BDSi call for proposals 2023

Sparking Data Science Innovation across BMS

December 1, 2023

BDSi invites BMS researchers to apply for projects requiring data science and machine learning or involving challenging data sets.

Purpose

This call for proposals aims to support data-driven research. The call supports and reflects BDSi’s strategy to advance the use of data science methods in BMS research.

Projects receive an in-kind investment rather than funding. This means that a dedicated team of data scientists from BDSi will work together with the applicants to simulate, retrieve, analyze and/or visualize the data. This call offers support for projects that can be seen as a pilot study or proof of concept for a larger project, with an aim to be later funded by other sources.

Application criteria

A proposal should:

• Make clear why data science is required to solve the stated research problem.
• Define clear work packages and tasks that will be executed by BDSi data scientists.
• Provide rationale for the number of data scientist hours being applied for.
• Include a clear strategy for future development and continuation (preparation for a larger grant)

To maximize the added value and impact for applicants, the technological needs and requirements of the project should match with the expertise and availability of BDSi. Broadly defined, BDSi’s areas of expertise include:

• AI: machine learning, image processing, text processing
• Analytics: big data analytics, text analysis, visualization, advanced statistics, time-series analysis
• Data processing: databases, real-time data analysis, linked data, data scraping, full data pipeline setup
• Computing: hardware accelerators (GPUs), high performance computing, cloud computing.

The decision on which proposals to support will be loosely based on these criteria;

• Innovativity, novelty, relevance
• Impact, importance, visibility
• Potential for followup
• Investment by applicant(s)

Who may apply?

Proposals can be submitted by BMS researchers. In case the proposal is submitted by an inter-disciplinary team, the principal investigator (PI) must belong to BMS faculty. The PI should satisfy the following requirements:

• Hold a doctorate degree.
• Have a contract at least for the duration of the project. In case the contract is for a shorter period, the proposal should be accompanied by a letter of intent signed by the department head.
• Ensure a minimal personal commitment to the project (dedicated hours)

What can you apply for?

The call makes available in-kind support by allocating the time of BDSi’s Data Scientists to the project. BDSi’s in-kind contribution is calculated in “person hours”. Note that there is a limit in hours BDSi can provide across all projects. BDSi’s aim is to incubate Data Science in BMS research and education, with a focus on developing new skills and capabilities.

You can not apply for tasks that;

• Can be done by the researcher alone or by student assistants
  We will not do your data entry or artifact coding, but we may be able to help you automate these tasks.

• Already exist and can be applied with minimal effort
  We will not help you read the manual for software that already exists, but we may be able to help adapt methods from another domain to your research

• Are too large, or take too long (for the Data Science grant)
  We do not have the (wo)manpower to take on large projects on our own, but we can cooperate with researchers to provide data science support. Please do get in touch, there may be other ways in which we can support you.

When to apply

The deadline for submission of full proposals is December 1st, 2023. We are available to help you with writing the proposal. Contacting us early for an open discussion on a draft proposal or idea ensures the goals and time estimate will be realistic.

How to apply

Applications can be sent to bdsi@utwente.nl, using the provided template.

Proposal Template

Selection procedure

Before or after submitting a proposal, you will be invited for short meeting with BDSi data scientists to discuss the project idea, and ensure it can be achieved within the scope of the Data Science grant.

Proposals that fit the scope and aims of the BDSi Data Science grant as outlined in the ‘Criteria — How to apply’ section will be considered. To maximize the impact of the grants BDSi will then make a selection based on proposals’ expected costs and benefits.

A decision on successful proposals can be expected mid-January, and will be communicated with applicants directly and through this website.

Contact

Contact bdsi@utwente.nl for more information about the grant. Contact our domain experts or your department representative for specific information, or other data science questions.