Admin Supplement for Dr. Jian Gao, Research Fellow

We propose a five-year program of basic research to establish a systematic, quantitative framework for understanding the fundamental dynamics, predictability, and uncertainty of scientific discovery. Our interdisciplinary team brings together world-class thought leaders in the emerging area of science of science from a wide range of fields, including the sociology of science, computational social science, network science, complex systems, and artificial intelligence. A defining feature of our proposed program is its mechanistic approach, developing rich mathematical and computational models to unearth fundamental patterns underlying science and its application in technology, armed with big data and digital traces sampling from all phases of scientific production and use. By combining our diverse expertise and approaches, the results from this program will lead to a qualitative shift in the way that knowledge is discovered, science is funded, scientists are trained and nurtured, and excellence is recognized and rewarded.