MRI: Acquisition of High-Resolution Visualization Instrumentation to Support Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Research and Education

许多复杂的问题不能从单个学科的范围内轻松解决，因为它们需要许多专家的参与，每个专家都从他们独特的学科角度看待问题，并围绕共享数据和知识进行合作。当跨学科的工作涉及大量不同类型的数据时，理解和分析数据的宝贵方法是数据可视化。德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（UTEP）正在获得高分辨率、协作可视化仪器，这些仪器将被安置在新建的跨学科研究大楼中。该仪器将成为UTEP在科学和工程领域的融合研究的重要资源，例如，通过美国国家科学基金会资助的CREST CyberShARE卓越中心和“通过机构整合的创新”计划。获得的仪器所影响的研究将有助于NSF在量子计算、数据革命、融合研究和包容性方面的十大理念。预期的结果是提高研究效率，这是由可视化的整合和操作以及多视角检查所提供的见解所产生的。因此，可视化仪器可以有助于提高我国在量子计算和数据分析方面的研究能力，以及与边境地区特别相关的领域，以及与大量服务不足人口地区相关的主题领域（例如，健康和环境，能源-水问题和边境安全），以及网络安全和国防等其他领域。该仪器还将在国家需要的领域提高学生研究人员的教育和培训，特别是占UTEP学生人数80%的拉丁裔学生。研究生和那些参与培训和相关课程的学生毕业时将具备解释、管理和可视化数据的专业知识；具有跨学科团队工作经验；以及使用最先进的可视化方法来推进发现和产生新知识的能力。PI盖茨领导着由美国国家科学基金会资助的拉美裔服务机构计算联盟（CAHSI），这是唯一一个专注于实现拉美裔在计算领域的平等代表的INCLUDES联盟。该联盟将有助于传播和使其他卫生保健机构参与教育和研究培训工作，并促进建立伙伴关系以建立研究能力。可视化仪器也将成为社区的重要资产，特别是那些受UTEP研究影响的社区，以及通过参与可视化活动来激励中学生和高中生学习STEM的推广工作。综合研究仪器由集成子系统和由超高清显示器组成的可视化墙组成，整体分辨率为1.24亿像素，可以以前所未有的细节水平查看数据，因此，将支持从各种类型的数据（结构化和非结构化，异构和不同质量水平的数据）中分析和发现新的见解。窗口子系统将允许研究人员输入和分析同时运行的多个数据集，并提供实时并排比较数据集的能力，而视频会议子系统将支持与远程利益相关者、政策制定者、其他学者和政治领导人的协作。该仪器将创建连接数据、计算和可视化的基础设施，以促进大学内部和外部的合作。特别是，基础设施将为研究人员提供交流信息和知识的不同观点的能力；分析大型综合数据集；操作现象的多维模型（例如，地质结构，分子和先进材料工程）；查看整体结合社会和自然系统组件的仿真模型；查看对可能精通技术也可能不精通技术的利益相关者有用和可用的数据和模型；支持有目的的参与性研究过程，促进研究人员和利益相关者之间的协作推理，使不同观点的融合成为可能。凭借UTEP在机器学习、语义技术、可视化、团队科学和数据分析方面的专业知识，研究人员将能够获得加速研究进展所需的技术和必要的培训。事实上，多样化的团队努力会产生更大的科学影响、创新、生产力和影响力，因为成员能够利用彼此的专业知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Many complex problems cannot be addressed easily from the confines of individual disciplines because they require participation of many experts, each viewing the problem from their distinctive disciplinary perspective, and collaborations around shared data and knowledge. When interdisciplinary efforts involve massive amounts of different types of data, an invaluable approach to understand and analyze data is data visualization. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is acquiring high resolution, collaborative visualization instrumentation that will be housed in the newly constructed Interdisciplinary Research Building. The instrumentation will be a vital resource for UTEP’s established efforts in convergence research across science and engineering, e.g., through the NSF-funded CREST CyberShARE Center of Excellence and “Innovation through Institutional Integration” initiative. The research impacted by the acquired instrumentation will contribute to NSF’s Big 10 ideas in quantum computing, data revolution, convergence research, and INCLUDES. The expected outcome is increased research productivity resulting from insights afforded by the integration and manipulation of visualizations and examination of multiple perspectives. As such, the visualization instrumentation can contribute to advancement of our nation’s research capabilities in quantum computing and data analytics, as well as areas that are particularly relevant to border regions and in topical areas relevant to a region with a large under-served population (e.g., health and the environment, energy-water issues, and border security), and other areas such as cybersecurity and national defense. The instrumentation will also elevate the education and training of student researchers, in particular Latinx students who comprise 80% of UTEP’s student population, in areas of national need. Research students and those involved in training and associated coursework will graduate with domain expertise and knowledge in interpreting, managing, and visualizing data; experience in working in interdisciplinary teams; and an ability to use state-of-the-art visualization methods to advance discovery and generate new knowledge. PI Gates directs the NSF-funded Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), the only INCLUDES Alliance focused on achieving parity in representation of Hispanics in computing. The Alliance will be instrumental in disseminating and involving other HSIs in education and research training efforts and facilitating partnerships to build research capacity. The visualization instrumentation also will be an important asset for the community, in particular those impacted by UTEP’s research, and for outreach efforts in exciting middle- and high-school students about studying STEM through engagement in visualization activities. The comprehensive research instrumentation is composed of integrated subsystems and a visualization wall composed of ultra-high-definition displays with an overall resolution of 124 megapixels that will enable viewing data at unprecedented levels of detail, and, as a result, will support analysis and discovery of new insights from various types of data (structured and unstructured, heterogeneous, and data with varying levels of quality). The windowing subsystem will allow researchers to input and analyze multiple datasets running simultaneously and provide the ability to compare datasets side-by-side in real time while a video conferencing subsystem will support collaboration with remote stakeholders, policymakers, other academics, and political leaders. The instrumentation will create the infrastructure that bridges data, computation, and visualization to grow collaborations across the university and externally. In particular, the infrastructure will provide researchers with the ability to communicate disparate perspectives of information and knowledge; analyze large, integrated data sets; manipulate multi-dimensional models of phenomena (e.g., geological structures, molecules, and advanced material engineering); view simulation models that holistically combine both social and natural system components; view data and models that are useful and usable by stakeholders who may or may not be technically savvy; and support a purposeful participatory research process that facilitates collaborative reasoning among researchers and stakeholders, enabling convergence from different perspectives. With UTEP’s expertise in machine learning, semantic technologies, visualization, team science, and data analytics, researchers will have access to technologies and the requisite training needed to accelerate advances in their research. Indeed, diverse team efforts result in greater scientific impact, innovation, productivity, and reach because of the ability of members to draw on each other’s expertise.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.