The following guest blog post is from Tho Nguyen, AAAS Fellow in Computer Systems Research in the Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Today marks the end of the 2015 Cyber-Physical Systems Week.  As part of the week of celebrations, NSF sponsored a meeting of early-career investigators in cyber-physical systems to focus on exploring research challenges and opportunities in Smart Cities.

The Cyber-Physical Systems community is an exciting group of researchers and developers working to advance the emerging system science that deeply integrates computing (cyber) and engineered (physical) components. CPS enables truly “smart” technologies, systems, and infrastructures of the future. Examples of CPS today include the self-driving car, tele-operated robots, and smart-grid technologies.

With more than 80% of the US population living in urban environments, there is a clear and apparent need to further engage research and development innovations to enhance urban quality of life. Naturally, the CPS community plays a central role in the emerging Smart City paradigm.

NSF CISE Directorate prioritizes the professional development early-career investigators by supporting programs such as the innovative CISE Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) and NSF’s CAREER Awards. Recognizing that researchers in the multi-domains field of CPS need broad perspectives beyond their research expertise, the CISE Directorate initiated an early-career workshop concept where new investigators gather for professional development, building professional networks, and engaging in a national a discussion to explore research opportunities with their peers. The early-career workshop is both a professional development activities for researchers and as well as mechanism for NSF to develop a core researcher community to address emerging national priorities.

The CPS program enabling smart technologies for the future; the emerging Smart City paradigm to enhance urban quality of life; and the community meeting for early-career researchers are all coming together at CPS Week 2015 this April 13-17, 2015 in Seattle, WA. The early-career workshop is led by exciting thought leaders in the field such as Maryam Fazel (UW), Steven Low (Caltech), Babak Parviz (Amazon Inc.), Glenn Ricart (US-IGNITE), Jose Baptista (Rockefeller Foundation), and Vikram Janhdyala (UW).

The 2015 NSF Early-Career Investigator Workshop for CPS and Smart City marks the first meeting to develop a core research community that is truly for the future.