LANL Community Data Science Fellow

Applications Due February 2nd, 2024

Position Duration: 10 weeks, approximately late May to late July/Early August

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Community Data Science Fellow is a paid, full-time, 10-week summer internship that provides a unique opportunity for a student to gain hands-on experience with scientific project leadership as well as data science.

The LANL Community Data Sprint, now in its fourth year, partners local Northern New Mexico organizations with LANL data scientists and machine learning researchers, using data collected by those organizations to understand community issues and provide actionable insights. The effort culminates in a data sprint where a group of LANL staff and students devotes a full week of time collaborating closely to rapidly produce the data-related insights requested by the partner organizations. Community organizations for 2024 have not yet been selected, but past projects included investigating community college retention rates and risk factors, local youth conservation corps diversity efforts, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Santa Fe businesses, and outcomes of a STEM program for young women. News articles highlighting our past sprints is available here:

https://discover.lanl.gov/publications/connections/2021-october/data-sprint-results

https://discover.lanl.gov/publications/connections/2022-november/2022-data-sprint

https://discover.lanl.gov/publications/connections/2023-august/data-sprint-2023/

The selected Community Data Science Fellow will work closely with and receive one-on-one mentoring from the Community Data Sprint organizing team, and be involved with all aspects of the Community Data Sprint. This will include helping with organizing and planning before the data sprint week, interfacing with community partners, assisting with dataset transfer and wrangling, participating in the sprint week itself both as a data scientist and as a facilitator, and assisting with follow-up activities such as producing final reports and evaluating impact.

Note: This position is in-person at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Eligibility:

The Community Data Science Fellow is a unique, interdisciplinary position. This position is best suited for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students in either a data science related-field (e.g., computer science, engineering, statistics, mathematics), or in a project management-related field (e.g., public policy, communications, business, nonprofit management).  Ideal candidates will have experience in both data science and project leadership, as well as exceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly with regard to communicating technical results to a non-technical audience. United States citizenship is not required. To be considered for the position, students should have and maintain a 3.0 GPA for undergraduate students or 3.2 for graduate students, on a 4-point scale.

Application Materials:

In addition to the questions below, you will be asked to send your resume/CV, a cover letter, and your academic transcripts. Unofficial university transcripts will suffice for the initial stage of the application process. If offered a position, official transcripts will be requested. We recommend that you prepare your supplemental documents prior to beginning the application.

Please prepare a cover letter that specifically addresses the following:

• Your background in data science (accredited coursework, online “bootcamp” style courses, etc.)
• Your background in project management and/or general organizational skills
• Any past volunteer experiences you have had

Please apply here: https://forms.gle/g1k3q5PFVT4TV7TR9

Hiring Process:

Competitive candidates will be contacted for interviews by mid February 2024, with a final selection announced shortly after. The accepted student will be required to undergo a background check and drug test as part of the hiring process to access Laboratory property.

About LANL:

Located in northern New Mexico on a mesa between two mountain ranges, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. LANL enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. The high-altitude town of Los Alamos experiences beautiful, mild summer weather and is a wonderful location for hiking, camping, visiting nearby hot springs in the Jemez