Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the CAIDS initiative come from?

As a university founded in research, Tulane is committed to improving its curriculum by introducing initiatives that will challenge students and prepare them for success. In 2019, Tulane began planning for the QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) by discussing aspects of the University’s curriculum that could be improved upon. Provost Robin Forman invited students, faculty, and staff to submit proposals for areas of improvement. Of these, six leading areas emerged, one of them being data literacy. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, data literacy proved to be a vital need in the community.

Who is leading CAIDS?

Professor Patrick Button serves as the CAIDS Executive Director,  who takes a team approach to leading CAIDS.  Our operations team includes Joey Couvillon, the Senior Program Manager, and Meg Keenan, the Administrative Program Coordinator. Two Professors of Practice, Jaqeuelyne Thoni Howard and Lisa Dilks, joined our faculty in the Summer of 2023.  We also have two teams of students, our Student Communications Team and the Data Research Interns who work at the Data Lab under the guidance of Professor Howard. We are in the process of a third Professor of Practice and part-time student workers. 

CAIDS will establish two guiding committees, one made up of faculty and staff, and another made up of students. These committees will help ensure CAIDS fulfills needs from across the University.

I have ideas, questions, or concerns relating to CAIDS and I’d like to get in contact. How can I do that?

Send any questions or concerns to caids@tulane.edu. Our team is regularly monitoring the email and will respond as soon as possible.

Where is CAIDS currently in its development?

CAIDS began work in June 2022, with the appointment of Professor Patrick Button as the Executive Director.  In the Summer of 2023 two Professors of Practice, and we are currently searching for a third. We launched our first course, Introduction to Data Science in the Fall of 2023, and the Spring of 2024, we introduced three new courses, Data Analysis, Applied Generative AI, and Data Visualization.

We are also setting the foundations for CAIDS, including developing a communications plan, determining our focus and values, creating guiding committees, and setting up internal policies and procedures.

When did CAIDS start offering courses?

CAIDS began offering courses in Fall of 2023. 

What courses does CAIDS offer?

We  currently offer four courses 

• DATA 1010- Introduction to Data
• DATA 2020 - - Data Analysis
• DATAS2050- Applied Generative AI
• DATA 2030 - Data Visualization

We will gradually roll out additional courses in the following semesters. The additional courses will depend on student interest, but we anticipate adding practical courses on statistical software and other topics. We hope to offer practical courses that students in every program can benefit from. If you have course suggestions, please email us at caids@tulane.edu.

Will there be majors, minors, and other programs in data?

Yes! We are working with schools on campus to offer more data majors or minors or improve existing majors or minors that focus on data. 

What kinds of non-course events and opportunities will CAIDS offer for undergraduates?

We are gradually roll out events for undergraduate and graduate students to get involved . These include:

• An Annual Data Theme, and numerous events associated with it
• Lectures and film screenings
• Student research presentation opportunities
• Workshops, seminars, keynote lectures, and “Lunch and Learns”
• Hackathons and bootcamps
• Service-learning and internship opportunities
• Student grants through the Newcomb-Tulane college grant application process

Will there be research opportunities in data for undergraduates?

Yes! Currently we offer grants for students doing work that involves data, such as data collection or analysis, or presenting research that involves data. This funding is available through the Newcomb-Tulane college grant application process. In 2023 we will launch additional opportunities such as:

• Hiring undergraduate research assistants to work with data
• An undergraduate summer research program

I need assistance with data for my course or research project. Can the Data Hub help me?

For now, please contact your instructor or advisor. We plan to offer this support in the future. This will likely include a “Data Help Desk,” as well as Data Mentors who will support students in data-focused courses.

Will there be networking opportunities through CAIDS?

Yes, we will develop different types of programming and funding that connect students to faculty. The goal will be to improve access for undergraduates to data-focused research experience.

Are there grants for students working on projects related to data?

Students doing data-based work can apply for grants through the Newcomb-Tulane College grant application process. To be eligible for funding through CAIDS, at least half of the budget needs to fulfill one of the following categories:

• Expenses related to student research that collects or digitalizes data
• Expenses related to student research that analyzes data
• Travel to present data research or attend an event with a specific focus on data literacy, data analysis, or data management
• On-campus or community projects with a focus on data literacy, data analysis, or data management

Are there plans to develop courses for graduate students?

We are creating courses for undergraduates first, and we will eventually move toward developing graduate programs. Graduate students can audit undergraduate courses if they are of interest. We are currently looking into co-curricular programs for graduate students as well.

I need assistance with data for my course or research. Can CAIDS help me?

For now, please contact your instructor or advisor. We plan to offer this support starting in Fall 2023. This will likely include a “Data Help Desk,” as well as Data Mentors who will support students in some data-focused courses.

Will there be networking opportunities through CAIDS?

Yes, we hope to develop programming that connects students and faculty, such as workshops, seminars, conferences, and working groups.

Are there grants for graduate students doing research on or using data?

Yes!  We offer Summer Research Awards to Graduate Students.  

The eligible requirements include:

• The applicant must be a doctoral candidate or already conducting research on a dissertation or an equivalent research project. 
• The applicant's research must be focused on the collection or analysis of data. 

I would like to teach workshops or courses on data or help mentor others using data. Do you have any job opportunities related to this?

Yes! We hope to hire several graduate students on a part-time, flexible basis to run workshops and assist with CAIDS programming. Please contact us and we can come up with a plan that leverages your experience and interests, or stay updated with our Handshake profile.

Can I get support through CAIDS to increase data content in an existing or planned course?

We will support faculty and instructors, both with mentoring and funding, to add data content to existing courses. For now, in addition to chatting with you and providing feedback on your ideas, we do have incentives for those seeking to add data content to existing or new TIDES courses. We plan to roll out the following programs in the future:

• Provide grants to instructors seeking to add data content to existing courses, or develop new courses focused on data (this would be similar to what we are doing now for TIDES).
• Provide consultation services for faculty and instructors to help them add design lessons and modules focused on data.
• Host workshops on teaching data topics.
• Provide funding for faculty and instructors to hire teaching assistants or peer mentors in data-focused courses.
• Provide readily available content such as cleaned-up data sets and lesson ideas for faculty and instructors, especially related to the Annual Data Theme.

What programs are planned to support instructors who teach data-focused courses?

We plan to roll out the following programs in the future:

• Offer consultation services for faculty and instructors to help them add them design lessons and modules focused on data.
• Host workshops on teaching data topics.
• Provide funding for faculty and instructors to hire teaching assistants or peer mentors in data-focused courses.
• Provide readily available content such as cleaned-up data sets and lesson ideas for faculty and instructors, especially related to the Annual Data Theme.