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Workshop on Information and Representation Report. PUB DATE Apr 85 NOTE 151P.; Workshop on Information and Representation (Washington, DC, March 30-April 1, 1985)

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Workshop on Information and Representation Report. PUB DATE Apr 85 NOTE 151P.; Workshop on Information and Representation (Washington, DC, March 30-April 1, 1985) DOCUMENT RESUME ED 261 533 FL 015 121 AUTHOR Partee, Barbara H., Ed.; And Others TITLE Workshop on Information and Representation Report. PUB DATE Apr 85 NOTE 151p.; Workshop on Information and Representation (Washington, DC, March 30-April 1, 1985). PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) -- Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. FC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS College Faculty; Communications; *Computational Linguistics; Federal Aid:; *Financial Support; *Fund Raising; Graduate Study; *Information Processing; *Interdisciplinary Approach; Interprofessional Relationship; Needs Assessment; Networks; Research and Development Centers; Researchers; *Research Projects; Teacher Exchange Programs ABSTRACT The proceedings of a workshop on the study of information, computation, and cognition, a tield of interdisciplinary research that includes communication research in artificial ,intelligence,, computer science, linguistics, logic, philosophy, and psychology, gives an overview of the status of funding support for the field and the concerns of researchers for the continuation of research opportunities. Recommendations concerning fund raising that emerged from the workshop are presented, and papers providing background information are included. These papers treat the following subjects: interdisciplinary projects and topics; needs assessment; a description of the research community; an estimate of currently available resources; the history of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and System Development Foundation support; and the role of industrial research centers. Four expository papers are also included: "Language, Mind and Information" (John Perry); "A Presentation to the NSF Workshop on Information and Representation" (Jerry Fodor); "Research Goals in Information, Computation and Cognition" (Barbara Partee); and "A Presentation at NSF Workshop on Information and Representation" (Mitch Marcus). (MSE) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * **************************A******k************************************* BEST COPY AVAILABLE . Report of Workshop on Information and Representation Barbara H. Partee, Chair Washington. D.C.. March 30 through April 1. 1985 Editors Barbara H. Partee, Stanley Peters, Richmond Thomason Panelists Stephen Anderson Mitch Marcus Jame Carbonell David Mac Queen Herbert Clark Gary Olson David Evans Barbara Partee Jerry Fodor John Perry Donald Foss Stanley Peters Lila Gleitman Stanley Petrick Clark Glymour Robert Ritchie Barbara Grosz Stanley Rosenschein Aravind Joshi Dana Scott Hans Kamp Richmond Thomason Samuel Jay Keyser Thomas Wasow Under the sponsorship of National Science Foundation System Development Foundation Any opinions. findings, conclusions, or recommendation:, expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of tip, Foundations. A copy of this report may be obtained by writing to Professor etanley Peters. Depart- ment of Linguistics. Stanford University. Stanford. CA. 94305. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this report. April 1985 US. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY CENTER IERICI HAS BEEN GRANTED BY ATMs document has been reproducedas maned from the personOr orgInaltron 019f111?42 d PLr1,1/1-c.rxi Melo( changes raw been madeto wnprove rePoduchon duster Rants of new or °pawns stated in tha claw TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES rnent do not necessarily represent &Moil NIE INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." posdron of poky Executive Summary The study of Information, Computation andCognition is a rapidly advanc- ing area of science, in whichprogress has accelerated since the late 1970s. Led by basic research in The United States,this field is not only trans- forming concepts of computation butserves also as a vital basis for the development of intelligent machines andcommunications systems Seeking solutions to problems centralto their own disciplines, computer scientists, linguists, logicians, philosophers,psychologists and workers in artificial intelligence have turnedto one another; the results of thes,-, in- teractions will prove fundamental,we believe, to the development of the information processing systems of the future.With the support of large- scale seed money froma few private foundations. interdisciplinary theories are being developed that are scientifically excitingas well as technologically useful. Without timely public support, however,this scientific work cannot continue at a level that meets theurgent need. A crisis is developing in funding for thenecessary basic research. This crisis has several dimensions. Several of the disciplines involvedare supported at very km levels by federal agencies. Private foundations that have seededresearch in the field. withvery striking results, are completing theirgrant programs. The corporations that wish to apply the resultsof this work cannot commercially justify large-scale support for high-riskbasic research. The level of long-term funding to Information,Computation and Cog- nition is insufficient to provide the stableenvironment required for basic research. Presently available federal fundsare inadequate to provide re- searchers the following essential support. the computers and networking neededon a national basis. adequate support for research centers and projectgroups, which are vital supplements to individual researchgrants in this highly interdisciplinary field, training of the next generation ofresearchers in the field:graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and seniorresearch scientists. Unless these financial problems are solved, the U.S.runs a serious risk of losing the momentum which has produced itslead in this important area of basic science and of failing to builda vital theoretical base for future technological development. Themoney needed is modest in comparison iiVvork:...hop on Information and Wprez4entation with what is now committed to technology. The need topreserve the mo- mentum of relevant scientific research is urgent. We call on the National Science Foundation to consider an initiative that will pros ide appropriate support for interdisciplinary basic research in Information, Computation and Cognition. Recommendations The panel recommends a national initiative to provide directed federal fund- ing for basic research in Information, Computation and Cognition. Begin- ning in Fiscal Year 1987, a productive effort could be supported with $20 million annually in new funds, expanding each year over a five year period to twice that amount. Peer review of proposals for grants of these funds needs to be overseen by an appropriate interdisciplinary body. The added funds should support acquisition and operation of computing equipment for basic research in this area, access to computer networks for researchers in the field around the na- tion, a spectrum of research activities, including reasonable funding for at least two major research centers and grants to collaborative group proj- ects and to individual investigators, graduate and postdoctoral programs, the latter perhaps in part nation- ally administered, provision for greater exchange not only of faculty across disciplines and institutions but also of researchers from nonuniversity settings, increased funding for the National Science Foundation's programs in the contributing disciplines. Table of Contents Executive Summary / i Richmond Thomason* Overview and Recommendations / 1 Barbara Parted. Stanley Peters. Richmond Thomason* History of the Report / Barbara Partee. Stanley Peters. Richmond Thomason* Examples of Interdisciplinary Research Projectsand Topics./ 19 Elizabeth Macken (Editor)** Estimate of Needs / 63 Jerry Fodor. Lila Gleitman. Jay Keyser, Stanley Peters. RobertRitchie* Description of Research Community / 72 Thomas Wik.ow* Estimate of Currently Available Resources /74 Richmond Thomason. Thomas Wasow* History of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and System Development Foundation Support/ 78 Eric ii, anner. Carl York Role of Industrial Research Centers / 83 David MacQueen. Mitch Marcus. Stank% Petrick. Robert Ritchie* Expository Papers / 85 I.Language, Mind and Information / 87 John Perry II. A Presentation to the NSF Workshopon_ Information and Representation / 106 Jerry Fodor III.Research Goals in Information, Computation and Cognition /118 Barbara Partee IV. A Presentation at NSF Workshopon Information and Representation / 125 Mitch Marcus * This section has been circulated to all work,hoppart ictpants for comments The author, named drafted the initial version and, except for Lila Glenman whowas out of the country. revised it in hglit of comments from other work,hop participant, ** See preface of this section for further Information aboutIts preparation Overview and Recommendations Introduction With the advent of writing andcalculation, human culturewas utterly transformed.In our time, the computer hasnot only introduced a far more powerful means of preserving and processing information,but has suggested to cognitive scientistsnev, paradigms for understanding thought and language. The ensuing explosive growth of researchon the acquisition, represen- tation, and communication of information,by both humans and machines. comes as no surprise. More striking is its simultaneous,independent de- velopment within the boundaries ofmany separate
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