MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): Welcome everyone we're going to get started shortly we have our plan presentation on technology innovation and partnerships at the National Science Foundation. MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): My name is Rachel coker and i'll be your moderator for this session i'd like to encourage you, for now, to mute your audio send your cats on their way. and MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): turn off your camera unless you're one of the speakers for the for the time being, and we do anticipate that after the presentation there'll be substantial time for Q amp a. MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): If you have a question that you'd like to pose to our speaker, you can submit it through the chat box directly to me or send it to everyone, whatever you'd prefer.
MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): If you have any technical questions or you're running into an audio issue and you want to check and see if it's just you or everybody, you can also find me directly in the chat for things like that. MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): Again, my name is Rachel coker and i'm listed in the participant panel as moderator with the beginning of my name to make it easier for you to find me, we would love if it's possible for you to use your real name as your zoom name for today, so that. MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): folks who are with us can get an idea of who's joined the call. MODERATOR Rachel Coker (she/her): Your i'll turn things over to you, unless there's any other housekeeping you'd like me to take care of I will note that we are recording today's presentation and that we do anticipate posting it after the fact, so just please be advised that Thank you. Meera Sampath: Wonderful Thank you Rachel. Meera Sampath: I think i'm ready to start.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Sure happy to let me put up my slides. Meera Sampath: All right, let me just give a quick introduction so. Meera Sampath: Perfect so good afternoon welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us for today's Watson distinguished colloquium seminar.
Meera Sampath: Co hosted by the Thomas J Watson college of engineering and applied science and the division of research at binghamton university. Meera Sampath: It is my very distinct honor and privilege to welcome and introduce our speaker today. Meera Sampath: Dr Edwin gunjan dummy you know, an assistant director for technology innovation and partnerships or tip at the US National Science Foundation. Meera Sampath: Dr Johnson Danny has been with nsf since 2012 and during this time has served in a number of key roles. Meera Sampath: Including Deputy Assistant director for the Director of computer and information science and engineering or science, as many of you would know it for over six years, and also as it's acting assistant director twice.
Meera Sampath: In this role he managed the directors $1 billion annual budget, let it strategy can human capital, planning and oversaw the directors day to day operations compressing have a team of over 130 members. Meera Sampath: during his time at nsf Dr Johnson Danny has led the development and launch of several new nsf initiatives. Meera Sampath: Including the smart and connected communities program civic innovation challenge platforms for advanced wireless research and the national Ai research institute's all high profile programs, as many of you know. Meera Sampath: Most recently, he served as senior advisor for translation, innovation and partnership developing plans for the new tip Directorate, in collaboration with colleagues across nsf. Meera Sampath: Other government agencies, industry and academia before joining nsf in 2012 lunch and Danny was the inaugural director of the computing Community consortium. Meera Sampath: where he led the research communities efforts in identifying and pursuing several board high impact research directions, including health information technology and sustainable computing.
Meera Sampath: That have been holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and master's and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering all from the University of Virginia. Meera Sampath: And accomplished researcher, he is known for his contributions to the field of computational systems biology that he has published extensively. Meera Sampath: In 2021 urban received the distinguished presidential rank award given to Members of the federal government's senior executed service for sustained extraordinary accomplishments. Meera Sampath: In 2018 he was awarded the outstanding young engineer graduate award from the University of Virginia.
Meera Sampath: Dr Johnson Danny We are very glad to have you with us today, and we look forward to learning more about your vision and plans for the exciting new initiative at nsf. Meera Sampath: At this time, I would also like to welcome the many colleagues and friends who have joined us today. Meera Sampath: Our state and local government representatives or partners from industry colleagues from federal agencies labs and affiliated organizations.
Meera Sampath: Many of our academic research and education partners my binghamton university colleagues and friends from across the suny system. Meera Sampath: A couple of more things before we begin as Rachel just said, we request you to submit any questions you may have any time during the presentation, using the chat function. Meera Sampath: And Rachel would manage the chat session and will she will be relaying your questions to Dr pension money at the end of the presentation. Meera Sampath: You may also unmute yourself and ask your questions live if you choose to do so at that time, we will try to get to as many questions as we can to be. Meera Sampath: And again, like Rachel said, we will be recording today's session and everyone who's registered will receive an email with the link to the presentation in a few days with that it is my pleasure to hand it over to Dr Johnson Danny. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Samira Thank you so very much for that really kind introduction and good afternoon to you I think most folks are on the east coast time zone for this group, but, just in case good morning if you're not.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: it's great to be with all of you today I am so sorry I can't be there in person up in binghamton New York today. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But I do appreciate that you're willing to let me do this virtually and i'm really delighted to be able to spend some time with you today to talk about. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Our plans for this new director for technology innovation and partnerships or tip as we call it at the National Science Foundation, so what i'm going to do over the course of the next hour or so. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Is first walk you through a little bit of that motivation, the inspiration that led us to establishing a new directorate just over a. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: month and a half ago now, and then also a bit about the mission and the vision for this director. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then i'll spend some time talking about some of the key functions three key functional aspects associated with the directory.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then also some exemplar programs, including the nsf regional innovation engines program that we launched. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Just about a couple of weeks ago now, and we're really excited about and really looking forward to talking about as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so I hope you get a sense through this again why a new director at what our mission spaces and how we hope to achieve that mission, through various programs. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: i'm going to start first with a little bit of a reminder, about the National Science Foundation, I think many of you know this, but I know that the audience for today's talk spans.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The University, as well as surrounding industry partners state and local governments and so forth, so just a reminder, about the mission, and I think this is also important. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Because it puts tip this new directorate in context, because what we're trying to do we think is very directly aligned with the mission space of nsf. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So we've been around for 72 years and, since our establishment in 1950 by Congress as an agency within the Federal Government our aspiration has been to promote the progress of science to advance the nation's health prosperity and welfare and to secure the national Defense.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: When we have done that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Over the course of those 70 plus years by supporting research and education activities in nearly every discipline of science and engineering. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: From biology to all facets of engineering to math and physical sciences chemistry to computer science, where I spent quite a bit of time in my time here at nsf the geosciences social behavioral economics sciences and so. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: pretty much the only area that we don't touch is medical research, since that tends to be the purview of our colleagues up the street. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In bethesda at the national institutes of health, so we do collaborate with NIH as we collaborate with other agencies and i'll talk more about that.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Over the course of this presentation as well, one last point i'll make is that we are very interested in international partnerships with colleagues abroad. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Particularly in like minded countries so that we can both benefit from and also help support efforts in terms of democracy, enhancing science and technology all around the globe. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So, how does that translate right, so we talked about research and supporting research and education across all disciplines of science and engineering well in the current fiscal year. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: which runs through the end of September, our budget for the Foundation is about $8.8 billion. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Two numbers on this chart maybe three numbers on this chart that i'll highlight two of which were especially proud of. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: One is that about 93% of all of the investment that Congress appropriates to the Foundation.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: goes out the door in the form of grants cooperative agreements contracts other arrangements to help support research and education and related activities. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So we don't do research in house at nsf unlike our colleagues at NIH we're in the business of trying to support the frontiers of science, engineering, by supporting the great work that you all do. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The other number is the 318,000 people who we support at any given time that's 318,000 faculty students, researchers at all levels K through 12 undergrad graduate postdocs and so forth, trying to advance the frontiers of science and engineering. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And the third number that i'll highlight is 180 $1 million so in the most recently completed fiscal year 2021.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: nsf invested 180 $1 million to seed public and private partnerships, working together with private industry nonprofits and foundations and so forth. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: you'll hear me talking about that as sort of a priority for the Foundation and that hundred and $81 million is largely matched by contributions funding and entire contributions by partners in those various other sectors as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And one last sort of number slide to level set Just to give you a sense of sort of the level of investment by nsf and how we touch the academic community historically. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So across all of science and engineering, the basic research that's taking place in the labs at.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: binghamton and the universities all across the country the basic research in those fields that's funded by the Federal Government about a quarter of that flows through nsf. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But you can see that the level of investment varies, and so in certain fields of engineering in biology and the social sciences and mathematics and computer science. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: could be as much as or more than three quarters of all federal investment in those fields in basic research in academia comes through the National Science Foundation so as our budget grows or doesn't. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That has a significant impact with respect to the correspondence on the academic and tries. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So with that sort of context for the Foundation, I wanted to just add a little bit more.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: sort of perspective, about a couple of years ago now nsf. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Our new director to the foundation of the time, save the ramen patch and often arrived from Arizona State University and put forward sort of three key areas of emphasis for the Foundation, as we look to. Isabella Moo: The future. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Advancing science and technology to address the nation's needs to address our societal and economic challenges, enabling opportunity everywhere. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and global leadership and competitiveness and i'm going to talk about each one of these in turn over the next few slides again just for context setting. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But each one of these is critically important not just to the Foundation as a whole but critically important to the mission and the vision of the tip director within the Foundation as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So let me first start with advancing science and tech to address national needs. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: When we talk about that you know that really spans you see on this slide sort of a double helix if you will sort of a double helix of DNA. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Well, the double helix DNA for the National Science Foundation, in our view, is this melding of curiosity driven discovery based explorations as well as use inspired solutions focused innovations to. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And we support research and innovation activities across that entire spectrum and we have for nearly. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: 72 years of our existence so, for example in the curiosity driven side, just last Thursday, you probably saw it in the news, you probably saw it in the newspapers and on TV.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: nsf was out in front with support for the discovery of the Milky way's black hole the black hole in our galaxy validating einstein's theory of relativity. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: lot of technology that underpins that but, at the end of the day, this was a discovery that we hope that that's rooted in the curiosity, of how our world works that we. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That we helped fund over the course of many years of investments, many decades of investments really on the event horizon telescope and in partnership with colleagues abroad as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And on the other end of the spectrum when coven 19 emerged as a pandemic and its form. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Here in the US and abroad, we had nsf immediately went to work and ended up funding more than $200 million of projects. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Rapid Response projects that helped us to better understand the virus the disease, the spread of the disease and so forth, so very much nearer term impacts very much solutions focused as a matter of fact nsf funding was critical at the time to being able to.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: model, the the protein the spike protein on the virus that ultimately has such an instrumental role and being able to. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: infect humans and cause the kind of variable and disease that we have seen, and so this is just an illustration of sort of this spectrum, from foundational too much more use inspired research that we have long supported as we advanced the frontiers of science and technology. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In terms of enabling opportunity everywhere so that's the second thrust of those three sort of pillars, if you will. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: This chart is meant to really illustrate the diversity of the science and engineering workforce as it stood in 2021.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then the numbers of additional people whom would we we would need to support in the science and engineering workforce, because women be at Hispanic or Latino black or African American or American Indian Alaska native. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: populations, the numbers of additional folks and we would have to support in order to reflect by the year 2030 the population diversity that would exist across the United States, so clearly a tremendous amount of work that we have to do. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Right in that regard, you know nsf has significant investments in efforts afoot to really develop a broadening participation framework that takes into account. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Increasing the knowledge base about how we can contribute to broadening participation.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Thinking about the specific interventions or capacity building steps that we can take it all different institution types to enhance that running participation teaching and learning. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: What are the tools and infrastructure that we need, and how do we partner with stakeholders across the spectrum across the science and engineering communities to really enable that broadening participation that we need to see. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: At the end of the day and you'll hear me talk about this more in the tip Directorate construct. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: It is so critical that we really try to ensure that we have the participation of everyone everywhere across this country, who has or could have an interest in potentially engaging and stem.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And, as a matter of fact, one of our newest initiatives that we've announced as part of the president's budget request for. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: is something that we're calling granted, how do we help provide resources to diverse institution types, particularly those institutions that maybe don't have the capacity for those resources today, how do we provide those resources so that they can. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: They can further expand their research and education portfolios and so, for example, there are many institutions that have very small. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: sponsored research offices, if at all, very small tech transfer offices, if at all. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: I had a conversation this morning, where I learned about the growth of binghamton's tech transfer activities, just over the course of the last decade or more.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, how do we at nsf provide institutions with the resourcing to be able to grow, the everything from sponsored research to tech transfer and everything in between those key support activities that are so instrumental for allowing for participation and research and education activities. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then the third pillar around global competitiveness and when we talk about global competitiveness here it's not strictly about the US being a leader. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: By itself, but the US working collaboratively with like minded countries to really share and reaffirm. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Democratic values when it comes to the science and engineering and the societal impacts of that science, engineering that we look to support.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, this slide is just trying to illustrate one example in the case of artificial intelligence Ai where the investments that nsf has made dating back over 567 decades, all the way to the 1970s. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In machine learning and natural language, processing and bayesian networks it's those investments that are paying dividends, all these years later today. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In the form of the Ai revolution that we're seeing whether it be machine learning classifier.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: that have led us to the computer vision systems that we need for self driving cars, where the bayesian networks that afford a better understanding of traffic prediction and routing. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: or facial expressions and trying to get a sense of facial expressions through the social behavioral economics sciences, that we support that allow us to be able to. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Ensure that we can leverage facial expressions and facial techniques in a safe and secure and privacy, preserving and affirming and robust manner, as we look to the future.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But our investments in Ai we're not just looking back we're also looking forward and that's why a couple of years ago, we launched the national Ai research institute's program you heard me mentioned that, at the outset here. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Our goal with this program has been to fund national hubs hubs of excellence, if you will, and Ai supporting the full spectrum, from foundational to use inspired research. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Really, bringing together the multiple disciplinary perspectives that one needs when it comes to API everything from social and behavioral economics sciences to computer science to engineering to systems. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and beyond, how do we bring those different sets of perspectives together, how do we bring multiple sectors, together, to be able to support. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The frontiers of artificial intelligence and really count catapult the next slide that we show 50 years from now, if you will, like the previous slide. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The slide that we would show 50 years from now, to illustrate the the breadth and depth of impact of the Ai innovation that we're trying to feel today for tomorrow's impacts in society.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Each of these Ai institute's is funded at the level of $20 million over five years, so significant investment from the Foundation and you can see how. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: We have states color coded here to distinguish which ones received 2020 awards, and then on top of that which ones received 2021 awards so some of the darker blue states were also 2020 awards. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: recipients, but we've kind of super imposed the awards, on top of that, I think, an important point about the Ai institute's that I would love to communicate. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: is not just that we're looking to partner at the nsf level with other stakeholders to help fund the Ai institute's Program. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So, for instance, over the years we've now worked with Department of Homeland Security Department of Transportation Department of Agriculture. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: usda in particular has been a terrific partner wholly funding for these Ai institute's over the last few years.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: we've also worked with the private sector again these partnerships these direct partnerships between nsf and other stakeholders, help us to catalyze research directions and help to fund. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: institute's we've funded a whole Institute on top of what we would have been able to fund by ourselves as a result of these partnerships. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But there's also the the catalyzed partnerships, the partnerships that grow out of the collaboration that result when proposals come together for an Ai institute's project so, for example in 2021. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Sorry in 2020 we funded a project, the Institute for research on trustworthy Ai in weather climate coastal oceanography led by the University of Oklahoma, but you can see, all of the institutions that were involved across the different States coated in orange here. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And in addition to the university partners, the universities worked collaboratively with other federal agencies to create their own partnerships with Noah and the navy to uptake some of the research results from the. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: From the program from the project also working with industry collaborators as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Google IBM in video disaster technologies and others and working with state and local agencies, including in New York to really drive forward progress. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and allow for the translation of some of the research that's coming out of the Ai institute into practice as well, and so I put this slide up here to illustrate that there are the direct partnerships that we hope to catalyze and we hope to. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: leverage to help fund the Ai institute's program and then there are the partnerships that the awardees go off and pursue that allow for motivating the research questions and also allow for.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: sort of translating the research results to practice and you'll hear me say more, much more about that in the context of the tip directory as we move forward. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So I hope that that gives you some grounding about how we're thinking about things at nsf in the context of those three pillars around advancing science in science and technology around. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Allowing for participation from everyone everywhere and really thinking about how we have such a important purchase far as global competitiveness is concerned, as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So i'm going to now dive into what that is context, why a new director. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: If you've read the press release you already know the answer and it's a little hard to do this in a virtual setting but i'll just say, for you all. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Instead of asking the question it's been 32 years since the National Science Foundation stood up a new director, so we don't do this every day it's literally a once in a generation even more.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: opportunity and it's really a defining moment that we hope is responsive to the defining moment that we see in the country today as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And that defining moment, there are four characteristics that we see front and Center that create this moment First is the intense global competition in other countries that are missing in key areas, and so forth sorry about that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Second, is sort of the the bipartisan support that we are seeing on the in the halls of Congress and with the administration as well, really.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Very much supportive of the research activities that nsf has really very supportive of the. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: work that we are trying to support through all of you and all of our universities and the broader ecosystem that is the science, engineering enterprise and how it pays dividends for our nation's economy in the long run. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And the third is around that piece of missing millions that I talked about earlier, how do we do a better job of engaging folks in all different parts of the country. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Not just strictly on the coasts, or in the big cities, but how do we engage folks all across the country in really helping to address some of the foremost technological and societal and economic challenges that we face. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then the fourth defining moment is the changing science and engineering enterprise, so if you all, take a moment and sort of take a step back. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and think about the science and engineering enterprise in this country over the last 510 15 years.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: I think you would agree that the pace of discovery in nearly every field nearly every sector of our economy has dramatically accelerated. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Just over the course of the last decade, as a result of access to unprecedented amounts of data as well as emerging technologies like machine learning that allow us to be able to analyze those data in real time. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And really generate predictive insights that can drive decision making, as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In terms of our earlier career researchers folks who are going into stem today, for instance, many of them are saying, particularly on the heels of the pandemic, where we saw science help fuel. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: vaccines, for example, many of them are saying that they're going into science and engineering because they want their work, to be able to have a positive impact on society. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And where is stem talent today stem talent, is increasingly distributed across sectors, no longer is it that we focus on PhD scientists and engineers and. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Many of them go off into academia and some into industry, but today we have talent at all of us PhDs masters bachelor's associate's degrees K through 12.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and trying to go off into academia industry nonprofit civil society communities of practice and so forth. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So how do we create the blended teams that leverage that talent and leverage those partnerships to allow us to be able to address some of the key needs that we have today. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So that's a little bit of the motivation in terms of this defining moment. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And for us, we feel that we can meet this moment, with a particular and intentional focus so i've talked about how nsf supports research on the spectrum, from pure basic to use inspired basic research.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: If I take Ai that example from earlier, for instance. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: We support innovations looking at sort of the the foundational underpinnings of reasoning and language, processing and knowledge representation and learning and so forth, more on the pure basic research side. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And we also support innovations thinking about Ai in the context of agriculture in the context of disasters in the context of transportation so much more use inspired basic research.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so really our footprint is in the top half of this diagram less so, on the bottom right. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: In pure applied to tends to be the purview of other mission oriented agencies, but then, also in translation and innovation. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Some of you may know that nsf pioneered the small business, innovation, research, spi our program for the Federal Government back in the 1970s, we pioneered the I corps program back in the late.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Early 2010s, and so we have this sort of third access, if you will, around translation and innovation. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And we feel that, in terms of the momentous challenges that we face today and intentional focus on use inspired basic research and translation allows us to be able to start to move the needle in some of those key areas for our country. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so that takes us to the placement of tip yes, we have existing directorates and offices across the Foundation. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: they're doing lots of collaboration among themselves, today, hence that sort of honeycomb as opposed to verticals or silos.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: For example, our flagship cybersecurity program involves five of the directorates and so five of the disparate communities reflected on this chart. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Having said that, though, we see tip as a new horizontal it's a horizontal that allows us to be able to partner with all of our existing directorates and all of the fields that we support across nsf. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And really elevate and strengthen and scale the investments that we're making and use inspired and translational research which we're making to different degrees across the director to cross the Foundation, but really trying to enhance that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Across nsf as we look to the future, so another way of thinking about everything that I said, up until this point and if maybe you take one slide away so far from this conversation it's a little bit of a paradigm shift.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And this is broad brushstrokes for everything on the left hand side you could make an argument that there are programs at nsf that do what's on the right hand side or where you'll see on the right hand side in just a second. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But in terms of broad brushstrokes a lot of what nsf has done up until now has been largely investigator driven science and engineering. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Great investigators great ideas great students but primarily academic research teams that have fueled a steady stream of discoveries that have improved our quality of life, all across the country and all around the globe, for that matter. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: What we'd like to do with tip is sort of expand that a little bit and really focus in on the users, the beneficiaries, the consumers of the research.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and engage them in helping to shape and hoping to even conduct the research as well working hand in glove side by side with researchers and academia. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So this is about trying to catalyze multi sector teams that bring academia, industry and government and civil society and communities of practice together. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And really focusing in on the important societal the important economic the important technological problems that we face today and having those drive the research that we're pursuing. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So another way of thinking about this is trying to expand from. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: A little bit of a more strict focus around technology and supply push funding some great ideas and some great work that results in great new insights and technologies and now pushing those out to the market and to society. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and expanding that to think about market and demand pull bringing the market to help shape the research and then become excited in it to be able to accelerate its translation into society for positive impact.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, that is, the motivation that led us to establish the new tip Directorate back in the middle of March. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And as we described it then i'll describe it now as sort of the critical first step that will allow us to be able to accelerate the development of new technologies and products that improve. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: our way of life and create new jobs and economic growth and sustained competitiveness for the US for decades to come. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: it's an important first step, though, and we look forward to working with Congress on the bipartisan innovation act and appropriations for nsf. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: to really be able to deliver on the full vision for the tech director. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And, in fact, some of you may have seen the president's fyi 2023 budget request speaks a bit to the resourcing for this directory calls for an increase to the foundation of close to 20% over our 2022 levels.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The current fiscal year so about 10 and a half billion dollars would be the budget level for the new for the Foundation in fiscal year 2022. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And as part of that about a $900 million investment in the tip directory, including investments in partnership with the other directors in a number of key technology areas. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: For manufacturing to wireless Ai to biotech to micro electronics to quantum information science and other areas not reflected on this slide like advanced materials, for example. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: I think an important part that I want to highlight here is when you think about the budget for nsf and the budget for tip. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So the overall nsf budget at the president's budget request level grows by about $1.7 billion relative to where we are today.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: and have that 1.7 billion, the budget for tip. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: includes growth of about $500 million you'll see that we're moving some existing programs within the Foundation to the directory, and then on top of that is an additional $500 million in new funding. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So that's $500 million out of 1.7 billion, and so this is very much designed to be a balanced approach so that we're not robbing Peter to pay Paul we're fueling that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That curiosity driven discovery oriented research as much as we're growing investments to in the realm of use inspired and solution oriented solution focused research as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So hopefully That gives you some context in terms of the inspiration for this directorate and the mission space for this Directorate as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: i'm going to dive in now into sort of the functional attributes for the directory so mission and vision translating to function and the next i'll talk about the form the actual programmatic as form follows function. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So, for us as we think about technology and innovation and partnerships, we think about three key areas of emphasis one is partnerships. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: i've talked about that already i'm going to keep hitting on that point, because to us it's the partnerships that really serve as a foundation for being able to deliver on this vision. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And the example of that actually is a collaboration that we just announced with Intel a few months ago, at the start of this year.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: A partnership with them as they were announcing a $20 billion investment in the State of Ohio building upon investments that they had in Arizona as well to stand up new chip making facilities. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: For the next generation of semiconductor chips to help on short chip production back in the US. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: As part of that nsf and Intel entered into 100 million dollar agreement over the course of the next several years to specifically support investments in universities and Community colleges all across the country. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: To help advance semiconductor design and manufacturing, research and education. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: key focus for us is on those Community colleges and minority serving institutions to try to grow, the workforce base.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: but also to support research activities as well, that will fuel the next generation of semiconductor design and manufacturing here in the US, so this is an example of. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: You know, private sector and nsf coming together, focusing on a specific problem space. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: hoping to define that problem space jointly and then helping to co fund research and education projects as we look to the future really about leveraging dollars and expertise and other kinds of resources as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So partnerships are a foundation one level above that, if you will, are the Innovation and Technology ecosystems that we hope to fuel all across the country with those partnerships as a basis, set. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And here you'll see some existing programs across nsf like the convergence accelerator highlighted in sort of a darker shade of blue.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That are being repositioned into tip so the convergence accelerator, in particular. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Over the course of the last several years has invested in a number of different tracks, so we try to fund project teams, a number of. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: project teams with small level of investment is kickstart within each track, and then we do it down select to a. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: smaller number of larger sized projects that we fund for fates to have a convergence accelerator track.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But you can see that the CIA over the course of the last several years has supported projects everything from Ai and open knowledge networks to Ai in the future work to new quantum technology platforms. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: To thinking about the networked blue economy, trust and authenticity and communication systems and so forth really trying to focus in on use inspired research. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And the translation of some of that research to practice by cultivating partnerships that bring together key stakeholders in each of these areas.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So there are existing programs, like the convergence accelerator that reposition into this director. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then there are set in the Teal coloring if you will have new investments that we have planned depending upon the budget levels for the director. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And those include investments in emerging technologies, as well as in regional scale innovation all across the country i'll talk more about that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Also, an experiential and entrepreneurial learning how do we provide students with opportunities. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That allow them to have the practical experiences in industry in nonprofits and state and local governments. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The practical experiences that complement what they're learning in the classroom setting so that they can be better position for jobs into the future and even have pathways into those jobs by virtue.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Of those internships and extra chips and other types of experiential and entrepreneurial opportunities that they have. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So sort of that middle trenches Innovation and Technology ecosystems. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then the final one one layer above that is technology translation so as we see new science and technology emerging from these ecosystems. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: How do we help accelerate the translation of that work into practice. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And that could be using our existing live to market platform, so we provide.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: As you all know, experiential opportunities for or entrepreneurship education opportunities, I should say through the I corps program to assess that customer market fitness. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: We provide opportunities for licensing to companies of technology, as you start to harden and mature through the partnership for innovation program and we provide opportunities for. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Thinking through de risking of deep technology ventures through the spi our small business, technology transfer str program as well, so that's a lab to market platform that we have. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: What are their innovative pathways that we can also imagine that go beyond that in some fields, for instance in the wireless space.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: we've seen how open source ecosystems can offer a competitive advantage to close box approaches that other countries might be pursuing and so what are those additional pathways. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: To technological translational impact that we want to pursue through tip as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So these are the three sort of key functional attributes that we see partnerships innovation in tech ecosystems and technology translation. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: i'm now going to give you an illustration of a couple of key program highlights that hopefully will make this real make this very tangible. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So the first is around regional innovation and for us their flagship effort that we launched a couple of weeks ago is the nsf regional innovation engines are nsf engines Program.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So our goal with the nsf engines program really is to cultivate new innovation ecosystems at the scale of regions all across the country. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And, and we have several purposes for doing this one is to be able to address some of the key scientific and technological challenges that we have. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: While also addressing societal and economic challenges as well, and the other is thinking about how we balance technical and geographic innovation.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So, if you look at the image on the bottom here, you see sort of by directionality between some exemplar societal economic challenges like climate change and equity equitable access to health care and education, for instance. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: critical and resilient infrastructure, you could imagine other forms of societal economic challenges in those clouds in the top half of this chart. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then, a number of key sort of technology here is Ai manufacturing advanced materials wireless and so forth on the bottom half of this chart. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And it's that balancing between the two so as we have new innovations and materials, for example, that can help drive new approaches when we think about the climate change and climate resilience problem. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And as we think about climate change that can help surface use cases that motivate new work in the material synthesis space. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so really that balance is core to us in terms of how we think about these engines and then, if I just take climate for a second.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: I think you all would agree that that manifests itself in different ways, depending upon the geography of the country so on the west coast in the southwest we're talking about droughts and wildfires. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Here in the East and the MID Atlantic and the Northeast just look at the severe weather that's forecast for later today pushing through creating flooding and other kinds of. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Potential significant challenges.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, how do we balance both the technical innovation and the geographic innovation that might mean having multiple engines in different parts of the country, working on similar types of problems, but then coming together so that the whole is greater than the sum of individual parts. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Our goal with the nsf engines, is to take an intentionally different approach it's different in a number of ways in terms of the scale of investment and the duration of the investment. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So we're talking about 10 years worth of investment to the tune of about 160 million dollars potentially. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: we're talking about the engagement of a broad and diverse set of stakeholders those users. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Being intentionally engaged and helping to contribute to iterative co design and co creation so surfacing problems conducting research piloting solutions learning from those and then repeating that process all over again.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: it's going to require pulling together the engine teams themselves almost as a cohort and providing them with sort of the training that it takes to creating an innovation ecosystem. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Evaluating the overall approach evaluating the individual projects it's going to involve milestones for success over time, some of which will come from the teams and some of which will come from sorry about that, some of which will come from. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: nsf as a whole, and then I think, maybe the most important factor here is really thinking about a set of success expectations that are different from a. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Typical nsf project, so a real emphasis around regional scale development, for example, contributing to economic growth and job creation.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Thinking about the science and the technology that's resulting and the training in the form of new practitioners new entrepreneurs. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: New technicians, a whole set of folks who are going to be trained as a result of of this innovation engine that's at work. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So, going beyond sort of the typical training of PhDs to think about all of those different levels. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And I think ultimately there's a little bit of sort of culture change here.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Yes, we're interested in publications and conference proceedings someone asked me a couple of weeks ago. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: If you end up with an engine that has no publications and conference proceedings is that success and that might be a little bit hard, given the fact that we're starting from a place of use inspired research. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But we want to go beyond that, to think about the new patents, the new startups the new small businesses, the new open source ecosystems, the new technologies that are resulting the new impacts that are resulting in the new education and training that's resulting as well as we move forward.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So another way of thinking about this in terms of engines and expanding that innovation throughout the US. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So I could have identified any number of examples on this chart I picked for that are not strictly on the coasts, for instance, just to try to provide a little bit of diversity here. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So one is Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, I think many of you are pretty familiar with the robotics industry that set up shop around the universities there with new startups and small businesses. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Another is nashville Tennessee in the medical device industry that we see in nashville that's come together around. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: vanderbilt and the hospital there chattanooga Tennessee is a story around deploying high speed fiber to. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That community by virtue of upgrading the power grid in that Community and that high speed fiber has catapulted a gigabit innovation revolution in and around that Community and region and then Huntsville Alabama in terms of trying to be able to afford.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The air force base there through the aerospace and Defense industry that's congregate around Huntsville. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, those are four point examples and what we hope to be able to see with the nsf engines program is really expanding that geography of innovation throughout the US. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Where we give ourselves the opportunity to be able to catalyze that sort of innovation ecosystem in every part of the country and really engage the diverse set of stakeholders from all across the country as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So what constitutes an engine, you know another way of thinking about this. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: is to say that that engine is really that framework, recognizing that every innovation ecosystem is a little bit different in terms of what makes it successful how it comes together. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But the nsf investment, the nsf engine provides that framework that brings together industry institutions of higher education government nonprofits Community organizations. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: allows a focus on the topic area of regional relevance and that really pertains to national and societal significance as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then over time grows and grows, to the point that the region itself is benefiting such from that engine that it is reinvesting into the engine and 10 years out no longer needs or is contingent upon nsf investment for long term success.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So we've launched this program just within the last couple of weeks. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: We are actually have a webinar scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, I encourage you, all you can still sign up, I encourage you all to join that webinar. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then we're doing a series of regional road shows over the course of the next several weeks about the next month or so.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: One point that I want to stress here, please don't take any significance to how the states have been grouped together as part of these regions. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: We just had to find some way to divide up the nation's geography, so that we could get to a reasonable sized. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: roadshow and also the ability to be able to do state by state breakout sessions, but hopefully this will give you additional opportunity to engage with the team that's developing these engines and helping to support this program as we look to the future as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then, of course, as I think many of you are aware that deadlines for the concept outlines for both Type one the development grant for those. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Innovation ecosystems that are just getting started just getting together, as well as for type two awards. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The ones that that have sort of a nexus that's come together and are better position to be able to start down the path of.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Regional innovation engine both of those concept outlines are do June 30 and then we've announced deadlines for the type ones and we'll be announcing deadlines for type twos and then not you know down the road as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: One final point about the innovation engines program that I want to highlight, you know, often when I. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: When I present this folks asked Well, this is going to require funding and absolutely it's going to require funding to be able to deliver on the engines vision. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But I think an important point that sometimes comes up, as well as the notion of.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Well there's the innovation competition act in the Senate and there's the American competes act in the House and we've heard in the media that there are some differences between those two bills and they're absolutely are. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But there are also some similarities and there is a particular similarity when it comes to the. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: nsf regional innovation engines program so the US innovation competition authorizes nsf to establish a program they call it the university technology centers utc. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: That would support multi disciplinary research in a range of key technology focus areas that would bring together. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: partners from across different sectors and that would really help to grow, entrepreneurial and educational capacity within the region that served by that university tech Center so that's. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: One definition of what this might look like university tech centers another is technology research institutes in America compete so.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: every single one of these has a different name, mostly we just want to confuse everybody, but, but the technology research institutes will also. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: conduct fundamental research to advance innovation in a key technology area would help solve societal challenges would do so in partnership with multiple sectors and would grow. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The research experiences in government and industry for our students. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so really there's a lot of similarity between these two pieces of legislation that are now being conference and a lot of alignment between those and how we've been designing and thinking about the regional innovation engines program as well.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So hopefully That gives you a sense for that middle tranche around regional innovation and emerging tech and also some of the experiential opportunities through an engine that we hope to enable. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: i'm going to spend the last little part here talking about technology translation. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So we in a typical year at the National Science Foundation will support anywhere between 8011 thousand new research projects and as those research projects progress. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: They get to a point where researchers are now starting to think about some of the science and technology that's emerging and how do I start to transition that to practice. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: How do I take those first steps of maturing or hardening some of my outputs and some of our programs offer something called ttp transition to practice to be able to do just that. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But as you get a little bit further you start to think about where do I want to take that work should end up as a new product in the marketplace should it be a startup or small business is that the lineage that I want to follow.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And in that context, as I described earlier, we have these programs PSI core an spi rst tr that try to help folks get across that sort of. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Spectrum from from that research project, all the way into sort of new product startups and markets. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: But there are other potential translational impacts as well open source ecosystems offer a competitive advantage in some fields. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And we just a few months ago rolled out a new program pathways to enable Open Source ecosystems are opposed the deadline for that was just last week.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: Our goal with this is to provide researchers and students with the resourcing and the training from those who have done this before, in case study for to be able to get from a research output to an open source. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: ecosystem that can that can continue to fuel innovation and continue to feel impact as well. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And then there are other forms of translational impact the adoption of research results by government agencies in terms of their ability to conduct their missions.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: teeing up research results hardening and maturing them so that they can help to inform public policymaking it's not nsf role to do that policymaking, but it can be our role to help support you all to TEE up that research in ecology or or. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The environment to help inform the EPA or in spectrum to help inform. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: The FCC and the ntia and so forth, we spend a lot of money every year on education, research, we translate some of that into.
Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: annotations that can scale at K through 12 levels are in Community colleges or institutions of higher education, as we look to the future. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: So a real emphasis here on trying to build out some of these tbd as we think about delivering from the bench to broader societal benefits. Erwin Gianchandani - NSF: And so, hopefully, this gives you a flavor for how we think abo
2022-05-24