The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $75 million investment to establish five new Harnessing the Data Revolution Institutes. The institutes support convergence between science and engineering research communities, bringing together expertise in data science foundations, systems, applications and cyberinfrastructure. Together, they will enable breakthroughs through collaborative, co-designed programs to formulate innovative data-intensive approaches for addressing critical national challenges.
Caltech is a partner in one of the five institutes, the NSF Institute for Accelerated AI Algorithms for Data-Driven Discovery (A3D3), which aims to construct the knowledge essential for real-time applications of artificial intelligence in three fields of science: high-energy physics, systems neuroscience, and multi-messenger astrophysics. The institute is led by the University of Washington in collaboration with several other universities, including Caltech. Matthew Graham, research professor of astronomy at Caltech, will lead Caltech's effort in the project, focusing on multi-messenger astronomy.
"The Caltech focus will be on developing algorithms for commodity accelerators with the aim of low-latency real-time inferencing on astronomical alert streams, particularly on edge computing hardware. We want to use the same chips that are going into smart cars and smart fridges to identify stars exploding across the universe and the sources of gravitational waves," says Graham.
Read the full NSF story at https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/announcements/092821.jsp