US Programs and Possibilities

1. US Programs and Possibilities Workshop on Biomedical Informatics and Collaboration March 18-19, 2004 Sylvia Spengler, US National Science Foundation

2. Talk Outline • Introduction to NSF • Challenges and Opportunities for Research Collaborations Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

3. The President of the United States Office of Science Advisor Other Boards, Management Councils, Etc. Office of and Budget Science & Technology Policy Agriculture Health & Interior Transportation Defense Energy Commerce Human Services National National Environmental Smithsonian Nuclear Other Science Aeronautic Protection Institution Regulatory Agencies Foundation & Space Agency Commission Administration NSF-9

4. NSF’s Mission • To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

5. NSF’s Mission (2) • External mission – “advance national prosperity and welfare:” • To address complex, interdependent and changing societal problems • E.G., IT workforce, changing atmosphere, global economy, terrorism, homeland security Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

6. NSF’s Mission (3) • Scientific mission – “promote the progress of science:” • Marburger (scientific advisor to the president)-- science based science policy: “discovery and the creation of new technologies are unlikely to emerge from mandates in service to a particular social issue” • “Seize the greatest opportunities science is creating for discovery and the improvement of the human condition” • Number of scientific fields are exploding (8,530 in 1987), many from new interdisciplinary areas Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

7. National Science Board Office of Inspector General National Science Foundation Director Deputy Director • Office of the Director • Legislative & Public Affairs • Equal Opportunity Programs • General Counsel • Integrative Activities • Polar Programs • Directorates • Biological Sciences • Computer & Information Science & Engineering • Education & Human Resources • Engineering • Geosciences • Mathematical & Physical Sciences • Social, Behaviorial & Economic Sciences • Offices • Budget, Finance & Award Management • Information & Resource Management 33

8. CISE Organization: 2004Peter Freeman, AD Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

9. Computing & Communication FoundationsKamal Abdali, Division Director Support research and education activities to explore the foundations of computing and communication devices and their usage. Advance computing and communication theory, algorithms for computer and computational sciences, and architecture and design of computers and software. Investigate revolutionary computing paradigms based on emerging scientific ideas and technologies. Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

10. Computer & Network SystemsGreg Andrews, Division Director • CNS supports research and education activities that invent new computing and networking technologies and that explore new ways to make use of existing technologies. The Division seeks to develop a better understanding of the fundamental properties of computer and network systems and to create better abstractions and tools for designing, building, analyzing, and measuring future systems. • CNS also supports the computing infrastructure that is required for experimental computer science. Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

11. Division of Shared CyberinfrastructureSangtae Kim, Division Director Supports design, development and deployment of one coherent set of interconnected computational engines, data repositories, digital libraries, sensors and field-specific instruments known as cyberinfrastructure. Such resources are widely shared across multiple scientific and engineering domains Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

12. Information and Intelligent SystemsMichael Pazzani, Division Director • increase the capabilities of human beings and machines to create, discover and reason with knowledge • advance the ability to represent, collect, store, organize, locate, visualize and communicate information • reveal how empirical data leads to discovery in the sciences and engineering Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

13. The Collaboration Challenge Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

14. Collaboration Benefits ( Venice, October 2001) • Large-scale, global research challenges can be addressed • Exchange/gain expertise and knowledge • New perspectives on the research phenomenon • Economies of scope and scale • Sustainability of research efforts Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

15. Examples of Collaboration • US grantees & EC Contractors • Grantee workshops and conferences for agenda setting and future collaborations • E-business, e-work (2001, 2002 in Europe) • Open Source Software (2002 in US & Europe) • Critical Infrastructure Protection (1998, 2000, 2002 in Europe and US) • Embedded Systems (2001, 2002, 2003) • Joint programs • Multi-lingual information access and management (1999) • NSF supplements to grants • For US researchers to work jointly with IST projects • For researchers to hold joint workshops Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

16. Examples of Collaboration • Organization to Organization • Increasing invitations to workshops and conferences • Ework, ebusiness, eChallenges (2001, 2002, 2003) • Transforming Enterprise (2002) • Connecting Research and Policy (2002, Feb. 2004) • 2nd International Conference on Economic and Social Implications of IT (2005) Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

17. Persistent Issues • Intellectual Property Rights • Timing of collaborations • Timing of actual award • Oversight and management from the funding perspective Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

18. “Distance matters” • Difficult to establish mutual regard and common ground, increased misunderstanding (Cramton, 2001) • Delays in project schedule (Herbsleb et al., 2000) and poor monitoring of progress (Weisband 2001) • Information and awareness distributed unevenly (Olson et al, 2001) Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

19. Future Collaboration • A lot of models, many creative approaches • Many emerging areas of collaboration • Digital Government • Cyberinfrastructure • Cybertrust • Critical Infrastructure Protection, Embedded Systems • Digital Society • E-health Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

20. Mechanisms of Collaboration • Supplements to US awards and modifications in scope of work in EC projects; the example of ITR at NSF. Other possibilities? • A Model Joint Partnership Agreement Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

21. A Model Agreement • EU-USA, Agreement for Scientific and Technical Collaboration between the European Community and the United States of America, December 1997 • An Implementing Arrangement for Cooperative Activity in the Area of Environmental Research, 2001 Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

22. Elements of the Model • Scope • Duration • Management of the Partnership (overall and scientific • Information Management (publications, website) • Confidentiality • Intellectual Property • Handling and Use of Data • Dispute Resolution Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate

23. Other Ideas? • Many programs in CISE at NSF are interested. • Suggestions are welcome: sspengle@nsf.gov vgregg@nsf.go hgill@nsf.gov siaconno@nsf.gov Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate