12/18/2023
Dear Colleague Letter: Planning Grants to Broaden Participation in the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Program
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Document Number: nsf24035
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National Science Foundation - Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2)
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Document Number: nsf24521
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NSF News
NSF invests over $16M in six academic institutions for cybersecurity scholarshipsDecember 19, 2023
Today the U.S. National Science Foundation announced six new academic institutions are being awarded CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) grants…
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For cool science bytes, explainers and more, visit Science Matters.
Dear Colleague Letter: NSF and Micron Foundation Partnership for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
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Document Number: nsf24037
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Meet 'Coscientist,' your AI lab partner
An AI-based system succeeds in planning and carrying out real-world chemistry experiments, showing the potential to help human scientists make more discoveries, faster.
Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Centers for Chemical Innovation, an artificial intelligence-driven system was able to autonomously learn about certain Nobel Prize-winning chemical reactions and design a successful laboratory procedure to make them.
"This is the first time that a non-organic intelligence planned, designed and executed this complex reaction that was invented by humans," says Carnegie Mellon University chemist and chemical engineer Gabe Gomes, who led the research team that assembled and tested the AI-based system. They dubbed their creation "Coscientist."
Published today in the journal Nature, the demonstrated abilities of Coscientist show the potential for humans to productively use AI to increase the pace and number of scientific discoveries, as well as improve the replicability and reliability of experimental results.
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🎬 Video: What is Artificial Intelligence? AI Explained
How does AI affect our daily lives? And how does it work? Michael Littman, director of NSF's Information and Intelligent Systems Division, takes a look at where the field of artificial intelligence has been and where it’s going.
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Learn more about NSF investments in AI research
From neural networks to workforce development, NSF has invested in foundational artificial intelligence research since the early 1960s, setting the stage for today’s understanding and use of AI technologies.
Learn more about NSF and AI
Science Matters
Meet 'Coscientist,' your AI lab partnerDecember 20, 2023
In less time than it will take you to read this article, an AI-driven system was able to autonomously learn about certain Nobel Prize-winning chemical reactions…
NSF News
NSF appoints new special assistant to the director for artificial intelligenceDecember 20, 2023
The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the appointment of Tess deBlanc-Knowles to the position of special assistant to the director for…
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NSF CISE Newsletter: December 2023
12/21/2023
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A Message from CISE Leadership
Dear CISE community.
It is with great honor that I extend warm wishes for a joyous season in my new role as Acting Assistant Director for the CISE directorate. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my predecessor, Margaret Martonosi, for her dedicated service to the CISE community over the past four years. Her vision and commitment have significantly contributed to advancing the field of computer and information science and engineering, and I am honored to serve while the search for her successor is completed. Margaret's leadership has set a high standard, and I am committed to building upon the strong foundation she has laid.
As we embark on this journey together, I am excited to share news about NSF’s new EducateAI initiative. On December 5, NSF and other federal agencies, educators, and advocates participated in a White House event to discuss inclusive approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) education. As part of this effort, NSF announced the EducateAI initiative, which aims to enable educators to make high-quality, audience-appropriate artificial intelligence educational experiences available nationwide to K-12, community college, four-year college and graduate students, as well as adults interested in formal training in AI. The new NSF EducateAI Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is our first step in this initiative. If you know of colleagues and educators who can benefit from this program, please feel free to share it with them.
In addition to the EducateAI DCL, we recently announced the Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2) solicitation, which aims to bridge the gap between advancements in semiconductor materials, devices, and computing and their practical applications. This is an important program where partnerships between industry and academic institutions are essential to spurring semiconductor research and innovation, enabling technology transfer, informing research infrastructure needs, and training the future semiconductor workforce. We look forward to receiving your proposals.
Moreover, I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to the new members joining the CISE Advisory Committee: Kinnis Gosha, Morehouse College; Brittany Duncan, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Antonio Delgado, Miami-Dade College. Your expertise and insights are invaluable, and I look forward to working collaboratively to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Simultaneously, I extend my appreciation to the departing members for their dedication and contributions: Mark Dean, University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Padma Raghavan, Vanderbilt University.
As we move forward, I am eager to build on the legacy of excellence within the CISE directorate and, together with our talented community, drive innovation and impact in the field of computer and information science and engineering. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to the exciting journey ahead.
Sincerely,
Dilma Da Silva
NSF Acting Assistant Director for CISE
Funding Opportunities and Deadlines
Dear Colleague Letter: Advancing education for the future AI workforce (EducateAI).
Supports novel and high impact proposals that advance inclusive computing education that prepares preK-12 and undergraduate students for the AI workforce.
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (CSGrad4US).
Encourages applications for early-career individuals to pursue a research-based doctoral degree in computer and information science and engineering.
Dear Colleague Letter: Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Supplemental Funding in Computer and Information Science and Engineering.
Supports recipients with certain active CISE awards with Broadening Participation in Computing plans.
Dear Colleague Letter: National Discovery Cloud for Climate Opportunities.
Supports proposals that contribute to the development of a national-scale cyberinfrastructure capable of supporting end-to-end climate research and education.
Dear Colleague Letter: Inviting Proposals Related to Open-Source Software Security to the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace Program.
Supports novel and high impact research that advances knowledge on securing the Open-Source Software ecosystem.
Dear Colleague Letter: NSF and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Collaboration Opportunity.
Focuses on semiconductor, next generation communication systems, cyber-security, sustainability and green technologies, and intelligent transportation systems.
Submission target date:
January 5, 2024.
National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes.
Supports the development of new AI Institutes that focus on one of the following themes: astronomical sciences, materials research and new methods for strengthening AI.
Preliminary proposals:
January 12, 2024.
Full proposals:
February 16, 2024 (Theme 1: AI for Astronomical Sciences) and May 17, 2024 (Theme 2: AI for Discovery in Materials Research and Theme 3: Strengthening AI)
Formal Methods in the Field (FMitF).
Supports collaborations between researchers in formal methods and other areas of computer and information science and engineering to develop methodologies for designing and implementing correct-by-construction systems and applications.
Full proposal deadline:
February 20, 2024.
Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS).
Supports collaborative projects that span a broad spectrum of computational neuroscience research.
Full proposal deadlines:
March 7, 2024 (FY 2024 competition) and November 13, 2024 (FY 2025 competition).
Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2).
Encourages proposals that address future semiconductor design and manufacturing challenges as well as shortages in the skilled scientists, engineers, and technician workforce.
Full proposal deadline:
March 14, 2024.
News & Announcements
NSF launches EducateAI initiative.
The goal of the initiative is to enable educators to make high-quality, audience-appropriate artificial intelligence educational experiences available nationwide to K-12, community college, four-year college and graduate students, as well as adults interested in formal training in AI.
Vista: A new AI-focused supercomputer for the open science community.
“Vista will bridge the gap between [supercomputers] Frontera and Horizon to ensure the broad science and engineering research and education community has access to the most advanced computing and AI technologies,” - Katie Antypas, NSF.
Modeling Catalyst Surface Reactions.
Researchers utilized ACCESS allocations on NSF-funded Stampede2 and Expanse supercomputers to model reactions on catalyst surfaces that have the possibility of producing renewable and clean energy and fuels.
Data with Destiny: A Statistics Class Mines the History of Holyoke.
Supported in part by NSF, collaborating teams from different universities developed a course titled, “Mining the History of Holyoke,” which offered a unique blend of humanities and STEM, combining data science with the history of Holyoke, Massachusetts.
What is Artificial Intelligence? AI Explained.
Hear from CISE Division Director for Information and Intelligent Systems Michael Littman as he talks about where the field of Artificial Intelligence has been and where he thinks it’s going.
Charlotte-area researchers use artificial intelligence as a tool in public safety pilot program.
NSF-funded teams at Central Piedmont Community College and University of North Carolina Charlotte collaborate on AI program that seeks to improve public safety concerns.
Genes that shape bones identified, offering clues about our past and future.
NSF-funded supercomputer Frontera supports analysis of deep learning models for genetic map of skeletal proportions.
Notice to research community: Use of generative artificial intelligence technology in the NSF merit review process.
To safeguard the integrity of the development and evaluation of proposals in the merit review process, NSF has announced new guidelines for reviewers and proposers.
Get more CISE News
Events
GRANTED Office Hours.
Join NSF program directors to learn more about the Growing Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) Initiative.
January 3, 2024, 3-4 pm ET.
Distinguished Lecture: “Machine Learning Foundations Accelerate Innovation and Promote Trustworthiness".
Rebecca Willett, professor of Statistics and Computer Science and director of AI in the Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago will explore emerging directions in machine learning.
January 11, 2024, 11 am-1:15 pm ET.
ExpandAI Virtual Office Hours.
Join NSF program directors representing different categories of Minority Serving Institutions to learn more about the ExpandAI program.
January 22, 2024, 3-4 pm ET.
2024 NSF Research Infrastructure Workshop.
The workshop is a collaborative forum for all NSF-funded Research Infrastructure Projects.
March 26-29, 2024. Tucson, Arizona.
Career Opportunities
Computer Scientist (Program Director) within the Computing and Communication Foundations Division (CCF). Permanent appointment.
Open until January 16, 2024.
Computer Scientist (Program Director) within the Computing and Communication Foundations Division (IPA Rotator).
Open until filled.
Computer Scientist (Program Director) within the Information and Intelligent Systems Division (IPA Rotator).
Open until filled.
Interdisciplinary Program Directors within the Computing and Communication Foundations Division (IPA Rotator).
Open until filled.
Faces of CISE: Emanuela Marasco, Ph.D.
Emanuela Marasco, Ph.D., serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology and the Center for Secure Information Systems at George Mason University. Her research centers on biometrics, machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision. Throughout her successful career, she consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing knowledge and solving complex challenges within her field. Notably, Marasco has published more than 40 papers between conferences and workshops, and 8 journal papers.
Her contributions to her field have advanced the state-of-the-art in anti-spoofing, sensor interoperability, soft biometrics estimation, biometric-based multi-factor authentication, and image de-identification pertaining to fingerprint systems.
She is the recipient of an NSF Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace award for her research on hyperspectral biometrics. In this project, Marasco seeks to characterize a person's extrinsic and intrinsic features for a more accurate representation of their identity by exploiting selected compounds detectable in human sweat, which can provide a meticulous perspective on identity when scientists analyze its chemical properties.
She is also a co-PI on an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers award that establishes the Center for Cybersecurity Analytics and Automation. This collaborative effort, spanning three university sites and involving industry and government sponsors, aims to advance sense-making, decision-making, and resilience in the face of sophisticated cyber adversaries. The research focuses on three key areas: robust sense-making for predictive cyber analytics, adaptive decision-making for provably correct defense strategies, and making resilience inherent in cyber systems. The Center's work, emphasizing technology transfer, seeks to empower organizations to defend against advanced cyber threats.
"NSF’s support has been pivotal in shaping my career and advancing my research. It has not only fueled innovation in my work but has also empowered me to explore novel ideas, push the boundaries of knowledge, and make meaningful contributions to my field. The recognition from NSF is more than financial assistance; it is a validation of the importance of the research we undertake and its potential impact. I am deeply grateful for the NSF's commitment to fostering excellence and its instrumental role in shaping the trajectory of my academic journey at George Mason University."
Marasco earned her Bachelor and M. Sc. Degrees in Computer Engineering from the University of Naples Federico, Italy, where she also obtained her Ph.D. in Computer and Automation Engineering. She is the recipient of the Mason Innovation Award 2023 for her participation in the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program. She is a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Digital Innovation for the Public-Private-Partnership Program. Marasco is also an associate editor of the newsletter published by the IEEE Biometric Council and demo chair of the IEEE WACV 2024. In previous years, she served as publications co-chair of the IEEE BTAS and IJCB.
CISE Units
Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS)
Supports research and education in computer systems and networks, hardware and software systems, future-generation computing and communication systems, cyber-physical systems, and secure and trustworthy cyberspace.
Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF)
Supports research and education in mathematical, scientific and technological foundations of computing communication, hardware, software, and emerging technologies.
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)
Supports research and education on the interrelated roles of people, computers, and information to advance knowledge of artificial intelligence, data management, assistive technologies, and human-centered computing.
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC)
Supports the conceptualization, design, implementation, and operation of research cyberinfrastructure to advance and transform research and education in science and engineering.
Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)
12/22/2023
