This NSF announcement will be of interest to many lis-elibbers. We're
working on a corresponding JISC Circular draft now.
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INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARIES
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
Effective Immediately
Proposal Target Dates: January 15, 1999 (first year competition)
January 15 (following years' competition)
Announcement Number NSF 99-6 (NEW)
INTRODUCTION
This activity is supported by the Division of Information and Intelligent
Systems of the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
Engineering, and the Division of International Programs of the Directorate
for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. It builds on and extends
prior Foundation efforts in digital libraries research.
International digital libraries research is intended to contribute to the
fundamental knowledge required to create information systems that can
operate in multiple languages, formats, media, and social and
organizational contexts. To achieve this, collaborative creation of new
research understandings, tools and ideas exploiting the different
opportunities offered by materials and technologies in use in different
countries is strongly encouraged. Research supported under this program is
expected to:
* identify a collection of information which is not accessible or usable
because of technical barriers, distance, size, system fragmentation or
other limits;
* using this as a testbed, create the understanding and new technology to
make it possible for such information to be found, delivered to and/or
exploited by a distributed set of users; and
* evaluate the effect of this new technology and its international benefits.
The program's goal is to enable users to easily access digital collections,
regardless of location, language or formats, and enable broad use in
research, education, commerce and other purposes. Such a global information
environment requires research on:
* interoperable technologies for advanced retrieval of many kinds of
information, including ways of adapting to different formats or
organizations of databases;
* technology for intellectual property protection in a global marketplace
the development of linked, compatible databases with inherently regional
information, such as databases of geographic, botanic, agricultural,
demographic or economic data; and
* methods and standards for ensuring long-term interoperability among
distributed and separately administered databases; worldwide data mining
and self-organizing databases; collective work on preserving and organizing
domain-specific content.
While there are now uncoordinated efforts in many countries, cooperative
research can help avoid duplication of effort, prevent the development of
fragmented digital systems, and encourage productive interchange of
scientific knowledge and scholarly data around the world.
This NSF effort will fund the US portion of collaborative digital library
projects among investigators from different countries to foster long-term,
sustainable relationships between US and non-US researchers and research
organizations. Cooperating groups in supported projects are expected to be
balanced in terms of level of effort and expertise, and demonstrate the
benefits obtainable from complementary and synergistic international
research. The research strengths of researchers in different countries
should be combined to facilitate work on complex multi-faceted problems
relating to the access and use of international distributed and
multilingual resources.
CONTENT
Proposals should have the overall research goal of enabling users to access
and exploit information in new ways. Research issues include information
organization, forms of information distribution, scalability and security
techniques for worldwide data systems, and tools to search, store, and
deliver information in different media or languages.
Specific research areas falling under this program are:
* multi-lingual information systems, cross-language retrieval systems,
language translation, and language teaching software
* multi-national digital libraries including sound, data, image,
multimedia, software, and other kinds of content
* interoperability and scalability technology to permit extremely large
world-wide collections
* metadata techniques and tools
* geospatial, environmental, biological, historical and other information
systems in which location is highly relevant, including consideration of
best organizations for such systems
* preservation and archiving of digital scholarly information, including
technology and procedures for long-term information asset management
* social aspects of digital libraries and cross-cultural context studies
* utilization of digital libraries in educational technology at all levels
of instruction
* economic and copyright issues: authentication, payment, rights formalism,
trust and fair use
* electronic publishing and scholarly communication technology, including
collaboratories, online repositories, and new methods of organizing
scientific knowledge distribution.
These topics are not intended to be totally inclusive, but to illustrate
and encourage research which opens exciting new research areas, and gives
promise of user benefit from international research synergy.
ELIGIBILITY
Multi-country, multi-team projects are required, and proposals to this
program must involve at least one research team in the United States and
one in another country. A project should have a single jointly developed
proposal from all involved groups, which clearly delineates both the
division of areas of research and the synergies expected. Each research
team is responsible for obtaining support for its part of the project. NSF
will not support the non-US portion of a project, nor the US portion of a
project not receiving support in the foreign country or countries involved.
The NSF proposal must contain, in addition to budget(s) for the US team(s),
information indicating the level of investments and efforts for each
foreign team. Where desirable, NSF may choose to coordinate review with a
foreign funding agency and make joint decisions.
Institutions eligible to apply to the NSF supported portion of this program
are US universities and US non-profit research institutions. Each project
should not exceed three year's duration with a maximum yearly cost of
$165,000. NSF funding for this initiative is anticipated to be a minimum of
$1M annually.
PROPOSAL CONTENT
Proposal preparation guidelines are in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 99-2.
Each proposal must include a plan of work explaining:
* what the primary research questions are,
* what information resource is to be used in the project,
* what area will be investigated,
* who is likely to use the information and for what purposes, and
* what benefits are expected to flow from the research.
In addition, the proposal must have a clear and explicit management plan.
This includes:
* details of how cooperation is to be carried out and coordinated,
* description of and justification for the partitioning of the research
activities,
* processes to be used for coordinating and evaluating progress, and
* anticipated travel requirements.
Biographical information should be provided for all investigators in the
collaborative effort, both US, and non-US as described in the NSF Grant
Proposal Guide, NSF 99-2. Citations to participant publications which
appeared after July 1, 1998 are encouraged to be given as Web addresses
only. A letter of endorsement from the foreign counterparts, which
identifies the source of support for the non-US activities, is required.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION
Evaluation criteria applied to all NSF proposals listed in the Grant
Proposal Guide, NSF 99-2, are:
1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? How important
is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within
its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the
proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the
reviewer will comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent does
the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts?
How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there
sufficient access to resources?
2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? How well does
the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching,
training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the
participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity,
disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the
infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities,
instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be
disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding?
What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
In addition, the following criteria will be used for this program:
1. Does the proposal represent new research in the area of digital
libraries, and does it contain new scientific ideas and methods?
2. Does the project demonstrate the need for and advantages of shared
international activities, and exploit, as appropriate, new communications
methods to link its teams?
3. Are the research groups interacting as true collaborators, displaying
complementary and comparable levels of professional expertise?
4. Does the management plan provide mechanisms for effective
communication, coordination, progress assessment, and flexibility?
5. Should the research be successful, how many people will benefit from
the new technology created?
6. Should the research be successful, how will the content be made
available to communities of users?
7. Do the previous efforts of the research teams demonstrate their
competence and support their likelihood of achieving the goals of the
project?
8. If the work is successful at creating a new information service, does
the proposal include a plan by which that service will be continued after
the research funding ends, and how credible is that plan?
9. How effective is the project plan for enabling others to draw upon the
results of the research?
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster
integration of research and education through the programs, projects and
activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These
institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may
concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and
students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education
with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity
of learner perspectives. PIs should address this issue in their proposal
to provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to
both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful
consideration in making funding decisions.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens --
women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities
-- is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF
is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the
programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports. PIs should
address this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with the
information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria.
NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making funding decisions.
CATEGORIES OF SUPPORT
All awards for this announcement made by NSF will be as grants or
cooperative agreements to academic institutions and qualified non-profit
research organizations. Partnership arrangements with other groups in the
United States are encouraged, including subcontracts with the proposing
organization.
PROPOSAL SCHEDULES AND PREPARATION
Letters of Intent: Due One Month Prior to Proposal Submission
Letters of Intent are encouraged to assist the program in administrative
and review preparation. Organizations or persons considering submission of
a proposal should send an electronic mail message with the following
statement: "I am interested in submitting a proposal to the International
Digital Libraries Program," and include the title and brief abstract of the
proposed work, as much as is known of the list of participants, including
the foreign participants, and the source of funds anticipated for the
foreign partners. Letters of intent will not be refereed or evaluated but
should contain sufficient information about the topic to help in the
selection of reviewers.
Submit the letter of intent as an electronic mail message to [log in to unmask]
or send a letter of intent to:
International Digital Libraries Research
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems Suite 1115
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22230
Full Proposals: Target Date January 15, 1999 (first year competition)
January 15 (succeeding years' competition)
The proposals must be marked INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARIES - NSF 99-6 in
the top left hand box, "Program Announcement", on the cover sheet (NSF Form
1207). Proposals must be prepared as specified in the NSF Grant Proposal
Guide, NSF 99-2 and sent to:
National Science Foundation PPU
International Digital Libraries Research, Suite 1115
4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22230
AWARD ADMINISTRATION
NSF requires prospective grantees to furnish, upon request by NSF's
Division of Grants and Agreements, basic organization and management
information that will assist the NSF Grant Officers in assessing their
financial and managerial responsibility. These requirements are described
in the NSF 95-26, NSF Grant Policy Manual. Grants awarded as a result of
this solicitation are administered in accordance with the terms and
conditions of NSF GC-1, "Grant General Conditions," or FDP-III, "Federal
Demonstration Partnership General Terms and Conditions," depending on the
grantee organization. Any Cooperative Agreement resulting from this
announcement must comply with NSF GC-1 and Cooperative Agreement General
Conditions, CA-1.
NSF expects significant findings from research to be promptly submitted for
publication by US supported teams, and strongly encourages this practice on
the part of the non-US collaborators.
OTHER INFORMATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly responsible for
conducting their project activities and preparing the results for
publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such
findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities, and
persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance
with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds
of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance
from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a
particular program).
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program
announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD)
and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable
individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation
regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be
accessed at (703) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1-800-877-8339.
PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS
The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may
be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the
review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or obtain
data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the
administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers
and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to
other government agencies needing information as part of the review process
or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or
party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is
a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the
Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer
reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50,
"Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal
Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and
Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission
of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer; Information
Dissemination Branch, DAS; National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA
22230.
YEAR 2000 REMINDER
In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997, Subject:
Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of their
responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that the NSF activity
being supported is not adversely affected by the Year 2000 problem.
Potentially affected items include: computer systems, databases, and
equipment. The National Science Foundation should be notified if an
awardee concludes that the Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its
ability to carry out an NSF funded activity. Information concerning Year
2000 activities can be found on the NSF web site at
http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers:
47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering
47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
OMB# 3145-0058
P.T. (34)
K.W.(1000000,0400000,0300000)
AGENCY CONTACTS
Stephen M. Griffin
National Science Foundation
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
Electronic mail: [log in to unmask]
Telephone: 703-306-1930
Fax: 703-306-0599
For country specific or regional information, please contact:
Division of International Programs
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
Electronic mail: [log in to unmask]
Fax: 703-306-0476
Telephones:
Africa, Near East, South Asia: 703-306-1707
Americas: 703-306-1706
East Asia and Pacific: 703-306-1704
Eastern Europe, Newly Independent States: 703-306-1703
Japan and Korea: 703-306-1701
Western Europe: 703-306-1702
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Stephen M. Griffin
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)
Program Director: Special Projects
Digital Libraries Initiative
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Mail: National Science Foundation | e-mail: [log in to unmask]
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1115 | phone: (703) 306-1930
Arlington, VA 22230 | fax: (703) 306-0599
| home: (202) 363-0986
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For More Information: http://www.cise.nsf.gov/iis/sp_pdhome.html
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----- End of forwarded message from Steve Griffin -----
--
Chris Rusbridge
Programme Director, Electronic Libraries Programme
The Library, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Phone 01203 524979 Fax 01203 524981
Email [log in to unmask]
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