1. Big Data Challenge Workshop: Methodologies and Analytics The Big Data Challenges Series follows the Speed Updating: Big Data event that took place on 29 January 2014. The series is a collaboration between Exeter’s newly formed Data Science Network and The Exeter Initiative for Statistics and its Applications (ExIStA). Aims: The workshop aims to promote interdisciplinary research collaborations and grant proposals. Programme: 14:00Introduction and welcome Professor Richard Everson, Professor of Machine Learning 14:10Social network analysis of online discussion about climate change Dr Hywel Williams, Lecturer in Systems Ecology 14.55Big data in uncertainty quantification for complex physical systems Dr Daniel Williamson, Lecturer in Mathematics 15.05Big Data Impostor (from Up On the Hill) Professor Jonathan Githens-Mazer, Associate Professor in Ethno-Politics 15.15Panel question time led by Professor Richard Everson with tea, coffee and cake 15:50Closing summary with funding opportunities and information on upcoming events Professor Richard Everson and RKT team

2. Introduction: The UK Context Big Data has been identified as a national priority and one of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 8 Great Technologies UK government is investing £189m in Big Data and energy-efficient computing through RCUK The government is creating a £40million world-class research institute specialising in data science dedicated to British WW2 code-breaker Alan Turing. The Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that the big data marketplace could benefit the UK economy by £216 billion and create 58,000 new jobs in the UK before 2017. Furthermore, a recent report from Deloitte estimates that the direct value of public sector information alone to the UK economy is around £1.8 billion per year, with wider social and economic benefits bringing this up to around £6.8 billion.Centre for Economics and Business Research This week is Big Data Week – a global platform of interconnected community events focusing on the social, political, technological impacts of Data. See http://bigdataweek.com/

3. Introduction: The Exeter Context Cross-college Big Data steering group formed to identify Exeter’s niche, drive activities and stimulate debate. This group has initiated this series of workshops. Opportunities to cross-fertilise expertise and data is huge Potential to create a unique interdisciplinary offer at Exeter Several key partners have a strong interest in this area (e.g. IBM, Met Office)

4. Future events Next Big Data Challenge Workshop: Disparate Data Sets: Confirmed speakers Prof. William Henley (UEMS) and Prof. Zoran Kapelan (CEMPS) 30 th June, 2-4pm Future workshops will include (dates : Visualisation, infrastructure and storage (July), Business intelligence,(October), Ethics, culture and society (November) Other Internal Events: Tagore and After: the prospect for large textual databases Speaker: Prof. Sukanta Chaudhuri (Jadavpur/Oxford), 12 th May; 4pm; LT7, Queen’s Building, East Wing Connecting Big Data in Environment and Human Health 26 th June, 9.45am—5pm, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, UEMS, Truro, Cornwall (UK). Please contact Ms Nicky Cocksedge (N.Cocksedge@exeter.ac.uk) to reserve a space (limited to 60 participants) as soon as possible. There is no charge for the Workshop.N.Cocksedge@exeter.ac.uk External Events: Big Data Week 5 th -11 th May, http://bigdataweek.com/, 180 events over 25+ citieshttp://bigdataweek.com/ Understanding Complex and Large Industrial Data (UCLID)2014 1 st -2 nd July, Lancaster University, UK

5. Funding opportunities Internal funding (see Research Toolkit)Research Toolkit Forthcoming Project Development Fund for Transformative Social Science, Open Innovation Link Fund RCUK funding Big Data remains a priority for many of the Research Councils Bids will need to make connections with existing data infrastructure funded by RCUK. EU funding Several EU calls connect with Big Data, HPC and other related issues US funding Certain US funders offer opportunities for funding with international collaborators Charitable funding Interdisciplinary projects with a focus on Big Data may be suitable for Leverhulme Trust Funding

6. Contacts General Big Data queries: Dr Bridget Sealey (RKT) – b.sealey@exeter.ac.ukb.sealey@exeter.ac.uk Dr Charlotte Moger (RKT) – c.j.moger@exeter.ac.ukc.j.moger@exeter.ac.uk EU funding: euresearch@exeter.ac.uk Commercial and US funding opportunities: Jess Hurrell (RKT) – jess.hurrell@exeter.ac.ukjess.hurrell@exeter.ac.uk Leverhulme Trust: Your college research manager/ Dr Bridget Sealey (see above)