CRA Bulletin

The CRA Bulletin frequently shares news, timely information about CRA initiatives, and items of interest to the general community.
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Posts categorized under: Resources

Best Practices for Hiring Teaching Faculty in Research Computing Departments


Best Practices for Hiring Teaching Faculty in Research Computing Departments By Jennifer Campbell (University of Toronto), Mark Floryan (University of Virginia), Geoffrey Herman (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Michael Hilton (Carnegie Mellon University), and Jérémie Lumbroso (University of Pennsylvania) Executive Summary The rising demand for computing degree programs has led to a rapid increase in teaching […]

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Undergraduate BPC Literature Database Launch


UCLA’s Momentum and CRA are excited to launch an Undergraduate BPC Literature Database that compiles scholarship on broadening participation in undergraduate computing. The focus of the included papers ranges from the implementation and evaluation of BPC interventions to theoretical pieces around broader social forces that cause longstanding inequalities in computing.

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CSTB Releases Report Fostering Responsible Computing Research: Foundations and Practices


The National Academies’ Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) released a new report, Fostering Responsible Computing Research: Foundations and Practices. The report outlines recommendations for the computing research community to ensure ethical and societal impacts are thought through and a part of the conversation from the start.

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CRA Opportunity Board


Last year the Computing Research Association (CRA) launched an Opportunity Board to enable recent new PhD graduates and members of the community that are looking for postdocs to connect. This is a continuation of the Opportunity Board used to match potential postdocs and mentors during the CIFellows 2021 process. The board allows for the posting of postdoc opportunities by potential mentors and posts by those looking for a postdoc opportunity. We encourage members of the community to use this as a resource.

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CRA’s CV Database Initiative Turns Three


The CRA CV Database is now open for applications for the 2021-22 recruiting season. It can be accessed through https://cra.org/cv-database/. Candidates will be able to upload their resumes, research and teaching statements, job objectives and other preferences, and a link to a short presentation video. Recruiters will be able to search this information and are encouraged to contact candidates starting mid-November.

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2020 Taulbee Survey: Bachelor’s and Doctoral Degree Production Growth Continues but New Student Enrollment Shows Declines


This article and the accompanying figures and tables present the results from the 50th annual CRA Taulbee Survey, which documents trends in student enrollment, degree production, employment of graduates, and faculty salaries in academic units in the United States and Canada that grant the Ph.D. in computer science, computer engineering, or information.

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Amplifying Resources for Inclusiveness in Computing: Racial Equity in STEM Education (EHR Racial Equity)


The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is soliciting proposals for projects addressing systemic racism in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development through research and practice. Those who have been impacted by the inequities caused by system racism should be the primary focus for all proposals. Competitive proposals will be clear with respect to how the work will advance racial equity and address system racism.

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Pandemic Informatics: Vaccine Distribution, Logistics, and Prioritization


In Fall 2020, the Computing Research Association released a series of planned white papers produced through its subcommittees (including the Computing Community Consortium), exploring areas and issues around computing research with the potential to address national priorities over the next four years. Called Quadrennial Papers, the white papers attempt to portray a broad picture of computing research detailing potential research directions, challenges, and recommendations for policymakers and the computing research community. 

One of those white papers Pandemic Informatics: Preparation, Robustness, and Resilience outlined a strategy to reduce the impact of global pandemics stressing early detection, predicting the public’s reaction and developing effective policies. 

Several months later, the pandemic is still ongoing but we are facing a new and different set of challenges that are both surprising and yet also somehow predictable. The authors of the paper have produced a March 22nd, 2021 Addendum to address current issues. 

See the March 22nd, 2021 Pandemic Informatics: Preparation, Robustness, and Resilience Addendum here for more details. 

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Introducing the CERP Bulletin


The CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) is excited to launch a new blog called the CERP Bulletin to share news, research and evaluation findings, promote resources and community platforms, and provide helpful context to CERP’s mission. The CERP Bulletin will include CERP research activity, infographics, evaluation reports, and interesting CERP-related articles.

We encourage you to stay updated on CERP through the Bulletin by signing up for our mailing list, which you can do here.

This post is brought to you by the CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). CERP provides social science research and comparative evaluation for the computing community. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing-up here.

 

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CRA-E Releases Report on Best Practices for Scaling Undergraduate CS Research Opportunities


Undergraduate enrollments in CS have grown considerably and continue to grow.  Yet opportunities for undergraduates to engage in CS research have not grown proportionally.  Engaging undergraduates in research has tremendous benefits for students, and is critical to the health of the North American CS PhD pipeline.

The CRA’s Education committee has released a new report documenting best practices and concrete suggestions for departments wishing to expand undergraduate research opportunities in CS (without overwhelming their faculty!).  The report is based on a broad examination of existing structured research programs at universities across North America. It compiles the main challenges departments face in implementing undergraduate research programs, and provides best practices for addressing these challenges. 

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Amplifying Resources for Inclusiveness in Computing: NCWIT Conversations for Change Webinar Tomorrow


Numerous events of 2020 have placed a national spotlight on the inequities and inequalities that are present in K-16 education and society at large. In this conversation, Dr. Nicki Washington discusses how her personal journey in computing influenced her research on identity in computing, including the development of her “Race, Gender, Class, and Computing” course and why “teaching is political.”

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Call for Submissions: Departmental BPC Plans


The Computing Research Association (CRA) and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) are calling upon the academic community to create and submit Departmental BPC Plans to BPCnet.org.

Departmental BPC Plans are important because they help departments:

  • reaffirm their commitment to equity and inclusion,
  • identify and organize their BPC related goals and activities,
  • and support PIs in their department who are submitting CISE proposals requiring a Project BPC Plan at the time of award.
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CERP Announces Webinar for Data Buddies Survey


The CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) recently published a webinar featuring the Data Buddies Survey (DBS). This webinar details some of the background of the Data Buddies Survey, tips for good response rates, benefits for participating departments, and requirements for participating departments. This webinar is designed for a broad audience, including prospective DBS participants. You can view the webinar by clicking here.

Cultural Competence in Computing (3C) Fellows Program Now Accepting Applications


Undergraduate computing departments have long suffered from issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, there has been, to date, no large-scale effort that focuses on addressing issues of systemic racism and bias that directly impact not only students from minoritized groups, but also faculty (as issues of race, gender, and intersectionality impact hiring, […]

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CRA Committee on Industry/Academia Interactions Releases Report


Recent trends such as increasing industry demands for technical talent from academia, as well as changes in the academic environment with increased industry interactions have prompted the need for a fresh look at the relationships between academia and industry. A CRA ad hoc committee on Industry/Academia Interactions was studied these trends and determined how CRA can have an impact.

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Amplifying Resources for Inclusiveness in Computing: Join CMD-IT for Standing Against Racial Injustices – Sharing Our Stories


Join the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT  (CMD-IT) this Friday, August 7 (1:30 – 2:30 pm CT) for a panel discussion examining racial injustice from the perspective of Black professionals in computing. Panelists will provide their stories of overcoming racial injustices to get to where they are today. They will also share advice and insights about systemic changes needed for equity and inclusion. Register here.

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Request for Community Feedback on BPCnet.org


With this particularly challenging academic year coming to an end, and the upcoming NSF CISE program submissions, it is a good time to update everyone on the NSF CISE Pilot Program for Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plans. All Medium and Large CISE Core Programs, Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC), and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) project proposals require an approved BPC Plan by the time of award. CRA and NCWIT have led an effort to develop the BPCnet.org portal as a resource for the community to assist in developing Departmental BPC Plans and Individual BPC Plans.

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2019 Taulbee Survey: Total Undergrad CS Enrollment Rises Again, but with Fewer New Majors; Doctoral Degree Production Recovers from Last Year’s Dip


After twelve years of sustained growth in undergraduate enrollment, there may be signs of a slowdown in that there are, on average, fewer new undergraduate majors in 2019-20 than there were in 2018-19. Nevertheless, the average number of CS majors continued its rise in 2018-19, both in U.S. CS departments and overall.