Project description
A virtual assistant for scientists
Virtual assistant AI technology answers questions by converting sound into text, allowing it to gather information from different sources. Up to now, this question-answering technology is used mainly for checking the weather forecast. The EU-funded QuAnGIS project will develop the theoretical and computational foundations for a semantic web-based infrastructure. The aim is to allow for gathering geographic information and statistics. Currently, scientists need to reformulate their questions in terms of the technicalities of each tool. Also, new tools are often difficult to learn. Another issue is that translations cause serious interoperability problems. Using semantic queries, the project will develop a novel theory of interrogative spatial concepts to turn geo-analytical questions into machine-readable form.
Objective
"In the age of big data, geographic information has become a central means for data scientists of various disciplines to embed their analysis into a spatio-temporal context, from human mobility patterns and social inequality to the investigation of personal health. However, as the variety of data sources available on the Web increases, it becomes more and more impossible to comprehend and utilize all tools available to answer geo-analytical questions. The variety of formats and syntaxes required by Geographic Information System (GIS) toolboxes or statistical packages divides the research community into various tool expert groups. Hence, whenever a functionality is needed but not available in one tool, analysts are forced to reformulate their questions in terms of the technicalities of another tool. Furthermore, new tools are difficult to learn, and translations cause severe interoperability problems. Finally, this procedure does not scale with the increasing variety of analytic resources on the Web, preventing analysts from tapping its full potential, and making the promise of seamless big data analytics a mere distant dream. Consider, in contrast, how easy it is for a user of a digital smartphone assistant such as Amazon's Alexa to ask a question like ""What is the weather today?"" and get back an answer from the Web. It would mean a tremendous breakthrough in information science if analysts could similarly ask familiar questions in order to get the tools and data required to answer them. Unfortunately, analytic technology currently cannot handle such questions. To realize this vision, it is necessary to understand how analytic resources can be captured with the questions they answer. In this project, I will develop a novel theory of interrogative spatial concepts to turn geo-analytical questions into a machine-readable form using semantic queries. In this form, questions can directly be matched with the capacity of major analytic GIS tools and data on the Web."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences physical geography cartography geographic information systems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.