So, You Want to get Funding from the New, Improved (Post-Reorg) CISE?

Ephraim P. Glinert, PhD CISE / IIS Division National Science Foundation [email protected]

March, 2004

CISE Directorate

Peter A. Freeman, Assistant Director

[email protected]

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Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF)

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Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS) Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)

Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure (SCI)

Program Clusters and Cross-cutting Themes

Groups of “old” programs within a single division now are managed in units called clusters (3 x 3) Revised program announcements appeared this past fall for many of the existing programs, mandated by law to establish new (annual) submission deadlines New cluster solicitations are expected to appear later this year, with names many PIs may find confusing Cross-cutting themes (e.g., Cyber Trust, Science of Design) will have special pots of money and span all CISE Divisions

IIS Division

Michael J. Pazzani, Division Director

[email protected]

William S. Bainbridge, Deputy Director

[email protected]

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Systems in Context (SIC) Cluster Data, Inference and Understanding (DIU) Cluster Science and Engineering Informatics (SEI) Cluster

Systems in Context Cluster

Lawrence Brandt Ephraim Glinert Valerie Gregg Suzi Iacono Bhavani Thuraisingham Kenneth Whang Junku Yuh

Advanced Learning Technology, Data and Applications Security, Digital Government, Digital Society and Technologies, HCI, Robotics, Universal Access

HCI Research Areas

Current hot topics include, but are not limited to:

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foundational models and theories multimedia and multimodal interfaces intelligent interfaces virtual and augmented reality immersive environments wearable, mobile, and ubiquitous computing new I/O devices formal experimental evaluation of the utility of interface technologies and attributes

Examples of HCI Projects Funded in FY’03 / ’04

Prasun Dewan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill User-Interface Generation for Mobile and Desktop Computing Holly Yanco, University of Massachusetts at Lowell Human-Robot Interaction in Safety-Critical Applications Christoph Bregler, NYU Laban Capture Christopher Quintana, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor Design Guidelines for Learner-Centered Scaffolding on Handheld Computers

Examples of HCI Projects Funded in FY’03 / ’04

James Davis, Ohio State University CAREER: Computer Recognition of Human Activity Daniel Ellis, Columbia University CAREER: The Listening Machine - Sound Source Organization for Multimedia Understanding Phoebe Sengers, Cornell University CAREER: Using Cultural Theory to Design Everyday Computing Elaine Chew, University of Southern California CAREER: Performer-Centered Approaches to Computer-Assisted Music Making

UA Research Areas

UA research derives from all aspects of HCI, but topics of special interest include:

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architectures, and programming languages that emphasize interface speed, usability by all

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semantic structures for multimedia information to support cross-modal I/O

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specific solutions to address the special needs of people with disabilities, seniors, children, other traditionally under-represented groups

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experimental evaluation of attempts to provide universal access in all its varied forms

Examples of UA Projects Funded in FY’03 / ’04

Carol Neidle, Boston University Pattern Discovery in Signed Languages and Gestural Communication Brad Myers, CMU Using Handhelds to Help People with Motor Impairments Kenneth Barner, University of Delaware Multi-Touch 2-D Tactile Human Computer Interface Design and Optimization for Individuals with Physical Disabilities Allison Druin, University of Maryland at College Park Technology for Cross-Cultural Communication in a Children's International Book Community

DST Research Areas

Current hot topics include, but are not limited to:

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computer supported collaborative work (CSCW) multi-agent systems e-business critical theoretical, empirical connections among 1) design principles for IT artifacts 2) the ways in which IT artifacts become embedded in activities and used in various contexts 3) their long-term outcomes and consequences, and 4) the ways in which learning about use and outcomes can feed back into new / better designs

Examples of DST Projects Funded in FY’03 / ’04

Peter Stone, University of Texas at Austin CAREER: Learning Agents in Dynamic, Collaborative, and Adversarial Multi-agent Environments Jonathon Cummings, MIT CAREER: Fostering Innovation in Organizations Through Geographically Dispersed Teams and Networks Paul David, Stanford University Economic Organization, Performance and Viability of Open Source/Free Software Development Quentin Jones, NJIT Loren Terveen, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities Collaborative Research: Mark This! - Operationalizing the Notion of "Place" For Interactive Community Systems

Points to Remember

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Awards made by these programs are typically for 3 years (CAREER awards are for 5), and provide funding of $100-250K per year (largest FY’03 award was $1.2M over 3 years)

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DST projects are often interdisciplinary in nature; one foot must be in CS/IT (this is a CISE program!), but the other is often in a second discipline (this does not rule out single investigator proposals)

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UA projects must specifically address in-depth issues relating to helping people with disabilities, or to making computing accessible to groups such as children and seniors; it is not sufficient for a proposal to merely claim the results will in some undefined way eventually be useful to members of one or more of these groups!

Don’t Overlook “Hidden” Sources of Funding for Your Research!

Example: Information Technology Research for National Priorities (NSF 04-012): Competition themes for this year: Advances in science and engineering Economic prosperity and vibrant civil society National and homeland security Example: Cyber Trust (NSF 04-524) Example: Science of Design (NSF 04-552) These are two of the new CISE “cross-cutting” themes Example: Human and Social Dynamics (NSF 04-537) An SBE initiative, but with strong CISE involvement

Proposal Submission and Review

IIS programs now have just a single due date in every fiscal year, and almost all reviewing is done by panels Two standard criteria: intellectual merit, broader impacts Typical fiscal year panel cycle (begins October 1): CAREER, regular submissions, ITR (or its successor) Panel review consists of multiple stages: 1. Three or more individual reviewers (panelists) first rate each proposal on a 5-step scale of EXCELLENT down to POOR 2. Panel as a whole then meets, discusses all proposals, assigns them relative rankings on a 3-step scale: e.g., HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, COMPETITIVE, NOT COMPETITIVE 3. HIGHLY COMPETITIVE and COMPETITIVE proposals are often rank ordered to indicate panel assessment of their relative standing more precisely (for internal NSF use only)

After the Panel

Panel input to NSF is advisory only Gives NSF agility to encourage high-risk new directions, flexibility to balance program portfolios CISE is experimenting with having clusters meet as committees to make joint funding recommendations The goal is to fund the best work regardless of area Program Director / Cluster recommendation of an award is not the end of the process!

Division Director (DD) must concur Administrative Officer (AO) must certify funds Program Assistant (PA) must compile copious paperwork into the proposal “jacket” (folder) Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA) must complete legal processing

Keep in Mind...

Funding decisions sometimes must be delayed The final cluster / program budgets may not be known until late in the fiscal year; program officers may wish to take other pending funding decisions (e.g., possible ITR awards) into account, to “spread the joy” Good science is usually not good enough!

NSF lacks funds to award more than about 1 in 8 proposals (at best) So, although much solid science is incremental in nature, incremental proposals typically will not be funded A good mental image: If your proposal does not represent a project to which you can imagine the President might proudly refer in a future State of the Union address, it will probably not be funded Get to know NSF staff and processes first-hand Call or visit to discuss your ideas; volunteer to serve on a review panel