The 2024 New England Computing & Data Science Rising Stars program at Boston University is aimed at supporting doctoral students and postdocs from particularly underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds who will be entering the academic job market within 1-2 years. The scholars we are seeking will be from the computing and data sciences, engineering, or math disciplines and are emerging public-interest technology scholars interested in pursuing academic careers.

This program is being launched in April 2024 and hosted by Boston University’s Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences in collaboration with BU’s Department of Math and Statistics, College of Engineering, Department of Computer Sciences, and members of the Public Interest Technology Network of New England (PIT-NE). It will culminate with an in-person workshop at Boston University in the Fall of 2024.

In addition to highlighting young academic professionals and their research and fostering an interdisciplinary community, this workshop will prepare emerging scholars for the academic job search process and how to succeed as a junior faculty member. It will allow emerging scholars to gain exposure for their research, gain knowledge and practice that will assist their job search process, and build lasting connections with peers and academic leaders in the field of public interest technology from across the country.

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Eligibility and Selection Criteria:

• Applicants must be emerging scholars in computer science, computer engineering, math, statistics, and data science from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, particularly including Black, Latinx, and Indigenous doctoral students and postdocs who have obtained a Ph.D. no earlier than 2022.
• Applicants must be interested in pursuing an academic career in the short term in computing and data sciences, engineering, or math, with research interests in public interest technology topics.
• A committee will select up to ten applicants for participation in the program based on their application, with specific attention to their personal statements of interest and published scholarship.
• Preference will be given to applicants who are focused on public-interest technology issues and who have not secured a faculty position.

Call for Nominations and Applications:

We are seeking nominations and applicants for the Rising Stars program and workshop. Please nominate a candidate here. If you are a candidate, you can apply here.

Program Benefits:

• Workshop participation at Boston University with travel costs covered by the program.
• Depending on funding, some chosen candidates might also be sponsored to join the PIT-UN 2024 Convening.
• Mentoring and skills development relevant to the academic job search process.
• Networking with senior faculty and peers.

Benefits of Being a Rising Star:

• Workshop participation at Boston University with travel costs covered by the program.
• Mentoring and skills development that are relevant to the academic job search process.
• A 6-month BU email account and access to a vast library of professional resources.
• Gaining exposure to your research and other work.
• Networking with senior faculty and peers.
• One follow-up meeting with a faculty mentor.
• Two follow-up cohort meetings in early 2025 (January and April).
• Depending on funding, some chosen candidates might also be sponsored to join the PIT-UN 2024 Convening.

If you have any questions about the opportunity, please contact the organizers at risingstars@bu.edu.

Committee and Mentors

The following individuals are members of the 2024 New England Computing & Data Science Rising Stars program:

2024 Timeline:

• Call launch: April 16th, 2024.
• Nominations deadline: June 30, 2024.
• Application deadline: July 15, 2024.
• Committee's decision communication: August 30th, 2024.
• Workshop at Boston University: October 2024.
• Mentorship and cohort meet-ups - January to April 2025.

Submit an application  Nominate a colleague