DART is part of a much larger effort within the state of Arkansas to establish an educational and research foundation for expanding and supporting a sustainable data science sector within our economy. DART defines a coordinated research plan composed of topical areas related to data science needs identified by an expanded number of industrial partners who drive a significant portion of our state’s economy. DART research will systematically investigate key aspects of the four identified integrative barriers to wide implementation of big data analytics: big data management, security and privacy, model interoperability, and workforce training.