Subject: Fwd: ITR Preproposal Recommendation (fwd) Resent-Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 17:35:52 -0500 Resent-From: Geoffrey Fox Resent-To: p_gcf@npac.syr.edu Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 12:58:12 -0500 From: Richard Pritchard To: gcf@npac.syr.edu, parashar@caip.rutgers.edu Mary asked me to forward this to the two of you to get your thoughts on whether or not we should proceed. What is your interpretation of the comments? Did the reviewers understand our proposal? Was is just not what NSF is looking for? If we added more computer science, would it be more likely to be funded? At this point, I'm recommending that we not submit a final proposal, but I'll do whatever the team decides. RHP >Return-Path: >Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 08:43:26 -0600 >To: sbryant@brahma.ticam.utexas.edu, rhp@osc.edu, rhp@mail.utexas.edu >From: Connie Baxter >Subject: Fwd: ITR Preproposal Recommendation (fwd) > >>X-Authentication-Warning: cuero.ticam.utexas.edu: mfw owned process doing -bs >>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 08:42:11 -0600 >>From: "M. Wheeler" >>To: Connie Baxter >>Subject: ITR Preproposal Recommendation (fwd) >>MIME-Version: 1.0 >>Status: >> >> >> >>---------- Forwarded message ---------- >>Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:38:58 -0500 >>From: "Gaines, Alan M" >>To: "'mfw@ticam.utexas.edu'" >>Subject: ITR Preproposal Recommendation >> >> >>Mary Wheeler >>TICAM: TX Inst. for Comp. & Applied Math >>U of Texas Austin >>Ref: 0076898 >> >>During the week of February 7, 2000 Information Technology Research >>Preproposal Review Panels met at the National Science Foundation in >>Arlington, and at other locations in Chicago and San Francisco to consider >>the 930 preproposals that were submitted in response to the Fiscal Year 2000 >>ITR Competition for proposals with budgets exceeding $500K. The >>preproposals were evaluated by the panels using the standard NSF merit >>review criteria: criterion (1) reflecting scientific importance and quality, >>and criterion (2) reflecting broader impact of the proposed research. In >>addition panelists were asked to identify preproposals that approach >>research activities in innovative ways rather than suggesting routine >>applications of existing technology. Proposals were selected for >>scientific excitement and promise, and for scope of vision, rather than for >>certainty of achieving their goals. Proposals were expected to represent >>new departures in research. Large projects, with budget well in excess of >>$500K, require sufficient justification for their size. >> >>The number and quality of the preproposals was high, and consequently not >>all preproposals with promising ideas could be invited to submit full >>proposals. The panels were asked to identify approximately the top 10% of >>the preproposals for submission as full proposals on April 17. >> >>NSF regrets to inform you that based on this review of your preproposal you >>are not encouraged to submit a full ITR proposal. >> >>Copies of the individual reviewers' comments and the panel summary for your >>preproposal are attached. If you have any questions regarding the review of >>your preproposal or about the ITR program, please contact us by e-mail at >>the address shown below: >> >>Maria Zemankova, mzemanko@nsf.gov >>Alan Gaines, againes@nsf.gov >>Alex Firestone, afiresto@nsf.gov >>ITR Working Group >>The National Science Foundation >> >>ITR Preproposal Panel Summary >> >>Preproposal Number: 0076898 >>PI: Mary Wheeler >>Institution: U of Texas Austin >>Title: ITR/IM+ACS-Coupling Regional Hydrosphere Models: A Distributed >>Computing Portal >> >>Relevance to Information Technology: >> >> >>Intellectual Merit: >> >>The development of the portal-like facility will certainly help to >>disseminate the various data and help organize access to the resources >>available in remote locations. Making algorithms parallel and exploiting the >>latter resources will be beneficial. >> >> >>Broader Impacts: >> >>Should this proposal be directed to environmental issues, it would generate >>a leap forward. However, if mixed with issues in ecology sciences the >>outcomes are not clear. >> >> >>ITR Evaluation Criteria (innovation in approach, scientific excitement and >>promise, justification for large size, community extending activities): >> >> >>Other Strengths or Weaknesses: >> >>The research team could be strengthened if some ecology-exert(s) join the >>effort. >> >>Panel Recommendation: >> >>_____ NSF should encourage further submission >>__X___ Not recommended for further submission >> >>PROPOSAL NO.: 0076898 >>INSTITUTION: U of Texas Austin >>NSF PROGRAM: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARC >>PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Wheeler, Mary F. >>TITLE: ITR/IM+ACS-Coupling Regional Hydrosphere Models: A Distributed >>Computing Portal >>RATING: Very Good >> >>REVIEW: >>This preproposal suggests the creation of a Portal >>that will used to develop a simulator (or regional scale) >>of the hydrosphere -- dealing with diverse data regarding >>surface water, ground-water, and vapor in the atmosphere). >>The ultimate goal of the effort would be to better understand >>the interactions that take place in the hydrosphere and >>by developing the appropriate models be able to more >>accurately predict physical phenomena. This will improve >>significantly over current methodologies that simply omit >>the above aspects. The contribution of the suggested >>approach in the safety of people is obvious. >> >>The proposed work will use state of the art software >>technology to create its portal architecture that will >>be used as a dissemination mechanisms among scientists >>and a front-end for the use of specialized back-end >>resources. A CORBA-based system will bring together >>these resources that will carry out the required computations. >> >>The technology base used is sound and the research team >>assembled is capable in bringing this effort to completion. >>The only concern here is that the proposal does use a lot of >>IT but it does not plan any substantial research in this area (IT). >> >> >> >> >>PROPOSAL NO.: 0076898 >>INSTITUTION: U of Texas Austin >>NSF PROGRAM: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARC >>PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Wheeler, Mary F. >>TITLE: ITR/IM+ACS-Coupling Regional Hydrosphere Models: A Distributed >>Computing Portal >>RATING: Good >> >>REVIEW: >>This proposal concerns the development of a distributed problem solving >>environment for coupling models of physical processes, particularlly >>applied to simulating surface, atmospheric, and subsurface (groundwater) >>models. Each of these domains are typically simulated indepdentantly >>despite their substantial interaction. They seek to provide a WWW type >>interface to the high performance computing resources such models demand. >>In addition to the problem solving environment, they seek to develop >>parallel algorithms for model-coupling. >> >>Such atmospheric modeling is clearly a big problem, and the PIs are >>requesting big money. The PIs have an extensive track record building >>such models. Exactly how these propose efforts extend previously funded >>projects is unclear in this preproposal. There is no involvement with >>researchers in computer science, and the proposed "computer science >>research problems" are not compelling. >> >> >> >> >>PROPOSAL NO.: 0076898 >>INSTITUTION: U of Texas Austin >>NSF PROGRAM: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARC >>PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Wheeler, Mary F. >>TITLE: ITR/IM+ACS-Coupling Regional Hydrosphere Models: A Distributed >>Computing Portal >>RATING: Fair >> >>REVIEW: >>SCIENTIFIC IMPORT AND QUALITY (INTELLECTUAL MERIT) >>Multi-process modelling within a single environmental medium at the regional >>scale. The notion that we are capable of more comprehensively addressing >>such dynamics in ecological systems is compelling: even relatively limited >>success in this project would be a major "step up" for the environmental and >>environmental engineering sciences (there would still need to be more >>comprehensive work done to impact the ecological sciences). >> >>BROADER IMPACT >>An interesting set of collaborating universities is described. The team is >>strong in the computer sciences and computational sciences; yet, it is weak >>in the ecological sciences. Such ecological expertise would be very >>important in the interpretation of any results arising from the proposed >>modelling-based work. >> >Connie L. Baxter >Admin. Associate >Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) >Texas Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (TICAM) >SHC Rm 414; C0200 >University of Texas >105 W. 26th >Austin, TX 78712 > >512 475-8625 PHONE >512 471-8694 FAX > > Dr. Richard H. (Dick) Pritchard (Col, USAFR - Ret) Director, Federal Programs OSC (Ohio Supercomputer Center) 1224 Kinnear Road Columbus, OH 43212-1163 Phone (614) 292-1163 Fax (614) 292-7168 rhp@osc.edu Now half-time at The University of Texas-Austin Phone (512) 475-9290 "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity". -- Hanlon's Razor