Career Development Network

Welcome!

The Academic Data Science Alliance's Career Development Network (CDN) is an interdisciplinary community of data practitioners and educators advancing best practices in the dynamic field of data science.

The CDN cultivates meaningful connections between early-career data practitioners and educators by providing an inclusive space where members can engage in peer-to-peer learning through the sharing of experiences, resources, and expertise.

Join the CDN!

Why join the CDN?

CONNECTIONS: We are an interdisciplinary community of collaborative practitioners and educators who are advancing academic data science
RESOURCES: We promote skill-sharing to enable members to stay up-to-date with rapid developments in methods, tools, software, and pedagogy
MENTORING: We cultivate mentoring relationships between members to support career development
FUNDING: We form interdisciplinary teams to jointly pursue competitive funding for research and connect existing research teams to available funding opportunities

CDN Member Directory

Meet some of our members and to connect by browsing through our CDN Member Directory.

Interested in becoming a CDN Member?

Membership is FREE

Join Now

Featured Events

View All Events

ADSA Career Development Network

Pracademic Data Science Career Panel

Oct. 19, 2023 from 12-1pm PDT / 3-4pm EDT

How to leverage your professional experience when applying for faculty positions

View All Events

Quick Links

FAQs

Does it cost money to join?

No, the CDN is free to join.

Who should join the CDN?

Members of the CDN are primarily early-career practitioners and educators who are employed by academic and academic-adjacent institutions. CDN members participate in scholarly research, teaching, training, and/or outreach.

Who is considered early-career?

Anyone who is in the early stages of their career such as graduate students, pre-tenure faculty, and folks who are 5 years post-degree (BA/BS, MA/MS, etc).

Is the CDN only for people in academia?

No. We welcome folks who specialize in a data-intensive field in any industry. However, our programming and resources tend to have an academic focus.

"Data Scientist" isn't in my job title. Can I still join?

Yes! The CDN welcomes anyone who works within a data-intensive field or wants to advance data science.

I'm an undergraduate student. Should I join the CDN?

The CDN is mostly tailored to graduate students, pre-tenure professors, and folks with some professional experience. However, undergrads with a passion for building data science communities are welcome to join. Undergrads are also highly encouraged to join our #student slack channel to discover and share resources and learn about opportunities that are exclusively geared toward students.

Can I join the CDN if I am not a member of ADSA?

Yes! You are not required to be a member of ADSA to join the CDN, although we highly encourage everyone to become a member. Membership fees for students and postdocs are discounted. You can learn more about becoming a member of ADSA here.

Will I automatically become a member of the Academic Data Science Alliance (ADSA) by joining the CDN?

No, you must sign up separately and pay a fee to become a member of ADSA. Membership fees for students and postdocs are discounted. You can learn more about becoming a member of ADSA here.

What's expected of CDN members?

CDN members are encouraged to share resources, in addition to their technical expertise and personal experiences on Slack and in ADSA’s community blog. Members also have the opportunity to mentor and shape the focus of CDN programs by taking on leadership roles like joining the CDN Steering Committee.

How can I support the CDN without joining?

Some ways to support the CDN without joining include serving as a panelist in one of our career panels, serving as a mentor, and collaborating on research and tools with our members. You can also share job opportunities and events here.

What if I'm no longer early-career?

You're welcome to remain a member of the CDN. The CDN relies on people beyond the early-career stage to share skills, facilitate connections, and serve as mentors. Note that you may find that ADSA can better serve your needs by joining our Data Science Leadership community.

What if I want to leave the CDN?

No problem. You can leave the CDN at any time by emailing info@academicdatascience.org with the subject line "Opt out of CDN" or "Opt out of CDN Directory." We will remove you within 5 business days.