IDIES Summer Student Fellowship program

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Students are invited to submit their proposals detailing their project ideas, goals and timeline for the fellowship 10-week period. Prior to proposal submission, students should meet and consult with their chosen faculty mentor to review the proposed project and to request their letter of recommendation and confirmation of their willingness to support the project, if awarded.

Research is not restricted to work within the student’s major area of study. Projects from students with faculty mentors in different departments and schools are supported and encouraged.

Proposals should have a data-intensive computing focus, and:

• Relate to the IDIES Mission: To enhance the JHU mission of “Knowledge for the World” by providing intellectual leadership in data driven science: research and education in adaptive technologies; technical and domain expert guidance via collaboration and consultation; open and sustainable long-term access to high-value datasets
• Encompass the potential to advance knowledge
• Challenge and seek to shift current research/practice by utilizing novel concepts, approaches or methodologies
• Benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes

Proposal research topics can include, but are not limited to:

• Foundational data science, the development, evolution, or implementation of data science methods.
• Application of data science to one or more fields in the physical, life, or social sciences, engineering, arts, or humanities.
• The study of the impact of data on society and its institutions.

Eligibility

• Eligible applicants are JHU undergraduate students, who will complete their undergraduate studies no earlier than December 2025.
• Participants cannot enroll in summer courses.
• All summer student fellowship applicants must be sponsored by an IDIES member.

Award Amounts

The total award amount for each fellowship will be $6,000. Awards will be allocated in full to the student awardee stipend.

Obligations of Award Recipients

Award recipients will be expected to:

• Complete projects within the determined 10-week period. No-cost extensions will not be offered.
• Student award recipients will be expected to present a poster and participate in poster madness at the IDIES annual symposium (October 2025)
• Submit a report to the IDIES executive committee no more than 30 days following the end date of your project for publication in the IDIES Annual Review.

Proposal Format

1. Title Page – Include proposal title, student and faculty mentor name, their departments and e-mail addresses.
   • Project start and end dates – The project must have a duration of 10 weeks total; however, this can be planned at any time between June 1 and August 31 to accommodate any summer travel of the student or faculty mentor.
2. Narrative – Not to exceed 3 pages. Must include the following:
   • Statement of the Problem or Area of Investigation
   • Project Goals and Objectives – Include the research objectives and/or specific questions to be addressed during the summer.
   • Description of how this proposed research connects with data science.
   • Description of how participation in the IDIES summer research fellowship fits with your short-term or long-term goals.
3. Curriculum Vitae (student)
4. Faculty letter of recommendation and confirmation of willingness to support the student and project.
5. Unofficial copy of student applicant transcripts
6. Proposal Document properties
   • Single PDF
   • Font Size – Font size for all proposal documents should be:
     • Minimum 10-pt: Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype (Microsoft), Helvetica or Palatino (Macintosh)
     • Minimum 11-pt: Times New Roman

Deadline

Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, January 31, 2025.

Please email your completed application as a single PDF document to idies-grants@lists.jh.edu or use one of the Apply buttons to send your materials with your email client. 

This call is supported by a partnership that includes funding from the following Johns Hopkins divisions: 

• Whiting School of Engineering
• Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
• School of Medicine
• Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Sheridan Libraries
• Carey Business School

*This button will pre-populate an email with a subject line and “idies-grants@lists.jh.edu” as the recipient. If you do not wish to use your default email client, proposals may also be sent directly to idies-grants@lists.jh.edu. If you do not receive confirmation of your submission within 24 hours, please contact kstevens@jhu.edu. 

Please contact idies-grants@lists.jh.edu if you experience technical difficulties completing your submission or need any further clarification regarding the requirements.