UNICEF and Bloomberg Announce Data Science Researcher-in-Residence Program

Originally posted on Bloomberg.com.

We are a data-driven company, and we apply data science everyday to help our customers achieve the best possible business results. But we also believe data and data science can be applied in other impactful ways. That is why we are thrilled to announce a collaboration with  UNICEF to establish a  researcher-in-residence position at UNICEF that will seek to expand the impact data science can have on global children’s initiatives.

“As the data landscape changes and more sources of information and analytical methods become available, we need to realize their potential for solving the toughest challenges facing children around the world,” said Manuel Garcia-Herranz, Lead Research Scientist at UNICEF’s Innovation Unit.

Recognizing the importance of data, UNICEF has, over the past 25 years, helped catalyze a drastic increase in the availability of data on children’s issues. A core part of UNICEF’S work has consistently been to gather and analyse data on children everywhere, especially those most difficult to reach, so that every last child is counted and considered. However, inequities in access and use of data reinforce gaps across countries, sectors and industries, and prevent informed decision-making and programming for children.

“UNICEF is undoubtedly the perfect partner for this program,” said Gideon Mann, Head of Data Science at Bloomberg. “This collaborative opportunity to apply data science to UNICEF’s work will not only help expand the impact of their efforts, but ultimately enhance their capacity to change children’s lives for the better.”

UNICEF and Bloomberg are looking for qualified candidates to fill the role of researcher-in-residence to work on a unique project involving data science and children’s humanitarian programs. Based in New York at UNICEF Headquarters, the researcher-in-residence will work along with UNICEF’s Data, Research and Policy and Innovation Unit teams, in collaboration with Bloomberg LP, for a period of 6-12 months.

The researcher-in-residence, supported by Bloomberg, will help leverage knowledge transfer and capacity building on Data Science for humanitarian development at a global level while helping to design new data science methods or applying existing methods to help solve pressing problems that face large humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF.

Candidates interested in applying for this role can download and submit an application from http://www.bloomberg.com/company/d4gx/#unicef, where they can also find additional information on eligibility requirements. Deadline for applications is 21 August 2015.

Proposals will be evaluated by a joint board composed by UNICEF, Bloomberg and an expert advisory group on Data Science Research. The board will select a set of top candidates by 14 Setpember 2015. These top candidates will be invited to present at the Data for Good Exchange taking place on 28 September 2015.