The Informatics Skunkworks Program is a National Science Foundation-funded program that seeks to develop a new infrastructure and ecosystem for engaging and training undergraduate students in research at the interface of data science and materials science and engineering. The project is lead by researchers and educational professionals from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Boise State University, and is funded by NSF grant number 2017072.
The materials informatics skills necessary to extend materials databases, improve materials simulation, mine texts, automate materials research and development, and accelerate materials design are quickly becoming one of the most valuable skill sets for the modern workplace in both business and academia. However, training in practical applied materials informatics to use these tools is limited and inadequate for developing a workforce ready to advance materials science and engineering.
Engaging students in hands-on experience in research in materials informatics represents an exceptional opportunity for active learning through research. The power and accessibility of informatics tools, combined with their rapid evolution, and still relatively limited use in current MS&E research creates a rare opportunity for undergraduates with limited background to perform impactful research with modest training. This opportunity can motivate higher engagement and lead to widespread training in informatics tools and research skills. The Informatics Skunkworks Program develops the necessary infrastructure and ecosystem necessary to develop and grow these hands-on research experiences.
The Informatics Skunkworks goal of enhancing undergraduate hands-on experience in research is approached from two parallel tasks. The first task is development of resources to lower the barrier to starting new research projects, including (a) curriculum to train undergraduates in materials informatics, (b) software tools that augments existing machine learning packages to be undergraduate accessible, and (c) authentic and appropriate level research problems. The second task is the development of a community of practice to enable a network of productive mentor and undergraduate teams to effectively and collaboratively use the resources developed in the first task to transform the future workforce.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (2017072). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.