Collaborative research: the charlotte data science corps - cross-institutional flexible pathways and immersive community capacity building

Johnson C. Smith University, Incorporated, received a $228,272 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program (CFDA 47.070) effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028. This collaborative research initiative, executed in partnership with UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College, delivers a Data Steward program that places students from three regional institutions in real-world data science projects with small nonprofit and community-based organizations across the greater Charlotte region. The program creates flexible and affordable educational pathways into the data science field while applying data-driven approaches to address community challenges in sectors including health and human services, economic mobility, and community development.

The project generates dual-focused outputs: hands-on, immersive learning experiences for students through meaningful engagement with actual data science problems facing grassroots organizations, and direct capacity-building support for partner nonprofits requiring data expertise. By combining community-based learning with structured workforce development, the initiative addresses the national need to expand data science capacity and participation among underrepresented student populations while simultaneously providing critical data science services to underserved community organizations in the Charlotte region.

Abstract

The charlotte data science corps (charlotte-DSC) project aims to expand regional and national data science capacity and education while bringing data science expertise to small community-serving organizations in the greater charlotte region. By forming student cohorts from three local institutions – UNC charlotte, johnson c. Smith university, and central piedmont community college – this initiative will bring data science knowledge and skills to communities through hands-on collaborations with grassroots nonprofit and community-based organizations. These students will apply data-driven approaches to help local organizations make informed decisions that support economic mobility, public health, and community development. In turn, charlotte-DSC will build a robust regional data science workforce by creating flexible and affordable pathways into the field for students from a variety of backgrounds. This project promotes the progress of science, enhances education and economic opportunity, and serves the national interest by increasing participation and capacity in data science – an increasingly vital domain for prosperity and societal wellbeing. The charlotte data science corps is a dual-focus initiative addressing community-based learning and flexible, affordable pathways to data science education. Through a partnership among two 4-year universities and a community college, the project will design and implement a data steward program that places students in real-world data projects with small nonprofit organizations in the greater charlotte region. This hands-on, immersive model will offer students meaningful experience in applying data science to real challenges in sectors such as health and human services, while also providing partner organizations with much-needed data capacity. In parallel, the project will develop and enhance stackable and flexible academic pathways across the three institutions to support entry, transition, and completion of data science programs. Over the award period, charlotte-DSC plans to support 54 undergraduate students with stipends and mentoring, while conducting outreach to approximately 150 high school and college students per year. The project will contribute to local and regional economic growth by empowering both students and community organizations with modern data skills and tools. This project is supported by the data science corps program, which supports data science education and training to build a strong national data science infrastructure and workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.