UW–Madison’s Data Science Institute, powered by American Family Insurance, is committed to advancing discovery that benefits society through cutting-edge research and cross-disciplinary collaboration. In keeping with the Wisconsin Idea, we partner with researchers, industry, and communities to solve problems and create value for science, business, and society. We work at the cutting edge of technology including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, spurring fundamental advancements and their applications in agriculture, medicine, engineering, education, business, and other fields.
Our research strategy is informed by the observation that the unique challenges found in real-world problems often inspire foundational advances in data science. By partnering with groups around campus, DSI simultaneously supports the research mission of the university and advances the forefront of data science through use-inspired research. Our growing research portfolio highlights our collaborations across campus and the world.
A key part of DSI’s mission is to translate research from theory to practice. Developing high-quality tools is an essential part of that process. Our team of data scientists and software engineers works closely with researchers to craft tools that enable real-world impact. We also offer tools to navigate our distributed campus, where it can be challenging to find what you are looking for or understand the campus’s activities holistically. These include our Data Science @ UW Community Map, Faculty Search Tool, and RABBIT (Research and Business-Bridging Intelligence Tool), an AI-powered faculty discovery tool that is available to all UW–Madison faculty and staff, and WARF employees, with a NetID.
DSI is playing an important role in RISE-AI, which is part of the Wisconsin RISE Initiative. This campus initiative is designed to address challenges of importance to Wisconsin and the world, and artificial intelligence is a focus area. DSI will directly support the research of RISE-AI faculty by providing data science and software engineering support for new hires and broader campus efforts. Additionally, DSI leadership in campus AI activity includes co-hosting the AI for Science, SILO, and Machine Learning for Medical Imaging seminar series, and events including MadPrompts – the first generative AI prompt battle in the US.
The UW–Madison Open Source Program Office (OSPO), based at DSI, is accelerating the translation of academic research to society by providing opportunities to learn about, develop, and share open-source software, data, models, and more. OSPO interns from UW–Madison and Madison College learn crucial skills through working with a faculty, industry, or community mentor. We are excited to co-host the inaugural UW–Madison Open Awards with OSPO and the Libraries at this year’s Research Bazaar. DSI established OSPO with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Each year, the Research Bazaar strengthens and grows the data science community at UW–Madison. DSI has supported this event since its inception in 2020, and we are looking forward to this year’s Bazaar!