Update April 21, 2021: The deadline for submitting nominations has been extended to April 29, 2021.
UC Berkeley’s Computational Social Science Training Program (CSSTP) announces its 2021 call for nominations for the second cohort of CSSTP Fellows.
The CSS Training Program was launched in spring 2020 with a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences (OBSSR) and its partner institute, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Graduate advisors and participating faculty are invited to nominate second- and third-year predoctoral students who are
- Enrolled in these UC Berkeley PhD degree programs: Sociology, Demography, Epidemiology, Public Health Policy, Social Welfare, and Public Policy; and
- US citizens or permanent residents.
Nominations are now due on April 29, 2021 (the original due date was April 15). Particularly welcome are nominations for students from under-represented groups in the above-listed research disciplines. Five students will be appointed for the 2021-2022 cohort.
The CSSTP provides training in advanced data analytics to predoctoral students studying health-related topics and the social determinants of health in the social sciences, including demography, public health, public policy, epidemiology, social welfare, and sociology. During the first year of this two-year program, trainees complete rigorous coursework designed to teach a team science-based approach to problem solving with data analytics. In the following year, students apply their skills through internship placements on health-related research teams or labs on campus and/or with external industry, government, or non-profit partners. Trainees are supported by a dual-preceptor model with both a social sciences faculty mentor and a data science faculty mentor.
During their first year in the program, trainees receive a 12-month $25,000 stipend (with half dispersed at the start of each semester), travel funds, and 60% of their tuition and fees for fall and spring semesters. Their home departments are responsible for the remaining 40% of tuition and fees and health insurance during the first year. Please note that:
- NIH rules for the fellowship prohibit trainees from working more than 25% time during the 12-month period of their first-year trainee appointment; however, additional fellowship or stipend support is allowed as long as it does not come with work obligations
- CSSTP does not provide direct funding for stipend nor tuition support for the second year of the program.
Faculty mentors, for each of your second- and third-year predoctoral student nominees, please submit the following in a single email to css-t32@berkeley.edu by April 22, 2021 (This deadline may be extended until all positions are filled):
1) A one-page nomination letter that addresses the following:
- The student’s ability in quantitative social science as demonstrated through coursework, research experience, and/or teaching
- The student’s successful completion of first-year requirements in your department’s PhD program; and
- Your availability to mentor the student as their social sciences faculty mentor.
2) A one-page statement from the student addressing the following:
- Their enthusiasm for participation in a multidisciplinary intellectual environment and computational social science research related to health or the social determinants of health, broadly defined.
- The alignment between their career goals and the program’s goals, and indicating their strong interest in a career in health research after graduation.
3) A copy of the student's undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial copies are accepted).
4) The student’s current email address.
For full details about this program’s implementation and training faculty, see the CSS Training Program Overview.
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Update April 21, 2021: The deadline for submitting nominations was extended to April 29, 2021.
Updated April 7, 2021. The deadline for submitting nominations was extended to April 22, 2021.
