Maastricht University students and employees are invited to participate in a competition for innovative research proposals that aim at designing cutting-edge research using data science to tackle key problems of societal relevance. Please submit your proposal to info-ids@maastrichtuniversity.nl before Sunday 17 December 2017, 23.59 CEST. Proposals should be interdisciplinary and involve both students and staff members.
Winning proposals will establish multi-disciplinary teams that can innovate in multiple areas including infrastructure; data science; social, legal, ethical, economic and political issues, and sustainability and/or valorization. Applications should also target UM focal points, namely: “Europe and a Globalising World”, “Learning and Innovation” and “Quality of Life”. An award valued at €5000 (sponsored by SWOL) will be presented at the Data Science event on the afternoon of 25 January 2018.
The Data Science event on 25 January will be held in the Aula, and will also feature two keynote lectures, delivered by the recipients of the two honorary doctorates being awarded during the Dies Natalis, Lucy Suchman and Carol Goble.
Recent developments in the field of data science, and specifically those related to big data and digital technologies have had a profound effect on our lives, and were met with substantive societal changes, which define a new age in contemporary history: the big data age. Indeed, most issues deemed important to 21st century European and global citizens, including security and terrorism, civil liberties, open government, personalized medicine, digital education and others, are overwhelmingly affected by changes in the availability of unprecedented data and technology. This year’s Dies Natalis will be dedicated to digitalization and its effects on European and global societies.
