[LINK] NSF pumps millions into computer science

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

<brd>
Other countries do IT research differently. It is what sets them apart as
"new economies".

No matter how many times our politiacians claim that we are a new economy,
those who invest large amounts of money (and impact our dollar) make their
own judgements.
</brd>

Federal Computer Week
NSF pumps millions into computer science 
BY Paula Shaki Trimble 
09/13/2000 
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0911/web-nsf-09-13-00.asp

The National Science Foundation awarded the first grants today to promote
advancements in computer science under its Information Technology Research
(ITR) program.

Sixty-two large projects funded at about $1 million a year for three to
five years and 148 smaller projects funded at $500,000 or less for up to
three years were chosen from more than 1,400 proposals.

"This was a very stiff competition," said Michael Lesk, division director
for Information and Intelligent Systems at NSF. "It's important for us to
stay ahead as a country."

The ITR awards stress computer science enhancement, such as how to produce
reliable software, how to build interfaces to help disabled or elderly
people access computers and how to advance quantum and DNA computing, Lesk
said.

NSF already has started soliciting proposals for the second round of ITR
awards, which will focus more on applications of IT, he said. NSF's ITR
budget request for fiscal 2001 is $190 million. The legislation is slated
for Senate debate today.

The areas being studied by national universities are somewhat risky and
typically are not funded by industry, Lesk said.

"We won't know for several years what will pay off," Lesk said. "The point
of federal funding is to deal with the underlying science."

NSF's strategy to support long-term, high-risk research responds to
direction from the president's Information Technology Advisory Committee,
according to an NSF statement.

Projects focus on IT problems within government and in general, Lesk said.
For instance:

* Improvements in data resource sharing will benefit digital government
efforts.

* A University of Pittsburgh human/computer interface study will use
advanced vision technology to develop personal robotic assistants that
could help elderly people live more independently.

* The University of Illinois will design middleware to optimize the
efficiency and fault-tolerance of network-based computer programs for air
traffic control, smart highways, satellites, remote surgery and electronic
commerce.

Other studies will look at the impact of IT funding on policies in
different countries, explore the use of open-source software and look at
how the reliability of the air traffic control system can be improved, Lesk
said.

NSF plans to improve the base of IT researchers through the program as
well. "We placed very heavy stress on educating students to try to help
create more researchers," Lesk said.

-- 
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast.
In the pool where you least expect it, will be a fish.
-- Ovid

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@dynamite.com.au