About DISC

About DISC

Mission

Empower transdisciplinary research and collaboration to drive convergent solutions to societal challenges in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through data science research, tools and capabilities. 

Vision

The University of Oklahoma is a nationally recognized leader for data science research and data-driven solutions to societal challenges. 

Values

Collaboration – Together, we are more effective in solving challenges.  

Innovation – Create new techniques, tools and data-enabled solutions to positively impact our global community. 

Opportunity – Provide opportunities for teams from different backgrounds and experiences to become integrated into our educational initiatives, research activities, and collaborations.

Trust –  Through our actions, we build trust – core to transdisciplinary team success, transition to societal impact, and sustainability. 

Empowerment – Empower convergent research teams to solve societal challenges.

Research

The Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) at OU is creating innovations in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-enabled research. DISC develops and grows convergent research teams dedicated to solving local to global-scale challenges. This is achieved through the implementation of foundational data science and data-enabled research related to aerospace, defense, and global security; community and societal transformation; the future of health; and environment, energy, and sustainability. DISC is leading advances in the following strategic focus areas.

Data Science Applications: Focusing on the development of new techniques and approaches to analytics that integrates computer science, AI/ML, cognitive psychology, decision science, and human-computer teaming to create robust, explainable, fair, efficient, and reliable data-enabled solutions that can be readily transitioned into real-world use.
Human-Guided Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Developing and using innovative AI and ML convergent research to advance the next generation in science, engineering, and other disciplines to create impactful and reliable solutions.
Human-Computer Teaming: Efficiently and effectively integrating the capabilities of humans and complex machines to address complex problems.
Predictive Analytics: Creating tools and systems capable of extracting, assimilating, and analyzing data for accurate, timely, and reliable predictions with quantifiable certainty and uncertainty to transform drug discovery, vaccine production, and more accurate forecasts of the impact of various events.
Decision-making Environments and Visual Analytics: Leveraging the skills and expertise of leading interdisciplinary researchers in various research centers to provide innovative solutions for data-driven decision-making and visual analytics.
Scalable Software and Hardware Architectures: Increasing our potential to create real-time, trustable AI and ML solutions by using neuromorphic, probabilistic, and quantum computing.

Click HERE for DISC"S Journal Publications and End-of-Year Reports

Commitment to an Empowering Environment

The Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) is dedicated to fostering a community that values the contributions, backgrounds, and perspectives of every individual. Recognizing the historical impact of data science and data-enabled research on social, political, and economic systems, we are committed to ensuring that data science is used to improve societal conditions, does not introduce inequities seeks to rectify them, and is trustworthy and reduces bias. We prioritize building collaborative teams that reflect various backgrounds and experiences and encourage broad participation. Our efforts to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges are rooted in creating an environment where everyone feels supported and empowered.