This program provides support for faculty, staff, and students to (1) pursue continuing education in Data Science, (2) organize invited Data Science related speakers, workshops, or other activities, (3) the purchase of data, data services, software, or other resources associated with data science activities in courses or research, and (4) travel related to data collection, data science education (including conferences), or data science activities such as data science competitions or datathons.
Individuals or teams requesting support may request an amount appropriate to their specific needs, with the understanding that larger requests should have a broader and more extensive impact on Data Science related activities at Colby. This program may be used to cover the cost of bringing in outside speakers or educators and participant support costs for activities such as workshops or research symposia.
Proposals under $500:
Applicants requesting $500 or less should submit a 1-page request with the following information:
- The applicant’s name(s) and department(s) or major(s) (as appropriate).
- What Data Science related activity will this fund and what is the goal of the activity?
- The benefits and impacts to the recipient(s) and others if the funding is provided.
- An itemized budget and brief justification.
Proposals over $500:
Applications requesting more than $500 should submit a request of no more than 3 pages with the following information:
- The applicant’s name(s) and department(s) or major(s) (as appropriate).
- What Data Science activity will this fund and what is the goal of the activity?
- The benefits and impacts to the recipient(s) and others if the funding is provided.
- A description of any continuing long-term benefits of the support.
- Are any resources being contributed from other entities?
- An itemized budget and brief justification.
Criteria for Awards:
The primary criteria for awarding education and resource grants will be (1) the relevance of the activity to Data Science and (2) the impact of the activity relative to the grant request. Smaller requests, especially requests for access to high quality educational resources, will be given high priority.
Small proposals will be evaluated by the Data Science Program Director. Larger proposals will be evaluated by a Data Science Review committee, which will make a recommendation to the Data Science Program Director.
Deadlines:
Proposals to the Data Science Education and Resource program will be accepted on a rolling basis, with funding decisions provided within two weeks of receipt of the submission. If funds are unavailable in a given fiscal year, applicants may re-submit the following fiscal year with priority relative to new submissions.
Please submit the proposal as a single PDF electronically to [email protected].
Reporting and Distribution of Funds:
Upon completion of the proposed activity, recipients must submit a brief (i.e. no more than one page) description of the activity completed and its impacts. In the case of educational programs–e.g. short courses, bootcamps, or workshops–the report should include an evaluation of the quality of the activity to provide guidance to others who may be interested in the same program.
Recipients may submit receipts for purchases or have the College make purchases directly, up to the amount of the grant.
Questions should be directed to Professor Liam O’Brien: [email protected].