Initiatives

All undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will have access to data courses, regardless of their intended major or program. These courses will:

• Be designed to teach the basic elements of data literacy: interpreting data, learning the power and limitations of data, and recognizing misrepresentations.
• Include a strong focus on data visualization.
• Introduce the data computing language, R, so students can independently pursue their own analyses.
• Utilize the annual data theme to support a project-based curriculum.
• Explore the current ubiquity of data collection, especially of personal identity and behavior, and how data is being used to personalize digital experiences.

CAIDS will encourage faculty to integrate these student learning outcomes into existing courses, incorporating the annual data theme where possible.

Introductory Courses

Relying on Tulane’s faculty—those specializing in data and those across disciplines—CAIDS is enhancing data literacy throughout the Tulane curriculum. Our inaugural course, Intro to Data (Data-1010), acquaints students with practical data science skills, aimed at improving their data literacy. 

CAIDS will also work with Tulane’s Center for Public Service (CPS) to coordinate data-based service-learning courses and internship opportunities.

Course Development Grants

CAIDS will support the development of new data-focused TIDES courses, through Course Development Grants. A Data-centered TIDES will help students understand how data shapes their environment, and how data literacy can be a critical tool in many fields of study. 

Additional faculty support will be offered through workshops for faculty, learning modules to increase faculty capacity in data literacy education. Tulane’s Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT) will be a crucial partner in this work.

Student-Based Programs

Co-curricular activities will include data visualization challenges, data hackathon competitions, poster competitions, and other application and project-based learning programs. These events will provide a structured and immersive setting, aimed at supporting a culture of data literacy and celebrating student accomplishments.

Intensive Education Programming

CAIDS will lead workshops, bootcamps, and other intensive educational programming throughout the year for faculty and students to engage with data literacy tools and develop basic skills. In addition to educational growth, these highly engaged learning experiences will build connections among participants and create collaborative networks of students and researchers. For faculty, these programs will help our educators develop their skills in data-related course instruction. This will enhance comfort with data literacy topics, allowing for a more confident integration of concepts into course curricula.

Student Research Grants

CAIDS provides grants to support undergraduate and graduate students’ data-intensive research. The student research grants will prioritize the use of real-world data and, as feasible, facilitate partnerships with faculty, local organizations, and businesses. The research supported by student grants will be displayed during the annual Data Week.

Undergraduate Academic Enrichment Grants

CAIDS partners with NTC’s Office of Academic Enrichment (OAE) to provide grants of up to $2,500 for undergraduate student projects focusing on data literacy, data analysis, or data management. Please visit OAE’s grants page for application instructions and further details.

Graduate Summer Research Awards (Under Review)

CAIDS sponsors graduate student dissertation research that collects, analyzes, or focuses on data. We define “data” broadly in that it can be quantitative and qualitative, or if the research is primarily focused on how data is used in society.

Data Literacy Training and Support (In Development)

CAIDS will serve as Tulane’s central repository for data literacy material and training. It will play a specific role in training on the use of new and emerging technologies related to data literacy and analysis. 

CAIDS will staff a support team of graduate and undergraduate students who are prepared to answer basic data questions to help make data and data-based inquiry more accessible. This team will facilitate student and faculty use and manipulation of data. The support team, managed by the CAIDS Senior Program Manager, will be familiar with data materials and trained to direct students and staff to existing resources to support their needs, while also suggesting new approaches for those unsure of how to navigate their data.

Education and Awareness Events

CAIDS will host public events for the school and local communities to raise awareness about data’s growing role in shaping our environment. These events will include a speaker series, student research exhibitions, and the annual Data Week, among other programming events, to engage the community. 

Data Week will be an annual celebration of data science on Tulane’s campus, filled with programming that incorporates the annual data theme. The week will bring awareness to data research and recognize the achievements of our students and researchers, by hosting poster sessions and other presentations that highlight both curricular and scientific innovations. It will also feature plenary presentations by key figures in the fields of data analysis and data science, “lightning” talks by invited guests and Tulane faculty, and workshops on topics relevant to the annual theme.