View source for Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K)

'''NIH Big Data to Knowledge'''

The NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) is an initiative from the [http://www.nlm.nih.gov National Library of Medicine (NLM)], an institute from the [http://www.nih.gov National Institutes of Health (NIH)]. Its main objective is the to enable scientists to effectively manage and utilize large and complex data sets, commonly known as “[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_data big data]” (1).


== Background ==

Big Data to Knowledge can trace its origins to the recommendations from the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), after the Director of the National Institutes of Health commissioned the formation of the Data and Informatics Working Group (DIWG). The main goal of DIWG was to provide the ACD and the NIH Director with expert advise on the management, integration, and analysis  of large biomedical research datasets (2). BD2K was launched at NIH in 2013 (3). On a broader context, BD2K is part of the “Big Data Research and Development Initiative”, launched by the United States federal government in 2012 (4).


== Mission ==
The BD2K initiative will enable biomedical scientists to fully capitalize on the Big Data generated by research communities, by help developing new tools, software, standards, methods, and competencies to enhance the use of biomedical big data (5). 


== Areas of BD2K ==

*Enabling Data Utilization
**New policies that better encourage data and software sharing
**A catalog of research datasets that will enable researchers to find and cite datasets
**Community-based data and metadata standards

*Analysis Methods and Software:
**Development and hardening of software to meet needs of the biomedical research community
**Access to large-scale computing to enable data analysis on Big Data
**Dynamic community engagement of users and developers

*Enhancing Training:
**Increase number of computationally and quantitatively skilled biomedical trainees
**Strengthen the computational and quantitative skills of all biomedical researchers
**Make training available to NIH staff to enhance NIH review and program oversight

*Centers of Excellence:
**Investigator-initiated centers
**NIH-specified centers


== See Also ==

What is Big Data? http://bd2k.nih.gov/about_bd2k.html#bigdata

BD2K Funding Opportunities and Notices: http://bd2k.nih.gov/funding_opportunities.html

Video on Big Data and data sharing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za0xQbI79vo

== Related Articles ==

* [[The rise of big clinical databases]]


== Notes and References ==
1. National Institutes of Health. Report of Workshop on Enhancing Training for Biomedical Big Data. Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative.
July 29-30, 2013. http://bd2k.nih.gov/pdf/bd2k_training_workshop_report.pdf (Accessed on April 30th, 2014)

2. National Institutes of Health. Data and Informatics Working Group Draft Report to The Advisory Committee to the Director. June 15, 2012. http://acd.od.nih.gov/06142012_DIWG_ExecSummary.pdf (Accessed on April 30th, 2014)

3. Lucila Ohno-Machado. NIH's Big Data to Knowledge initiative and the advancement of biomedical informatics.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2014 21: 193

4. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Obama Administration unveils “Big Data” initiative: Announces $200 millions in new R&D investments. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/big_data_press_release_final_2.pdf (Accessed on April 30th, 2014)

5. About BD2K. http://bd2k.nih.gov/about_bd2k.html (Accessed on April 30th, 2014)

6. Areas of BD2K. http://bd2k.nih.gov/about_bd2k.html#areas (Accessed on April 30th, 2014)


== Further Reading ==

Lucila Ohno-Machado. NIH's Big Data to Knowledge initiative and the advancement of biomedical informatics.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2014 21: 193. http://jamia.bmj.com/content/21/2/193.full (Accessed on April 29th, 2014)


== External Links ==

Big Data to Knowledge: http://bd2k.nih.gov/

ACD Data and Informatics Working Group: http://acd.od.nih.gov/diwg.htm

National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

National Institutes of Health: http://www.nih.gov/

Submitted by (Carlos E. Figueroa Castro)

[[Category:BMI512-SPRING-14]]