In response to the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, federal agencies are developing a Federal cybersecurity research and development strategic plan. On behalf of the agencies, the NITRD Cybersecurity R&D Senior Steering Group seeks public input on research objectives for the strategic plan. The strategic plan will be used to guide and coordinate federally-funded cybersecurity research. Responses must be 25 pages or less and are due by June 19, 2015 to cybersecurity@nitrd.gov. For more information, please see the RFI’s link on the Federal Register.  Responders are asked to answer one or more of the following questions:   1. Section 201 (a)(1) of the Act identifies a number of cybersecurity objectives. What scientific, […]

The AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows at the National Science Foundation (NSF) have organized another talk in their new seminar series on Data Science, Big Data, and Internet of Things. DJ Patil, the first White House Chief Data Scientist and Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Data Policy in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will speak on Friday, May 1, 2015 2-3pm ET. Dr. DJ Patil advises on policies and practices to maintain U.S. leadership in technology and innovation, fosters partnerships to maximize the Nation’s return on its investment in data, and helps to attract and retain the best minds in data science to serve the public. Since joining […]

The following blog post is contributed by Dr. Yolanda Gil from the Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California and Dr. Suzanne A Pierce from the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) and Jackson School of Geosciences of The University of Texas at Austin, the co-chairs of the workshop. A workshop on “Intelligent Systems Research to Support Geosciences and the EarthCube Mission” was held last month at the National Science Foundation.   The workshop was supported by a joint grant from the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and the Directorate for Geosciences of the National Science Foundation. The goal of the workshop was to formulate a research agenda for […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is holding a Smart and Connected Health (SCG) Aspiring Investigators Workshop in Arlington, VA on June 29. This workshop will be an informational and interactive opportunity for the Aspiring Investigators to develop skills and address the knowledge gaps necessary to submit a successful Smart and Connected Health (SCH) proposal. The goal of the SCH Program is to accelerate the development and use of innovative approaches that would support the much needed transformation of health and healthcare from reactive and hospital-centered to preventive, proactive, evidence-based, person-centered. The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is the development of next generation health and healthcare research through high-risk, high-reward […]

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 […]

The next WATCH Talk, called Inside Anonymous, is Tuesday, April 8, 12:00-1:00PM EST.  The presenter is Gabriella (Biella) Coleman, the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill University. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, Coleman researches, writes, and teaches on computer hackers and digital activism. Her first book on Free Software, Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking has been published with Princeton University Press. Her new book, Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous, published by Verso, has been named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2014. Abstract Anonymous, a group of hackers, activists and technologists, came to the fore in 2008 when they attacked the church of […]