NSF Award
1939111
This award funds the creation of a virtual organization to promote sharing and use of community research infrastructures by Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) researchers. The project includes development and operation of a central resource with information about CISE community infrastructures, including how researchers can use the resources and participate in community events. The project also includes organizing annual community meetings for the researchers who are developing and hosting CISE community research infrastructures. Computing and information science is a rapidly evolving field that often requires current, state-of-the-art research infrastructure to conduct quality, significant research. This project fulfills a long-standing need to provide accurate and timely information about the community infrastructures collectively as well as individually and help researchers determine effective ways to conduct their research, particularly in an environment where there are limited local research resources available to them. Providing well-designed and managed community research infrastructure is one method of enabling a broader, diverse CISE research community to collaborate and participate in compelling research that will move CISE research frontiers forward.<br/><br/>This project will develop a platform where researchers can learn about new resources and participate in community events to exchange information on research ideas and use of the infrastructures. It builds a unique "community of practice" focused on CISE research infrastructure. This will require research and experimentation to determine the most pressing community needs, to design modes of communications to streamline information flows, and to create a platform that enables the formation and growth of new collaborations across the community. This should provide new avenues for CISE research and research collaborations, particularly those that focus on emerging technologies and promote opportunities for unique, new research directions<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
