The UC San Diego Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) is emerging as a world leader in data science research, and its mission is strongly focused on the training and education of the next generation of leaders in data science. One way in which the HDSI accomplishes this is by supporting students, scientists, and faculty in developing new data analytic methods and infrastructure, and to foster “data science thinking” in a variety of problems in science, technology, engineering, government, the arts, and humanities to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
About the HDSI Scholarship Program
The Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) Undergraduate Scholarship Program is changing for the 2026-27 academic year. Previously, the program required students to develop and carry out an independent year-long research project from scratch.
The program will now fund students to collaborate with local San Diego non-profits like Feeding San Diego and on-campus units like the UCSD Library. These organizations have many different real-world data systems, challenges, and goals. We have identified potential areas where they could use some data science expertise to help them further their mission. Students will be awarded a total stipend of $2,250 for the entire academic year and will gain valuable hands-on experience working with data in a particular domain in a collaborative, applied setting with organizations that serve the public interest.
See this link for the organizations and descriptions: https://stu.lu/hdsiusp2026
Students will apply individually (NOT as a team) to a maximum of two partner organizations. HDSI will send those applications to the partner organizations, who will conduct their own application review and selection process in June-July. For example, some may do interviews, while others may select entirely based on the application. Teams will be formed by and mentored by a designated contact within each organization. For several projects, the San Diego-based Data Science Alliance organization will mentor and connect students to local non-profit organizations.
Applicants are not expected to propose a specific project or locate a mentor. Instead, the selected student teams will spend the Fall getting familiar with the organization, its data, and needs. Teams will work with their mentor at the organization to co-design a project that will be completed in Winter and Spring. The $2,250 stipend is for the entire academic year, which will be distributed in three payments at the beginning of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter. Stipends will be distributed via a SFS account refund, which is first applied to any outstanding University fees, then can be refunded to a bank account.
Eligibility
Student Eligibility:
- The program is open to UC San Diego undergraduate students majoring or minoring in Data Science who will have passed DSC 80 by the end of Spring 2026.
- Students are NOT eligible if they have taken the DSC Senior Capstone or will be enrolled in the Capstone at any point during the 2026-7 academic year.
- Given conditions #1 and #2, most eligible students will be at the end of their second year, with scholarship work carried out during their third year.
- Students must be enrolled in at least 12 units per quarter during the scholarship period (Fall, Winter, and Spring). If you drop below 12 units, you will not be awarded the stipend for that quarter.
- Students who have previously received HDSI Undergraduate Scholarship funding are ineligible.
Application Process & Timeline
An info session will be held on April 23, 2026.
Applications open May 1, 2026 and close May 31, 2026.
After the application deadline, partner organizations review applications and conduct their own candidate selection process, which may or may not include interviews. We anticipate notifications to applicants by the end of July, 2026.
Project work will officially start in Week 1 of Fall Quarter 2026 and conclude Week 10 of Spring Quarter 2027. Students will present their work at an in-person showcase event in late Spring Quarter 2027.
The application form will ask:
- Applicant Information: Name(s), PID(s), UCSD Email(s), Major(s)/Minor(s), Planned Graduation Month/Year(s)
- Applicant résumé (up to 2 pages max, PDF), including technical and project management skills, as well as past project experience (if any)
- Hours per week you are generally able to commit
- For each organization (max 2), a statement of purpose (max 2000 characters including spaces, or ~300 words)
- A statement of purpose that shows why you are a good fit for this organization and/or project, including what you can bring that is not on your resume and transcript. You can answer this question in many ways, including but not limited to: previous experiences that have shaped the way you would approach this project; what draws you to their mission; connections you have to the work they do or the communities they serve; or your views about the role of data science in society.
Frequently Asked Questions: See https://stu.lu/hdsiusp2026faq