Our unique cohort of undergraduate students and high school teachers will work together in small teams on data science research problems of the day, exposing them to the challenges and approaches of working with large-scale heterogeneous and complex real-world data, from their acquisition, storage, and pre-processing to their analysis and interpretation.

Program Structure

The 2026 Cohort will have six high school teachers and six undergraduate students. These participants will be divided into three mixed-group teams, each working on a data science research project and on developing data science curricula related to the subject(s) taught by the high school teachers on the team.

Before the program begins, participants will have access to a self-paced Python training module to prepare for the summer research. During the first week of the program, trainees will listen to interdisciplinary experts working on different research problems that connect to the projects of the summer. For most weeks of the program, teams will receive relevant readings and training, check in with mentors and graduate students, work on their projects, and present their progress to other participants. During the final week of the summer program, trainees will focus on how they can use their work to develop teaching modules and present their research.

In the fall, participants will meet online monthly so the high school teachers can work on data science module design and classroom implementation discussions, and the undergraduates can work on creating research briefs to be published online.

Research Areas

There will be three different research projects each summer of the program. Potential research questions include:

• How do young people participate in politics?
• How can we measure sentiment or ideology from social media posts?
• How does AI adoption shape data-related job opportunities in the U.S.?
• How do viral trends and public attention influence music streaming in the U.S.?
• How does false information about health or elections spread online?
• Can we track the spread of AI-generated and fake images on social media?
• Can we predict migration and movement of people around the world? 
• What are the effects of AI on the environment?
• How can we use biological datasets on human and viral genetics to make disease predictions?
• How can we use climate and environmental variables to model  Lyme disease spread over space and time?
• Can we trace engagement pathways in students’ learning and assessment through sequential process data?
• Can we optimize reading task complexity using generative AI insights?
• How much food insecurity exists in different parts of the country?
• What education disparities exist in different parts of the country?

Dates

The 6-week program will run from June 20th to August 1st, 2026. Participants will have a break on July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. There is a required fall remote component to the program, which will consist of monthly online meetings during the fall semester (September to December 2026). 

Participants must be available for the entire duration of the summer program and the fall experience.

Eligibility

Teachers

For year 1 of the program, only high school teachers in the Washington-DC Metropolitan area are eligible to apply. To be considered as an educator participant in the program, you must be currently employed at a high school (or equivalent) in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area in the 2025-2026 school year. Per NSF requirements, participants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

Undergraduates

Current sophomores and juniors who are majoring in data science, mathematics, statistics, or computer science are encouraged to apply. Undergraduate participants do not need to be based in the DC area in order to apply to the program. Per NSF requirements, participants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

Stipends and Housing

Teachers

For their participation in the summer program, teachers will be paid a $6,000 stipend and will receive $2,370 to cover transportation and meal expenses. After their participation in the remote fall experience, teachers will receive an additional $2,500 stipend for that work.

Undergraduates

For their participation in the summer program, undergraduates will be paid a $3,600 stipend, will receive on-campus housing, $1,000 to cover meal expenses, and up to $500 in travel reimbursement. After their participation in the remote fall experience, undergraduates will receive a $500 stipend for that work.

Application

A complete application includes

• Online application form on NSF ETAP.
• For undergraduates, unofficial undergraduate transcript, including Fall 2025 grades, to be uploaded in application form.

The application for this program is due on February 1, 2026 before 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.