As a Data Discovery student researcher, you'll work on a team with a project mentor and use data to understand real-world problems. Through the Data Discovery course on Mondays from 3-5 p.m., you'll earn course credit for your work on the project and develop professional skills to support your progress.

Questions can be directed to cdss-datadiscovery@berkeley.edu.

Timeline

Exact program deadlines vary by semester. The program begins during the second week of classes and culminates with student presentations at a symposium during Reading, Review, and Recitation (RRR) week.

Spring 2026 Deadlines

  • Nov. 17, 2025 – DDMatch student application portal opens for profiles: Create or update a DDMatch profile. Profiles contain general information that will be included with every project application.
  • Dec. 15, 2025 – Projects posted: Begin browsing projects, responding to project-specific application questions, and applying to up to 10 projects.
  • Jan. 9, 2025 – Application deadline: Mentors will begin reaching out to students directly after Jan. 12.
  • Jan. 23, 2026 – Team formation: Decisions are expected by Jan. 23. Only one offer can be accepted.
  • Jan. 26, 2026 – First day of class: The first meeting of the Data Discovery course will be from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26.

Eligibility

  • Undergraduate students actively enrolled in any UC Berkeley program are eligible to participate.
  • Visiting or concurrent enrollment students are not eligible.
  • Master's students should confirm eligibility with their program. Students cannot participate if their program prohibits enrolling in the Data Discovery course. UC Berkeley Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) or Master of Engineering (MEng) students are generally not eligible.
  • International students on F-1 visas are eligible. If the project is hosted by an off-campus mentor, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) approval is required. 
  • Students can participate in a maximum of two projects during their time at Berkeley and can work on only one project at a time.

Requirements and commitments

  • Data Discovery includes participating in a three-unit course. This course meets in person on campus, Mondays from 3-5 p.m. You must be available for the entire duration of the course and time conflicts are not allowed.
  • The time commitment for Data Discovery is 9 hours a week. This includes two hours of class meetings, a weekly meeting with the project mentor, and time spent working on assigned project tasks. 
  • Most Data Discovery projects are team-based. Students meet regularly and collaborate with teammates.
  • Specific expectations for projects are set with the mentor during the first week of the program. All students are expected to uphold these project-specific commitments and maintain proactive communication with project mentors and teams.
  • Data Discovery participants present a scientific poster at a symposium during RRR week.

Application

Apply through the DDMatch application portal. See here for more information.

  • Step 1: Create a DDMatch account and complete general application information.
  • Step 2: Browse available projects. Complete short answer questions and apply to up to 10 projects.
  • Step 3: Mentors will contact students directly to schedule interviews.
  • Step 4: Successful applicants will receive project offers from mentors through DDMatch. Only one offer can be accepted.
  • Step 5: Students who have accepted an offer should join the waitlist for the Data Discovery course and will be enrolled by staff.