The University Record, May 8, 2000

Research Reporter

Research opportunities, application deadlines, U-M policies concerning sponsored research, campus research resources and more are available on the Research Web site. Point your browser to www.research.umich.edu. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Division of Research Development and Administration.

Information Technology Workforce

The National Science Foundation has announced a new special emphasis on the information technology (IT) workforce that will support a broad set of scientific research studies focused on the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the IT workforce.

Research topics include but are not limited to:

  • Environment and Culture: How the environment, culture and other social contexts shape interest in IT, and how interest in and use of IT shapes the environment, with particular emphasis on increasing our understanding of developmental issues at different ages.

  • IT Educational Continuum: Understanding how the overall educational environment influences students’ progress along the educational continuum from grade school to entry into the workforce, and why students who have the potential to succeed in the study of IT disciplines take educational paths that preclude or make it difficult to enter the IT workforce.

  • IT Workplace: Why women and minorities who have the potential to succeed in the IT workforce take alternative career paths, the barriers and obstacles they must overcome, and how the IT workplace can foster increased retention and advancement of women and minorities.

    The deadline is June 22. For more information, visit the Web at www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf0077 or contact Dave Plawchan, (734) 764-7237 or davedrda@umich.edu.

    NIH Training Grants Workshops

    The workshop is designed for administrators of NIH training grants. It will cover many administrative issues including budgeting and proposal preparation issues; trainee qualifications, responsibilities, stipend levels and payment procedures; and handling forms. The workshop will be presented by Terri Maxwell of DRDA and Leonette Rea of Financial Operations.

    You may register for a workshop on one of the following dates: 9–11 a.m. May 17 in Room G2314, Towsley Center; 8:30–11 a.m. May 23 in Suite 18, Wolverine Tower; and 9–11 a.m. June 2 in Room 2553, LS&A Building. Each session is limited to 45 people. Please bring all your questions with you.

    To register for one of these workshops, go to “currently enrolling workshops” on the Web at www.research.umich.edu.

    IGERT Workshop Follow-up

    Approximately 50 faculty and staff attended a workshop March 10 on issues related to the NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) announcement. A follow-up meeting will feature Marvin Parnes from OVPR, Cynthia Cross from Rackham and Dave Plawchan from DRDA to discuss specific issues such as cost sharing, student recruitment, budget and FastLane. An optional component will allow applicants to work in small groups to discuss narrative issues such as assessment and management. The workshop will be offered 8–10 a.m. May 9 in the East Conference Room, Rackham Bldg. A light breakfast will be served.

    Please register for the workshop at “currently enrolling workshops” on the Web at www.research.umich.edu. An e-mail group was created of potential submitters and will be used to alert members about upcoming internal deadlines and contacts, and additional proposal development opportunities. If you did not register for the March 10 workshop and would like to be added to the e-mail group, please contact Chris Black at ckblack@umich.edu. The tentative deadline for IGERT pre-proposals is June 28.