January 2006, Vol. 18/No. 1

Computing Research news A Publication of the Computing Research Association January 2006 Vol. 18/No. 1 Congress Provides Symbolic Increase for NSF But Retroactive Across-the-Board Cut Wipes Out Most R&D Gains By Peter Harsha After a year’s worth of warning both the House and Senate for the underinvestment in fundamental Director Arden Bement to provide that the final funding levels for agency in their respective bills ear- research is endangering U.S. innova- his funding plan for the directorates American science agencies would lier this year—demonstrating that tion and future competitiveness—car- to the appropriations committees for likely be austere, congressional the community’s arguments for the ried some weight in Congress. House approval within 60 days of the bill’s appropriators surprised many in importance of federal support for fun- Science Committee Chairman passage. the science community by passing damental research were well received. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) refer- Also included in the bill is a slate of funding bills that would NSF received $5.65 billion in enced the concerns after the bill’s funding for three other science have increased funding slightly for the finalFY 06 Commerce, Justice, passage, noting that the bill would agencies of interest to the federal research at several agencies, Science Appropriations (H.R. 2682), “bolster America’s science and tech- computing research community. including a 3 percent increase at the an increase of 3.3 percent above the nology enterprise, foster innovation, The National Aeronautics and National Science Foundation. agency’s FY 2005 level and more than and boost U.S. competitiveness. This Space Administration’s “Science, However, the increases proved to either the $5.60 billion approved is a good bill for science.” Aeronautics and Exploration” be symbolic as Congress, under pres- by the House or the $5.53 billion Included in the 3 percent increase account would see a 2.9 percent sure to reduce federal discretionary approved by the Senate in their approved for NSF is a nearly 4 increase over FY 2005 funding spending in the wake of unantici- respective versions of the bill. The percent increase to the agency’s levels, an increase of $273 million pated payouts to areas hard-hit by increase is contained in the confer- Research and Related Activities to $9.7 billion in FY 2006. In the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, passed ence version of H.R. 2682—the account, which would grow to $4.39 conference report accompanying an across-the-board 1.0 percent negotiated compromise between the billion in FY 2006—an increase the bill, the House and Senate reduction in all FY 2006 appro- differing House and Senate versions of 1.2 percent above the level the negotiators took issue with the priations, including those already of the bill. It is somewhat unusual, President requested for the agency in extent to which the Administration enacted, eliminating much—and though not unheard of, for a confer- his budget released last February. The hoped to reprogram money in the in some cases all—of the approved ence appropriation to exceed the bill would also fund NSF’s Education agency towards the President’s spending increases for science. funding level approved by either and Human Resources Directorate proposed Moon/Mars initiative. Still, advocates for federal sci- chamber. at $807 million in FY 2006, exceed- The conferees partially restored ence funding claimed a small victory, Science advocates point to this ing the President’s request by 9.5 funding to the agency’s aeronautics arguing that the funding level for unusual circumstance as evidence percent, including $4 million above and science programs impacted by NSF approved by Congress (before that the concerns of the science the request for the Math and Science the President’s requested cut, noting the across-the-board cut) exceeded community and their industrial Partnership program. that the programs are necessary to the levels originally approved by partners—concerns that long-term The appropriators chose not to “maintain the nation’s leadership in indicate funding levels for specific science and technology.” Inside CRN directorates within the R&RA Symbolic Increase account—which includes the Continued on Page 8 Expanding the Pipeline..................... 2 Canadian Enrollments ...................... 6 Computing and Information Science Undergraduate Award Winners ........ 3 Professional Opportunities ............... 9 and Engineering (CISE) director- NSF/CISE Update ............................ 4 Snowbird Preliminary Program ...... 20 ate—opting instead to allow NSF PAID U.S. POSTAGE PERMIT NO. 993 NONPROFIT ORG. Computing Research at SRI International WASHINGTON, DC By William S. Mark This is another in connection over a broad-area corporations. The Information and a series of CRN packet-switched computer net- Computing Sciences (ICS) Division articles describ- work. In 1976, SRI also estab- pushes the boundaries of computing ing the activities lished the first transmission across through programs emphasizing arti- of CRA’s indus- dissimilar networks, bridging the ficial intelligence, computer science, try laboratory members. Others wired ARPANET and the wire- and speech research. are posted at: less, mobile PRNET packet radio http://www.cra. network located in a van. The Artificial Intelligence org/reports/labs. digital link was the beginning of Since 1966, SRI International has Computer science at SRI internetworked computing that been at the forefront in developing International includes many firsts, became the Internet. computer capabilities for intelligent from the first electronic banking • Wireless Communication. In behavior in complex situations. system to invention of the com- 1977, SRI sent the first wire- • Robotics. From Shakey, the puter mouse. SRI innovations have less packetized voice message first autonomous mobile robot created new industries, billions of over its packet radio network that could reason about its own dollars in market value, and lasting and across the ARPANET. This surroundings in 1972, to the benefits to society. technology was the precursor Centibots, one of the first and • Personal Computing. The per- to today’s Voice-over-Internet largest teams of coordinated sonal computer revolution was Protocol (VoIP) technology. robots in 2004, SRI has pio- launched when SRI invented the Since its founding in 1946 as neered advanced robotics dem- computer mouse in 1964, and Stanford Research Institute, and onstrating adaptation to new in 1968 demonstrated the con- becoming SRI International in tasks, team organization, scal- cept of windows, hypertext, and 1977, SRI has collaborated with ability, map building, and fault- videoconferencing. leading universities, and responded tolerant communication. • Internet. In 1969, SRI re- to research and development needs ceived the first logon on the of government agencies (including SRI International ARPANET, which was the first DARPA, NSF, NASA and NIH) and Continued on Page 7 CRA 1100 Seventeenth Street, NW Suite 507 Washington, DC 20036-4632 Computing Research news JanuaRy 2006 Expanding the Pipeline Computing Research Association From the Inside, Out Board Officers Daniel A. Reed By Cindy Goral and Dianthe Harris Chair University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology’s TechLeaders tackles issue Lori Clarke of the under-representation of Women in CS by supporting and training those Vice Chair University of Massachusetts already there. Carla Ellis Secretary It is no mystery; women in CS are a existing environments and cultures. was held In January 2004 in coopera- Duke University rarity. It is an issue taken up repeatedly They often lack mentors and role tion with the Institute for Pure and Philip Bernstein in this publication and it is a growing models (according to a 2003 Catalyst Applied Mathematics at UCLA. Treasurer Microsoft Research concern across the country throughout study, only 11 percent of corporate Since that time the one- and two-day academia, industry and government. officers at the top 500 technology workshops have sold out, and plans Board Members The reasons for the relatively small companies were female). are underway to expand the number William Aspray Indiana University numbers of women are speculated Women in technical leadership and scope of the workshops. 1 Randal Bryant about and well documented. The positions often express the familiar Each TechLeaders Workshop has Carnegie Mellon University potential impacts of this under-repre- patterns of isolation compounded by a theme identified as a key leadership Anne Condon sentation and lack of diversity run the new challenges and responsibilities. issue that senior technical leaders face University of British Columbia gamut, but are summed up as: And increasingly companies under- in the community, with peer-learning Robert Constable This under-participation in CS stand that this winnowing away of and networking a strong component. Cornell University by large segments of our society women in technical leadership roles Depending on the theme, each work- George V. Cybenko represents a loss of opportunity for can have a deleterious effect on their shop includes material from an expert Dartmouth College individuals, a loss of talent in the own organization’s ability to hire, in that area to augment the learning Richard A. DeMillo Georgia Institute of Technology workforce, and a loss of creativity train and retain a diverse and dynamic process. Confidentiality

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