Data Science Fellowship (Applications Closed)

Are you a data scientist looking to further your career and tackle some of the most complex challenges cities, towns and rural places are currently facing?

We are looking for Data Science Fellowships candidates that are interested in using data science to develop advanced mathematical models that could solve a variety of place-related problems. Some examples include but are not limited to:

• Predicting areas of deprivation or gentrification
• Optimisation of capital to improve road maintenance and public satisfaction
• Modelling people mobility patterns to improve local transport services for pockets of society that may currently be excluded from activities

We are currently running a fellowship programme with a number of local authorities and have several open positions for a 3-month placement.

The role of the fellow

As a fellow, you will be supported by the Data and Demonstrators team at Connected Places Catapult.

The Data and Demonstrators team is a multidisciplinary group of software engineers, data scientists, researchers and technologists. We work together to innovate in response to challenges that arise in urban and rural places.

We are here to explore, identify unaddressed problems and stimulate opportunity for innovation. We lower barriers and promote scalable solutions for wide-scale adoption of data led decision making and innovative technologies across the public and private sectors.

We will support fellows to scope, specify and deliver an advanced mathematical solution to a particular place-based challenge.

As a fellow, you could be expected to be involved specifically in the development of:

• A predictive model
• A tool to model future scenarios
• A mechanism to introduce potential interventions
• A way of predicting and understanding the potential impacts of those interventions, including understanding how the model can influence decision-making in the organisation

We will work with you to ensure solutions remain flexible, taking into account future uncertainties and new factors or data sets that become available. Part of the fellowship will involve the investigation and selection of an appropriate methodology based on the availability of data, previous work, and desired output.

The sponsoring local authority will provide resources to support the fellow, timely access to data and a paid salary of between £8,000 to £10,000 to cover the 12-week fellowship depending on location.

Candidate requirements

• You have an MSc degree or PhD in data science, statistics, operations research or any other relevant scientific or applied mathematical subject.
• You have experience programming and interacting with data in a language like Python, R or matlab.
• You have a passion for creating social impact with the work you do.
• You’d like to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, technologists, designers, software engineers, and researchers.
• We don’t expect you to excel at everything, let us know what you’re good at and what you’d like to learn.
• Candidates must have legal rights to work in the United Kingdom throughout the project.

Applications

Apply by sending your CV and a short cover letter stating your location and if you would be willing to travel to Essex, Haringey, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire locations datafellowships@cp.catapult.org.uk by 7 February 2020.

If you are a local authority and interested in discussing your own place-based challenges and how a fellowship could support, please email louise.fildes@cp.catapult.org.uk

Data Science Fellowships

More information about Data Science Fellowships programme.

Application Download

If you would like a downloadable version of the application form for the Data Science Fellowship, use the link below.