IRTG 1498 - Semantic Integration of Geospatial Information (IRTG-SIGI)

Basic data for this project

Description

With this International Research Training Group (IRTG), we address problems arising when integrating geospatial information from multiple sources to reason and support decisions about the human environment. These problems are situated in the overall research challenge of supporting effective geospatial reasoning across age and cultures. The common scientific thread of the entire program is the ambition to create computationally tractable solutions to problems of semantic integration. The IRTG will create an international center of excellence in the area of geospatial information integration. The following partners conduct the IRTG: University of Münster, Germany University of Bremen, Germany University at Buffalo, USA 12 IRTG funded doctoral researchers entered the program in two cohorts of six in months 1 and 19. Additional 6 doctoral researchers are funded from other resources. Buffalo participates with 12 doctoral researchers. The research and qualification programs is guided by 22 professors, 5 each at Münster and Bremen, and 12 at Buffalo, with participating departments of geography, ecology, geoinformatics, computer science, industrial engineering, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and cognitive sciences. The research program targets substantial progress on semantic modeling, information discovery, semantic translation and service composition for geospatial information integration. It is structured into three research initiatives, each involving professors at all three sites co-advising doctoral researchers. The initiatives address specific research questions posed by the overall challenge. The qualification concept rests on the premise that course work should primarily support doctoral researchers in achieving a high level of interdisciplinary understanding and cooperation. It matches the existing IGERT program in Geographic Information Science at the University at Buffalo and features five phases, including six months at Buffalo for all doctoral researchers from Münster and Bremen. Each phase contains several milestones for progress monitoring, such as thesis proposals, progress reports, and publications. The familiarity among many participating professors, the multi-lateral advising process including postdoctoral support, and the extensive international networks at each site will provide an unprecedented interdisciplinary and international experience to participating doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, and research students For more information about the news, publications, students and courses please visit the IRTG Wiki, http://irtg.ifgi.de/ The IRTG is funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation), GRK 1498. Corresponding funding to the University at Buffalo is granted by the NSF (National Science Foundation), IGERT grant DGE-0333417.