Building an Environmental Component to Digital Government Presentation to: Science on the Semantic Web Sue Stendebach, NSF October 24 and 25

National Science Foundation: Digital Government Research Program Digital Government Research Program (DG) expands the NSF model: –IT grants to university/college researchers –Grantees must partner with government – local to international –Practical basic IT research, which through technology transfer, can be applied

Why Digital Government? Government’s need to respond to rapid technological change –Internet has fundamentally altered the service delivery environment –Public expects government to evolve in its technological capability as has the private sector –Scope and scale of government IT applications are enormous

Research/Government Partnership Collaboration among academic research and government is mutually beneficial: –Agency expands its IT solutions via research partnership –Researcher addresses specific agency challenge(s), with advantage of data and testbed –Technology transition is important objective

Digital Government for the Environmental Arena Detail from EPA to NSF, with goal of building environmental component to DG EPA and other agencies with environmental mandates looking to evolving IT innovation Opportunity for EPA to leverage DG grants and academic knowledge discovery Partnership can facilitate transition of new technologies to full agency usability

Sampling of EPA’s IT Needs Heterogeneous database integration Data collection automation/analysis/dissemination Improved access/interfaces with the public Digitized public response to proposed regulations IT tools for advanced global climate research Water security via sensors/other… Modeling, GIS, other for scientific research Satellite imagery/remote sensing

EPA’s Growing Involvement EPA interest in several potential projects: –Semantic web for environmental information –Global integrated air emissions inventory network –Technologies to ensure water security –Emergency response technologies –Higher levels of GIS capabilities –Electronic Rulemaking

Example: Air Emissions Network EPA scientists recognized void – need fully integrated web-based international network –Distributed data access; analytical tools NSF hosted discussion session on solutions –Local, state, federal agencies’ needs –International entities – EU, UNEP… –Air inventory and network experts –Numerous researchers’ interest/ideas

Plans for Air Emissions Network EPA’s Air Office partnering with researchers submitting grant proposals Add partners: –locals, states, other nations –NOAA, NASA, USDA, UNDP, World Bank Develop infrastructure via existing technologies Research to develop pilot technologies that build on infrastructure Build capacity in developing countries Create fully functional air network

Realities Much of the data is missing or inaccurate Data is in different formats Some won’t want to share data – politics Developing country resource constraints Degree of persuasion to encourage cross- boundary use Security and trust

Digital Government Research Program: Proposal Submissions General call for proposals – Nov. 7, 2002 Small ITRs – Nov. 18, 2002 Medium ITRs – Feb. 10, 2003 Large ITRs -- pre-proposal – Nov. 15, 2002 Large ITRs – full proposal – Mar. 24, 2003 SGERs – up to $100K – anytime Workshop/planning grants -- anytime

Contact Information Sue Stendebach –703/