The following is a special contribution to this blog by Peter Lyster, Program Director for biological modeling and bioinformatics in the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).  Peter describes ways to find and apply for NIH funding opportunities that may well be relevant for computing researchers. The Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI) is a consortium of representatives from each of the NIH’s institutes and centers that serves as the focus of biomedical computing issues at the NIH.  Established in May 2000, BISTI’s mission is “to make optimal use of computer science and technology to address problems in biology and […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog by Ashok Goel, Associate Professor of Computer and Cognitive Science in the School of Interactive Computing and Director of the Digital Intelligence Laboratory at Georgia Tech. He co-organized a NSF-funded Bioinspired Design Workshop earlier this month. Examples of bioinspired design are all around us. We see it in Velcro, which was inspired by cockle burrs. We see it in self-cleansing paints that mimic the hydrophobic effect on surfaces of lotus leafs. We see it in robots that can climb vertical walls much like geckos. We see it in the windmill blades that are similar to the tubercles on humpback whale flippers. […]

As part of its mission to help nurture a next generation of computing research leaders, the Computing Community Consortium today announced a call for participants in a first-ever Leadership in Science Policy Institute (LiSPI) — to be held on Monday, November 7, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The goal of the LiSPI, co-organized by CRA’s Government Affairs Committee, is to educate a small cadre of computing researchers — at the associate professor or higher level — about how science policy is formulated in the U.S. and how our government works.  In particular, the LiSPI will feature presentations and discussions with science policy experts, current and former […]

On the heels of a speech by President Obama last week touting a public-private partnership seeking to “help large fleets reduce diesel and gasoline use by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures” including mobile applications, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra yesterday described a variety of Federal research programs aimed at deploying new and innovative information and communications technologies throughout the transportation system.  In a blog entry on The White House website, Chopra and Peter Appel, Administrator of the Transportation Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, wrote: The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), through the Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Research Program, in close partnership […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog from Doug Fisher (Vanderbilt University) and Mary Lou Maher (University of Maryland, College Park), who recently co-organized the AAAI 2011 Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Design. About 25-30 people attended the first-ever AAAI Spring Symposium on AI and Sustainable Design held on March 21-23, 2011 at Stanford University. They came from three primary areas: AI and Design Computational Sustainability Design for Sustainability There was also a virtual participation option, which was made available to co-authors, colleagues, and students of the authors of the papers as a way of broadening participation without requiring additional travel — and as a result […]

There’s an interesting article in the March 2011 issue of the Communications of the ACM about “why computer scientists should come out from ‘behind the scenes’ more often and work with the media to draw public attention to their fundamental innovation“ — and just how we can begin to do that: Science communication or public outreach can be seen as taking a lot of time and effort compared to the payoffs it provides. In effect, there’s a tragedy of the commons—we all benefit from those who do it, so there is incentive to let other people shoulder the load.   The rationale behind science communication is fairly obvious, and it is difficult to […]