At Carnegie Mellon University, the VIGRE program of the Department of Statistics will involve all trainees in supervised, cross-disciplinary research, where they will learn how to translate a research question into well-posed statistical problems, solve these problems, and translate the results back into a product that is accessible to the relevant scientific community. This skill is also central to learning basic statistics and forms a conceptual link between research and education, facilitating their integration. At the graduate level experience in the process includes a year-long project, typically with a faculty member in another domain, while a Statistics faculty member serves as advisor; provides a series of steps to improve communication skills and teaching effectiveness, and mentors in the area of professional growth. The graduate curriculum will be modified to make it more effective in building cross-disciplinary skills. Undergraduates will have several new courses available and will be involved in a capstone research project, and we will run a summer program, emphasizing minority students. Postdoctoral fellows will be involved in research projects, and will co-teach courses with senior faculty. They will also participate in structured mentoring sessions.
Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees will be integrated in research teams. The Carnegie Mellon VIGRE program in Statistics will (i) train postdoctoral fellows for careers emphasizing research in settings that require versatility, (ii) recruit and retain U.S. graduate students, avoiding excessive time to complete Ph.D.s while providing students with a high probability of success after graduation, and (iii) help increase the numbers of U.S. undergraduates, including women and minorities, with advanced training in statistical science. While maintaining a strong disciplinary foundation for statistical practice, the program emphasizes cross-disciplinary research and understanding the needs of statistical novices.
