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July 20, 2018
There is a strong consensus in the scientific community that digital repositories are a critical component of the Nation's research infrastructure. This is especially true as repositories are evolving from storage spaces for basic raw data to facilities that support complex functionality, advanced data queries, and the use of specific analytic tools. In an environment where maintaining data repositories is expensive and resources are finite, efficiency demands developing new tools and methodologies to assess the impact of digital repositories; this is necessary to be able to vouch for and communicate the authenticity, reliability, accessibility, and usability of the repositories. Systematic assessment approaches and well-understood metrics - both quantitative and qualitative - are needed.
On February 28 - March 1, 2017, the Big Data Interagency Working Group (BD IWG) held a workshop, Measuring the Impact of Digital Repositories. The aim of the workshop was to identify current assessment metrics, tools, and methodologies that are effective in measuring the impact of digital data repositories, and to identify the assessment issues, obstacles, and tools that require additional research and development (R&D). This workshop brought together leaders from academic, journal, government, and international data repository funders, users, and developers to integrate existing knowledge and work toward an understanding of next steps. Workshop participants were asked to share experiences and perspectives on how best to assess the impact of any given digital repository. "Measuring the Impact of Digital Repositories: Summary of Big Data Workshop" outlines procedures and technologies to measure the impact of data repositories, and innovative strategies to improve their financial sustainability.
The BD IWG evaluated and integrated the workshop discussions and existing literature into recommendations for R&D to address the impact assessment and sustainability needs for data repositories. "Measuring the Impact of Digital Repositories: Recommendations" outlines BD IWG's recommendations and steps to accomplish R&D goals related to data repositories.
To learn more about the Big Data Interagency Working Group (IWG) please visit BD IWG home page
July 16, 2018
View Full Text: NITRD-Newsletter-07162018.pdf
Welcome to the July 2018 issue of the NITRD Leads IT quarterly newsletter of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program.
"Serving as NITRD NCO Director for the past two years has reinforced my appreciation of the importance of Federal IT R&D in addressing the challenges and pursuing the opportunities of advancing IT. I am also reminded that new challenges and opportunities always lie ahead. One challenge and opportunity is particularly clear as I prepare to return to NASA: the need to purposefully move our innovations across the technology "valley of death" - the gap between positive research results and usable solutions that benefit our agencies and Nation..." - Dr. Bryan Biegel (Director of the National Coordination Office for Networking and Information).… Read more...
July 16, 2018
The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office (NCO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kamie Roberts as its new Director. In this role, she will also serve as the Co-chair for the NITRD Subcommittee.
Ms. Roberts served as Deputy Director for the NITRD Program since October of 2017. Prior to joining the NITRD NCO Ms. Roberts worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), where she served as the Associate Director of Federal and Industrial Relations and Chief of Staff for the ITL. She also served an active role in the NITRD Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) and as the NIST NITRD Subcommittee Representative.
While at NIST, Ms. Roberts led the Laboratory outreach program focused on increasing the impact of ITL research. She led the standards liaison team in coordinating national and international IT standards and testing activities internal and external to NIST. Ms. Roberts coordinates student programs ranging from high school interns to summer and full-year undergraduate students. Previously, Ms. Roberts served in a variety of roles, including leading the NIST Health Information Technology Program and the NIST Big Data Program. She has served as acting Laboratory Deputy Director and acting Division Chief of several divisions. Ms. Roberts is active in the Grace Hopper Women in Computing Conference and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.
Ms. Roberts earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Computer Science from George Washington University.
Ms. Roberts succeeds Dr. Bryan Biegel, and will become the 14th Director for the NITRD Program.
Please join us in welcoming her and congratulating her on this appointment.
July 13, 2018
The Big Data (BD) Interagency Working Group (IWG) coordinates Federal agency research and development (R&D) to extract knowledge and insight from large, diverse, and disparate data sources, including mechanisms for data capture, curation, management, access, analysis, and visualization. The BD IWG works under the auspices of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Subcommittee of the NSTC’s Committee on Technology to coordinate current big data R&D activities across the Federal Government and to enhance collaboration among agencies, academia, and the private sector. The Human Computer Interaction and Information Management (HCI&IM) Task Force (TF) reports to the BD IWG and organizes workshops on the science of visualization.
The Data Visualization Workshop II: Data Wrangling was a web-based event held on October 18, 2017. The "Frontiers of Data Visualization Workshop II: Data Wrangling Workshop Summary" report summarizes the individual perspectives of a group of visualization experts from the public, private, and academic sectors who met online to discuss how to improve the creation and use of high-quality visualizations. The specific focus of this workshop was on the complexities of “data wrangling”. Data wrangling includes finding the appropriate data sources that are both accessible and usable and then shaping and combining that data to facilitate the most accurate and meaningful analysis possible. The workshop was organized as a 3-hour web event and moderated by the members of the Human Computer Interaction and Information Management Task Force of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program’s Big Data Interagency Working Group.
July 13, 2018
The Wireless Spectrum R&D (WSRD) Interagency Working Group (IWG) was formed in late 2010 to coordinate spectrum-related research and development activities both across the Federal government and with academia and the private sector. The purpose is to help coordinate and inform ongoing activities across Federal agencies and to facilitate efficient and effective investment in spectrum sharing technologies and systems. Spectrum provides the "transmission lines" for communications between individuals and devices, and increasingly, between devices. It impacts almost every aspect of our daily lives, including technologies connecting family members or soldiers on the battlefield, drones delivering packages or collecting intelligence, satellites predicting snow, and spacecraft transmitting images of the surface of Mars.
On May 5, 2017, the WSRD IWG held a workshop, Radio Receiver Systems: R&D Innovation Needs and Impacts on Technology and Policy. At this workshop, Federal, private, and academic stakeholders discussed their individual views regarding the need for innovation in radio receiver systems. This workshop report outlines research topics that were discussed by a cross-section of experts with the goal of improving radio receiver systems. Past efforts to achieve better performance and more efficient spectrum use have focused on frequency-division and time-division allocations, but the explosion of wireless data service applications is driving the need for innovative changes in modern radio systems. Many systems are moving to wideband performance characteristics to increase their capabilities and performance. This reliance on wideband spectrum in the lower spectrum bands and the high-frequency millimeter wave bands requires designing and developing radio systems with increased functionality in both the transmitters and receivers. Improving overall system performance depends heavily on receivers being designed and built to deal with increased spectrum congestion and interference. Receiver design also needs to consider the full radio system to fully characterize and quantify performance. Upfront system engineering is needed for improved coexistence approaches that reduce overall interference. In addition, designers must balance performance metrics (e.g., sensitivity, selectivity, and efficiency) against costs, and policymakers must find ways to facilitate improved performance and information exchange that is both secure and private. "WSRD Radio Receiver Systems: R&D Innovation Needs and Impacts on Technology and Policy Workshop Summary" outlines research topics that were discussed by a cross-section of experts with the goal of improving radio receiver systems.
With the rapid expansion of wireless devices, many traditional spectrum use paradigms are being challenged and modified to accommodate the increasing demand. To address the challenges of the rapidly changing landscape for radio receivers, the WSRD IWG developed recommendations for Federal R&D, standards development, and policy in radio receiver systems that imply coordination and collaboration with the private and academic sectors. These recommendations were published in "Radio Receiver Systems R&D Innovation Needs: Recommendations of the WSRD IWG".
To learn more about the Wireless Spectrum Research and Development (WSRD) Interagency Working Group (IWG) please visit WSRD IWG home page.
