A prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Accelerated Real Time Analytics (CARTA) Phase II award to the University of Miami will enhance the advanced real-time analytics research being conducted by the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC).
“Our goal is to solve problems of national significance together with our industry and agency partners,” said Yelena Yesha, PhD, IDSC director, Innovation; professor of computer science and radiology; and the Knight Foundation Endowed Chair of Data Science and AI. “This award from the National Science Foundation continues our University’s leadership in translational research to help organizations with longer-term, more complex analytic needs.”
The five-year CARTA Phase II program will be led by Rutgers University, with partners from the University of Miami; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Arizona State University, with Tel Aviv University in Israel as an international collaborator. It is a continuation of the CARTA Phase I program, which was led by Yesha as founding director.
Real time analytics is the leading edge of a smart data revolution, driven by advances in Internet-connected sensor hardware and accelerated artificial intelligence/machine learning analysis, Yesha said, adding that these technologies address many national issues.
“In the second phase, Miami CARTA has several focuses, including digital health, cyber-physical systems, and large-scale simulations like digital twins,” said Miami site director Mitsunori Ogihara, PhD, IDSC director, Education and Workforce Development; professor of computer science; director, Master of Science in Data Science. “It requires more support from industrial and government members, and so we will be engaging prospects.” Ogihara and Yesha will serve as Co-Directors for Miami CARTA Phase II and Co-PIs on the award.
IDSC’s initial collaborative projects include “Ethical and Secure Medical Analytics,” with David R. Chapman, PhD, associate professor of computer science and the Knight Foundation Junior Chair of Data Science, as project lead; and “A Machine Learning-based OSSE, [Observing System Simulation Experiments]” with IDSC deputy director Ben Kirtman, professor of atmospheric science at the Rosenstiel School and the William R Middelthon III Endowed Chair of Earth Sciences. NASA OSSE models to test different designs of satellite systems used for weather and climate observations.
IDSC research conducted through CARTA II will be “content neutral,” meaning that the basic techniques can be applied across multiple industry sectors, including cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, and business intelligence. “We will disseminate the results of our research widely by publishing them in appropriate journals and conferences,” Yesha said. “We will also share our findings with other institutions that want to duplicate this industry-oriented translational approach.”
Yesha says CARTA II program will also prepare the University’s student community for the many professions requiring real-time analytics. “We will also use our MS in Data Science program, directed by Dr. Ogihara, by creating internship opportunities for our students,” she added. “Businesses in South Florida and across the country will also benefit from having access to a larger pool of highly skilled workers.”
Looking ahead, Ogihara said, “Our University has an excellent team of experts addressing the research in these areas, and we hope to grow this important initiative with our CARTA partners over the next five years.”
Story by Richard Westlund
