WISCURDS offers hands-on research opportunities at UW–Madison open to all undergraduate students. This Data Science Institute (DSI) initiative connects students with faculty, industry, and community projects, providing students with a facilitated path to conduct data science research with partners across campus, throughout Wisconsin, and beyond. Student data scientists work in small teams (group track) or in one-on-one mentored settings (individual track) to create meaningful solutions to open-ended, applied, data-driven problems.
WISCURDS is just one way for undergraduates to get involved in research or creative practice. We encourage you to also explore other paths for undergraduate research at UW–Madison.
- Offering two tracks. A group project track involves teams of 4–5 undergraduate students who work together with one or more mentors and consultants. An individual project track involves pairing an undergraduate student with a faculty member. Both tracks offer students the opportunity to apply machine learning, data science, and/or artificial intelligence methods.
- Mentored + guided support. Staffed by Data Science Institute personnel, WISCURDS provides students with a structured path into data science research. This program also affords project sponsors an efficient opportunity to leverage the creative talents of students who can address important problems.
- Open to all majors. WISCURDS is especially relevant for students with coursework in data science, statistics, computer science, economics, sociology, engineering, and public health.
- Continuing a legacy of undergraduate research excellence. WISCURDS is modeled on WISCERS and Skunkworks, undergraduate research initiatives first fostered by University of Wisconsin faculty. The Data Science Institute Affiliates proposed WISCURDS as a campus-wide program to strengthen the work of these predecessor programs. In 2025, DSI launched the WISCURDS initiative.
Real experience. Real impact. WISCURDS offers opportunities for students in all majors to:
- Collaborate on real-world research and applied data projects with a manageable time commitment
- Strengthen technical and teamwork skills
- Showcase work to future employers, grad schools, and more
For consideration, the first step is to submit an interest form that will help us match you with a project based on the courses you’ve completed, the types of experiences you’ve had, and your specific interests.
Expand your research. Implement new methods in your work. Extend your impact.
WISCURDS simplifies the process of engaging bright, motivated students in data-driven work. With a manageable time commitment, faculty, industry, and community project proposers can:
- Propose open-ended problems or project goals
- Describe, scope, and better understand your project with help from data scientists
- Receive structured support from the WISCURDS facilitation team
- Gain fresh insight from interdisciplinary student teams
- Contribute to workforce development in data science
The best way to get started is to submit the project submission form, whether your idea is ready to go or still a work in progress. If your project does not yet feel fully formed, we can work with you to better define and understand it.