Research Themes

Modern technology allows for the collection of immense volumes of data. The challenge of converting these data into useful and actionable information is an activity known as data science, or 'Big Data'.

The datasets that research now handles are not only large, but complex, containing unstructured, heterogeneous data, human language, image and video, and completely new approaches are required to handle them. From physics to the life sciences, from image analysis to social networks,  the challenges in managing and analysing large and high-dimensional datasets require increasingly interdisciplinary work. 

Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery addresses this multidisciplinary research challenge by bringing together expertise from across the University, both in the applications of Big Data, data science and in underpinning technologies and concepts. C2D3 represents research in over 50 departments.

Our cross-disciplinary activities are organised around five cross-cutting themes: