July 13 to July 23, 2026 | Chicago State University
We invite applicants from exceptional undergraduate, Masters, Ph.D. students students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty within 7 years of their Ph.D., who are able to attend the program in-person at Chicago State University. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and fields of study. About 25 participants will be invited. However, there are no restrictions based on citizenship, country of study, or country of employment.
The Summer Institute aims to bring together computational social scientists across all levels of technical experience. Participants with less experience with social science research will be expected to complete additional readings in advance of the Institute, and participants with less experience coding will be expected to complete SICSS boot camp. SICSS Chicago will be hosting 2 different summer institutes this year. SICSS Chicago - Chicago State University will be hosting a 2-week summer institute focused on foundational computational social science skills and interdisciplinary project development. In September, SICSS Chicago will host an advanced methods incubator at the University of Chicago. You can visit their specific SICSS webpage for more information. Applicants are welcome to apply to both sites of SICSS Chicago and may complete both institutes.
We evaluate applicants along a number of dimensions: 1) research and teaching in the area of computational social science 2) contributions to public goods, such as creating open source software, curating public datasets, and creating educational opportunities for others 3) likelihood to benefit from participation 4) likelihood to contribute to the educational experience of other participants 5) potential to spread computational social science to new intellectual communities and areas of research. Further, when making our evaluations, we attempt to account for an applicant’s career stage and previous educational opportunities.
Applicants must submit the following documents: 1) a curriculum vitae, 2) undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. students are asked to submit the contact information for one reference, 3) a statement (maximum two pages double-spaced) describing:
In order to be guaranteed full consideration, all application materials must be submitted by May 15, 2026. All application materials must be submitted via email to sicsschicago.csu@gmail.com. Applications that are not complete by the deadline may not receive full consideration. We will notify applicants solely through e-mail within one week of that deadline, and will ask participants to confirm their participation very soon thereafter.
Inquiries can be sent to sicsschicago.csu@gmail.com.
You can host a partner location of the Summer Institutes of Computational Social Science (SICSS) at your university, company, NGO, or government agency.