Celebrating the potential of exceptional data scientists through an intensive research and career workshop.
The Rising Stars in Data Science workshop, hosted November 14-15 by the University of California San Diego in collaboration with the University of Chicago and Stanford University, focuses on celebrating and fast tracking the careers of exceptional data scientists at a critical inflection point in their career: the transition to postdoctoral scholar, research scientist, industry research position, or tenure track position. Over the past four years, the Rising Stars workshop has hosted over 130 Rising Stars from nearly 40 institutions. This fall, the fifth annual Rising Stars workshop will showcase the exciting, innovative data science initiatives at UC San Diego, UChicago and Stanford University. This event will provide PhD students and postdocs the opportunity to plug into these networks, platforms, and opportunities. The workshop also aims to increase representation and diversity in data science by providing a platform and a supportive mentoring network to navigate academic careers in data science. All graduate students and postdocs, including those who belong to groups underrepresented in data science, are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to people of all racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, and persons with disabilities. The two-day workshop will feature career and research panels, networking and mentoring opportunities, and research talks from the Rising Stars. Participants will gain insights from faculty panels on career development questions such as: how to start your academic career in data science; how to strategically sustain your career through research collaborations, publications, and skill development; and how to form meaningful interdisciplinary collaborations in data science with industry and government partners. Participants will also hear inspiring keynote talks from established, cutting-edge leaders in data science. Accepted participants will be reimbursed up to $1000 for qualified travel expenses.
Eligibility & Guidelines
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please send an email to risingstars@ucsd.edu.
- Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher.
- We welcome applicants from a wide variety of fields and backgrounds: any eligible PhD or postdoc who is engaging in rigorous, data-driven inquiry is encouraged to apply.
- Applicants from all institutions, including but not limited to the University of California San Diego, the University of Chicago, and Sanford University are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants may only submit one application.
- Applicants may have nominations from a maximum of 2 faculty members or advisors.
Applicants will be notified of their application status between September 9 and September 13.
Workshop Format
- Rising Star research talks
- Panels (career development, data science research)
- Keynote address
- 1:1 meetings with faculty members
- Networking within the UC San Diego, UChicago, and Sanford University data science ecosystems
Virtual Info Session Join us Friday, July 12th for an informational session on the 2024 Rising Stars in Data Science workshop. In this session, attendees will learn more about the program, hear from the Universities, and ask questions of past program participants. Click to View info session recording
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Applications are due July 26, 2024 The application is available through InfoReady. If you have not previously used InfoReady, you will be required to create an account in order to submit your application.
- Resume/CV
- Biography (100 words)
- Research keywords
- Research talk title
- Research talk abstract (250 words)
- Research statement outlining research goals, potential projects of interest, and long-term career goals (2 pg, standard font at a size 11 or larger)
- Recommendations indicating support from at least 1-2 faculty members or advisors
- UC San Diego and UChicago are committed to broadening participation in the field of data science. In a 300-word statement, please share the experiences, values, and contributions to the field that demonstrate your interest in or commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive scientific community. (300 words)
Accepted participants will be reimbursed up to $1000 for qualified travel expenses. Applicants will be notified of their application status between September 9 and September 13.
Presenter Catalog
Mentors
UCSD
Alex Cloninger
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Haojian Jin
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Berk Ustun
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Bradley Voytek
Professor, Department of Cognitive Science, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, Neurosciences Graduate Program, UC San Diego
Sanjoy Dasgupta
Professor, Computer Science Engineering, UC San Diego
Gal Mishne
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Lily Weng
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Arun Kumar
Associate Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Virginia de Sa
Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute Associate Director, UC San Diego
Rose Yu
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego
Duncan Watson-Parris
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Jun-Kun Wang
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego
Stuart Geiger
Assistant Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, UC San Diego
Any questions regarding the application or the workshop can be directed to risingstars@ucsd.edu
APPLICATION
When is the application due?
The student application is due Friday, July 26, 2024 by 11:59pm PST. Letters of recommendation are due with the application. 1 letter of recommendation is required, and you can provide up to 2. Recommenders can submit their letters of recommendation through our online application system and specific instructions are available through the application website. If recommenders have any issue submitting their letters via the InfoReady application interface, they can email as a PDF attachment to risingstars@ucsd.edu.
Where can I apply?
The application is available through InfoReady (https://ucsd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1939409) . If you have not previously used InfoReady, you will be required to create an account in order to submit your application.
How many recommendations can I receive?
You must request at least one letter of recommendation, and no more than two.
Who can I request a recommendation from?
You are encouraged to request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or advisor who can speak first-hand to your research and academic strengths and qualifications for the program.
Where do faculty submit recommendations?
Your requested ‘recommender’ can submit their letter through the InfoReady system; the application provides a template email that you can edit and automatically generate to the person you’ve requested a letter from.
Can the research statement include references?
Yes, your research statement can include references. References are allowed to run onto an additional third page beyond the two-page limit for the statement.
Do I have to be in a data science program (PhD or postdoc) to apply?
We do not require that applicants are currently in a data science program to apply. However, applicants should be pursuing doctoral degrees or postdocs in computer science, statistics, computational and applied math, data science, or a related computational field.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to send an email to XXXXX@ucsd.edu.
When will applicants be notified?
Applicants will be notified of their application status between September 9 and September 13.
ELIGIBILITY
Do I have to be in a data science program (PhD or postdoc) to apply?
We do not require that applicants are currently in a data science program to apply. However, applicants should be pursuing doctoral degrees or postdocs in computer science, statistics, computational and applied math, data science, or a related computational field.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to send an email to risingstars@ucsd.edu.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Is travel funding available?
Yes, we provide a travel stipend of up to $1,000, reimbursable after the workshop based on qualified expenses.
When will the workshop agenda be available?
The workshop agenda will be available in October.
Who is the audience for the student research talks?
The primary audience for the student research talks are the Rising Stars Committee and PhD students, researchers, faculty, and staff in the data science ecosystems at UC San Diego, UChicago and Stanford University. Certain panels and workshop events will be open to the public. Registration for the event will open in September.
What should the research talk over?
The research talk should highlight your research interests in data science and computing, and ideally showcase your unique approaches to the nascent field as it takes shape.
Do I need to cover established research in my talk, or can it cover early-stage projects?
Your talk can use research work that is either early-stage or published, so long as you are confident that it appropriately and best showcases your research methodology and approaches.
Do I have to be in a data science program (PhD or postdoc) to apply?
We do not require that applicants are currently in a data science program to apply. However, applicants should be pursuing doctoral degrees or postdocs in computer science, statistics, computational and applied math, data science, or a related computational field.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be full time graduate students within 1 year of obtaining a PhD, or a current postdoctoral scholar, fellow, or researcher. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to send an email to risingstars@ucsd.edu.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Agenda subject to change
08:00 am–09:00 am - Registration & Breakfast
09:00 am–09:30 am - Opening Remarks & Overview
09:30 am–10:30 am - Panel Discussion - Career trajectories into Data Science
10:30 am–11:30 pm - Panel Discussion - Job search - Candidate perspective
11:30 am–12:30 pm - Lunch
12:30 pm–01:15 pm - Break/Mentor meetings
01:15 pm–02:15 pm - Panel Discussion - Job search - Search Committee Perspective
02:15 pm–02:30 pm - Break
02:30 pm–03:30 pm - Concurrent Lightning Talks
03:30 pm–04:00 pm - Snack Break
04:00 pm–05:00 pm - Concurrent Lightning Talks
05:00 pm–05:15 pm - Break
05:15pm–06:45 pm - Reception & Poster Session
Friday, November 15, 2024
Agenda subject to change
8:30 am–9:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am–10:00 am - Panel Discussion - How to Make the Most of Your First Year as an Assistant Professor
10:00 am–11:00 am - Panel Discussion - Long-term success in Academia
11:00 am–12:00 pm - Lunch
12:00 pm–12:45 pm - Mentor Meetings / Break
12:45 pm–01:45 pm - Concurrent Lightning Talks
01:45 pm–02:00 pm - Break
02:00 pm–03:00 pm - Concurrent Lightning Talks
03:00 pm–03:30 pm - Snack Break
03:30 pm–04:00 pm - Closing Session
04:00 pm–05:30pm - Networking & Happy Hour
UChicago
Rebecca Willett
Professor of Statistics and Computer Science, University of Chicago and Faculty Director of AI at the Data Science Institute
Michael J. Franklin
Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Chicago
David Uminsky
Senior Research Associate of Computer Science, Executive Director, Data Science Institute, University of Chicago
Stanford
Irene Lo
Assistant Professor, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford
Vasilis Syrgkanis
Assistant Professor, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford
Jonathan Taylor
Professor of Statistics, Stanford