Data Scientist Development Programme

LIDA’s award-winning Data Scientist Development Programme (DSDP) is a capacity-building programme for early career data scientists responsible for producing novel research methods and proof-of-concept data products in partnership with external stakeholders.

In 2022-23, the cohort of 12 LIDA data scientists worked on 20 different projects with partners including Leeds City Council, Institute for Grocery Distribution, Connected Bradford, Office for National Statistics and the University’s catering service.

 

 

When asked for their stand-out achievements, LIDA’s 2022-23 data scientists responded:

• developing a Random Forest model for predicting educational disengagement
• applying business process modelling techniques to the lived trajectories of vulnerable individuals to improve social care interventions
• encouraging dietary changes to support low-carbon food choices in partnership with food supply-chain stakeholders
• a proof of concept digital twin system for a major supermarket retailer
• presenting project findings at the Nutrition Society conference
• producing the Leeds Observatory Census Dashboard, which will allow non-data-specialists to answer census queries with the click of a button.

Under the leadership of Profs. Michelle Morris and Nick Malleson, the welcomed 14 new members this year from 7 previously unrepresented University Schools/ Institutes in order to increase diversity of the team selecting the Programme’s projects and data scientist recruits. The group also appointed its first Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Chair, Dr Sajid Siraj, who will work with Programme leadership in 2023-24 to develop its EDI strategy.

The Programme continues to be a great way to partner with LIDA on short-term research projects and to build data science capacity and resilience in the next generation of data scientists.

In the 2023-24 academic year, the Programme welcomes 11 new data scientists from a range of disciplines and specialisms, who will be working on 22 different projects with partners including West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Good Food Oxfordshire and the charitable organisation Causeway.

This year the Programme will continue to pioneer best practice research culture by formalising its mentoring service for early career data scientists and improving recruitment access to its data scientist roles for those coming from non-traditional educational pathways.

Return to the showcase Find out more about the DSDP