Causal Inference and Causal Data Science Summerschool
Dates: July 7 - 11 2025
Pre-course preparation
- please have a look at the setup-document here before the first day and make sure you have a working R installation with the required packages
- required math background: a minimal understanding of probability will be assumed; see the slides here: html, pdf and video-lecture (13 minutes total)
Course objectives
Learn causal inference and causal data science!
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Schedule
Day 1: Intro & Potential Outcomes
| time | activity | content | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:30 | Lecture | Causal Inference: What, Why, and How | |
| 09:30 - 10:45 | Lecture | Intro to Potential Outcomes I | |
| 11:00 - 12:15 | Practical | Causal assumptions | html |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | LUNCH | ||
| 13:15 - 14:00 | Lecture | Intro to Potential Outcomes II | |
| 14:15 - 15:00 | Lecture | Adjustment Methods I: Stratification, Matching and Propensity Scores | |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | Practical | Adjustment Methods I | html |
| Practical | Bonus Exercises | html |
Day 2: DAGs and SCMs
| time | activity | content | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Lecture | Intro to DAGs I | |
| 09:45 - 10:45 | Lecture | Intro to DAGs II | |
| 11:00 - 12:30 | practical | Drawing and Using DAGs I | |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | LUNCH | ||
| 13:15 - 14:00 | Lecture | Structural Causal Models | |
| 14:15 - 15:00 | Lecture | Adjustment Methods II: Regression and Outcome Adjustment | |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | practical | SCMs and meta-learners |
Day 3: Target Trial Emulation
| time | activity | content | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Lecture | Intro to Trials and Target Trials I | |
| 10:00 - 10:45 | Lecture | Target Trials Emulation I | |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | practical | Target Trials in Practice I | |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | LUNCH | ||
| 13:15 - 14:15 | Lecture | Target Trials Emulation II | |
| 14:30 - 15:00 | Lecture | Target Trials Emulation III | |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | practical | Target Trials in practice II |
Day 4: Causal Data Science
| time | activity | content | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Lecture | Causal Structure Learning I | |
| 10:00 - 10:45 | Lecture | Causal Structure Learning II | |
| 11:00 - 12:30 | practical | Causal Structure Learning | |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | LUNCH | ||
| 13:15 - 14:15 | Lecture | Causal Perspectives on Prediction Modeling I | |
| 14:30 - 15:00 | Lecture | Causal Perspectives on Prediction Modeling II | |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | practical | Causal Perspectives on Prediction Modeling |
Day 5: Advanced Topics in Causal Inference
| time | activity | content | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 10:45 | Lecture | Mediation, Instrumental Variables and DAGs in Longitudinal settings | |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Group Work | Design your own causal research project | |
| 12:00 - 12:30 | LUNCH | ||
| 12:30 - 13:30 | Group Work | Discuss causal research projects | |
| 13:30 - 13:30 | Lecture | Discussion, Q&A |
Instructors
- Oisín Ryan (coordinator)
- Bas Penning-de Vries
- Wouter van Amsterdam
Links
- Course home on utrechtsummerschool.nl
- Github repository for the materials of this course https://github.com/vanAmsterdam/causal-data-science-summerschool
License & disclaimer
All course materials are licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
These course materials were developed with great care. If you find any inaccuracies please contact us.