BIDS Research Affiliate and LBNL Senior Scientist Deb Agarwal has been appointed interim director of Berkeley Lab’s new Scientific Data (SciData) Division, which was launched in October 2021 as part of the Computing Sciences Area. The new division’s main focus areas include machine learning, data infrastructure, security and privacy, software engineering and sustainability, and science partnerships. Researchers in the new division collaborate actively with domain experts in all areas of scientific computing and energy technologies – ranging from biology and materials science to fundamental physics and climate science – to foster breakthrough discoveries through the application of novel data science methods, technologies, and infrastructures.
“Data science has been emerging as its own discipline and our research in this area has been evolving to meet the challenges in data science,” said Agarwal. “This moment is an opportunity for us to recognize and elevate our active and robust research program and put it in a position to anticipate where the field of data science is heading in five to ten years and make a coherent case for DOE to invest in those areas.” Also as part of the new data science division, Agarwal envisions a more consistent, formalized process for data science collaboration at Berkeley Lab, in order to establish a more durable infrastructure that facilitates the implementation of effective, reusable methods and software across various scientific areas.
The new SciData Division welcomes new collaborations with BIDS and the UC Berkeley community. Please contact group-email@lbl.gov with inquiries or proposals for collaboration.
Read more: Berkeley Lab CS Reorganization Brings Data Science to the Forefront
August 16, 2021 | Linda Vu | Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences News
