Who We Are
We are a team of students and faculty at the D3 (Data, Discovery, Decision) Lab within the Statistics and Data Sciences Department at UT Austin. Our mission is to use data-driven research to accelerate scientific discovery and create innovative solutions that address pressing societal challenges from healthcare to urban settings. At D3 Lab, we specialize in cutting-edge AI methodologies and tools that analyze complex data, extract meaningful insights, and drive evidence-based decision-making. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we transform research into real-world applications that create lasting impact. We are committed to inspiring and training the next generation of data-driven researchers, and equipping them with the essential skills needed to address some of today's most critical challenges.
As part of this mission, we are launching a student-led initiative to build an open-access, scalable experimentation platform—a transformative tool designed to bring large-scale experimentation in academia to the next level.
What We’re Fundraising For
In today’s world, large corporations leverage vast datasets and automation to refine their products through continuous large-scale experimentation. Streaming platforms, social media companies, and e-commerce giants optimize their services using insights gathered from millions of users. However, academia lacks the same infrastructure, making it difficult for researchers to run high-powered studies that generate robust, generalizable insights.
We believe that scientific discovery should not be limited by access to technology. This project will bring academia into the future by developing an open-access, scalable experimentation platform—one that makes large-scale research faster, more accessible, and more impactful.
Your donation directly supports undergraduate students who will take the lead in designing, developing, and launching this platform. With funding, students will receive fellowships that allow them to dedicate their time and expertise to building a tool that will empower researchers across disciplines.
Each Data Science Impact Fellow will receive an $8,000 fellowship, enabling them to contribute to this project during the academic year or summer. Our goal is to fund at least five student fellows in the upcoming year.
Beyond student fellowships, additional funding will support:
- Cloud computing resources for large-scale experiments
- Platform development with a focus on security, scalability, and accessibility
- Faculty mentorship to guide students in building a national resource
Your Impact
Your support will directly shape the future of research and student careers:
- Empower students with hands-on experience in data science, software engineering, and research leadership
- Expand opportunities for academic researchers to conduct large-scale, high-impact studies
- Fund a transformative tool that has the potential to become a national resource, transforming fields like psychology, human-AI teaming, education, and public policy.
With your support, this platform will:
- Automate participant recruitment and task assignment
- Offer scalable tools for experimental design
- Enable secure data collection and seamless analytics integration
- Provide open access to researchers across institutions
Empowering Students to Lead the Change
This initiative is driven by students, giving undergraduates an unparalleled opportunity to take leadership roles in a project with national impact. By working on this platform, students gain real-world experience in software engineering, experimental design, and data science, while helping to solve a major challenge in academia.
Your donation helps students:
💡 Design and build a state-of-the-art research platform
🚀 Collaborate with faculty mentors to tackle real-world research challenges
🔬 Gain career-defining experience, preparing them for graduate school, industry, and beyond
By investing in students today, we are equipping the next generation of innovators with the skills and tools to transform research for years to come.
Long-Term Vision: A Lasting Impact on Research and Innovation
This project goes beyond building a tool; it lays the groundwork for long-term, sustainable research innovation. With your support, this initiative has the potential to:
🌍 Become a national resource for universities and research institutions
📊 Expand access to large-scale, high-quality experimentation in academia
🎓 Train the next generation of leaders in data science, technology, and research
By making large-scale studies possible, we accelerate scientific discovery—bringing data-driven insights to fields like psychology, education, public health, and AI ethics.
Our Undergraduate Achievements
Tu-Quyen Dao (Biochemistry) leads an international collaborative project on AI and Healthcare; she has presented her work at several local and national conferences and symposiums.
Prachi Ingle's (CS) work was selected as a finalist for the Stanford AI Audit Challenge in 2023.
Prachi Ingle (CS) and Anjie Liu (SDS) are selected for the prestigious Junior Fellows program at UT-Austin.
Vineet Burugu (SDS) is leading a collaborative project with the city of Austin.
