Big Data and Government R&D – Turning Overload into Information

In March 2012, the Obama Administration launched the “Big Data Research and Development Initiative” to capitalize on the fast-growing volume of data in today’s world. By investing over $200 million in research and development, federal agencies hoped to extract more information and better analysis to make smarter decisions that drive growth and efficiency. As a refresher, the goals of the initiative are to:

• Advance state-of-the-art core technologies needed to collect, store, manage, analyze, and share huge quantities of data.
• Harness these technologies to accelerate the pace of discovery in science and engineering
• Expand the workforce needed to develop and use big data technologies.

This initiative, along with others over the last few years, prove that big data is not a passing fad or buzzword. In fact, it represents a real way for government organizations to drive efficiencies like never before. Coupled with analytics, big data can pinpoint waste, prioritize resources, and help you provide better service to citizens. Moreover, it can benefit all sectors, from health care to public safety. Many agencies are embracing and investing in big data, such as DoD and HHS, and are already seeing the benefits. However, there are still a lot of unknowns and plenty of organizations struggle with developing a big data strategy.

To provide you with an in-depth understanding of Federal agency strategy and plans, the status of key big data initiatives, and the latest tools and technologies being developed, TTC is sponsoring the Big Data Research and Development Conference. This two day event will feature government and industry experts discussing lessons learned from the private sector, how to leverage analytics, common challenges and pitfalls to avoid, and what the future holds for big data in government. Specifically, experts from DHS, NASA, DoD and DoT will share their approach to big data initiatives and how their agencies are using big data to transform services. It’s all about turning large amounts of data (information overload) to consumable and actionable information.

The Big Data Research and Development Conference is taking place March 5-6 in Washington, D.C. This is a great opportunity to hear from experts that are leading the charge on big data research and development across the Federal Government. Keynote sessions include Dr. Sasi K. Pillay Chief Technology Officer, NASA, Dr. Sastry Pantula, Director, Mathematical Sciences, NSF, and Mr. Michael Simcock, Chief Data Architect, DHS. You can learn more about the event, see the full agenda and list of speakers, and register here.