Led by Ben Kirtman and Ken Goodman, this is an information session for the IDSC CALL FOR PROPOSALS for the "Expanding the Use of Collaborative Data Science at UM" Grants Program.

Here are the details. Bring your questions to this online session . . .

This program is designed to increase the use of data science to foster breakthroughs in disciplinary pursuits making the research team more competitive for external funding. Applications are required to include at least one data scientist (from IDSC) and one researcher from a specific discipline. Typically, the disciplinary researcher initiates and leads the project. The awards include $20K discretionary funds[1] that can be applied to salary and travel, and 1M Service Units (SUs) to be used for advanced computing. It is anticipated that up to 5 awards will be made.

For the 2022-23 academic year, IDSC remain interested in proposals that address issues in:

Computer ethics and data science Diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice

Other topics and issues are also welcome. Pre-submission inquires are encouraged.

In terms of this grant opportunity, data science is defined as utilizing state-of-the-art approaches such as Machine Learning (ML) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable scientific discovery that is data driven. Simply, proposing to analyze large data sets with traditional techniques (e.g., linear regression) is not responsive to this opportunity. Proposals that use ML/AI to develop new understanding are strongly encouraged.

The application process includes two steps and a final report presented as an IDSC seminar.

Step 1:  The disciplinary researcher provides a one-page letter of intent to IDSC outlining the discipline-specific research and where data science fits in. Based on the letter of intent, the IDSC review team will identify an IDSC data scientist for the collaboration, if the research team has not already identified an IDSC partner. Deadline: 5:00 PM, Friday, September 23, 2022. Submit Letter Here.

Step 2: [UPON INVITATION] The research team (including the IDSC data scientist) will prepare a two-page proposal that outlines the research and the data science plan. The proposal should also include a short discussion of potential external funding mechanisms that the proposed work can use to enhance the competitive position of the research team and a budget plan on how the funds will be utilized. The research team will have one month from the letter of intent to submit the two-page proposal.  Deadline: 5:00PM, Friday, November 18, 2022. Submit Proposal Here.

Reporting

Upon completion of the project, the research team will be required to give an oral presentation describing the research and results as part of the IDSC seminar series. Scheduling of the oral presentation will be coordinated by IDSC.

Review Process

The applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee to determine feasibility, relevance to IDSC programs, and in terms of how the proposed research will put the team in a more competitive position for external funding.

Important Information and Deadlines

• Information session led by Ben Kirtman and Ken Goodman: Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 5:00-5:30 PM (THIS SESSION)
• Step 1 – Letters of Intent:  Due by 5:00 PM, Friday, September 23, 2022
• Invitation to submit full proposal (Step 2) with identification of an IDSC data scientist partner (if applicable): Friday, October 7, 2022.
• Step 2 – Two-page Proposal: Due by 5:00 PM, Friday, November 18, 2022
• Notice of Award:  On or before Friday, December 16, 2022
• Project performance period:  January 1-December 31, 2023
• Service Units (SU) expire January 31, 2024
• Oral Presentation of Results: Spring 2024

[1] Discretionary funds can be used for salary and travel only. Equipment or supplies purchases are not allowed.