Project Grant 2146868

This three-year, $350,000 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program aims to develop a knowledge platform and related tools to bridge the gap between visualization research and design practice. Specifically, the Trustees of Boston College will receive funding to build a comprehensive online framework for improving access to and learning about effective visualization design principles. This framework will consolidate existing guidelines, curate a dataset of visualization examples, and analyze overlaps and discrepancies with empirical research findings. Interviews with practitioners and researchers will further explore knowledge transfer challenges. An ontological model and knowledge base will then scaffold visualization knowledge, enabling users to browse, discuss, and maintain evolving design guidelines and evidence. A citizen science approach will also investigate understudied design spaces in real-world visualizations. The platform will provide programming interfaces to enable novel applications like intelligent assistants and educational assessment tools. The goal is to promote informed, evidence-based visualization practice across sectors including government, business, engineering and journalism.