With our ever increasing ability to collect and archive data, the need for tools and models that can help analyze and understand this data is ever-present and pressing. Typical data analysis goes through the following three stages, which are iterative and intricately connected to each other: data collection; discovery of patterns; decisions based on the discovered patterns. This ability is at the core of modern adaptive systems, artificial intelligence, and intelligent decision support systems. We are building a center of excellence in data science research that will be at the forefront of research and discovery on all three aspects of data science, namely Data, Discovery, and Decisions (D³).

D³ provides a platform for collaboration between industry and academia in the emerging field of data science. The structure of D³ is modeled after the National Science Foundation's Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers. Industry partners will provide input on current industry research needs through participation in research panels, data sharing, and other types of collaboration. We will work together to identify emerging challenges in data science and develop the common templates and tools needed to address them.