Founded in 2015, the MIT CISR Data Research Advisory Board (the "Data Board") is a community of data and analytics leaders who participate in and inform MIT CISR research. Board membership is reserved for members of MIT CISR patron and sponsor organizations.
Principal Research Scientist Dr. Barbara Wixom leads the Data Research Advisory Board research program. Additionally, Barb draws upon academic expertise available through the MIT CISR network by inviting academics to engage with the Board as needed. In 2021, eleven non-CISR academic researchers (from eight universities located around the world) are assigned to data research efforts.
Each year, MIT CISR funds new data research projects, which deliver initial results in time for the end-of-year annual research forum. The Data Board is considered the first line of research for these projects. Also, MIT CISR regularly engages with universities around the globe to trial research ideas before formalizing them into annual projects; the Data Board will have the option to participate in those efforts as they form.
In 2021, Data Board members will engage in peer conversations, inform an enterprise data assessment for launch in 2022, and contribute to a new initiative—informally called the “Data Voice Project”—meant to help the global data leader community inspire hearts and minds in ways that advance organizational data progress and enthusiasm.