NSF/CISE International Science and Engineering

Suzi Iacono, Ph.D., Senior Science Advisor

Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)

Cyber Trust PI Meeting

Yale University

March 17, 2008

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Outline

• Background on NSF

• How we derive our authority to collaborate internationally

• Opportunities– Office of International Science and

Engineering (OISE) programs– CISE Cyber Trust

• Conclusions

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The Presidentof the

United States

Office ofManagementand Budget

Agriculture Health &Human Services

Interior

NationalScience

Foundation

NationalAeronautic

& SpaceAdministration

EnvironmentalProtection

Agency

SmithsonianInstitution

NuclearRegulatory

Commission

OtherAgencies

State Defense Energy Commerce

Science Advisor

Office ofScience &

Technology Policy

Other Boards,Councils, Etc.

NSF-9

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NSF Mission

To promote the progress of science;

To advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare;

And to secure the national defense.

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NSF Investment Priorities

• Discovery: Foster research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge and establish the US as a global leader in fundamental and transformational science and engineering

• Learning: Cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce

•Prepare a diverse, globally- engaged STEM workforce

•Research Infrastructure: Build the nation’s research capacity through investments in instrumentation, facilities, cyberinfrastructure, and experimental tools

• Stewardship: Support excellence in science and engineering research and education through a capable and responsive organization

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NSF Organization

Directorate for Biological Sciences

Directorate for Computer and InformationSciences and Engineering

Directorate for Education and

Human Resources

Directorate for Engineering

Directorate for Geosciences

Directorate for Mathematical andPhysical Sciences

Directorate for Social, Behavioral

And Economic Sciences

Office of the Director NSBNB

OPP

OISE

OCI

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Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Funding(Dollars in Millions)

 

FY 2007 Actual

    Change over

FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2008 Estimate

  Estimate Request Amount Percent

Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF)

$122.76 $143.45 $180.01 $36.56 25.5%

Computer and Network Systems (CNS) 162.77 173.91 206.91 33.00 19.0%

Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) 119.26 138.93 173.60 34.67 25.0%

Information Technology Research (ITR) 121.89 78.24 78.24 - -

Total, CISE $526.68 $534.53 $638.76 $104.23 19.5%

Totals may not add due to rounding.

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Authorities for International Collaboration

• Department of State– 2004 US – EU S&T Agreement allows for

• US citizens to participate in EU projects; • allows for joint projects whereby US researchers send proposals to the NSF and European

researchers send proposals to the EC; • no particular funds set aside for these activities; • no particular calls; • authorization to encourage, enable joint research; but there is no demand that we do so.

– 37 other US- country S&T Agreements• They are similar in that they are for 5 years, but they are not exact replicas.

• Funding agency to funding agency on specific topics, e.g., cybersecurity– At different levels (MOUs or lesser agreements)

• Head of agency to head of agency• At lower levels, counterpart to counterpart

– Shorter duration Do not need State Dept. authorizing agreements to collaborate, but one is limited

without them, e.g., we cannot share reviews with our counterparts.

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Rules of the Road • First Principle:

– Each country pays for its own researchers, students, and tool development.

– Except ….

• Second Principle:– If there is some special justification or unique

capabilities.– If the work is in service to the US.– Usually done through a subaward and with no indirect

costs.

• Exception:– Direct funds to an international entity must receive

Dept. of State approval.

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NSB Reports on International Science and Engineering

• The Science and Engineering Workforce: America’s Potential (NSB 03-69)

• Toward a More Effective NSF Role in International Science and Engineering (NSB 00-217)

• International science and engineering should be a high priority for NSF, with a much stronger focus and higher level of visibility in the future.

My remarks today emphasize a single theme: international cooperation in research and education is not a luxury; it is a necessity—and the foundation for all of our futures. The issue for research funding agencies is no longer whether we should work together, but how we can work together more effectively--smarter, faster, cheaper, and with greater impact on the generation of new knowledge and the development of innovative technologies.

Arden L. Bement, Jr., NSF Director

Seoul, Korea

June 2007

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Current OISE Areas of Focus

• Partnerships of teams of researchers

• Global engagement of future scientists and engineers

• Planning Grants/Workshops

• Increasing engagement with developing countries

• A bigger role for SBE in international activities

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Partnerships for International Research and

Education (PIRE)• The program is intended to

– Catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative new models for international collaborative research and education;

– Facilitate greater variety in student participation and preparation, and contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged science and engineering workforce 

• 12 awards in the first competition FY 05

• 19 awards in the second competition FY07

• Currently preparing for the next solicitation

• PIRE: Investigation of Meaning Representations in Language Understanding for Machine Translation Systems (0530118) – US, Czech Republic and Germany on computational linguistics

• PIRE: Humanoids – Universally Accessible Infrastructures to Advance

Capabilities (0730206) – US and Korean universities

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Planning Visits and Workshops

• NSF 03-559

• Planning Visits– To assess foreign facilities, have discussions

with prospective foreign partners, finalize plans for cooperative research (7 to 14 days a visit for up to 2 years and up to $20K)

• Workshops– Joint workshops designed to identify common

research priorities– Up to 2 years and up to $60K

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Global Engagement of Future Scientists and Engineers

• Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes – short courses for scientists and students from the Americas

• East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for US Graduate Students – includes Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Australia

• International Research Fellowship Program – within 3 years of receiving PhD, will support research abroad for 9-24 months

• IGERT – allows for supplements for graduate students to conduct research abroad

• REU – allows for undergraduates to conduct research abroad, includes overseas REU sites

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CISE’s Approach

• CISE has a leadership role to play in CS&E.

• Develop principles and procedures.

• Think strategically.

• We are open to more international collaboration -- within constraints.

• In particular, we encourage more international collaboration where it benefits US science and engineering.

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Types of Proposals

• Workshops, conferences

• International travel

• SGERs

• Supplements to existing awards

• New research project: joint proposals, or single proposal with sub-award

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But if it is a new research project…

• And the project PIs are waiting for funding from two or more countries

– Matched timing of decisions would be helpful; this is very difficult to achieve.

– Double jeopardy is not helpful; frustrating to the PIs.

– But unmatched timing and decisions require tricky proposal writing.

• Rare solution: Joint solicitations and joint review.

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The Supplement Solution• Must already have an award.• International supplements are possible. (Consult

your PD).• EC-NSF ITR supplement program over 2 years.

– 20 supplements – most very successful, learned a lot, but

• Many IP issues• Many coordination issues• Many procedural issues

• Japan – NSF Cyber Trust supplement program over 3 years.– 8 supplements– Difficulty rousing interest on both sides

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Cyber Trust Solicitation Language

• International Collaborations– Proposals are welcome that request

supplemental funding to support collaboration with principal investigators affiliated with foreign research universities or research institutions and funded by foreign government research organizations.  Such proposals should request only funds to support travel of U.S. affiliated personnel to work with their foreign collaborators. 

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Explanation

• Supplements to existing awards to carry out international collaborations are encouraged.

• Supplement budgets should be relatively small; one should ask for what one needs to ensure a successful collaboration, however.

• If a PI wants to develop a full-scale international project (with joint proposals submitted to relevant international funding sources), please contact the Program Director in advance for guidance.

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Conclusion

• CISE’s role is fundamental in enabling global science,engineering, and education.

• Talk to CISE Program Directors!!!!

• Talk to the OISE Program Director for the country/region in which you are interested.

• Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

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Thank you

Suzi IaconoNational Science Foundation

siacono@nsf.gov(703) 292-8900

visit the CISE web site at http://www.nsf.gov/cise