Advancing Research Frontiers with Platform for Data (Information) Science

Today, there are large amounts of valuable data locked in laboratories and in personal collections. Improper archiving and a lack of standardized curation means that the academic community may be missing out on great potential discoveries.

In this era of information, we have the technology to store, organize, and make data available to the community. Many individual labs are working towards this goal, but there is duplication of efforts in the development of digital tools. And there is a major gap, in various research fronts, in the ability to analyze big data. 

A proposal for the creation of a Scientific Data Center seeks to build an integrated program that will develop a community of researchers on campus using computational methods to study problems involving big data in genomics/biology, digital humanities, physics, sociology, and economics. 

The creation of a data management center would essentially produce a paradigm shift in the campus community’s approach to data archiving, retrieval and analysis, bringing researchers from all disciplines current in regard to the latest tools and methodology in computationally based research, including machine learning and artificial intelligence. This center would allow any researcher to explore, learn and incorporate all of these tools into their own research methodologies, greatly enhancing their research scope and productivity. 

Students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels would also benefit from the proposed center as it will create research projects and internships that are valuable training opportunities. 

Team