National Science Foundation Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs: Accelerating the Big Data Innovation Ecosystem
In March 2012, the National Science Foundation announced the National Big Data Research and Development Initiative, which aims to solve some of the Nation’s most pressing R&D challenges related to extracting knowledge and insights from large, complex collections of digital data. As part of the initiative, federal agencies, private industry, academia, state and local governments, non-profits, and foundations develop and participate in Big Data research and infrastructure development; education and workforce development; and multi-disciplinary collaborative teams and communities that address complex science and engineering grand challenges.
To augment ongoing activities and to ignite new Big Data public-private partnerships across the Nation, a National Network of Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs (BD Hubs) was established. Four Hubs were created across distinct geographic regions of the United States, representing the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Each Hub is a consortium of members that focus on key Big Data challenges and opportunities for its region of service with an aim to support the breadth of interested local stakeholders that would not be possible for the independent members to achieve alone.
The University of Nebraska with interests in Big Data relevant to agriculture and natural resources, physics, earth and atmospheric sciences, and data sciences and its stakeholders are faced with the challenge of using Big Data to increase agricultural production. This challenge involves Big Data of several types including imaging (remote sensing, plant phenotyping), cellular/genomic (high throughput sequencing), and autogenic (real time sensing and data collection).
“The large amounts of available data and their complexity require that regional partners agree on standards for data sharing, data access, and data stewardship, and provide shared resources and educational opportunities to the community,” explains Computational Sciences Director, Dr. Jennifer Clarke, who helps lead the Midwest regional hub.
As a land-grant university in the Midwest region, UNL has a long history of extension and outreach, including partnerships with other institutions, for both education and research. In addition to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Midwest Hub is an alliance between institutions such as the University of Illinois, UIUC/NCSA, the University of North Dakota, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Kansas University, the University of Michigan, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati. Other regional partners include Nebraska Innovation Campus, Food Innovation Center, Greenhouse Innovation Center, Dougherty Water for Food Institute, ConAgra Foods, LiCor, Nebraska Public Power District and Quantified Ag.