MDI is Hiring: Summer 2025 MDI Scholars
We are pleased to announce a call for applications for the Summer 2025 cohort of the MDI Scholars Program. For full consideration, the application deadline is Friday, April 4, 2025 at 11:59pm Eastern. We anticipate it will take approximately up to 1 hour to complete this application.
About the Program
The MDI Scholars Program is an experiential learning opportunity for Georgetown students to work on interdisciplinary research projects with professors and practitioners. These projects connect new forms of data and/or large-scale computing infrastructure to different public policy questions.
Description
The Summer 2025 Cohort will work with researchers and practitioners to help advance knowledge on areas including forced migration, civil justice, misinformation, education, politics and polarization, health analytics, AI, and other fields. MDI Scholars will not only gain valuable research skills, but they will also engage in research that will help shape future research at the intersection of public policy, data science, and other disciplines. Students will be expected to document their research in an MDI Research Poster as part of the Summer Research Showcase, as well as a public-facing featured research post (approximately 1 page) for the MDI website.
Our program is very broad with faculty researching a wide range of topics, and specific projects are not known until the interview process. Research tasks will vary from project to project, but may include:
- literature review
- data collection
- data cleaning
- descriptive analysis
- predictive modeling
- visual analytics
- storytelling
- algorithm design
- data ethics
- data visualization
To learn more about MDI and the MDI Scholars program, please visit: https://mdi.georgetown.edu/mdi-scholars/
Eligibility
The Summer 2025 MDI Scholar Program is available to enrolled Georgetown University students. The Program provides motivated Georgetown students across disciplines the opportunity to engage in scholarly research. Coursework and/or previous research experience in computer science, data science, statistics, public policy and/or computational linguistics is preferred, but we encourage students of all majors to apply. Students should have a demonstrated interest and knowledge of working with large-scale data analysis and its implications in society.
Graduate Students: should have attended Georgetown University for at least 1 semester.
Undergraduate Students: should have attended Georgetown University for at least 1 academic year.
Hiring Procedures and Criteria
Instead of a cover letter, please answer a few questions and share more information through the online application on Google Forms. The online application contains a series of questions about your interests; background experience in data science, policy and programming; the experiences you are interested in. You are applying to be a research student as part of a cohort. There are multiple openings for the same position. Please provide information to the best of your ability.
PLEASE NOTE
** New MDI Scholars (Georgetown undergraduate & graduate students who have never been an MDI Scholar) OR Previous MDI Scholars (Georgetown undergraduate & graduate students from a cohort prior to Spring 2025):
1) Submit a formal application through GMS / Workday:
2) Complete the Google Form application
** Current MDI Scholars ONLY (Spring 2025 cohort undergraduate & graduate students)
Only complete the Google Form application. Do not apply on GMS / Workday.
Job Requirements
During the summer, MDI Scholars are expected to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, up to 40 hours per week, depending on the project. In addition, MDI Scholars are required to attend a kick-off meeting and the MDI Scholars Summer Showcase.
Rate of Pay
Students will be paid hourly; the expected compensation is $18/ hour for undergraduates and the GAGE GSA rate, $22.66/ hour for Master’s Students.
Mode of Work
Hybrid. MDI has two office locations on Main Campus and 125 E Street NW.
Program Timeline
Application Deadline: We will accept applications beginning Friday, February 21st, 2025. For full consideration, please submit your application by Friday, April 4, 2025. We will accept applications after April 4th until April 22, 2025 at 11:59pm EST or until all the positions are filled.
- Interviews: Starting week of April 7, 2025
- Initial Notification of selected MDI Scholars: April 14, 2025
- Second Notification of selected MDI Scholars: April 28th, 2025
- Position Start Date: May 27, 2025 and June 9th, 2025, depending on project
- Position termination: August 15, 2025 with the possibility of extension to the Fall
About MDI
At Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, the Massive Data Institute (MDI) is an interdisciplinary research institute that connects experts across computer science, data science, public health, public policy, and social science to tackle societal scale issues and impact public policy in a way that improves people’s lives through responsible evidence-based research. For more information on MDI and the MDI Scholars program, please visit: https://mdi.georgetown.edu/mdi-scholars/
EEO Statement
The Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.