Building Data Science Capacity for Impactful Health Research at a Southwestern University

Project Description

The “Building Data Science Capacity for Impactful Health Research at a Southwestern University” supplement project aims to expand and sustain data science infrastructure and expertise at Northern Arizona University through the Southwest Health Engagement and Research Collaborative (SHERC). The initiative aligns with the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science and builds on SHERC’s success in strengthening health research capacity during the first seven years of its NIH-funded program.

Through SHERC’s previous efforts, NAU researchers gained access to large-scale biomedical datasets and research tools, including the NIH All of Us Research Program and STRIDES (Science and Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability). These efforts contributed to the university’s growing research profile and eventual R1 designation in 2025. However, university leaders identified a continuing need to strengthen institutional expertise and infrastructure specifically focused on data science.

To address this gap, the supplement project will increase NAU’s institutional data science capacity by hiring a dedicated data scientist with expertise in R, Python, and SQL who can support interdisciplinary health research teams. The project will also expand educational opportunities for faculty, students, and community partners through a new Data Science Skills Workshop series focused on using platforms such as STRIDES and SCHARE (Science Collaborative for Health and Artificial Intelligence Bias Reduction).

SHERC has already established several initiatives that demonstrate growing demand for data science training and support. Researchers have participated in workshops introducing the All of Us dataset and NIH-supported cloud computing infrastructure. The collaborative also secured external funding to train Interdisciplinary Health PhD students and undergraduate students in the use of All of Us data.

Additionally, SHERC developed short-course Digital Badge programs that integrate data science into health research areas such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The collaborative also created the Technical Assistance Group – Service Center (TAG-SC), which provides consultation in research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, biostatistics, and proposal development. Demand for TAG-SC support has increased significantly, with health-related requests growing by 200% within three years.

The long-term goal of the supplement is to strengthen the ability of NAU researchers to conduct impactful, data-driven health research that improves outcomes across populations and communities. The project also supports the university’s broader research growth and future plans for a new College of Medicine anticipated within the next decade.

Study name: Building Data Science Capacity for Impactful Health Research at a Southwestern University
Funding: This study was funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Supplement to SHERC (NIH U54MD012388).

About the Investigators

Julie Baldwin, PhD

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