Workshop on Foundations of Responsible Data Science (FoRDS)

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This project supports an interdisciplinary workshop on Foundations of Responsible Data Science, convening experts across computer science, statistics, social sciences, law, and policy to articulate a new foundational research agenda in responsible data science. The term "responsible" refers to data-intensive systems that take into account the ethical and epistemic issues associated with the larger social contexts in which they are deployed. These issues relate to the sources of data on which a learning system is trained, the decision-making contexts in which it is deployed, and the potentially competing goals among stakeholders that use it. The workshop produces a report defining a research agenda to incorporate findings in the social sciences, economics, law, and public policy into new algorithmic techniques and systems. Although the emphasis is on foundational research, the workshop is designed to surface translational issues in bringing techniques into practice, new research questions in the social sciences driven by advances in data science, and new research questions in education and workforce development driven by the changing landscape of algorithmic decision-making. These activities are synergistic with Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR), one of the ``10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments,'' in that it focuses on the opportunities to transform society with the use of technology, and to embed societal norms into technological development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.