If so then a project in partnership with CDRC, through the LIDA Data Scientist Development Programme (DSDP), could be for you – we are currently seeking external partners for collaborative projects starting in October 2024 and April 2025.
The award winning LIDA Data Scientist Development Programme (DSDP) provides data science solutions to timely industry, academic and public sector research challenges to social, environmental and health public goods.
About the LIDA Data Scientist Development Programme (DSDP)
The DSDP is a capacity-building programme, recruiting early-career data scientists to work on 6-month, proof-of-concept research projects using real-world data.
Through the application of novel methods, project teams comprised of internal University of Leeds academics, affiliated academics, and external public or private sector partners can arrive at high-impact, data-driven solutions.
Delivering Impactful Projects with Early-Career Data Scientists
Harnessing the 2021 Census for City Planning – Leeds City Council
“The Census is a vital tool in helping us to better understand our city and the people who live and work here. The depth of insight at the touch of a button this project has enabled us to access will change the game in supporting more people to access meaningful data in a user-friendly way.
In addition, the results from the project will assist us through informing strategic conversations with councillors, helping to guide our work on equality diversity and inclusion, and generating further lines of enquiry more quickly than we’ve been able to previously.”
Mike Eakins – Head of Policy, Leeds City Council
Optimising supermarket delivery vehicle routes – Morrisons
“This 6-month research project provided an interesting and insightful investigation into optimisation approaches for delivery vehicle routing. I found the collaboration with Jacob and the wider project team valuable and would welcome the opportunity to work with LIDA on other projects in the future.”
Morrisons
Nudging consumers towards healthier swaps – Lidl
“When developing this trial, we wanted to understand how best to help our customers make healthier choices at point of sale, where we know they make decisions.
This trial has demonstrated the importance of product choice and types of messaging used. Going forward, we plan to continue testing what works around signposting, in collaboration with University of Leeds and IGD, to help customers eat healthier.”
Lidl, GB
External partners benefit from:
How to get started with a project on the Data Scientist Development Programme
Step 1
Choose a question or problem in the interests of public good (e.g. health / society / environment focussed) suitable to be tackled in a 6-month project.
Step 2
Establish funding for £19.5k project costs to cover the data scientist’s salary, training, travel and subsistence for the 6-month period. N.B. data scientists are recruited by LIDA and paid through University payroll.
Step 3
Contact CDRC Partnerships Development Manager, Francesco Mattiello to build a project team consisting of:
- An academic lead based at the University of Leeds – they will supervise the work of the data scientist, in collaboration with co-supervisors with different domain knowledge and expertise
- An external partner – a partner relevant to the research question in the public, private or third sector
If you’re an external partner in search of a CDRC academic collaborator, we can help to put you in touch with a relevant academic who will supervise the work of the data scientist
Timings for the 24/25 Data Scientist Development Programme
December-January – Teams start to assemble project ideas, teams and funding.
February – Your academic lead submits your formal proposal for your project to commence in October of that year or April the following year in response to the Call for Proposals.
March – Project selection panel reviews all proposals submitted and outcomes communicated to project teams
April – June – Data Scientist recruitment window
July – August – Offers made to successful data scientists (project PIs are invited to take part in this process to match a data scientist to their project)
September – The new data scientists join the programme
October – March – Project 1
April – September – Project 2
Eligibility criteria for the Data Scientist Development Programme
- The project team must be interdisciplinary (e.g. different domain knowledge) and led by a Leeds-based academic.
- The research question must be in the interests of the public good (e.g. health/ social/ environmental goods) in scope of a 6-month project.
- The DSDP is a training and development employment opportunity for early-career data scientists. Your project idea (and later, proposal) should demonstrate consideration of the development of the data scientist’s skills.
- The external partner will need to provide a letter of support to accompany the project proposal in response to the February Call. The partner contribution to the project can be a combination of: data, funding, expertise, infrastructure.
- Project teams must be able to access their data ready for an Oct 2024/ April 2025 start date.
Research Excellence
The DSDP has contributed to 7 research excellence and research culture awards since 2021:
- 2021 ESRC Research Excellence Award: Local Data Spaces project (COVID-19 response)
- 2022 Leeds Digital Festival: Open Maps project runner-up in sustainability category
- 2022 Research Culture EDI award winner for positive action recruitment
- 2022 Leeds Uni Engaged for Impact Awards: winner in category, Building Partnerships & Networks
- 2022 Leeds Uni Engaged for Impact Awards: runner-up in category, Finding a Better Way
- 2023 Bradford District and Craven Health & Care ‘Celebrate as One’ Awards – DSDP spin-out, LIDA Open Data Science for Schools came ‘highly commended’in the category, research initiative
- 2023 ESRC Celebrating Impact Awards: Outstanding Business and Enterprise Impact prize by Michelle Morris and team (including the work of several DSDP participants over the last 7 years).
Get in touch
For any questions regarding the DSDP, please contact Programme Lead, Kylie Norman.
