Services

    Help Desk

    Description

    This is a drop-in service for technical consultations. It may be best suited for needs including but not limited to:

    • Experiment design 

    • Data analytics strategy

    • Data visualization

    • Generating preliminary results

    • Assistance in preparing or reviewing your Methods & Materials portion of manuscripts

    • Downloading and accessing common public databases, etc.

    Staff is available every weekday from 9 AM to 3 PM and can be reached in-person or virtually via Teams messaging.

    Access

    In-person consultation

    DSSR is located in the Harry S. Moss Clinical Science Building (J) on the 9th floor suite at the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics on UT Southwestern's South campus.
    Appointment request through an email is recommended.

    Virtual consultation

    Please send an email to DSSR-Help@UTSouthwestern.edu to set up a virtual meeting.

    Pricing & Terms

    • No cost for up to the first 8 hours.

    • Each user is limited to 5 tickets per year. Any additional tickets will be classified and charged under the Data Science On-Demand service.

    Data Science On-Demand

    Description

    This is an hourly billable service. It may be best suited for needs including but not limited to:

    • Assistance with concrete aspects of short-term projects with a well-defined scope of work

    • Initial data analysis 

    • Data visualization, etc.

    Access

    Please send an email to DSSR-Help@UTSouthwestern.edu to set up a meeting to discuss your project. If DSSR and you agree to start the service, you will be asked to submit a signed user agreement form.

    Pricing & Terms

    • $100/hour for SCCC members, $140/hour for non-SCCC.

    • Data computation time and storage costs are covered by DSSR during the service

    • The data and analysis will be maintained for up to 6 months after the service is complete.

    • User is responsible for long-term data storage.

    Data Science Collaboration

    Description

    This service mode is for long-term projects with a well-defined scope of work where a user would like to collaborate with a dedicated data scientist on specific aspects of their project.

    Access

    Please send an email to DSSR-Help@UTSouthwestern.edu to set up a meeting to discuss your project. If DSSR and you agree to start a collaboration. A signed user agreement will be required in advance to the collaboration start.

    Pricing & Terms

    • Commitment for a minimum of two months (renewable per need) is required.

    • The DSSR Director's and Manager's supervision hours along with those required for staff training are included.

    • User/PI will cover percent FTE of the DSSR staff directly working on the collaboration. SCCC leadership can mandate reduced FTE charge-back.
      Example: PI requests 20% FTE for 6 months: 110K x 20% FTE x 6 months = 11K

    • All data computation time and storage costs are included.

    • All data and analysis will be maintained for 6 months after collaboration is complete.

    • User/PI is responsible for long-term data storage.

    Fellowship

    Description

    This fellowship has been instituted as an avenue for SCCC members to receive formal ‘on-the-job’ training for learning and/or advancing data analytical skills. Fellows are partially embedded in the DSSR, which is housed in the open office suite of the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics. This will foster spontaneous, informal interactions with researchers and faculty who have a wide range of data science expertise. The DSSR will run a fellows group meeting where participants learn how to present and follow data science projects. The fellowship program will be an effective training component particularly for F- and K-awardees. The program requires an application process, during which scope of the project and preparedness of the fellow candidate will be determined.

    • Training support via direct access to DSSR Director/Manager.

    • In special cases, the fellowship can be extended to a BioHPC fellowship, which offers training on high-end computing aspects, such as preparation of open-source analytical pipelines.

    • Participation in the DSSR Fellows group meeting.

    • Desk and workstation at the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics for the duration of the Fellowship. This will allow them access to a collective of diverse computational talent within the department, in addition to DSSR computational experts.

    • Coverage of all HPC costs and software suites for the duration of the Fellowship.

    To apply, please email DSSR-Help@UTSouthwestern.edu, cc your mentor/PI, and title the email subject as DSSR fellowship.

    Terms

    • Fellowship award approvals remain at the DSSR Director’s discretion at all times.

    • Fellowship does not cover salary or fringe.

    • Only applicants aspiring to learn data science skills and to integrate them into their ongoing research projects and/or to fulfill proposed training on grants will be considered. Others wishing consultations, advice, or collaborations should utilize DSSR helpdesk, Data science on-demand, or Data science collaboration services, as appropriate.

    • Awardees will need to sign a contract with the DSSR Director. In case of students and trainees, their PI will be the designated signatory entity.

    • The contract defines scope and learning goals, and a realistic expectation for the average weekly work hours the fellow will spend with DSSR.