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Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) at NSF

What is HDR?

NSF's Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) Big Idea is a national-scale activity to enable new modes of data-driven discovery that will address fundamental questions at the frontiers of science and engineering. HDR, a NSF-wide activity, is generating new knowledge and understanding, and accelerating discovery and innovation. The HDR vision is realized through an interrelated set of efforts in foundations of data science; data-intensive research in science and engineering; and education and workforce development.
In 2019, the HDR Big Idea launched three parallel efforts (tracks) in pursuit of these aims.

  • HDR: Transdisciplinary Research In Principles Of Data Science Phase I (HDR TRIPODS Phase I) aims to bring together the electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, and theoretical computer science communities to develop the theoretical foundations of data science through integrated research and training activities.
  • HDR: Data Science Corps (DSC) focuses on building capacity for HDR to help unleash the power of data in the service of science and society. The DSC provides practical experiences, teaches new skills, and offers learning opportunities, in a variety of settings, to data scientists and data science students.
  • HDR: Institutes for Data-Intensive Research in Science and Engineering (I-DIRSE) seeks to create an integrated fabric of interrelated institutes that can accelerate discovery and innovation in multiple areas of data-intensive science and engineering.

A portfolio of awards in each of these tracks (HDR TRIPODS Phase I, DSC, and I-DIRSE) has now formed the beginning of what will become a broad ecosystem for collaboration and synthesis. Interactions among researchers in all three HDR tracks will stimulate convergence among teams that share common scientific themes, and synergies among teams with different skillsets.
The success of the HDR ecosystem will depend on how effectively teams funded in the different investment areas can interface and leverage their distinct strengths and contributions to address challenging problems in science and engineering. To coordinate these efforts and amplify the impact of the HDR activities, a HDR Coordination activity, called HDR Central, is being funded under a separate 2020 program solicitation. The purpose of HDR Central will be to increase the impact of the HDR Big Idea by coordinating communication and resource sharing among all HDR projects, including sharing the HDR efforts with the public.

NSF Funding Opportunities

NSF’s investments in HDR span the four areas described above: