Call for Lagrange applied research Scholarships

Call

The CRT Foundation, through the Lagrange Project, invites applications for research projects on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence applied to Social Impact and Sustainable Development. The projects are coordinated by the ISI Foundation, a private, non-profit research institute focusing on data science, complex systems and public health. The research supported by the Scholarships will take place in Turin, Italy, and projects will start between April 1st and May 15th, 2025, and will last one year.

The selected candidates will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic research environment, under the supervision of internationally recognized scientists, in collaboration with global agencies (e.g., UNICEF, WFP, etc.) and other social impact actors. They will gain research experience and hone data science skills, which will be valuable for both an academic career and in the industry. The topics may include, but are not limited to: sustainable development, population health, humanitarian response, socio-economic inequalities, migration, urban mobility, unemployment and poverty, the future of cities, and information trustworthiness. The methods used will span machine learning, statistical modeling, natural language processing (NLP) and network science, all applied to large-scale relevant datasets. Major areas of research include, but are not limited to:

1. Network science for urban mobility and migration using cellphone and social media data

2. Emergency mobility and resilience mapping

3. Computational and digital epidemiology; data-driven epidemic and pandemic modeling and infectious disease forecasting

4. AI/LLM for humanitarian response and disaster management

5. Data and ML biases for socioeconomic inequalities 

6. Exploring the societal impact of AI/LLM Models (model auditing, ethical implications, and policy considerations)

The Scholarships are aimed at candidates holding a Master’s degree (at the time of fellowship) in scientific-technical (STEM) disciplines including computer science, physics, mathematics, and statistics, or candidates with a social sciences background who have experience in data analysis. Candidates enrolled in a Ph.D. program on the start date of the Scholarship are not be eligible. See below for detailed requirements.

ISI Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by national laws.

Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in STEM disciplines including computer science, physics, mathematics, statistics or social sciences (completed by the start of the fellowship) with demonstrated computer programming skills. 

Preferred Skills: 

• Basic computer programming skills (Python is preferred, R, etc) – highly encouraged

• Basic Data Analysis (Data manipulation, elementary statistical modeling) – highly encouraged

• Experience with Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence

• Experience with Complex Systems Science and Network Science 

• English language fluency, spoken and at technical writing level – required

On the start date for the Scholarship, the selected candidates must be residents in a municipality of the Piedmont or Aosta Valley regions in Italy (ISI Foundation is located in Turin, Piedmont). Selected candidates from abroad will need to transfer your residency by the starting date of the Scholarship.

How to apply

Use the form below to submit your application by February 3rd, 2025.

Please include:

• Curriculum Vitae 

• Title and description of the Master’s Thesis 

• Cover letter, including the reasons for applying, relevant skills and experiences, and a preference ranking of research areas (as listed in the call) 

• Optional additional materials relevant to the application (e.g., thesis, post-degree specialization courses, job experiences, scholarships, etc.)

• Optional, but encouraged: a link to sample computer code written by the applicant (e.g., GitHub profile, etc.)

We will send an acknowledgment of the receipt of the application. Shortlisted applicants will be called to a brief interview.

The applicants will be assigned to specific projects at the beginning of the fellowship according to their initial preferences and skill match, as determined during the evaluation and interview process.

If you have any questions, contact us at lagrangecrt-segreteria@isi.it