Recently, the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) posted an article about Algorithms in the Field (AitF) a new program in the Directorate for Computer Science and Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). AitF aims to promote collaboration between theory researchers and those in more applied areas. The program synopsis reads as follows: Algorithms in the Field encourages closer collaboration between two groups of researchers: (i) theoretical computer science researchers, who focus on the design and analysis of provably efficient and provably accurate algorithms for various computational models; and (ii) applied researchers including a combination of systems and domain experts (very broadly construed – including but not limited to researchers in computer architecture, […]

Contributions to this post were made by Gregory Hager, Chair of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) and Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Early pioneers of computing such as Alan Turing, John Von Neuman and Herb Simon were fascinated by the possibility of computing opening a window into our understanding of the brain, and how understanding the brain might advance computing. A half century later, computing has made extraordinary progress, but much of the inner workings of the brain remain a mystery. Can we re-ignite the early promise of synergy between research on the human brain and computer science to the benefit of both fields? This […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) sponsored another track in its Blue Sky Ideas Conference Track series at the 22nd ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE), November 16-22, 2014 in Hong Kong. FSE is an internationally renowned forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, experiences, and challenges in software engineering. The goal of this track was to emphasize visionary ideas, long term challenges, and opportunities in software engineering research that are outside of current mainstream topics of the field. This year’s winning papers were: First Prize Methodology and Culture: Drivers of Mediocrity in Software Engineering? Marian Petre and Daniela Damian (Open University, UK; University of Victoria, […]

Recently, some Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council Members visited the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to talk about possible synergies between the computing research community and DoT. Established in 1966, the USDOT’s top priorities are to keep the traveling public safe and secure, increase their mobility, and have our transportation system contribute to the nation’s economic growth. A number of topics were touched on that we will share at a later time. One important piece of information is a recent Request For Information (RFI) on the vehicle-to-vehicle security credential management system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communications, and concurrently released an extensive research […]

The following blog post was written by Dr. Stephanie Forrest, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Forrest recently completed a one year Jefferson Science Fellowship at the U.S. Department of State. Over the past decade it has become evident that computer science and the Internet are on a collision course with larger society. What was once an esoteric technical field, pursued by most of us for its intellectual beauty and engineering adventure, is now at the forefront of the U.S. economy, our social interactions, and foreign policy. When a U.S. President steps to the podium to discuss a software bug called Heartbleed and the U.S. policy on “zero day exploits,” something is up. Catalyzed by […]

The following blog post was written by Dr. Martin Wiener, AAAS Fellow Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering Division of Information and Intelligent Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF).   Comparisons of the brain to a computer have been around since Alan Turing first described the Automatic Computing Engine in 1936. However, decades of research have now shown that the brain is nothing like a computer; at least, nothing like one that currently exists. Plasticity, flexibility and redundancy in neural circuits have led us to understand that the human brain operates with greater efficiency than the most powerful supercomputers today. However, as the field of neuroscience advances, the field of […]