Announcing CRUX: The Collaborative Resource and Understanding Exchange Program


The Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub (NEBDIH) is excited to announce our CRUX program: a Collaborative Resource and Understanding Exchange. CRUX will launch the development of NEBDIH’s forthcoming Big Data Map and Assets Platform, with an ultimate aim of connecting the dots to create data-driven solutions to real-world problems.

What is the Big Data Map and Assets Platform?

BDMAP is a new initiative at the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub (NEBDIH) that seeks to bridge the gaps between Big Data problems and solutions across a range of priority areas. BDMAP will be an open online platform for sharing data sets together with well-defined, domain-specific tasks derived from target stakeholders, in a way that facilitates collaboration between domain experts and data scientists.

What is CRUX?

CRUX represents a community-driven approach to accelerating data-driven innovation. In this first phase, NEBDIH will recruit a cohort of six doctoral candidates from across the Northeastern United States, who will serve as ambassadors engaging leaders in their fields of study, assessing their data science needs and collecting use cases and data sets for the platform. The goal is to provide real-world applications and data sets to data scientists, while providing subject matter experts from academia, corporate and government sectors access to Big Data expertise.

“The most important aspect of this project is creating engagement between communities of data scientists and domain practitioners, enabling community-driven innovation​,” said René Bastón, Executive Director of the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub. 

How can I participate?

We’re hiring graduate students from across the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont) to serve as web developers and subject matter experts. More detailed information and job descriptions are available here (PDF):

CRUX Development Associate (subject matter expert)

CRUX Web Developer (technical expert)

To apply, please complete the application form to send your application including cover letter, CV and optional letter of reference.

If you are not a graduate student but are interested in getting involved, please contact Katie Naum at ken2115@columbia.edu.

Please distribute this announcement widely!