2025 HDR Ecosystem Conference

NSF HDR Ecosystem Conference 2025

September 16–19, 2025 • Columbus, OH and hosted by the Imageomics Institute.

What’s the Conference About?

The NSF Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) Ecosystem Conference is the premier national gathering of the HDR network—an integrated fabric of institutes, TRIPODS, Data Science Corps, and more—that are accelerating data-driven discovery across science and engineering. This year marks a pivotal convergence in Columbus, uniting researchers, practitioners, and students to share breakthroughs and chart a bold, data-rich future.

Location & Date

📅 September 16–19, 2025

Starts: Tuesday at 6:00 PM

Ends: Friday at 1:30 PM 

View the Draft Agenda

🗺️ Location: Marriott Columbus OSU in Columbus, Ohio

What’s on the Agenda

This year's conference theme, Data to Discovery: The Future of AI-Enabled Science, is designed to propel the HDR Ecosystem into the next phase of scientific discovery. This year's sessions are centered around four subthemes: 

Theme 1: The Shape of AI for Science

This theme explores how AI is transforming scientific discovery—enabling researchers to ask bigger, cross-scale questions and uncover fundamental insights about the natural world, from molecules to ecosystems to the entire planet. Through featured speakers, HDR project talks, and translational sessions, we’ll highlight frontier opportunities in AI-driven science. 

Theme 2: From Bits to Semantics

This theme focuses on how we move from raw data to meaningful understanding. It examines how we ask scientific questions, represent knowledge, connect diverse datasets, and build interpretable, structured AI systems. Through featured speakers and breakout sessions, we’ll explore how to make sense of heterogeneous data and create AI that is not only powerful but also understandable and usable across disciplines. 

Theme 3: Caring for the “D” in HDR

This theme addresses the critical need for long-term data stewardship in high-throughput, high-impact research. Through working and breakouts sessions, we’ll explore strategies for ensuring data continuity, preventing data loss, and planning for sustainable data management. Topics for exploration include common cyberinfrastructure challenges, essential components ("parts list"), and exploring collaborative approaches to data infrastructure and sustainability. 

Theme 4: Education and Workforce Development 

This theme focuses on cultivating AI and data literacy skills across the educational spectrum—from K–12 to university to professional upskilling. Emphasis will be placed on developing innovative approaches to preparing the future AI-enabled workforce. The NextGen Forum will offer students, postdocs, and early career researchers a space for open discussion and collaboration as they shape the next generation of AI-driven science. 

Why You Can’t Miss It

This event is more than a conference—it’s a scientific gathering where:

• Data challenges meet bold solutions. HDR’s Big Idea is about transforming how foundational scientific questions are asked and answered using data-centric innovation.

• Cross-disciplinary impact is demonstrated. From AI‑powered biodiversity and climate science to advanced cyberinfrastructure and workforce development, HDR projects exemplify convergent science addressing societal grand challenges.

• Community synergy is nourished. Building on the momentum of the 2022–2024 conferences, this year focuses on deepening collaborations, showcasing accomplishments, and scaling research across domains.

Who Should Attend

• HDR institute leads and team members

• Data science and engineering researchers

• Cyberinfrastructure developers

• Graduate students, postdocs, and early-career scholars

• Community partners aiming to embed data fluency in broader ecosystems

Register & Get Involved

Registration is by invitation only. Conference registration will be available for invited participants in early August 2025. 

Venue Details

Ohio State Marriott provides excellent amenities and accessibility for networking and collaboration.
Marriott Columbus OSU – Visitor Information

Stay Connected

Bookmark this page for live announcements, speaker reveals, conference updates, and more. Let’s shape the future of data‑driven discovery—together.

Organizing Committee

Tanya Berger-Wolf (Co-Chair, The Ohio State University & Imageomics Institute)

Diane Boghrat (Lead, Ideation and Team Science, The Ohio State University & Imageomics Institute)

Emily Freed (Colorado School of Mines & ID4 Institute

Jenny Grabmeier (Lead, Ideation and Team Science, The Ohio State University & Imageomics Institute)

Ryan Horns (Communications Lead, The Ohio State University & Imageomics Institute)

Paula Mabee (Co-Chair, The National Ecological Observatory Network  & Imageomics Institute)

Josephine Namayanja (University of Maryland, Baltimore County &  iHARP Institute)

Mark Neubauer (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign & A3D3 Institute)

Anand Padmanabhan (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign & I-GUIDE Institute)