LINGUIST List 8.20

Thu Jan 16 1997

FYI: New NSF Initiative

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <seelylinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. pchapin, New NSF Initiative in Learning & Intelligent Systems

Paul Chapin **************** 

The National Science Foundation has announced a major new funding
initiative in the area of Learning and Intelligent Systems (LIS). The
intention of the initiative is to encourage and support
interdisciplinary research collaborations on topics which promise to
expand our understanding of learning, by comparative, joint study of
humans (and other sentient organisms) and artificial systems
(computers and complex engineering systems).

The LIS initiative seeks to stimulate interdisciplinary research that
will unify experimentally and theoretically derived concepts related
to learning and intelligent systems, and that will promote the use and
development of information technologies in learning across a wide
variety of fields. The long-range goal of this initiative is very
broad and has the potential to make significant contributions toward
innovative applications. To pursue this goal in a realistic and
sustainable fashion, the initiative focuses on fundamental scientific
and technological research undertaken in the rigorous and disciplined
manner characteristic of NSF-supported endeavors. The initiative
ultimately should have a major impact on enhancing and supporting
human intellectual and creative potential. Consequently, development
of new scientific knowledge on learning and intelligent systems and
its creative application to education and to learning technologies are
an integral part of this solicitation.

A full LIS web site, including the Program Announcement and related
material, can be found at the URL http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/lis/home.htm.
Also, the Program Announcement (NSF Publication 97-18) text is
available by ftp at stis.nsf.gov/9718.txt.

Preliminary proposals for LIS grants must be received at NSF by
February 7, 1997. Full formal proposals will be by invitation only,
on the basis of a review of the preliminary proposals.

I strongly encourage all interested readers of LINGUIST to explore the
formation of collaborative teams to undertake research on some topic
within the scope of the LIS initiative, in order to prepare and submit
preliminary proposals.

You may address inquiries to me at pchapinnsf.gov, or to Fernanda
Ferreira at mferreirnsf.gov.

Paul Chapin, NSF