Transcript document

NSF Support for
Semantic Web Research
Frank Olken
National Science Foundation
CISE/IIS
Presentation to
SICOP Meeting at NSF
Jan. 16, 2007
2006-01-16
What is Semantic Web
Research?
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Description Logic (OWL, etc.)
Resource Description Framework (RDF)
Ontologies, Ontology Building Tools, etc.
Logic and Inference Engines
Query Languages over RDF, etc. (SPARQL)
Rules Languages, Inference Engines
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Semantic Web Funding at NSF
NSF is routinely funding semantic
web research proposals as part of its
normal research programs and
solicitations.
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Semantic Web Proposals Funded
by NSF (active awards)
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25 awards= “semantic web” in title/abstract
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88 awards = “semantic” and “web” in title/abstract
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86 awards = “ontology” in title/abstract
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16 awards = “ontology” in title only
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43 awards = “semantic” in title only
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272 awards = “semantic” in title/abstract
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Many of these are traditional linguistics or programming
language semantics
26 awards = “knowledge representation” in title/abstract
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Total IIS active awards = 1,000
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Examples of NSF Supported
Semantic Web Research
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Marine Metadata Initiative
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uses OWL encoded ontologies for metadata
attributes, taxonomies, ...
Microbial Genome Sequencing: Gene Ontology
Terms for Standardized Annotation of PlantAssociated Microbe Genomes
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standardized terms for describing all the functions
of genes in living organisms (extensions of Gene
Ontology (GO))
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More Examples of NSF Supported
Semantic Web Research
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BIOPAX
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Workshop on Web Service Discovery &
Composition
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Uses OWL for data interchange standard for
biopathways (metabolic, signaling, gene regulatory
networks) data
Uses OWL-S to specify web services
Formal Theory of Distributed Ontologies for
Semantic Web
QPQ: An Open Source Deductive Software
Repository
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More examples of NSF funded
Semantic Web Research
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Scalable Querying and Mining of Graphs
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TANGO: Table Analysis for Semiautomatic
Generation of Ontologies
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graph query algorithms for RDF, etc.
analyses tables in web pages to construct
ontologies
Deductive Integration of Heterogeneous
Biological Data Sources
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More examples of NSF funded
Semantic Web Research
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Encoding Rights, Permissions and Obligations:
Privacy Policy Specification and Compliance
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Uses ontologies, modal action logic, deontic action
logic for privacy policy specifications and
compliance checking
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Funding of Semantic Web
Proposals by NSF Divisions
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CISE/IIS – DM, KM, IR, science informatics,
ecoinformatics, AI, machine learning, ...
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CISE/CCF -theory
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CISE/CNS – systems
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SBE/BCS – e.g., linguistics
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BIO/DBI – bioinformatics
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OCI – cyberinfrastructure
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OCE - Oceanography
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Why does NSF care about
semantic web technologies?
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Formalization of scientific knowledge
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Facilitate sharing of scientific data
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Facilitate access to scientific data and knowledge
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Natural language processing (information extraction,
digital libraries, ...)
Support for digital government (semantic rules
languages, disaster support, ...)
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Support for machine learning
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Support for math/science education
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Debates about semantic web
research
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Skepticism about adoption of semantic tagging by the
masses (and the quality of the tagging)
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Skepticism of semantics by most of the database
research community:
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NSF is concerned about scientific / govt uses, not MySpace.
Still somewhat an issue, because semantic proposals often
go to to DB panels
Skepticism about scalability of semantic search and
inference engines
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Open research issue
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More debates about semantic
web research
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Description Logic vs. First Order Logic
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Scalability and structuring of rule bases
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Heated debates in KR research community about whether
description logics are adequate or whether FOL or other
logics should be used.
Concerns about the software engineering of large rule bases
(or collections of logic axioms). Efforts to partition such
large rule bases / logic axiom collections (cf. Cyc's
microtheories, etc.) This remains an open research topic.
Poor Quality Ontologies
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Ontology development and assessment remains difficult,
rare skill. Some progress (e.g., Ontoclean), clear need for
more research and more training of practitioners.
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More debates about semantic
web research
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Ontology Merging is very very hard:
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Currently subject of research, see Ontoclean work,
also work by Joslyn, et al. on use of partial orders.
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Where to apply for NSF funding
for semantic web research?
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CISE/IIS Division
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III (Information Integration and Informatics)
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Funds data management, information retrieval,
knowledge management, digital libraries, digital
government
RI (Robust Intelligence)
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Funds machine learning, artificial intelligence, speech,
vision, ...
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CISE CNS Division (systems)
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CISE CCF Division (theory)
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Where to apply for NSF funding
for semantic web research?
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Biology, Geosciences, ... directorates
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Fund domain specific ontologies for their specific
research areas
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May fund software tools for particular research
areas – e.g., bioinformatics sequence annotation, ...
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Where to apply for NSF funding of
semantic web development?
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CISE/CRI
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Funds infrastructure for computer science research
OCI (Office of CyberInfrastructure)
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Funds software development for tools of use to
broad scientific communities (biology, etc.)
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Anticipates funding data exchange standards and
domain specific ontologies
Note: CRI and OCI support infrastructure,
not direct research support !
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Proposal Deadlines for 06-572
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NSF 06-572 Program Solicitation
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Deadline for small (<$450K) proposals was Dec. 6,
2006
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Deadlines for large ($900K-$1.8M) and medium
($450K-$900K) proposals have past (Oct/Nov)
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Only one solicitation for IIS division this year
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Future solicitations expected annually with similar
deadlines.
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Contact Information for NSF CISE / IIS / III
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Frank Olken, [email protected]
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Maria Zemankova, [email protected]
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Digital libraries
Larry Brandt, [email protected]
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Ontologies, bioinformatics, ...
Steve Griffin, [email protected]
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Knowledge management, information retrieval, workflow, vizualization, ...
Sylvia Spengler, [email protected], III Cluster Leader
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data semantics, data/ontology integration, workflow, eng./sci. informatics,
metadata registries, ...
Digital government
Le Gruenwald, [email protected]
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Data management, security and privacy, ...
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Contact Information
NSF/CISE/IIS
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Tanya Korelsky, [email protected]
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Natural Language Processing
Edwina Rissland, [email protected]
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Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Representation
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Contact Information
NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure
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Chris Greer, [email protected]
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Kevin Thompson, [email protected]
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Data Management cyberinfrastructure,
bioinformatics, data collections
Software / middleware cyberinfrastructure
To be hired,
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Additional staff in data collections, knowledge
management
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Contact Info for Speaker
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Frank Olken
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National Science Foundation
CISE Directorate / IIS Division / III Cluster
4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1125
Arlington, VA 22230
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 703-292-8930 (receptionist)
Tel: 703-292-7350 (direct)
Cell: 510-703-2764 (does not work within NSF)
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