CERP Bulletin

The CERP Bulletin frequently shares news, timely information about CERP initiatives, and items of interest to the general community.
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Category Archive: Homepage


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CERP team releases new version of Data Buddies Project webpage


Over the last few months, the CERP team has been refreshing the Data Buddies Project webpage. These new updates provide clearer, more accessible information about the project and how departments can sign up to participate in the annual Data Buddies Survey (DBS).

Some of the updated content includes a list of measures that appear on DBS, responsibilities for participating departments, and other frequently asked questions! Visit the main project webpage at: https://cra.org/cerp/data-buddies/.

The page also aggregates many other useful survey-related resources and links to sample reports that we provide participating departments.

Is your department already participating in DBS? If not, sign up to join today! We look forward to bringing DBS to your department. We are currently in the process of enrolling new departments for our 2021 survey cycle; this year, the survey will open around October/November (exact date to be announced soon).

Here is the general timeline for a given DBS survey cycle:

Table showing the typical timeline in a given DBS survey cycle. IRB preparations happen in August and September. The survey opens in October or November. Departments send student reminders in November or December. The survey closes in January or February. Departments receive their reports in May or June.

If you have any further questions about the Data Buddies Project, please contact us!


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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.

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CERP to support new NSF INCLUDES Alliance focused on increasing equity and broadening participation in STEM


On August 3, 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced five new NSF INCLUDES Alliances, which will each address a critical broadening participation challenge in STEM at scale.

The CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) will support one of the new INCLUDES Alliances as a consultant representing BPCnet.org, a clearinghouse for the community to learn about and engage with ongoing projects to address underrepresentation in Computing. Through this collaboration, CERP will work to expand the BPCnet.org Statistics and Data Hub, an online tool that currently provides computing-related data at the K-12 and postsecondary levels.

CERP is looking forward to supporting this new INCLUDES Alliance:

All other new Alliances are listed below:

 


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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.

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CISE Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program Webinar


NSF’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is providing information on the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program solicitation NSF 19-582 via a webinar on August 6th, 2021 starting at 12:00 pm ET. The event page can be found by clicking here, which includes more information about the webinar and a list of clarifications for specifically REU Site proposals.

One important clarification is the new option for the required evaluation component of the REU Site proposal. PIs are encouraged to work with the CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline to fulfill the evaluation requirement of the REU Sites program. Submit an interest form to sign up and for a statement to include in your proposal. If you choose to participate in this evaluation, you do not have to include evaluation in your budget.

Additionally, the webinar will include a briefing on the CISE REU program and key solicitation requirements followed by a question-and-answer session. Prior to the webinar, you can submit questions to cise.reu@nsf.gov.

Register in advance for this webinar, which will take place via Zoom:
https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_OMIx_4NoQd6AXF8w7VTr0g

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about how to join the webinar. Participants will be able to join in a listen-only mode and interact through the Q&A function.

Contact: Rebecca Shearman rshearman@nsf.gov


This community update 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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.

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Job Openings at CRA


The Computing Research Association (CRA) is hiring! There are three new job openings available for motivated individuals looking to make a difference in the computing research field.

Executive Director of CRA

Executive Director Andrew Bernat recently announced his retirement, staring September 1, 2021. CRA seeks an inclusive, transparent, and enterprising leader to serve as its next Executive Director (ED). CRA has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in the recruitment of the Executive Director. All inquiries, nominations/referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent electronically to the following via http://www.imsearch.com/7971.

Program Assistant, CERP

CRA Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) seeks a full-time employee to join the team as a Program Assistant. The Program Assistant will be primarily responsible for the administrative aspects of CERP’s activities and projects such as coordinating meetings (both virtual and in- person) and website administration. Interested parties should send a cover letter, resume, and a list of 2-3 references to employment[at]cra.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Senior Program Associate, CRA-Industry

The Computing Research Association (CRA) seeks a full-time employee to join our team as a Senior Program Associate for the CRA Industry standing committee (CRA-Industry). The Senior Program Associate will engage with members of the CRA-Industry committee and the industry computing research community to further develop awareness of CRA-Industry and its work.  They will work closely with the CRA-Industry steering committee, which consists of senior leaders of the computing research community. Please send a cover letter, resume, a recent writing sample (e.g., technical report, article), and a list of 2-3 references to employment[at]cra.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis at least through August 2021 and until the position is filled.


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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.

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CERP Receives Contract with NSF CISE to Evaluate REU Programs


Recently, CERP was contracted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) to evaluate the CISE Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program. Through this contract, CERP will provide evaluation for REU Sites and REU Supplements starting spring of 2022. More information about CERP’s plans for evaluation can be found on the new CERP REU Evaluation webpage.

If you are a Principal Investigator (PI) of an existing REU award or you are preparing your REU proposal, complete our interest form to begin the process of working with CERP for evaluation. After the interest form is submitted, someone from the evaluation team (cerpreu@cra.org) will confirm the entry and provide any necessary materials for proposal submission.

 

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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for the Data Buddies Project by signing up here.

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Upcoming NSF deadline: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)


The full proposal deadline date for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is August 25, 2021 (NSF 19-582).

From the NSF REU program synopsis:

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. (2) REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects.Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

 

This community update 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. Subscribe to the CERP newsletter & bulletin by clicking here. Volunteer for Data Buddies by signing up here.

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ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions


The National Science Foundation (NSF) is soliciting proposals for it’s ADVANCE program. The program is seeking proposals that build on prior NSF ADVANCE work and other research and literature concerning gender, racial and ethnic equity.

The solicitation includes four funding tracks:

  • The Institutional Transformation (IT) track
  • The Adaptation track
  • The Partnership track
  • The Catalyst track

Please note that NSF ADVANCE does not provide fellowships, research, or travel grants to individual students, postdoctoral researchers, or faculty to pursue STEM degrees or research.

For more information on the ADVANCE proposals, please visit the NSF funding page here.

CRA Executive Director Job Description and Advertisement


The Computing Research Association (CRA)—the nation’s premier member organization of academic departments, laboratories, and industry centers aimed at advancing computing research to change the world—seeks an inclusive, transparent, and enterprising leader to serve as its next Executive Director (ED). CRA counts among its members more than 200 North American organizations active in computing research: academic departments of computer science and computer engineering; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia; and affiliated professional societies. The next Executive Director has a unique opportunity to lead CRA to effect change that benefits both computing research and society at large.

Formed in 1972, CRA is the largest organization of its kind in the country. It has continued to grow and offer new programs and services under an ever-widening umbrella of committees and strategic initiatives collectively focused on supporting pathbreaking, expansive, and inclusive computing research in North America. Its complex mission is supported by diverse funding streams, and its operations and strategic directions serve a wide range of stakeholder groups including academic research programs, industry groups, and the federal government. As computing becomes increasingly ubiquitous across society, CRA will play an ever more important role in fostering connection with its constituent partners; engaging with societal issues like privacy, security, and equity; challenging norms and rigid hierarchies that affect the computing research pipeline; and nucleating ideas, strategies, and policies that emphasize the transformative capacities of socially responsible computing to improve the world.

In leading and sustaining CRA’s work, the ED will report to the Executive Committee of CRA’s Board of Directors. The ED will play a robust role to build on CRA’s existing renown and further grow the national visibility and leadership of the organization at this time of critical challenge for the computing field and for society. CRA seeks as Executive Director a highly accomplished, energetic, and articulate leader who brings a strong computing science background, knowledge of the computing research community, and the capacity to interact diplomatically and effectively with a wide variety of individuals. They must possess a broad and inclusive view of the computing fields, solid management capabilities and experience, outstanding communication skills, deep understanding of the funding mechanisms that affect computing research, significant leadership and change-management experience, and the capacity to lead, mentor, and guide a highly capable and accomplished staff.

CRA has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in the recruitment of the Executive Director. All inquiries, nominations/referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent electronically to the following via http://www.imsearch.com/7971. The full list of search committee members can be found here.

John Muckle, Partner
Vijay Saraswat, Managing Associate
Raul Bernal, Senior Associate

Isaacson, Miller
263 Summer Street, Floor 7
Boston, MA 02210
http://www.imsearch.com/7971

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CISE Research Initiation Initiative (CRII)


The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is seeking proposals to support research independence among early-career academics specifically lacking access to adequate resources for its CISE Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) program. The CRII program seeks to provide essential resources to enable early-career PIs to launch their research careers. 

Funds obtained through this program will be used to support untenured faculty or research scientists in their first three years in a primary academic position after their PhD, but not more than six years after completion of their PhD for proposals submitted in 2021, and not more than five years after completion of their PhD for proposals submitted after 2021. Proposals may be submitted by two- and four-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) located in the US and non-profit, non-academic organizations. Applicants for this program may not yet have received any other grants or contracts in the PI role from any department, agency, or institution of the federal government, including from the CAREER program or any other program, post-PhD, regardless of the size of the grant or contract, with certain exceptions as noted below. 

The deadline for full proposals is September 20, 2021. For more information, click the link provided below.

Read More

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Call for BPC Reviewers


The National Science Foundation is now preparing for proposal submissions for the Broadening Participation in Computing  (NSF 21-571) program.  The BPC program seeks to engage the computing community to develop and implement innovative methods, frameworks, and strategies to improve recruitment and retention of these students through undergraduate and graduate degrees.  The quality of the awards selected for support by the National Science Foundation depends greatly on the critical judgments of expert reviewers from diverse backgrounds. If you are willing to serve as a reviewer, please follow the link below to provide some information about your background.  Responses submitted by June 20 will be most helpful.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021EWF

We realize that now is still a severely disruptive time. Please do not take this request as a lack of recognition of what you are going through at the moment. Yet, many researchers are relying on NSF funding, so we are trying to maintain a steady stream of proposal evaluations and awards. We really appreciate any help you could provide in this endeavor.