CERP Bulletin

The CERP Bulletin frequently shares news, timely information about CERP initiatives, and items of interest to the general community.
Subscribe to the CERP E-Mail List to stay connected.


Tag Archive: CERP Bulletin


NSF logoNSF logo

NSF Supplemental Funding Available for US-India Collaborative Research


The following announcement is provided by the National Science Foundation.

National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and Directorate for Engineering (ENG) is accepting applications for their virtual March 15th and March 22nd Building Collaborations: U.S.- India Workshop.

The joint funding opportunity, in collaboration with six Indian Technological Innovation Hubs (TIHs), aims to provide supplemental funding for collaborative projects in research areas such as AI, computer vision, controls, data science, embedded systems, edge computing, and IoT and application areas such as agriculture, climate, future manufacturing, health, and robotics. U.S. PIs with active NSF awards can apply for supplemental funding.

Please review the information about TIHs before submitting your application.

Workshop Date and Time: March 15th and March 22nd from 10:30 AM- 12:30 PM EST.

Eligible NSF Programs:

  • Computer Systems Research
  • Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Human-Centered Computing
  • Information Integration and Informatics
  • Robust Intelligence
  • Foundational Research in Robotics
  • Smart and Connected Communities
  • Energy, Power, Control, and Networks
  • Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until March 1st, 2022.

How to apply? When submitting your application, please be prepared to answer questions about your active NSF grant, research expertise, the top three TIHs you would like to interact with during the workshop, and a brief description of potential areas of collaboration. If you already have an Indian research partner in mind, please encourage them to explore the TIHs for proposal and coordinate your submissions.

You can review further details about the application process here.

 


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.

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

Supplements for BPC Plans


The following announcement is provided by the National Science Foundation.

PIs with active Medium and Large CISE Core programs awards funded in the last three years (specifically pursuant to solicitations NSF 20-59119-58918-56918-568, and 18-570) are invited to submit supplemental funding requests to engage more members of the CISE research community in significant BPC efforts as part of their projects’ BPC plans. These supplements will increase the participation of individuals underrepresented in the community participation in specific research areas. Supplemental funding requests for an existing BPC plan should either:

  1. extend the reach of current BPC activities that have some evidence of effectiveness to more participants or institutions; or
  2. coordinate and institutionalize BPC activities within a department or similar unit.

The supplemental funding request should also include the following information:

  1. objectives and strategies for the proposed activities along with a timeline;
  2. an evaluation and assessment plan that describes how to measure the outcomes of the proposed activities; and
  3. the results of past BPC activities on this project.

The current approved BPC plan must be uploaded as a Supplementary Document.

Supplemental funding requests must: (a) be less than 20% of the original award amount; and (b) not exceed $200,000. Supplements will not be given if they would require an extension beyond the expiration date of the original grant.

The deadline for submission is January 20, 2022.


BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

BPC Demonstration Projects


The following announcement is provided by the National Science Foundation.

PIs with interest in piloting and evaluating programs to broaden participation in computing are encouraged to submit a BPC Demonstration Project (DP). Typical DPs pilot innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an existing or new BPC Alliance, or otherwise scaled up for widespread impact. Examples include projects proposed by a single institution or those that focus on a single underrepresented community, a single point in the academic pathway, or a single impediment to full participation in computing. Demonstration projects should contribute knowledge to our understanding of effective teaching and learning of computing for students from groups underrepresented in computing.

The deadline for submission is January 20, 2022.

Please refer to the CISE BPC solicitation (NSF 21-571) for more details. Send questions or concerns to cise-bpc@nsf.gov.


BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

CRA-WP LogoCRA-WP Logo

CRA-WP 2022 Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates (DREU) – Applications Open!


The CRA-WP Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program matches students with a faculty mentor for a summer research experience at the faculty mentor’s home institution. We invite applications from both (a) undergraduate students interested in exploring research in computer science and (b) faculty members interested in being a research mentor.

DREU interns will have the opportunity to be directly involved in a research project and interact with graduate students and professors on a daily basis. This experience is invaluable for those who are considering graduate school; DREU will provide a close-up view of what graduate school is really like and increase interns’ competitiveness as an applicant for graduate admissions and fellowships. Faculty mentors will have the opportunity to work on their research project with new students from other institutions and to mentor future graduate students.

Application Link:
https://www.abstractscorecard.com/cfp/submit/login.asp?EventKey=HHZUSJCT

Application Period:

October 15, 2021 – February 15, 2022

Learn More: 

Hear from previous attendees: https://youtu.be/363fwY4ZwTk

 


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.

Attend Upcoming Departmental BPC Plan Working Sessions from BPCnet.org


The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE) announced an updated Core Programs solicitation (NSF 21-616) with new guidelines for submitting Project Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plans. BPCnet.org has a full announcement about these changes published here.

All Medium project proposals to the Core Programs solicitation (NSF 21-616) are due December 1, 2021 – December 22, 2021. In preparation for the proposal due date, BPCnet.org is hosting two working sessions on October 22nd (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET) and November 18th (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET).

These working sessions will be tailored toward departments that are seeking to update an existing Departmental BPC Plan or create a new one.

More details, along with an agenda and registration, can be found here on BPCnet.org.

Questions about these Departmental BPC Plan Working Sessions should be directed to bpcinfo@cra.org or through our contact form here.

 

 


BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

Taulbee, Talent, and Trends: CRA Session at Upcoming DOE ASCAC Meeting


The Computing Research Association (CRA) will be represented by CRA staff (Betsy Bizot, Erik Russell, and Burçin Tamer) and CRA-WP Co-Chairs (Sandhya Dwarkadas and Amanda Stent) during the upcoming U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee (ASCAC) meeting. In their session entitled “Taulbee, Talent, and Trends”, the CRA team will be discussing trends in the computing research pipeline over time, the ways in which CRA supports that pipeline, and how CRA collects data to track that progression. You can catch “Taulbee, Talent, and Trends” from 1:00-1:45 PM ET this Thursday, September 30, 2021.

Click here to view the full agenda for the meeting held from September 29-30. The full meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found here.

Image of Andrew BernatImage of Andrew Bernat

CRA Executive Director Andrew Bernat Retires After Nearly Two Decades of Leadership


Image of Andrew Bernat

After nearly 20 years at the helm of the Computing Research Association, Executive Director Andrew Bernat has retired from his position, marking the close of his incredible career that has spanned more than 40 years. Over the course of his career, he was founding member and chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Texas at El Paso, a NSF Program Director and finally executive director of CRA since 2002. Under his leadership the association has seen a dramatic, positive transformation, more than tripling in size and launching significant new efforts in research visioning, widening participation, and postgraduate support, while remaining the organization of record for computing research issues in Washington policy circles.

At the July CRA board meeting, Bernat reflected on how he has seen the organization evolve over the past two decades. During his tenure, CRA has seen incredible growth – strengthened its financial position, expanded scope of initiatives and increased staffing support. He also recognized CRA’s shift to becoming more active in leading the computing community.

CRA would like to thank Bernat for all he has done for the organization and the computing field. In recognition of his many years of service, CRA staff organized a Hawaiian luau themed farewell party and surprised him at a virtual staff meeting with a custom Zoom background in his honor. He will be greatly missed!

Peter Harsha, CRA’s Director of Government Affairs, will serve as CRA’s Interim Executive Director while the search for Bernat’s successor continues.

Attend the Upcoming BPC Plan Panel at Tapia Conference


Are you attending the CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Conference? If so, please consider attending “The NSF’s BPC Initiative: Resources and Opportunities to Contribute” on Wednesday, September 15 from 1:30 – 2:15 CDT!

Dr. Burçin Tamer, Director of CERP, will be moderating a panel of BPC experts and NSF representative to discuss the National Science Foundation’s BPC Plan requirements. Below you can find the detailed description with a link to the Tapia session.

Description:
Broadening participation in computing (BPC) requires our individual and collective effort. The National Science Foundation is leading an effort to encourage NSF PIs and all computing departments to create BPC plans. Panelists will share resources and advice for how attendees can get involved. Students, staff, and faculty can all play an important role in broadening participation in computing. Since the NSF initiative and supporting resources on BPCnet.org are relatively new, attendees can help by sharing information within their institution and broader network. 

More details about the panel can be found here.

CERP ImageCERP Image

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.

CERP ImageCERP Image

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.