Announcing DataWhys Summer Internship Program 2023

12 Jan 2023 . Category . Comments #research #education-research #datawhys #data-science #machine-learning #programming #statistics #service #outreach

Join us at The University of Memphis for an interdisciplinary summer internship program in data science!

The DataWhys Project at The University of Memphis is developing a training program for HBCU students outside the core data science fields of statistics, machine learning, and computer science. As part of this internship, interns will use and provide feedback on this training program and complete an original data science research project—no background in data science is needed!

Along the way, interns will work closely with faculty and graduate student mentors to develop their data science and professional skills, including how to research a topic, how to read a scientific paper, how to find a dataset, and how to present results.

Accepted interns will be paid $15/hr. and are expected to attend from 10–4pm, Monday through Thursday (with an hour for lunch), from June 5, 2023 to July 27, 2023. Given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, there will be an online option for attendance. However, we will continue to assess the possibility of face-to-face attendance throughout the internship. 

The program is limited to 15 students, so priority will be given to students closer to graduation. First preference will be given to students at LeMoyne-Owen College, followed by students from other HBCUs. Interns must be eligible to work in the U.S.  

Students should apply online at https://forms.gle/eAdR1C1GDwtgQymT9. Acceptance decisions will be made on a rolling basis until applications close at 11:59 PM CST on March 5, 2023. Each application should be supported by two letters of reference emailed to Andrew Olney (aolney@memphis.edu). Decision notifications for applications received March 5th will be sent out March 17th. 

The DataWhys Project and internship are supported by the National Science Foundation through Grant 1918751 for to the University of Memphis.

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Frequently Asked Questions (1/12/23) 

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the DataWhys Summer Internship Program. If you have a question not answered below, please contact aolney@memphis.edu. 

What about COVID-19?

The internship will have an online option, but we will continue to investigate in-person options as well. We’ve used an online format in past years, and it worked well. 

Do I need to have a background in computer science or statistics to apply? 

No, we welcome students from all fields and do not assume knowledge of programming or statistics. 

I’ve applied for the internship program, but I haven’t gotten a response yet? Am I accepted?

We’ll review all applications as they are received and accept students on a rolling basis. All decisions will be made by March 17th for applications received March 5th.  

I will graduate in May, am I eligible?

Yes, you are eligible to apply. 

I can’t make all the sessions. Am I still eligible?

Generally, no, we expect interns to be able to attend the whole program. However, if you needed to miss a day to go to a wedding or funeral, that would not be a problem. 

I am not a US Citizen, am I eligible

You must have authorization to be paid as an intern, so we recommend you speak with your student services representative about obtaining work authorization. 

I attend a college other than LeMoyne-Owen or don’t attend college at all. Am I eligible for the DataWhys Summer Internship Program?

We prioritize students from LeMoyne-Owen but accept students from other HBCUs as well.  If you are not eligible, our training materials are freely available, so you may use those on your own. We have also offered an online course based on these materials. If you belong to a business or nonprofit that would like to become an industry partner, we may have additional opportunities for you.