From August 10 to August 21, 2026 the Cyber Policy Center and Social Media Lab will host a Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at Stanford University (SICSS-Stanford). The purpose of the Summer Institute is to bring together graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and others interested in computational social science. The Summer Institute is for both social scientists (broadly conceived) and data scientists (broadly conceived).
SICSS-Stanford 2026 will focus on the study of online environments, with a focus on AI systems as both a topic of research and a research tool. The instructional program will involve lectures, group activities, guest speakers, and participant-led research projects. Our guest speakers will include computational social scientists from a variety of settings, such as academia, industry, and government, as well as experts on policy and law to help bridge the gaps between research, policy, and practice. Our schedule will cover our focal topics and the broader components of conducting CSS research, including data collection, research design, network science, and privacy and ethics. 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 generally restricted to Ph.D. students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty (within 7 years of their Ph.D), but we will also consider applications from data journalists and other researchers. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and fields of study, especially those from neighboring institutions near Stanford, and those with limited experience in computational methods. About 25-30 participants will be invited. Participants are expected to fully attend and participate in the entire 10-day program, but we are open to alternative arrangements for faculty members.
Instructions on how to apply are available on the Apply page, and applications are due on April 26, 2026.