A CS research team at Stony Brook University recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant, will fund the research project, (BIG DATA):Big Data Modeling and Analysis with Depth and Scale, until July 2018.

The NSF-funded research focuses on understanding large volumes of data and phenomenon through models. The models will explain the data, and will  be able to adapt as new data becomes available. This project focuses on developing a programming language and system for the creation, evaluation and refinement of combined statistical and logical models for the purpose of understanding very large and complex data sets. Three important and complimentary research directions will be explored: 1) semantic foundations, 2) scalable inference techniques combining exact and approximate methods, and 3) programming extensions and static and dynamic analyses to support complex models. It will also demonstrate the pragmatism of integrated framework by developing complex models from big data.

Faculty member C.R. Ramakrishnan serves as the Principal Investigator and he will work closely with his colleagues and Co-Principal Investigators: I.V Ramakrishnan, Scott Smolka, Y. Annie Liu, Professors of Computer Science at Stony Brook, and Maureen O’Leary, Professor of Anatomical Sciences.

Each faculty member brings a unique perspective and varied research expertise to the team. C.R. Ramakrishnan’s focus areas include logic programming and formal methods. His work encompasses model checking and program analysis techniques related to computer security. I.V. Ramakrishnan's research interests include artificial intelligence, computational logic, and machine learning. In addition to model checking, Scott Smolka's research focus includes semantics of concurrency, CASE tools for safety-critical systems, and distributed languages and algorithms. Team member and fellow CS professor Annie Liu's research focuses on improving the efficiency of computations and facilitating the assurance of their correctness. Completing the research team is Maureen A. O'Leary whose research involving the evolution and systematics of mammals is often funded by NSF. 

"Combined this team of researchers is consistently awarded NSF funding to pursue their individual research objectives. This joint award is testament to the synergy of their work and their ability to effectively collaborate,'" says Arie Kaufman, Chair of the Department of Computer Science.  

For more information on the Department of Computer Science’s research awards, visit the department’s website.