Chick-fil-A and the iPad – what more could you want at lunch? Well, that’s exactly what the Task Force on American Innovation, along with Rep. Hultgren (R-IL), Rep. McCaul (R-TX), and Rep. Quayle (R-AZ), are offering at tomorrow’s briefing, “Deconstructing the iPad: How Federally Supported Research Leads to Game-Changing Innovation” in 2325 Rayburn at noon. Speakers include Luis von Ahn from Carnegie Mellon University, Martin Izzard from Texas Instruments, Nobel Laureate William Phillips from NIST, and Benjamin Bederson from University of Maryland. All the details are available here (PDF) along with the RSVP contact. This will be a widely attended event.
On April 12, 2011, In FY11 Appropriations, Policy, By Peter Harsha
On Friday, the House and Senate leadership, along with the White House, reached an agreement on a final budget for the federal government through September 30, 2011 (or FY11, for short). The agreement helped avert a government shutdown over the weekend and will finally give federal agencies some certainty about the funding they’ll have available for the remainder of the fiscal year. While the agreement doesn’t cut federal science budgets nearly as deeply as the continuing resolution the House approved in February, science agencies won’t see any increases under the plan. Here’s a quick summary of what the agreement both chambers will likely approve this week will do to some key science agencies:
The National Science Foundation, which had been slated to receive a $140 million cut under the original House-approved plan, would instead see a cut of $43 million (or 0.8 percent) to its research accounts in FY11 compared to the levels approved for FY10 — a full $444 million less than the President requested in his FY11 budget. NSF’s Education and Human Resources directorate would see a cut of $10 million vs. FY10, $29 million less than the President’s request.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology would see a $7 million cut in FY11 compared to FY10 — a $77 million reduction from the President’s requested level.
DOE’s Office of Science, which had faced a $1.1 billion cut in the original House plan, would instead see a decrease of $35 million in FY11 compared to FY10. This is $252 million less than the President requested.
We’ll have more details on the progress of the bill and a look at the defense R&D it contains in the next update.
On April 7, 2011, In Computing Community Consortium (CCC), CRA, Events, People, Policy, By Peter Harsha
So, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re probably someone who’d be interested in CRA’s most recent effort to increase science policy literacy amongst the computing research community. Today CRA’s Computing Community Consortium is putting out a Call for Nominations for participants in a workshop hosted by the new CCC Leadership in Science Policy Institute. Below is the actual call. If you’re a researcher who is interested in learning more about the ways science policy affects the discipline and the country, or how members of the community can help shape that policy, we want to hear from you! Nominations are being accepted through May 15th. Here are the details:
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS — CCC LEADERSHIP IN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE
As part of its mission to develop a next generation of leaders in the computing research community, CRA’s Computing Community Consortium (CCC) announces the CCC Leadership in Science Policy Institute (LiSPI), intended to educate a small cadre of computing researchers on how science policy in the U.S. is formulated and how our government works. We seek nominations for participants.
LiSPI will be centered around a one-day workshop to be held on Monday, November 7, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Full details of LiSPI are available at: http://cra.org/ccc/spi)
LiSPI will feature presentations and discussions with science policy experts, current and former Hill staff, and relevant agency and Administration personnel about mechanics of the legislative process, interacting with agencies, advisory committees, and the federal case for computing. (You can see a list of speakers and sessions at http://www.cra.org/ccc/spi_agenda.php )
LiSPI participants are expected to
+ complete a short lesson describing the basic structure and function of government (a sort of “Civics 101” assignment) prior to attending the workshop, so that time spent at the workshop can focus on more advanced content,
+ attend the November 7 workshop, which includes breakfast and lunch, as well as a reception with the speakers and invited guests at the conclusion of the day, and
+ complete a small-group assignment afterwards that puts to use the workshop content on a CCC-inspired problem—perhaps writing an argument in favor of particular initiative for an agency audience, or drafting sample testimony on a CCC topic.
LiSPI is not intended for individuals who wish to undertake research on science policy, become science policy fellows, or take permanent positions in Washington, DC. Rather, we are trying to reach work-a-day academics who appreciate that our field must be engaged in helping government.
The CCC will provide funds for hotel accommodations for two nights (before and after the workshop), meals, as well as airfare and other travel expenses in connection with attending the November 7 workshop.
ELIGIBILITY AND NOMINATION PROCESS
LiSPI participants are expected to be tenured academics from Computer Science or Information Science departments who are adept at communicating. They must be nominated by their chair or department head and must have demonstrated an interest in science policy, especially as it relates to computer science (and closely allied fields).
Specifically, the nomination process is as follows:
* A chair or department head proposes a LiSPI candidate by visiting
http://www.cra.org/ccc/spi_nomination.php
and providing the name and institution of the nominee, along with a letter of recommendation.
* The candidate will then be contacted by the CCC and asked to submit a CV, a short essay detailing their interests in science policy, and an indication of whether they would require financial aid to attend.
All nominations and material from nominators and nominees must be received by May 15, 2011.
SELECTION PROCESS
The LiSPI selection committee will evaluate each nomination based on record of accomplishment, proven ability to communicate, and promise. Selections will be announced by June 15, 2011. Funding is available for approximately 15 participants in this initial LiSPI offering.
Please discuss this opportunity with your colleagues, identify those you believe would be interested in participating, and submit nominations!
From the CCC Blog
- A Retrospective on Alan Turing’s Influence Erwin Gianchandani
- Microsoft Research Names 2012 Faculty Fellows Erwin Gianchandani
- Revisiting “Where the jobs are…” Erwin Gianchandani
- “Troves of Personal Data, Forbidden to Researchers” Erwin Gianchandani