The VAST (Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge) is sponsored every year by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE). This contest is intended to push the forefront of visual analytics tools using benchmark data sets and to establish a forum to advance visual analytics evaluation methods.The 2010 challenge includes three Mini Challenges and a Grand Challenge which endeavors to synthesize information from the Mini Challenges. This year’s topics include:

• Mini Challenge 1: Text Records - Investigations into Arms Dealing
  
  
• Mini Challenge 2: Hospitalization Records - Characterization of Pandemic Spread
  
  
• Mini Challenge 3: Genomics Information - Tracing the Mutations of a Disease
  
  
• Grand Challenge: Integration of Mini Challenges - Combines all data sets.  Investigating any possible linkage between the illegal arms dealing and the pandemic outbreak.

Noblis has teamed up with Centrifuge Systems, Future Point Systems, Georgetown University, and Medstar to compete in this year’s Challenge. Our responses to this year’s challenge are posted here.