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News and updates

NSF Releases Cyberinfrastructure Grant Opportunity

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Agency: National Science Foundation

Grant: Cyberinfrastructure Training, Education, Advancement, and Mentoring for Our 21st Century Workforce (CI-TEAM)

Full Proposal Deadline: April 27, 2010

Synopsis of Program:

New information, communication, and computational technologies have had profound impacts on the practice of science and engineering.  Linked to create a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure, the systems, tools, and services emerging from these new technologies are enabling individuals, groups, and organizations to advance research and education in ways that revolutionize who can participate, what they can do, and how they do it. Sustaining this revolution across all areas of science and engineering requires the formation of a workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to design and deploy as well as adopt and apply these cyber-based systems, tools and services over the long-term. The opportunity for such preparation should be available at all stages of formal and informal education, training and professional development, and must be extended to all interested individuals and communities.

The CI-TEAM program supports projects that position the national science and engineering community to engage in integrated research and education activities promoting, leveraging and utilizing cyberinfrastructure systems, tools and services.

CI-TEAM awards will:

* Prepare current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and educators to design and develop as well as adopt and deploy, cyber-based tools and environments for research and learning, both formal and informal.

* Expand and enhance participation in cyberinfrastructure science and engineering activities of diverse groups of people and organizations, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented individuals, institutions especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and communities as both creators and users of cyberinfrastructure. Continue reading “NSF Releases Cyberinfrastructure Grant Opportunity”

Additional Glimpses Into Obama Budget Request

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Despite President Obama’s plan to call for a three year freeze of domestic discretionary spending, K-12 and certain higher education student aid/support services grant programs stand to receive significant increases in the FY11 budget process -according to administration officials. As mentioned in yesterday’s (1/26) post, certain federal programs may be cut, consolidated, or eliminated to achieve the President’s increases for education while maintaining an overall freeze on federal spending.

During the State of the Union address tonight, President Obama is expected to reiterate his support for the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) that passed the House of Representatives last September but has been delayed in the Senate -pending passage of health care reform. SAFRA would eliminate banks from federal student loan programs, yielding roughly $80 billion in savings that would be spent to increase the mandatory funds available for Pell grants as well as to fund certain college access and completion grant programs.

At the K-12 level, President Obama is expected to propose an allocation of $1.35 billion for the Race to the Top program, which funds state education innovations and reforms. Additionally, $1 billion would be set aside to fund an overhaul of No Child Left Behind. Additional details will be provided in the State of the Union this evening, with a full blueprint available when the FY11 budget request is released on February 1st. The Office of Federal Relations will provide additional information as it becomes available.

President Obama to Propose Discretionary Spending Freeze

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Late yesterday, the Obama administration announced an intention to propose a 3 year freeze of domestic discretionary spending -excluding defense/veterans and homeland security. The proposal, an attempt to decrease the federal budget deficit, will be outlined in the President’s State of the Union address this Wednesday night. At present, we know that the proposal would save approximately $250 billion (by 2020). If the president’s proposal succeeds, it could mean level funding for science and education accounts — important to the higher education community — for the remainder of his first term. However, administration officials have indicated a willingness to cut certain programs in order to allow for increases to programs of importance to the administration -such as education and health. President Obama will officially unveil his complete FY11 budget request on Monday February 1st. It remains to be seen whether or not Congress will go along with his proposed spending freeze. In recent years, Congress has balked at cuts or level funding of programs deemed important by the majority. However, the current political climate on Capitol Hill and fact that we find ourselves in an election year, could increase pressure on Congress for fiscal restraint.

This Week on Capitol Hill – January 25-29

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The Senate votes Monday on a judicial nomination and is expected to continue debate on a measure to increase the federal debt limit, with votes on amendments beginning Tuesday.

The House returns Tuesday to consider a number of commemorative resolutions along with a draft bill to provide emergency aid to U.S. survivors of the eqrthquake in Haiti.  The Senate may also take up that bill later in the week.

The House is scheduled Wednesday to vote on extending small-business programs.

President Obama is scheduled to give the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night.

House Republicans attend their annual policy retreat Thursday and Friday.

Source:  Congressional Quarterly

Commerce Secretary Locke Announces Plans for Forum on R&D Commercialization at Universities

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US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced on Tuesday his plans to host a forum with university leaders and key stakeholders on the roles of universities in innovation, economic development, job creation, and commercialization of federally funded research next month in Washington, DC.

The forum, to be held February 24, will open a dialogue among administration officials, university leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of existing government and university policies, programs and practices that impact job creation and commercialization.  Participants will discuss potential collaborative steps that the Commerce Department and administration can take working with universities and industry to increase and accelerate commercialization of federal R&D in universities.

Universities cultivate many of the critical capabilities needed to build an innovation economy, including the creation of new fundamental knowledge and technologies, the production of skilled industrial and research workforces, and entrepreneurship and leadership development.  The federal government makes substantial investments in university-based R&D and has a long relationship with the university community.  With input from many stakeholders, the Commerce Department will explore ways to increase and accelerate commercialization of new ideas from R&D that lead to new businesses and new jobs.