NIH Call for Information on Methods for 'Big Data' in Biomedical Research

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has just issued a call for information on software tools and analysis methods as part of their Big Data to Knowledge Initiative. Specifically, the call solicits input on needs for software and analysis methods related to data compression/reduction, data visualization, data provenance, and data wrangling for biomedical research. The closing data for responses is September 6th 2013.

Background

Biomedical research is becoming more data-intensive as researchers are generating and using increasingly large, complex, and diverse datasets. This era of 'Big Data' in biomedical research taxes the ability of many researchers to release, locate, analyze, and interact with these data and associated software due to the lack of tools, accessibility, and training. In response to these new challenges in biomedical research, and in response to the recommendations of the Data and Informatics Working Group (DIWG) of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (http://acd.od.nih.gov/diwg.htm), NIH has launched the trans-NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative (www.bd2k.nih.gov).

The long-term goal of the NIH BD2K Initiative is to support advances in data science, other quantitative sciences, policy, and training that are needed for the effective use of Big Data in biomedical research. (The term "biomedical" is used here in the broadest sense to include biological, biomedical, behavioral, social, environmental, and clinical studies that relate to understanding health and disease).

Details can be found here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-HG-13-014.html

 

 

IInforming Voluntary Sector Research: How can official statistics be improved?

Tuesday 15th January 2013
5pm, at the Royal Statistical Society (12 Errol Street, London, EC1Y 8LX)
Tea/coffee available from 4.30

The voluntary sector already plays a significant part in our society and the sector is being asked to play a greater role in public service delivery, such as education, justice and health. To do its job well, the voluntary sector needs statistics: to help it frame the subject it is addressing; to use in bids for resources; to help allocate resources, monitor performance and assess impact. Many larger voluntary sector organisations produce their own statistics, but they and others also rely on statistics from government. This event provides the opportunity for researchers and statisticians to feed into discussions about the adequacy of current statistics and engagement between the voluntary sector and government statisticians, and to hear about the Community Life Survey and recent research into the knowledge and skills of the voluntary sector, in terms of handling data analysis, risk and evaluation.

•             Representatives of voluntary sector users and official statistics producers will discuss the adequacy of current statistics and engagement between the voluntary sector and producers of official statistics, and ideas for improvement. To be followed by audience discussion / Q&A.

•             Update on progress with the Community Life survey - Rebecca Wyton, Office for Civil Society.

•             Data Capacity in the Voluntary Sector - David Walker, Getstats Director, RSS.

Attendance is free and open to all, but pre-registration is recommended. To register for the meeting, please email events@rss.org.uk.  For a map and directions, see www.rss.org.uk/findus. For further information, contact Jouni Kuha at j.kuha@lse.ac.uk.