Apply

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at the University of Pennsylvania (SICSS-Penn) in 2026! The information below provides details about the eligibility criteria, application process and frequently asked questions.

Eligibility

Participation is restricted to Ph.D. students, post-doctoral researchers, and untenured faculty within 7 years of their Ph.D.

There is no restriction based on citizenship, country of study, country of employment, or technical background. Participants with less experience with social science research are expected to complete additional readings in advance of the program, and participants with less experience with coding are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Python.

SICSS-Penn especially encourages application from groups currently underrepresented in computational social science.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted through the Google Form linked below and include the following documents:

1. An academic CV.
2. A statement of interest of up to 2 pages long.

We evaluate applicants along a number of dimensions:

1. Research and teaching experience 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 personally and professionally from participation.
4. 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.

In order to be guaranteed full consideration, all application materials must be submitted via this Google Form by Friday, March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. Applications that are not complete by the deadline may not receive full consideration.

Please consider checking the “Send me a copy of my responses” button at the bottom of the form to keep a record and receipt of your submission.

About 25–30 applicants will be selected for participation. We will notify all applicants of the results solely through e-mail by the end of March, from the address sicss.penn@gmail.com. Afterwards, we will ask participants to confirm their participation.

All inquiries can be sent to sicss.penn@gmail.com. Please check your spam folder if you do not see a response by the end of March.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply to more than one Summer Institute location?

Yes, but not at the same time. For example, you can apply to SICSS-Penn, and then if you are not accepted you can apply to one of the other locations if it has a later deadline. However, you cannot have an applications under review at two locations simultaneously.

Can I participate in SICSS-Penn if I have already participated in SICSS at another location?

Unfortunately, no. Every year we have more applicants than we can accept, and we would like everyone to have a chance to participate in SICSS once before we allow folks to participate twice.

What are the costs associated with attending SICSS-Penn?

SICSS-Penn is offered free of charge to all invited participants. This includes all instructional materials and lunches throughout the program. However, participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.