Figures and survey data from forthcoming pre-print:
In a 2016 survey of
704 National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences Directorate principle
investigators (BIO PIs), nearly 90% indicated they are currently or will soon
be analyzing large data sets. BIO PIs considered a range of computational needs
important to their work—including high performance computing (HPC),
bioinformatics support, multi-step workflows, updated analysis software, and
the ability to store, share, and publish data. Previous studies in the U.S. and
Canada emphasized infrastructure needs. However, BIO PIs said the most pressing
unmet needs are training in data integration, data management, and scaling
analyses for HPC – acknowledging that data science skills will be required to
build a deeper understanding of life.