NSF Support for Semantic Web Research

1. Frank Olken National Science Foundation CISE/IIS folken@nsf.gov Presentation to SICOP Special Conference Falls Church VA Feb. 6, 2007 NSF Support for Semantic Web Research

2. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web What is Semantic Web Research? • 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

3. NSF is routinely funding semantic web research proposals as part of its normal research programs and solicitations. Semantic Web Funding at NSF F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web

4. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Semantic Web Proposals Funded by NSF (active awards) • 25 awards= “semantic web” in title/abstract • 88 awards = “semantic” and “web” in title/abstract • 86 awards = “ontology” in title/abstract • 16 awards = “ontology” in title only • 43 awards = “semantic” in title only • 272 awards = “semantic” in title/abstract • Many of these are traditional linguistics or programming language semantics • 26 awards = “knowledge representation” in title/abstract • Total IIS active awards = 1,000

5. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Examples of NSF Supported Semantic Web Research • Marine Metadata Initiative • uses OWL encoded ontologies for metadata attributes, taxonomies, ... • Microbial Genome Sequencing: Gene Ontology Terms for Standardized Annotation of Plant-Associated Microbe Genomes • standardized terms for describing all the functions of genes in living organisms (extensions of Gene Ontology (GO))

6. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web More Examples of NSF Supported Semantic Web Research • BIOPAX • Uses OWL for data interchange standard for biopathways (metabolic, signaling, gene regulatory networks) data • Workshop on Web Service Discovery & Composition • Uses OWL-S to specify web services • Formal Theory of Distributed Ontologies for Semantic Web • QPQ: An Open Source Deductive Software Repository

7. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web More examples of NSF funded Semantic Web Research • Scalable Querying and Mining of Graphs • graph query algorithms for RDF, etc. • TANGO: Table Analysis for Semiautomatic Generation of Ontologies • analyses tables in web pages to construct ontologies • Deductive Integration of Heterogeneous Biological Data Sources

8. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web More examples of NSF funded Semantic Web Research • Encoding Rights, Permissions and Obligations: Privacy Policy Specification and Compliance • Uses ontologies, modal action logic, deontic action logic for privacy policy specifications and compliance checking

9. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Funding of Semantic Web Proposals by NSF Divisions • CISE/IIS – DM, KM, IR, science informatics, ecoinformatics, AI, machine learning, ... • CISE/CCF -theory • CISE/CNS – systems • SBE/BCS – e.g., linguistics • BIO/DBI – bioinformatics • OCI – cyberinfrastructure • OCE - Oceanography

10. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Why does NSF care about semantic web technologies? • Formalization of scientific knowledge • Facilitate sharing of scientific data • Facilitate access to scientific data and knowledge • Natural language processing (information extraction, digital libraries, ...) • Support for digital government (semantic rules languages, disaster support, ...) • Support for machine learning • Support for math/science education

11. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Debates about semantic web research • Skepticism about adoption of semantic tagging by the masses (and the quality of the tagging) • NSF is concerned about scientific / govt uses, not MySpace. • Skepticism of semantics by most of the database research community: • Still somewhat an issue, because semantic proposals often go to to panels dominated by DB researchers. Progress in adding more semantic web researchers to panels. • Skepticism about scalability of semantic search and inference engines • Open research issue ...

12. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web More debates about semantic web research • Description Logic vs. First Order Logic • Heated debates in KR research community about whether description logics are adequate or whether FOL or other logics should be used. • Scalability and structuring of rule bases • 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 • Ontology development and assessment remains difficult, rare skill. Some progress (e.g., Ontoclean), clear need for more research and more training of practitioners.

13. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web More debates about semantic web research • Ontology Merging is very very hard: • Currently subject of research, see Ontoclean work, also work by Joslyn, et al. on use of partial orders.

14. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Jeanette Wing named to head CISE at NSF • CISE = Computing, Information Science and Engineering Directorate • Dr. Jeanette Wing (CMU) is new head of CISE • Consultant now, full time by July 1, 2007 • Prof. Wing is an outspoken researcher and advocate of formal methods in CS • “type checking as the generalization of dimensional analysis ...” suggests an interest in expanding semantics of type systems

15. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Where to apply for NSF funding for semantic web research? • CISE/IIS Division • III (Information Integration and Informatics) • Funds data management, information retrieval, knowledge management, digital libraries, digital government • RI (Robust Intelligence) • Funds machine learning, artificial intelligence, speech, vision, ... • CISE CNS Division (systems) • CISE CCF Division (theory)

16. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Where to apply for NSF funding for semantic web research? • Biology, Geosciences, ... directorates • Fund domain specific ontologies for their specific research areas • May fund software tools for particular research areas – e.g., bioinformatics sequence annotation, ...

17. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Where to apply for NSF funding of semantic web development? • CISE/CRI • Funds infrastructure for computer science research • OCI (Office of CyberInfrastructure) • Funds software development for tools of use to broad scientific communities (biology, etc.) • Anticipates funding data exchange standards and domain specific ontologies • Note: CRI and OCI support infrastructure, not direct research support !

18. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Proposal Deadlines for 06-572 • NSF 06-572 Program Solicitation • Deadline for small (<$450K) proposals was Dec. 6, 2006 • Deadlines for large ($900K-$1.8M) and medium ($450K-$900K) proposals have past (Oct/Nov) • Only one solicitation for IIS division this year • Future solicitations expected annually with similar deadlines.

19. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Contact Information for NSF CISE / IIS / III • Frank Olken, folken@nsf.gov • data semantics, data/ontology integration, workflow, eng./sci. informatics, metadata registries, ... • Maria Zemankova, mzemanko@nsf.gov • Knowledge management, information retrieval, workflow, vizualization, ... • Sylvia Spengler, sspengle@nsf.gov, III Cluster Leader • Ontologies, bioinformatics, ... • Steve Griffin, sgriffin@nsf.gov • Digital libraries • Larry Brandt, lbrandt@nsf.gov • Digital government • Le Gruenwald,lgruenwa@nsf.gov • Data management, security and privacy, ...

20. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Contact InformationNSF/CISE/IIS • Tanya Korelsky, tkorelsky@nsf.gov • Natural Language Processing • Edwina Rissland, erissland@nsf.gov • Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Representation

21. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Contact InformationNSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure • Chris Greer, cgreer@nsf.gov • Data Management cyberinfrastructure, bioinformatics, data collections • Kevin Thompson, kthompso@nsf.gov • Software / middleware cyberinfrastructure • To be hired, • Additional staff in data collections, knowledge management

22. F. Olken, NSF Funding of Semantic Web Contact Info for Speaker • Frank Olken • National Science Foundation • CISE Directorate / IIS Division / III Cluster • 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1125 • Arlington, VA 22230 • Email: folken@nsf.gov • Tel: 703-292-8930 (receptionist) • Tel: 703-292-7350 (direct) • Cell: 510-703-2764 (does not work within NSF)