From June 1 to June 5, 2026 Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and College of Social Work and Criminal Justice jointly will host the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science, to be held in Boca Raton, FL. The purpose of the Summer Institute is to bring together graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty interested in computational social science. The Summer Institute is for both social scientists (broadly conceived) and data scientists (broadly conceived).
The instructional program will involve lectures, group problem sets, and participant-led research projects, with a special emphasis on causal inference. There will also be outside speakers who conduct computational social science research in a variety of settings, such as academia, industry, and government. Topics covered include causal inference with observational data, text analysis, network analysis, survey experiments, and machine learning. There will be ample opportunities for students to discuss their ideas and research with the organizers, other participants, and visiting speakers. Because we are committed to open and reproducible research, all materials created by faculty and students for the Summer Institute will be released open source.
Participation is restricted to advanced Ph.D. students, postdoctoral researchers, junior faculty, and industry researchers (within 5 years of their Ph.D). We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and fields of study, especially junior faculty from neighboring institutions near Boca Raton, FL. About 25-30 participants will be invited. It is expected that participants will attend the entire 5-day on-campus program and complete the remainder of their project from home following the institute.
Program Overview
This five-day intensive institute provides an interdisciplinary introduction to data science, statistics, and machine learning, with a particular focus on applications in healthcare and social services. The program is designed for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early-career scholars, and professionals who are interested in using computational and data-driven approaches to address complex social and health-related problems.
The institute combines theoretical lectures with hands-on programming sessions to help participants develop both conceptual understanding and practical skills. Morning lectures introduce key topics such as data science foundations, statistical reasoning, traditional machine learning models, and model interpretability. Afternoon sessions provide applied training using Python and R, allowing participants to implement analytical techniques on real-world datasets.
In addition to technical training, the program includes special topic sessions and collaborative project discussions that encourage interdisciplinary learning and the development of new research ideas. Participants will have opportunities to interact with faculty, guest speakers, and fellow participants during networking events throughout the week.
By the end of the program, participants will gain foundational skills in data science and machine learning, learn practical tools for analyzing complex data, and develop collaborative research ideas relevant to healthcare and social service systems.
The institute concludes with project discussions and a certificate distribution ceremony recognizing participants’ successful completion of the program.
Applications are to be submitted through the following Google Form by Friday, April 10, 2026 at 11:59pm. Please apply throgh this LINK