Data Science User Liaison

Center for Data Intensive Science

Mentors

Robert Grossman, PhD
Chief Research Informatics Officer of the Division of the Biological Sciences
DirectorCenter for Data Intensive Science
Professor of Medicine, Section of Genetic Medicine

Kenen Onel, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Familial Cancer Clinic

Background

The Center for Data Intensive Science is pioneering translational data science to advance biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We’re a dedicated team of researchers and engineers drawing from different backgrounds and ideas to push the boundaries of data-intensive science. We work closely with researchers at the University of Chicago, along with other research groups and consortia. We develop and operate large-scale open-source data clouds and data commons for the scientific research community, including the Bionimbus Protected Data Cloud, OCC Open Science Data Cloud, and the NCI Genomic Data Commons. These computational platforms support hundreds of users across the world with varying technical skills, backgrounds, and research objectives.

Internship Description

The Interns will act as data science user liaisons, engaging with users to conduct a comprehensive user experience study and deliver improvements that will enable users’ success in data-driven research and discovery. The Interns will be active participants on CDIS projects, providing resources and expertise where needed, engaging with users, conducting competitive analyses, defining metrics and indicators, analyzing usability, prototyping design improvements with the engineering team, facilitating validation and implementation, designing reports, and preparing summaries. Work will be performed in a fast-paced entrepreneurial-like setting where the intern(s) will be expected to drive efforts with a well-organized project management approach.

Specific Objectives

• Receive training on developing a user experience plan, competitive analysis, and usability testing to prepare you to assist with CDIS projects.

• Receive coaching and feedback on bridging the gap between the diverse scientific research community and the technical DevOps engineers designing the product infrastructure and software.

• Deliverables of this new initiative could include additions or improvements to product functionality, user interface, architecture, visual design, interaction design, support service, and content.

Qualifications

• Creativity, curiosity, empathy, and observational skills

• Strong interpersonal skills to work with people with different abilities

• Keen interest in understanding user needs, motivations, and behaviors

• Willingness to independently immerse in interaction design and user experience research

• Basic writing, research, and presentation skills

• Openness to receiving constructive feedback on assignments

• Eagerness to learn new skills and tools

• Experience with cloud platforms, genomics, or programming is a plus!

Your application must include a current CV and a cover letter describing why this internship is relevant to your career goals.

Number of internships available: 2 or 3