myDATA: Preparing Science PhDs for Careers in a Data-Driven World

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars widely express that their research requires advanced computational skills, but that these skills were taught neither in their undergraduate studies nor in their graduate programs. Not only are computational skills increasingly required for scientific research, but these skills are also in-demand in a wide range of career fields. In other words, advanced computational skills training will both enhance PhD students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ academic research and increase their ability to find successful careers in a wide range of fields. By offering a series of programming courses that build toward increasing levels of difficulty and provide opportunities for practical experience, our primary goals are to 1) Equip our students and scholars with the computational skills they need to be successful in their training programs, but which are not currently taught in undergraduate or graduate programs of study; 2) Provide trainees opportunities to build skills and experiences that can be leveraged for careers in academia, nonprofits, government, and industry; 3) Leverage resources and partnerships across campus to create unique experiential learning opportunities for PhD students and postdocs; and 4) Build sustainability and increase capacity by training trainers. Northwestern University Information Technology (NUIT) and the Northwestern Libraries will provide the computational expertise and familiarity with the common questions and research contexts graduate students and postdocs share. Core Facilities will provide opportunities for applied learning by inviting graduate students and postdocs to work on bioinformatics projects that have been submitted by Northwestern research community members. Northwestern University Integrated Neuroscience Program (NUIN) will provide our first cohorts of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to participate in the program.