The problems of big data, frequent data, and detailed data have their home in this group, as researchers in both the physical and social sciences struggle to make sense of massive networks of sensors, new highly-detailed administrative microdata, the ever-expanding cache of satellite imagery, and ubiquitous movement data generated by smartphones. This group is designed to support empirical & computational work in the field more than focus on a specific societal problem or domain area; as such, it aims to break out of classic disciplinary divides and exclusionary definitions of “what the real problem is” in favor of focusing on the intersections between how we solve the problems we do. 

The research group has a few main objectives.

1. Foster and support cross-domain collaboration between Geography and the Jean Golding Institute for Data Science, as well as ongoing or extended collaborations across the university on computation-focused initiatives, like BRIDGE, the CMM, COMPASS, and QStep.
2. Knit together members of the department who use similar mathematical methods & models, but on different data or problem domains to spark cross-problem collaboration and innovation.
3. Host talks , popularize, and raise profile for computation in geography
4. Provide a community for users & aspiring users of computational resources in Bristol, such as CONDOR or BlueCrystal