Advanced Technologies

Data Science and Analytics

Westat’s data science team includes experts from statistics, computer science, and communications. We work with clients to determine where machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to expand data utility and discovery as well as to maximize the efficiency and quality of project operations. We develop innovative solutions that inform decisions using dashboards at critical phases in project lifecycles. Our goal is to reduce operations costs and increase the speed with which stakeholders receive information they need to make decisions and be responsive in a dynamic project environment. We have experience in both open source and proprietary platforms to design, prototype, and roll out AI and ML solutions for clients. With an aim to create data solutions that meet higher standards of quality, our data scientists deliver effective and reproducible tools that are innovative, rigorous, and reliable.

Geospatial Data Processing and Analytics

Westat offers solutions that help researchers to discover new trends in data, increase workflow efficiency, and reduce project task costs. Providing technical assistance, cartographic design and map production, survey sampling support (sample frame development, field staff travel optimization, GPS-enabled data collection), and geocoding services are just a few examples of what our team can do. Interpreting geographic data via GIS processes can be straightforward, for example, geocoding, buffer analysis, and spatial assignments, to more advanced spatial statistics like spatial regression, spatial autocorrelation, as well as satellite and aerial image analysis. Our GIS team uses both commercial and open-source data, tools, libraries, and database management systems to build reproducible workflows and data pipelines. We provide geographic visualization support, ranging from maps in reports to online dashboards, and we use Python and R to automate these visualizations.

Infrastructure and Security

Westat provides a robust hybrid infrastructure for hosting systems, websites, applications, and computing workspaces. We operate our on-premise data center at a FISMA moderate level and operate solutions in multiple FedRAMP ATO-certified cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, and Google. We can offer our clients a variety of options for hosting and operating the systems that support their projects that include developing and supporting hybrid (cloud and on premise) solutions.

Innovative Data Collection and Management Tools

With a focus on innovation, Westat offers right-sized data acquisition, operations, management, and discovery solutions that emphasize automation, quality, and security. Through harmonization, use of common data models and standards, integration, data science, and deriving data, we can enhance data utility and promote deeper analytics, and wider data pooling and sharing. Our proven data governance framework is powered by modern data architectures and processes, and ensures data are trusted, timely, and enriched. We access tools made up of best-in-class technologies among open source, SaaS, and commercial products, Westat enterprise capabilities, and custom development to meet clients’ diverse and complex data engineering and computing requirements.

Software Engineering

Westat performs software development to incorporate advanced technologies such as multimode data collection, cloud-native data processing and aggregation platforms for epidemiological data, bring your own device (BYOD) approaches, cloud-based voice communications, and integrated research platforms into our research initiatives. We deliver open and secure architectures while ensuring privacy protections to participants. Our engineers are experienced in scalable platforms, tools, and technologies ranging from traditional on-premises web applications backed by relational databases to containerized, cloud-native, open-sourced, distributed, and horizontally scalable research solutions. Finally, we bring world-class user interface and experience designs that engage study participants and clearly communicate study objectives while ensuring accessibility and 508 compliance.  Our team of user experience and interface designers ensures that our products combine design, functionality and intuitive behaviors.

Website Design and Development

Westat builds websites and web applications to support data collection and analysis, collaboration, training, and information and data dissemination. We deliver study information and recruitment sites, and survey interfaces to study participants, data visualization dashboards, including interactive maps, communities of practice, data portals, field interviewer tools, and team collaboration and content management sites. We have expertise in all leading technologies. Our design capabilities include web and mobile interface design, digital branding and illustration, interactive infographics, and web animation. Quality design and code are crafted to produce extensible, accessible, responsive, and mobile-adaptive websites and applications.

WesVar

Westat developed WesVar to help you compute estimates, replicate variance estimates, and more. WesVar has a number of helpful features, from importing and exporting data to creating weights, generating statistics, and obtaining regression output.