Data Science Initiative
The goal of the UW–Madison’s Data Science Initiative is to stimulate and support two-year grants for data sciences research and to stimulate development of new research relevant to data science including new tools for applying data to complex problems. In addition, by providing seed funding for data science projects at UW–Madison, the initiative is expected to position UW–Madison faculty to be more competitive when applying for federal and other extramural funding for their research.
In 2018, 10 projects were selected with an average award amount of $222,000. These projects were selected from 54 proposals submitted from across the UW–Madison campus. The Data Science Initiative is funded by the Chancellor’s Office, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (VCRGE), Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the Graduate School.
The projects were first reviewed by faculty from across the university, ultimately involving 49 reviewers. A data science committee of seven faculty appointed by the VCRGE next met to evaluate the merits of each project based on the faculty reviews and the project’s potential for making significant contributions. Funded projects include 32 UW–Madison faculty and academic staff investigators from six schools and colleges.
