The Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched a new multi-year initiative to create and support an “innovative and inclusive” profession for the 21st century, called the Professional Formation of Engineers.  As part of the FY15 initiative, the program is sponsoring the Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED) solicitation, in conjunction with the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate and the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate. From the solicitation: Specific activities supported by the RED solicitation may include, but are not limited to: Establishing convergent technical and professional threads that must be woven across the four years, especially in core technical courses of the middle two years, […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog by Jane Stout, Director of CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP).   The CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) has published a report on the topic of Industry versus Academic Postdocs in computing. The report uses both survey and focus group data to assess the experiences of individuals who have completed a computing related postdoc in either an industry or academic setting. Findings suggest that Industry Postdocs feel better able to manage professional responsibilities, have better relationships with their advisor and feel more welcomed in the work environment compared to Academic Postdocs. Through comparing and contrasting postdocs’ experiences in the two settings, CERP’s report sheds […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog by by CCC Executive Council Member Mark Hill and workshop organizers Hanspeter Pfister, An Wang Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and  Georg Seelig, Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington. Hanspeter Pfister and Georg Seelig organized a two-day DARPA ISAT workshop on Brain Analysis, Synthesis, and Computation (BASC) in August, 2013. The workshop focused on the state of the art in the areas of brain analysis (structural and functional), brain synthesis, and how they affect the future of computation. The workshop was well attended by over 60 experts in the […]

On July 31, 2014, Dr. Farnam Jahanian, Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced the appointment of Dr. Lynne Parker as the new Division Director for the Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) Division within the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate.  Below is Dr. Jahanian’s letter to the CISE community. Dear CISE Community, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lynne E. Parker to the position of Division Director for the CISE Division of Information & Intelligent Systems (IIS), effective January 2015.  She will be joining NSF from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK), where she is Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Electrical Engineering […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is releasing its fourth segment in the Computing Research in Action Series.   Researchers at Mississippi State University are studying human-robot interaction − how people respond to robotic technology.  Professor Cindy Bethel started and oversees the Social Therapeutic and Robotic Systems (STARS) Lab.  She leads a team of 22 researchers including undergraduates, masters, and PhD students. “This research has been an investment of heart and soul for our students and for me.  We started out where we didn’t have any funding for this, but it was something that we were passionate about. And so we have devoted our time to this and to building this program.” – Cindy Bethel […]

In 2009, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government.  That memorandum has been followed by additional memorandums and Executive Orders resulting in the Open Government Initiative.  As a result of this initiative, governments (both federal and local) are releasing data feeds, which have enabled the creation and use of new applications, from real-time accurate traffic information to localized crime reporting. While the Initiative is presented as “an unqualified good” there are some questions about the impact on citizens.  As such, the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and Microsoft have issued an RFP to further explore the technical, legal, and regulatory implications of Open Data.  From the solicitation: The […]