Empowering next-gen leaders in behavioral analysis

The DeepLabCut AI Residency Program is for under-represented groups in machine learning and computer science.

In the past years, DeepLabCut has become the leading popular software for animal behavior via pose estimation. We provide state-of-the-art code to users, plus our goal has also been to democratize AI-based behavioral analysis in life sciences, with the goal of making rapid and reproducible tools that allows for more quantitative insights and aids translational efforts to cure diseases.

“Yet, it is widely known that open source is predominantly created and maintained by a narrowly defined demographic. Open source maintainers are overwhelmingly cisgender white men, and this pattern carries over to most open source projects widely used in science.” - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)

We want this to change.

With the generous support of the CZI DEI Program, we are establishing a DeepLabCut AI Residency Program. Residents will come to the labs of the lead developers, Mackenzie Mathis and Alexander Mathis during the summer term, at EPFL in Switzerland.

Five interns will be selected exclusively from groups underrepresented in computer science: such as women, those with non-traditional backgrounds, and those that represent our users: diverse ages (career stages), gender identity, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and from different nationalities we will strive to attract to this project.

The goal of this AI Residency will be to empower users to modify code, develop new add-ons, and become leaders within the DeepLabCut consortium.

We are extremely grateful for CZI funding for 2022 and 2023, and are dedicated to continuing the program in 2024 with the support of the Kandel Prize in Neuroscience to Profs Mackenzie and Alexander Mathis, and hopefully other funders (stay tuned!).

Applications open October 15th, and closes Dec 1st, 2023.

We can’t wait to meet you!