What has been will be again what has

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1: 9 NOT

Welcome to Caltech Workshop Michael Foster March 15, 2007

What’s New? • Interesting questions are increasingly complex and computational – Exact answers only possible by watching and waiting (computation) – Computing insights may give partial answers. • Biology: how do proteins control structure and function? • Economics: what is market equilibrium in the face of dynamic and incomplete information? • Meteorology: what will the weather be next week? • Computing: how will an ensemble of a million interacting computers behave? • Communication: how will a protocol or policy change affect internet congestion?

Cyber-enabled Discovery DNA Transcription Manufacturing Processes Cyber-enabled Discovery Statistical learning Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Geosciences, Statistics… New Insights Domains of inquiry Core Concept Theory Experiment Interpretation Visualization, simulation, Computational Science Data Current

From PDEs to Computations • Interesting problems embed computation – Analytic, numerical solutions not enough • Complete prediction is impossible – Chaos, emergent properties • Some insights are still possible – Bounds, impossibility results, …

Computational Discovery in Education • Functions and operators described precisely as computational algorithms • Forced to be precise and meaningful • Description becomes a tool • Students learn by simulation and symbolic execution

Status of CDI • In President’s FY 08 Request – NSF-wide initiative • • • Knowledge extraction Complex interactions Computational experimentation Virtual environments Educating students and researchers – $52 M in FY 08, rising to $250 M in FY 12 • Under intense discussion in NSF – Distributed funds – How to coordinate?

What I Need From You • Examples – Results from the algorithmic worldview • In another field • With testimonials • Epigrams – 25 words or less – Differentiate CDI from computational science – Beat: Advancement of science and engineering through augmentation of core concepts with computational models and reasoning, through computational experimentation, and through extraction of knowledge from data. – Beat: CDI casts computation as a basis for science and engineering, in core ideas as well as simulation and data management. Computational thinking tells us what is possible, knowable, and usable.

The Want Ads

NSF Highlights • Convince the US public that research is worth paying for • Succinct, interesting vignettes – – – Show a result, not an expense Layman’s language Graphics if possible • NSF Uses the best ones – – – Budget requests Performance reports Public relations

Help from the Community • Send your best ideas to NSF – Consistent with focus & goals of the program – We want high risk / high reward proposals • Suggest and encourage good panelists who can do justice to the proposals and our focus • Volunteer to be a reviewer and panelist • Engage with the CCC http: //www. cra. org/ccc/

NSF Staff Sought • Program Directors – Theory of Computing: Applications by May 4, 2007 – Openings in all areas in 1 -3 years • Interdisciplinary capability – Across cluster, division, NSF, and globally

Contact Dr. Michael Foster Division Director, Computing and Communication Foundations National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Suite 1115 Arlington, VA 22230 703 -292 -8910 mfoster@nsf. gov