REU SITE: DIAMONDS: Directed, Intensive and Mentored Opportunities in Data Science

This award supports an on-campus summer research program at Tufts University on Directed, Intensive and Mentored Opportunities in Data Science. Each summer, 10 undergraduates from across the country come to Tufts and complete a 10-week research project with a faculty mentor. Projects cover a broad range of data science and machine learning, from theoretical foundations to applications in computational biology, healthcare, and cyber-security. Participants work closely with their dedicated mentor all summer to learn how to conduct research while doing research. The program's novelty is in exposing students to the unique high-touch mentoring culture at Tufts. The program's broader significance lies in its long-term goal: to strengthen the nation's science and engineering talent pipeline, especially reaching students who attend institutions with limited research opportunities. The program intends to accelerate participant ability and interest in becoming a professional data scientist and attending graduate school. The program's core philosophy is that sharp undergraduates can match the pacing and scope of how early-stage graduate students conduct research when given the right scaffolding. Data science projects are particularly suited to this endeavor, and the program's scaffolding has been refined over 5 previous summers. The program invites applications from all American undergraduates who have completed two college-level computer programming courses and demonstrated aptitude and interest in research. The program relies on experienced faculty mentors to help select their mentees and co-design an appropriate project via one-on-one apprenticeship. Beyond this immersive project, the students engage in weekly activities such as invited talks, training in ethical research and scientific communication skills, and professional development events. Participants present their findings at an end-of-summer symposium and are encouraged to pursue scientific publication. To support persistence in data science careers, the program mentors graduate school applications and connects current students to alumni from past summers and the broader Tufts community. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.