This article is published in the August 2021 issue.

Join Data Buddies Now to Start This Fall!

By: CERP StaffIn: /

The CRA Data Buddies Survey, an annual data collection initiative of the CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP), is actively recruiting new departments to join the project. Data collected via the Data Buddies Project provide useful insights into student attrition and retention, factors that support the successful matriculation into graduate school and research careers, and means by which the field can broaden participation from individuals who identify with groups considered underrepresented in computing (includes all women, persons with disabilities, and people who are Black, Hispanic, Native American/Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander).

Joining the Data Buddies Project is free and easy! In exchange for your participation, your department will receive a report that summarizes your students’ responses alongside a comparison group of students from similar institutions. Click here to see a sample report.

Once you join, there are just a few responsibilities for your department:

  • Dedicate a liaison who will be responsible for communications. There must be at least one person, but we actively encourage more faculty to participate.
  • Send 2-3 emails to students about the survey. Active recruitment is encouraged but not required.
  • Communicate periodically with the CERP team about contact information updates and the number of students who receive the survey.

Of note, CERP takes the lead for all IRB responsibilities, but in rare cases, a university IRB might request involvement from the department liaison.

Are you on our list of active Data Buddies? If not, sign up today! All institutions, regardless of CRA membership status, are welcome to join the project. Once you submit an interest form, CERP staff will confirm your submission and start the onboarding process.

If you have any questions about Data Buddies, check out CERP’s newly redesigned webpage that provides all that you need to know about the survey. You may also contact CERP at any time.

horizontal CERP logoThe Data Buddies Project is currently supported through National Science Foundation (NSF) awards CNS-1840724, CNS-2036717, DUE-1821136, sub-awards and contracts, and direct CRA contributions. Previous NSF awards that supported DBS include CNS-1246649 and DUE-1431112.

This post is brought to you by the CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). CERP provides social science research and comparative evaluation for the computing community. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.