The following is an article published in the January 2013 edition of Computing Research News. If you would like receive CRN via email, you can sign up here.
The Computing Community Consortium: A Force Multiplier for CRA
By Ed Lazowska, CCC Chair, University of Washington
The Computing Community Consortium, like CRA-W, is a committee of CRA that serves as a “force multiplier” for a particular aspect of CRA’s mission. CCC’s role is to work with the computing research community, the White House, Federal agencies, and others, to create momentum for visionary research themes that address major technical, national, and global challenges.
CCC has recently secured a new 4-year award from NSF, and is transitioning from “startup mode” to a sustainable organization through the creation of an Executive Committee and a leadership rotation strategy – ensuring that CCC will be able to continue to serve the computing research community for the foreseeable future.
Recent activities:
· NSF announced the new “Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability” (XPS) Program; the solicitation notes that CCC furnished a white paper earlier this year titled 21st Century Computer Architecture, through which members of the computing research community contributed strategic thinking in this space.
· CRA has adopted a “Best Practices” document on postdocs. CCC drove the creation of this document, stimulated by our innovative and highly successful Computing Innovation Fellows Project. Postdocs have been expanding rapidly in the computing fields. Only by being introspective and proactive can we ensure that these positions contribute to the professional development of the student, rather than being exploitative.
· The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has formally adopted a 2012 assessment of the Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program, advised by a Working Group consisting of CCC Vice Chair Susan Graham, former CCC Council member Peter Lee, and PCAST member David Shaw.
Upcoming activities:
· A “Challenges and Visions” track at the 6th Biennial Conference on Innovative Data Systems Research (CIDR), January 6-9 in Pacific Grove, CA – the ninth in a series of such tracks at major conferences in the field. Propose one for the major conference in your field!
· A workshop on “Convergence of Software Assurance Methodologies and Trustworthy Semiconductor Design and Manufacture,” co-sponsored by CCC, NSF, and the Semiconductor Research Corporation, January 15-16 in Arlington, VA – one of an ongoing sequence of “visioning activities,” a process in which you are warmly encouraged to participate.
· A workshop on MOOCS, “Multidisciplinary Research for Online Education,” February 11-12 in Washington, DC.
· A workshop on “Privacy R&D,” co-sponsored by CCC and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), March 4 in Washington, DC.
· The second Leadership in Science Policy Institute – an educational opportunity featuring presentations from science policy experts, current and former Hill staff, and relevant agency and Administration officials, and covering topics that include the mechanics of the legislative process, serving on advisory committees, and interfacing with Federal agencies – April 11-12 in Washington, DC.
How to get involved:
· Participate in various activities, as suggested above.
· Stay current! Follow the CCC Blog via its RSS feed.
· Participate in the Computing Research in Action video initiative – additional entries are welcome!
CCC, like CRA, is you! Participate!
· Find us at http://www.cra.org/ccc/
