It is a long-standing issue the computing community struggles with that is attracting national attention. A recent study showed just how alarming the diversity statistics are for girls in computer science. Barbara Ericson, director of computer outreach at Georgia Tech, was recently on HLN Weekend Express to break down the numbers and explain reasons for the gap and what can be done to start improving gender diversity in computing. Here are few statistics on high school AP Computer Science classes: Boys out number girls four to one In three states no high school girls took the AP Computer Science test (Mississippi, Montana, Wyoming) The highest percentage of girls taking the […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on “Preparing Applications to Participate in Phase I Ideas Labs on Undergraduate STEM Education”.  The opportunity to participate in one of three Ideas Labs to address grand challenges related to workforce development in the biological sciences, the geological sciences, and engineering was first announced in the “Improving Undergraduate STEM Education” (IUSE) program description.  The DCL provides additional guidance on the specific themes of the three Ideas Labs and the process for applying to participate.  Given the interdisciplinary themes involved and the innovative nature of the Ideas Lab process, NSF anticipates interest from a diverse range of communities, both in terms […]

All you have to do is create the PERFECT March Madness bracket.  If you manage to do so, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway will pay you $1,000,000,000, as reported by ESPN!  While the idea is certainly appealing, creating a perfect bracket is near impossible (the chances of winning are 1 in 4,294,967,296). Don’t despair, there is a consolation prize from Quicken Loans: $100,000 to the 20 most accurate brackets.  So, not only will 20 people definitely walk away with $100,000 in early April, but you can use computer science research to better your chances! Computer Science Professor Sheldon Jacobson and his team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have […]

On Monday, January 27, 2014, the Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (ACI) in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be holding a webinar to explain the different solicitations within ACI.  As you may recall and was reported here, the NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure (OCI) realigned within the CISE Directorate to become ACI last year. The webinar will cover the elements of each solicitation, including objectives, award types, and submission requirements.  There will be a question and answer session following the discussion of each program solicitation. You may join and leave the webinar at various times, as you wish.  The agenda is […]

On Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 10:30 am, Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council Member Elizabeth Mynatt will be giving a Distinguished Lecture at the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Dr. Mynatt is a Professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech and the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology.  The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) connects industry, government and nonprofit leaders with Georgia Tech’s world-class researchers and innovations to transform media, health, education and humanitarian systems. IPaT integrates academic and applied research through living laboratories and multidisciplinary projects to deliver real-world, transformative solutions that balance the needs of people with the possibilities of new technologies.  Mynatt is an internationally recognized […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced three funding opportunities focused on training under the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative.  The BD2K Initiative was formed to enable biomedical scientists to capitalize more fully on the Big Data being generated by the research communities.  The new funding opportunities are: Mentored Career Development Award in Biomedical Big Data Science for Clinicians and Doctorally Prepared Scientists (RFA-HG-14-007) This BD2K FOA solicits applications for a mentored career development award in the area of Big Data Science. The aim of the initiative is to support additional mentored training of scientists who will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be independent researchers as […]