Data Science Institute

We aim to set the global standard for a truly interdisciplinary approach to contemporary data-driven research challenges. Established in 2015, the Data Science Institute (DSI) has over 300 members and has raised £50 million in research grants.

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About us

We are working to create a world-class Data Science Institute at Lancaster (DSI@Lancaster) that sets the global standard for a truly interdisciplinary approach to contemporary data-driven research challenges. DSI@Lancaster aims to have an internationally recognised and distinctive strength in being able to provide an end-to-end interdisciplinary research capability - from infrastructure and fundamentals through to globally relevant problem domains and the social, legal and ethical issues raised by the use of Data Science.

The Institute is initially focusing on the fundamentals of Data Science including security and privacy together with cross-cutting theme areas consisting of environment, resilience and sustainability;health and ageing, data and society and creating a world-leading institute with over 300 affiliated academics, researchers, and students.

Our data science, health data science and business analytics programmes have launched the careers of hundreds of data professionals over the last 10 years. Students from our programmes have progressed to data science roles at Amazon, PWC, Ernst & Young, Hawaiian Airlines, eBay, Zurich Insurance, the Co-operative Group, N Brown, the NHS and many others - please look at our Education pages for further details of the courses on offer.

Latest News

Join Our New Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Group at the Data Science Institute! 

Are you passionate about promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in data science and AI? Do you want to help create a more inclusive and equitable environment at the Data Science Institute (DSI)? We’re launching a new ED&I group to address these vital issues—and we’d love for you to be a part of it.

Research by the Alan Turing Institute has highlighted the under-representation of women in data science and AI as a significant barrier to innovation and a contributor to biased outcomes. Their research indicates that women make up only 22% of AI and data science professionals in the UK, compared to 26% globally. This gender disparity can hinder innovation and lead to biased outcomes in these rapidly growing fields. As data science and AI continue to shape our world, it is essential to build an inclusive community where all voices contribute to the ethical, responsible, and impactful development of these technologies.

Our new ED&I group aims to address these challenges by:

  • Raising awareness of gender and diversity issues within data science and AI
  • Developing new funding opportunities to support ED&I within DSI.
  • Organising events, discussions, and initiatives inspired by the Turing Institute’s work to promote equitable representation

If you are interested in getting involved then please email dsi@lancaster.ac.uk to express your interest in joining this group.

Environment Away Day - Monday 16 December

We are holding a 1-day symposium for the DSI Environment Theme at Forest Hills (with free food & mince pies!) as DSI moves into its 10 years.

Please sign up with the and let Julia Carradus know (j.carradus1@lancaster.ac.uk) if you have any dietary and access needs.

The aims are to:

  • Increase awareness about what we are all doing
  • Identify potential synergies and future collaborators
  • Initiate the sparkle of shiny new ideas
  • Have a fun day learning about data science

An important opener for the symposium is for participants to advertise to others (1) what they are interested in, (2) the data-led barriers that currently limit their research, and (3) the solutions/support they can provide to others. To do this in the fastest and most inclusive way, we would like each person to deliver a 2 minute (with max. 3 PowerPoint slides) advert that covers these three points.

There will also be an opportunity to present posters to share a deeper dive into your research. You are welcome to reuse posters that were created for other conferences. The afternoon will be more interactive, with activities will be confirmed closer to the time.

Coral Reef

Research Themes

Data Science at Lancaster was founded in 2015 on Lancaster’s historic research strengths in Computer Science, Statistics and Operational Research. The environment is further enriched by a broad community of data-driven researchers in a variety of other disciplines including the environmental sciences, health and medicine, sociology and the creative arts.

  • Foundations

    Foundations research sits at the interface of methods and application: with an aim to develop novel methodology inspired by the real-world challenge. These could be studies about the transportation of people, goods & services, energy consumption and the impact of changes to global weather patterns.

  • Health

    The Health theme has a wide scope. Current areas of strength include spatial and spatiotemporal methods in global public health, design and analysis of clinical trials, epidemic forecasting and demographic modelling, health informatics and genetics.

  • Society

    Data Science has brought new approaches to understanding long-standing social problems concerning energy use, climate change, crime, migration, the knowledge economy, ecologies of media, design and communication in everyday life, or the distribution of wealth in financialised economies.

  • Environment

    The focus of the environment theme has been to seek methodological innovations that can transform our understanding and management of the natural environment. Data Science will help us understand how the environment has evolved to its current state and how it might change in the future.

  • Data Engineering

    The Data Engineering theme aims to explore how we can utilise digital technologies to accelerate and enhance our research processes across the University.

Research Software Engineering

Within the Data Science Institute, our aim is to improve the reproducibility and replicability of research by improving the reusability, sustainability and quality of research software developed across the University. We are currently funded by the N8CIR, and work closely with our partner institutions across N8 Research.

Research Software Engineering

Upcoming Events

11th Dec

Research Code Clinic

Wednesday 11 December 2024, 12:00pm to 5:00pm
11th Dec

Statistics Seminar: Dr Tom Rainforth (remote)

Wednesday 11 December 2024, 1:00pm to 2:00pm

More Events

Pupil using the portable MicroCode

Making micro:bit programming portable

A new coding tool will help make it easier for children to portably programme a popular educational micro-computer on the fly.
Data Immersion Suite at 泡芙短视频

University-led ?4.9 million initiative to turbocharge North West England’s cyber ambitions

A major new project will fuel the potential of the North West cyber sector to keep the UK at the forefront of cutting-edge cyber security. 
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Join Our New Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Group at the Data Science Institute!?

Are you passionate about promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in data science and AI? Do you want to help create a more inclusive and equitable environment at the Data Science Institute (DSI)? We’re launching a new ED&I group to address these vital issues—and we’d love for you to be a part of it. 
map of the UK

泡芙短视频 programme will provide 30 doctoral students with training in next-gen computing skills with an environmental focus

泡芙短视频 researchers are co-leading a new initiative to train the next generation of Earth and environmental scientists to harness the power of exascale computing. 
The audience at Research Culture Day as Professor Malcolm Joyce delivers his talk

Evolving research culture at Lancaster

The direction of travel for research at Lancaster was set at the University’s first Research Culture Day. The event welcomed the new Academic Director Research Culture Professor Stijn Mertens to his role, and featured the launch of a new action plan, as well as talks and activities.

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