree program.
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If your project was selected as a faculty funded project, DSI will provide administrative support to select the student researcher from start to finish, including sourcing applications, scheduling interviews for you, and communication with applicants. You will be required to provide full funding support for the student, and provide a DSI verified/approved funding source to use for student payments prior to finalizing your student selection. DSI cannot post a project without a verified funding source.