Merit Stimulus Blog
Merit Stimulus Blog 6.8.09
By Gregory Monroe - June 08, 2009 11:52 am
Greetings,
Welcome back to Merit Network's continuing coverage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
This post is just one of many weekly updates intended to keep you informed on the latest developments in funding opportunities for cyber-infrastructure, research and education.
This past week delivered no major developments in the world of broadband stimulus funding; however, there are still several items that should pique your interest. Those items which we will discuss today include: a document published by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for their upcoming Academic Research Infrastructure – Recovery and Reinvestment Program (ARI-R2); a report issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regarding the economic impact of national broadband in the U.S.; a new coalition forming in Washington; and some various other web and logistical updates.
First and foremost, the NSF published a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on their webpage for the ARI-R2 Program. Remember the ARI-R2 is intended to fund the renovation, upgrade and repair of existing research facilities (including computing facilities so long as the project is considered a renovation of some sort). Replacement of facilities is considered only when it is demonstrated that it will be more cost effective than a renovation.
The document delineates 35 different questions. It references the Broader Impact Criterion statement requirement. NSF Broader Impact Criterion requires an applicant to address how well the proposed activity advances discovery and understanding, promotes teaching, training, and learning, broadens the participation of underrepresented groups, enhances the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships, as well as what the benefits of the proposed activity to society might be.
The FAQ doc also details the logistics of proposals pertaining to the eligibility of related applicants such as multiple schools/distinct colleges/institutions within a single university, multiple universities within a state submitting joint proposals, and research foundations within universities. It addresses project management, execution and sustainability plans as well.
Just a reminder: deadlines for the ARI-R2 Program are fast approaching. Letters of Intent (required for all proposals) are due July 1st 2009. Full proposals are due August 24th.
A small bit of good news arrived in the form of a report issued by the OECD on broadband and the stimulus. The report, entitled The Role of Communication Infrastructure Investment in Economic Recovery, stresses the importance of a government investment that creates a competitive, open access infrastructure, and emphasizes that the choice of network topology is critical for enabling competition. In addition the report gives volition to what has been commonly referred to as the "Community Anchor Institution Approach." The idea—which has been unofficially favored by NTIA head Marc Seiffert—is that the first step of stimulus dollars should be used to connect schools, universities, colleges, libraries, hospitals, governmental offices and other public institutions so as they can act as anchor points for high-speed connections to the rest of the community (homes and businesses).
Speaking of Community Anchor Institutions, a new coalition of schools, libraries and hospitals is forming in Washington D.C. The coalition, which is still stalemated on a name, will feature representatives from key broadband players like Educause, Internet2, Microsoft and many others. A new law has been passed by the Obama Adminstration that prohibits any direct lobbying (for reasons of transparency, it restricts any in-person contact) for any grant proposal, so the coalition will not act as a lobbying group. It will serve as an advocate for the Community Anchor Institutions previously mentioned; the idea being that these types of institutions require more bandwidth than businesses and homes.
In other news, the National Technology and Information Administration (NTIA) has issued a solicitation to hire a consulting firm to help with the disbursal of grant funds. Of particular notice is the selection criteria listed. We can deduce from their job description what they’re looking for in a grant proposal: a solid business plan, long-term viability, and an understanding of broadband technologies.
A boon for the greater education community: Mark Luker, former V.P. for Educause has been hired by the NTIA in an advisory capacity.
Finally, I'd like to draw your attention to a website I came across this week. The State of Virginia's Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance has a website that might be helpful to some of this blog's readership. The Community Broadband Tool-kit was developed to serve as roadmap for localities seeking to obtain or expand broadband access through a community influenced model. It contains specific tools/resources that that can be leveraged as well as general information and guidance to help communities. Although some of this may be geographically specific to Virginia, it might help generate some ideas.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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