International Research Data Analysis Excellence Awards

What is big data? Big data refers to massive, complex data sets that traditional data management systems cannot handle. When properly collected, managed and analyzed, big data can help organizations discover new insights and make better business decisions. While enterprise organizations have long collected data, the arrival of the internet and other connected technologies significantly increased the volume and variety of data available, birthing the concept of “big data.” Today, businesses collect large amounts of data —often measured in terabytes or petabytes—on everything from customer transactions and social media impressions to internal processes and proprietary research. Over the past decade, this information has fueled digital transformation across industries. In fact, big data has earned the nickname “the new oil” for its role driving business growth and innovation. Data science and, more specifically, big data analytics help organizations make sense of big data’s large and...

L-R: Drs. Carolyn Smith, Alastair Thompson, Na Li, Anna Maria Mandalakas, Lilei Zhang, Hongjie Li and Paul Klotman. Six Baylor College of Medicine faculty were honored this year with the Michael E. DeBakey M.D. Award for Excellence in Research for their outstanding published scientific contributions to clinical and basic science research over a three-year period. The 2025 recipients of the DeBakey Research Awards were Dr. Alastair Thompson , Dr. Anna Mandalakas , Dr. Anthony Maresso , Dr. Hongjie Li , Dr. Lilei Zhang and Dr. Na Li . They were recognized and presented their work at an award ceremony on June 24. The awards, named in honor of pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, the first president of Baylor College of Medicine, and sponsored by the DeBakey Medical Foundation, include a commemorative medallion and funds to support further research. “This is a special and fun day at Baylor College of Medicine, where we can celebrate the people that are leading science at the...

Key Takeaways Digital twins use live data streams for real-time monitoring and simulation. AI integration enhances predictive analytics and system automation. Data governance ensures accuracy, security, and operational trust. Enterprises aren’t short on data. They’re drowning in it. IoT sensors, connected devices, and cloud-native apps are generating live data around the clock. While the volume grows, traditional IT systems, built for static dashboards and delayed reporting, are reaching their limits. This results in bottlenecks in analysis, slow reactions, and blind spots in operations. The requirement today is no longer to simply process data, but to sense and respond to data, while changes happen. What’s Digital Twins Doing About It? Digital twins are transforming fixed engineering tools into active operational engines. Fundamentally, digital twins are real-time software copies of physical systems. They consume telemetry from sensors, simulate behaviors, and produce insights from c...

  WORLD REVENUE LONGITUDINAL DATABASE Tracking Domestic Revenue Mobilization and Changes in Government Revenue Structures November 20, 2024 Download Data (Stata) Download Data (Excel) Download Data (Stata) The IMF’s World Revenue Longitudinal Database (WoRLD) tracks government revenue trends in 193 countries since the early 1990s. This invaluable resource offers policymakers, researchers, and the public crucial insights into the evolution of both the level and composition of revenues. With its consistent and reliable source—IMF surveillance data—the database enables cross-country comparisons and longitudinal analysis, making it an essential tool for shaping policies that advance the Sustainable Development Goals, climate action, and economic equity. WoRLD tracks directly 9 key components of tax and non-tax revenues, which together contribute about 82 percent of government revenue globally. Some key insights include:Globally, average government revenue as a share of GDP was about...

Meeting The Data Needs Of AI The data science and machine learning technology space is undergoing rapid changes, fueled primarily by the wave of generative AI and—just in the last year—agentic AI systems and the large language models that power them. Where data science and machine learning tools were traditionally targeted toward developing and supporting data analytics and predictive analytics systems, these tools today are increasingly supporting the development of AI agentic systems, according to The 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Science and Machine Learning Platforms. Another major trend, according to the report, is a shift away from point-specific tools towards “full-stack data and AI platforms” that encompass model development and lifecycle management, data science tasks, data pipelines and other chores. What’s more, these platforms are themselves incorporating LLMs and GenAI assistants “to enhance the data science workflow.” As part of CRN’s 2025 Year So Far series , her...

We’re empowering Microsoft employees with data-driven innovation including transforming experiences, modernizing functions, and optimizing infrastructure through AI and a robust data strategy. At Microsoft Digital, our mission is to transform the digital employee experience across devices, applications, and hybrid infrastructure. But what fuels that transformation? Data. Enterprise data, backed by a strong strategy and culture, powers the technologies that drive Microsoft forward. Let’s explore some of the ways data is the fuel that powers IT at Microsoft. Modernizing our corporate functions In the era of AI, data plays a crucial role in our effort to modernize corporate functions like Human Resources, Finance, and Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA). For instance, employees can use our Employee Self Service (ESS) agent to retrieve information and insights in real time using natural language queries. In the past, these actions were either conducted manually or required an I...

SingleStore has souped up its unified real-time transactional and analytic database for AI, showing off the new features at a “Feeling the Flow” Upsert event. An upsert in SQL updates an existing row or adds a new one, while the event serves to update SingleStore customers. SingleStoreDB is a performant, distributed, relational, SQL database with operational, analytical, and vector data support, integration with Apache Iceberg, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, and Redshift, and a Flow ingest feature based on acquired BrightFlow data integration technology. SingleStoreDB is also available as a fully managed service called Helios. Raj Verma CEO Raj Verma stated the database was “the only one to natively offer single-shot retrieval of all types of data,” claiming that SingleStore has “always been the ultimate foundational layer for AI.” He added: “Now we’re making a quantum leap forward in performance at scale – creating a faster, smoother path to development and enabling organization...

  Introduction In today’s digital marketing landscape, the inundation of data is both a challenge and an opportunity. To thrive, marketers must discern valuable insights from irrelevant noise. Leveraging advanced marketing analytics ensures that consumer data drives actionable, informed decisions, ultimately fueling business growth. This Martech Cube article highlights the strategies, tools, and examples of how marketing analytics can be a powerful growth engine for businesses. Table of Contents 1. Key Advancements in Marketing Analytics 2. Making Analytics Work for Your Goals 3. Marketing Analytics Tools and Tactics 4. B2B Case Study: Salesforce’s Data-Driven Growth 5. Overcoming the Analytics Overload In the End 1. Key Advancements in Marketing Analytics Tools such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4), among others, have greatly advanced how data is used. GA4 leverages machine learning in its features as a tool for efficiency and ease of use, where marketers can easily sort through diff...

As data science expands and offers many lucrative career opportunities, it has become more competitive. This surge in competition is fueled by a growing number of skilled professionals seeking stable, long-term careers in the industry. In response, aspiring data scientists must set themselves apart. This involves completing the advanced training that top employers expect and mastering the subtler qualities that define a successful data scientist, such as analytical thinking. Given this competitive landscape, a key question emerges: What are the essential analytical skills for a data scientist, and why are they so critical for success in this field? Let's delve into this subject to better understand the core skills underpinning data science professionals' effectiveness and impact. What Are Analytical Skills? Analytical skills are crucial for problem-solving and data interpretation across various industries. They enable professionals to make informed decisions and drive strateg...

The Data Centre World Awards 2025 celebrated innovation, sustainability, and excellence in the data centre industry at a prestigious awards ceremony held at Data Centre World, part of Tech Show London at Excel London (12-13 March 2025). This year’s edition featured three new categories , reflecting the evolving nature of the industry: the AI Excellence Award, the Technology Project of the Year Award, and the Security of Tech Award. These new categories shine a spotlight on the vital role data centres play in powering the latest tech breakthroughs. Honouring groundbreaking projects, cutting-edge technologies, and industry leaders, the DCW Awards serve as a benchmark for excellence, recognising achievements in energy efficiency, security, AI integration, and operational resilience. The competition was fierce, with a remarkable selection of shortlisted nominees across multiple categories. After a rigorous judging process, this year’s winners were announced in front of leading industry e...