Is the Infrastructure of EHDI Programs Working?

Science.gov (United States)

Houston, K. Todd; Hoffman, Jeff; Munoz, Karen F.; Bradham, Tamala S.

2011-01-01

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that consisted of 12 evaluative areas of EHDI programs. For the EHDI program infrastructure area, 47 coordinators responded with a total of 292 items, and themes were identified in each…

Improving Defense Health Program Medical Research Processes

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-08

research , including a Business Cell; 87 Research Development, 88 Research Oversight, 89 and Research Compliance offices;90 and the Center...needed for DHP medical research , such as the Army’s Clinical and Translational Research Program Office, 38 the Navy’s Research Methods Training Program... research stated, “key infrastructure for a learning health system will encompass three core elements: data networks, methods , and workforce.” 221

Romanian contribution to research infrastructure database for EPOS

Science.gov (United States)

Ionescu, Constantin; Craiu, Andreea; Tataru, Dragos; Balan, Stefan; Muntean, Alexandra; Nastase, Eduard; Oaie, Gheorghe; Asimopolos, Laurentiu; Panaiotu, Cristian

2014-05-01

European Plate Observation System - EPOS is a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, models and facilities from mainly distributed existing, but also new, research infrastructures for solid Earth Science. In EPOS Preparatory Phase were integrated the national Research Infrastructures at pan European level in order to create the EPOS distributed research infrastructures, structure in which, at the present time, Romania participates by means of the earth science research infrastructures of the national interest declared on the National Roadmap. The mission of EPOS is to build an efficient and comprehensive multidisciplinary research platform for solid Earth Sciences in Europe and to allow the scientific community to study the same phenomena from different points of view, in different time periods and spatial scales (laboratory and field experiments). At national scale, research and monitoring infrastructures have gathered a vast amount of geological and geophysical data, which have been used by research networks to underpin our understanding of the Earth. EPOS promotes the creation of comprehensive national and regional consortia, as well as the organization of collective actions. To serve the EPOS goals, in Romania a group of National Research Institutes, together with their infrastructures, gathered in an EPOS National Consortium, as follows: 1. National Institute for Earth Physics - Seismic, strong motion, GPS and Geomagnetic network and Experimental Laboratory; 2. National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology - Marine Research infrastructure and Euxinus integrated regional Black Sea observation and early-warning system; 3. Geological Institute of Romania - Surlari National Geomagnetic Observatory and National lithoteque (the latter as part of the National Museum of Geology) 4. University of Bucharest - Paleomagnetic Laboratory After national dissemination of EPOS initiative other Research Institutes and companies from the potential

Needs of National Infrastructure for Nuclear Energy Program in Macedonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaushevski, A.; Poceva, S.N.; Spasevska, H.; Popov, N.

2016-01-01

The introduction of a nuclear energy program is a major undertaking with significant implications for many aspects of national infrastructure, ranging from capacity of the power grid, access roads and production facilities, to the involvement of stakeholders and the development of human resources. For new comers countries without nuclear power, even for those who wish to realize substantial expansion of existing nuclear capacity, it can take up to 10-15 years to develop the necessary infrastructure. One of the crucial problems in nuclear energy implementation are human resources needs and educational infrastructure development in this field. No matter what will be the future energy scenario in the Republic of Macedonia, the nuclear educational program is the first step to have HR in the field of nuclear energy. This paper presents the proposed direction for having HR for establishing national infrastructure in nuclear energy program in Macedonia. This includes establishing and developing of MONEP (Macedonian NEPIO), and the enhancing the capabilities of the national regulatory body in the Republic of Macedonia. Keywords: NEP (Nuclear Energy Program), HR (Human Resources), NEPIO (Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization), MONEP Macedonian Organization for Nuclear Energy Program (Macedonian NEPIO), NRB (Nuclear Regulatory Body)

Development of Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Genomics Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulder, Nicola J; Adebiyi, Ezekiel; Adebiyi, Marion; Adeyemi, Seun; Ahmed, Azza; Ahmed, Rehab; Akanle, Bola; Alibi, Mohamed; Armstrong, Don L; Aron, Shaun; Ashano, Efejiro; Baichoo, Shakuntala; Benkahla, Alia; Brown, David K; Chimusa, Emile R; Fadlelmola, Faisal M; Falola, Dare; Fatumo, Segun; Ghedira, Kais; Ghouila, Amel; Hazelhurst, Scott; Isewon, Itunuoluwa; Jung, Segun; Kassim, Samar Kamal; Kayondo, Jonathan K; Mbiyavanga, Mamana; Meintjes, Ayton; Mohammed, Somia; Mosaku, Abayomi; Moussa, Ahmed; Muhammd, Mustafa; Mungloo-Dilmohamud, Zahra; Nashiru, Oyekanmi; Odia, Trust; Okafor, Adaobi; Oladipo, Olaleye; Osamor, Victor; Oyelade, Jellili; Sadki, Khalid; Salifu, Samson Pandam; Soyemi, Jumoke; Panji, Sumir; Radouani, Fouzia; Souiai, Oussama; Tastan Bishop, Özlem

2017-06-01

downstream interpretation of prioritized variants. To provide support for these and other bioinformatics queries, an online bioinformatics helpdesk backed by broad consortium expertise has been established. Further support is provided by means of various modes of bioinformatics training. For the past 4 years, the development of infrastructure support and human capacity through H3ABioNet, have significantly contributed to the establishment of African scientific networks, data analysis facilities, and training programs. Here, we describe the infrastructure and how it has affected genomics and bioinformatics research in Africa. Copyright © 2017 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FOSS Tools for Research Infrastructures - A Success Story?

Science.gov (United States)

Stender, V.; Schroeder, M.; Wächter, J.

2015-12-01

Established initiatives and mandated organizations, e.g. the Initiative for Scientific Cyberinfrastructures (NSF, 2007) or the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI, 2008), promote and foster the development of sustainable research infrastructures. The basic idea behind these infrastructures is the provision of services supporting scientists to search, visualize and access data, to collaborate and exchange information, as well as to publish data and other results. Especially the management of research data is gaining more and more importance. In geosciences these developments have to be merged with the enhanced data management approaches of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). The Centre for GeoInformationTechnology (CeGIT) at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences has the objective to establish concepts and standards of SDIs as an integral part of research infrastructure architectures. In different projects, solutions to manage research data for land- and water management or environmental monitoring have been developed based on a framework consisting of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) components. The framework provides basic components supporting the import and storage of data, discovery and visualization as well as data documentation (metadata). In our contribution, we present our data management solutions developed in three projects, Central Asian Water (CAWa), Sustainable Management of River Oases (SuMaRiO) and Terrestrial Environmental Observatories (TERENO) where FOSS components build the backbone of the data management platform. The multiple use and validation of tools helped to establish a standardized architectural blueprint serving as a contribution to Research Infrastructures. We examine the question of whether FOSS tools are really a sustainable choice and whether the increased efforts of maintenance are justified. Finally it should help to answering the question if the use of FOSS for Research Infrastructures is a

Executable research compendia in geoscience research infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Nüst, Daniel

2017-04-01

From generation through analysis and collaboration to communication, scientific research requires the right tools. Scientists create their own software using third party libraries and platforms. Cloud computing, Open Science, public data infrastructures, and Open Source enable scientists with unprecedented opportunites, nowadays often in a field "Computational X" (e.g. computational seismology) or X-informatics (e.g. geoinformatics) [0]. This increases complexity and generates more innovation, e.g. Environmental Research Infrastructures (environmental RIs [1]). Researchers in Computational X write their software relying on both source code (e.g. from https://github.com) and binary libraries (e.g. from package managers such as APT, https://wiki.debian.org/Apt, or CRAN, https://cran.r-project.org/). They download data from domain specific (cf. https://re3data.org) or generic (e.g. https://zenodo.org) data repositories, and deploy computations remotely (e.g. European Open Science Cloud). The results themselves are archived, given persistent identifiers, connected to other works (e.g. using https://orcid.org/), and listed in metadata catalogues. A single researcher, intentionally or not, interacts with all sub-systems of RIs: data acquisition, data access, data processing, data curation, and community support [3]. To preserve computational research [3] proposes the Executable Research Compendium (ERC), a container format closing the gap of dependency preservation by encapsulating the runtime environment. ERCs and RIs can be integrated for different uses: (i) Coherence: ERC services validate completeness, integrity and results (ii) Metadata: ERCs connect the different parts of a piece of research and faciliate discovery (iii) Exchange and Preservation: ERC as usable building blocks are the shared and archived entity (iv) Self-consistency: ERCs remove dependence on ephemeral sources (v) Execution: ERC services create and execute a packaged analysis but integrate with

Research Data Management - Building Service Infrastructure and Capacity

KAUST Repository

Baessa, Mohamed A.

2018-03-07

Research libraries support the missions of their institutions by facilitating the flow of scholarly information to and from the institutions’ researchers. As research in many disciplines becomes more data and software intensive, libraries are finding that services and infrastructure developed to preserve and provide access to textual documents are insufficient to meet their institutions’ needs. In response, libraries around the world have begun assessing the data management needs of their researchers, and expanding their capacity to meet the needs that they find. This discussion panel will discuss approaches to building research data management services and infrastructure in academic libraries. Panelists will discuss international efforts to support research data management, while highlighting the different models that universities have adopted to provide a mix of services and infrastructure tailored to their local needs.

Clemson University Science Master's Program in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure: A program evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sell, Elizabeth Eberhart

The Clemson University Science Master's Program (SMP) in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure is a program which aims to link engineering, materials, construction, environment, architecture, business, and public policy to produce graduates with unique holistic perspective and expertise to immediately contribute to the workforce in the area of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. A program evaluation of the SMP has been performed to study the effectiveness of the SMP and identify areas where the goals and vision of the SMP are achieved and areas where improvements can be made. This was completed by analysis of trends within survey responses, review of Master's thesis reports, and review of courses taken. It was found that the SMP has facilitated new interdisciplinary research collaborations of faculty in different concentration areas within the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, as well as collaboration with faculty in other departments. It is recommended that a course which provides instruction in all eight competency areas be required for all SMP students to provide a comprehensive overview and ensure all students are exposed to concepts of all competency areas. While all stakeholders are satisfied with the program and believe it has been successful thus far, efforts do need to be made as the program moves forward to address and improve some items that have been mentioned as needing improvement. The concerns about concentration courses, internship planning, and advising should be addressed. This evaluation provides benefits to prospective students, current SMP participants, and outside program supporters. The goal of this evaluation is to provide support that the SMP is an effective and worthwhile program for participating students, while attempting to identify any necessary program improvements and provide recommendations for achieving these improvements. This goal has been accomplished.

Software and hardware infrastructure for research in electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouček, Roman; Ježek, Petr; Vařeka, Lukáš; Rondík, Tomáš; Brůha, Petr; Papež, Václav; Mautner, Pavel; Novotný, Jiří; Prokop, Tomáš; Stěbeták, Jan

2014-01-01

As in other areas of experimental science, operation of electrophysiological laboratory, design and performance of electrophysiological experiments, collection, storage and sharing of experimental data and metadata, analysis and interpretation of these data, and publication of results are time consuming activities. If these activities are well organized and supported by a suitable infrastructure, work efficiency of researchers increases significantly. This article deals with the main concepts, design, and development of software and hardware infrastructure for research in electrophysiology. The described infrastructure has been primarily developed for the needs of neuroinformatics laboratory at the University of West Bohemia, the Czech Republic. However, from the beginning it has been also designed and developed to be open and applicable in laboratories that do similar research. After introducing the laboratory and the whole architectural concept the individual parts of the infrastructure are described. The central element of the software infrastructure is a web-based portal that enables community researchers to store, share, download and search data and metadata from electrophysiological experiments. The data model, domain ontology and usage of semantic web languages and technologies are described. Current data publication policy used in the portal is briefly introduced. The registration of the portal within Neuroscience Information Framework is described. Then the methods used for processing of electrophysiological signals are presented. The specific modifications of these methods introduced by laboratory researches are summarized; the methods are organized into a laboratory workflow. Other parts of the software infrastructure include mobile and offline solutions for data/metadata storing and a hardware stimulator communicating with an EEG amplifier and recording software.

European environmental research infrastructures are going for common 30 years strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Asmi, Ari; Konjin, Jacco; Pursula, Antti

2014-05-01

Environmental Research infrastructures are facilities, resources, systems and related services that are used by research communities to conduct top-level research. Environmental research is addressing processes at very different time scales, and supporting research infrastructures must be designed as long-term facilities in order to meet the requirements of continuous environmental observation, measurement and analysis. This longevity makes the environmental research infrastructures ideal structures to support the long-term development in environmental sciences. ENVRI project is a collaborative action of the major European (ESFRI) Environmental Research Infrastructures working towards increased co-operation and interoperability between the infrastructures. One of the key products of the ENVRI project is to combine the long-term plans of the individual infrastructures towards a common strategy, describing the vision and planned actions. The envisaged vision for environmental research infrastructures toward 2030 is to support the holistic understanding of our planet and it's behavior. The development of a 'Standard Model of the Planet' is a common ambition, a challenge to define an environmental standard model; a framework of all interactions within the Earth System, from solid earth to near space. Indeed scientists feel challenged to contribute to a 'Standard Model of the Planet' with data, models, algorithms and discoveries. Understanding the Earth System as an interlinked system requires a systems approach. The Environmental Sciences are rapidly moving to become a one system-level science. Mainly since modern science, engineering and society are increasingly facing complex problems that can only be understood in the context of the full overall system. The strategy of the supporting collaborating research infrastructures is based on developing three key factors for the Environmental Sciences: the technological, the cultural and the human capital. The technological

A relational conceptual framework for multidisciplinary health research centre infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson Joy L

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Although multidisciplinary and team-based approaches are increasingly acknowledged as necessary to address some of the most pressing contemporary health challenges, many researchers struggle with a lack of infrastructure to facilitate and formalise the requisite collaborations. Specialised research centres have emerged as an important organisational solution, yet centre productivity and sustainability are frequently dictated by the availability and security of infrastructure funds. Despite being widely cited as a core component of research capacity building, infrastructure as a discrete concept has been rather analytically neglected, often treated as an implicit feature of research environments with little specification or relegated to a narrow category of physical or administrative inputs. The terms research infrastructure, capacity, and culture, among others, are deployed in overlapping and inconsistent ways, further obfuscating the crucial functions of infrastructure specifically and its relationships with associated concepts. The case is made for an expanded conceptualisation of research infrastructure, one that moves beyond conventional 'hardware' notions. Drawing on a case analysis of NEXUS, a multidisciplinary health research centre based at the University of British Columbia, Canada, a conceptual framework is proposed that integrates the tangible and intangible structures that interactively underlie research centre functioning. A relational approach holds potential to allow for more comprehensive accounting of the returns on infrastructure investment. For those developing new research centres or seeking to reinvigorate existing ones, this framework may be a useful guide for both centre design and evaluation.

Software and Hardware Infrastructure for Research in Electrophysiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman eMouček

2014-03-01

Full Text Available As in other areas of experimental science, operation of electrophysiological laboratory, design and performance of electrophysiological experiments, collection, storage and sharing of experimental data and metadata, analysis and interpretation of these data, and publication of results are time consuming activities. If these activities are well organized and supported by a suitable infrastructure, work efficiency of researchers increases significantly.This article deals with the main concepts, design, and development of software and hardware infrastructure for research in electrophysiology. The described infrastructure has been primarily developed for the needs of neuroinformatics laboratory at the University of West Bohemia, the Czech Republic. However, from the beginning it has been also designed and developed to be open and applicable in laboratories that do similar research.After introducing the laboratory and the whole architectural concept the individual parts of the infrastructure are described. The central element of the software infrastructure is a web-based portal that enables community researchers to store, share, download and search data and metadata from electrophysiological experiments. The data model, domain ontology and usage of semantic web languages and technologies are described. Current data publication policy used in the portal is briefly introduced. The registration of the portal within Neuroscience Information Framework is described. Then the methods used for processing of electrophysiological signals are presented. The specific modifications of these methods introduced by laboratory researches are summarized; the methods are organized into a laboratory workflow. Other parts of the software infrastructure include mobile and offline solutions for data/metadata storing and a hardware stimulator communicating with an EEG amplifier and recording software.

Enabling European Archaeological Research: The ARIADNE E-Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Aloia

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Research e-infrastructures, digital archives and data services have become important pillars of scientific enterprise that in recent decades has become ever more collaborative, distributed and data-intensive. The archaeological research community has been an early adopter of digital tools for data acquisition, organisation, analysis and presentation of research results of individual projects. However, the provision of e-infrastructure and services for data sharing, discovery, access and re-use has lagged behind. This situation is being addressed by ARIADNE: the Advanced Research Infrastructure for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe. This EU-funded network has developed an e-infrastructure that enables data providers to register and provide access to their resources (datasets, collections through the ARIADNE data portal, facilitating discovery, access and other services across the integrated resources. This article describes the current landscape of data repositories and services for archaeologists in Europe, and the issues that make interoperability between them difficult to realise. The results of the ARIADNE surveys on users' expectations and requirements are also presented. The main section of the article describes the architecture of the e-infrastructure, core services (data registration, discovery and access and various other extant or experimental services. The on-going evaluation of the data integration and services is also discussed. Finally, the article summarises lessons learned, and outlines the prospects for the wider engagement of the archaeological research community in sharing data through ARIADNE.

A Cloud-based Infrastructure and Architecture for Environmental System Research

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, D.; Wei, Y.; Shankar, M.; Quigley, J.; Wilson, B. E.

2016-12-01

The present availability of high-capacity networks, low-cost computers and storage devices, and the widespread adoption of hardware virtualization and service-oriented architecture provide a great opportunity to enable data and computing infrastructure sharing between closely related research activities. By taking advantage of these approaches, along with the world-class high computing and data infrastructure located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a cloud-based infrastructure and architecture has been developed to efficiently deliver essential data and informatics service and utilities to the environmental system research community, and will provide unique capabilities that allows terrestrial ecosystem research projects to share their software utilities (tools), data and even data submission workflow in a straightforward fashion. The infrastructure will minimize large disruptions from current project-based data submission workflows for better acceptances from existing projects, since many ecosystem research projects already have their own requirements or preferences for data submission and collection. The infrastructure will eliminate scalability problems with current project silos by provide unified data services and infrastructure. The Infrastructure consists of two key components (1) a collection of configurable virtual computing environments and user management systems that expedite data submission and collection from environmental system research community, and (2) scalable data management services and system, originated and development by ORNL data centers.

Modern International Research Groups: Networks and Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Katehi, Linda

2009-05-01

In a globalized economy, education and research are becoming increasing international in content and context. Academic and research institutions worldwide try to internationalize their programs by setting formal or informal collaborations. An education that is enhanced by international experiences leads to mobility of the science and technology workforce. Existing academic cultures and research structures are at odds with efforts to internationalize education. For the past 20-30 years, the US has recognized the need to improve the abroad experience of our scientists and technologists: however progress has been slow. Despite a number of both federally and privately supported programs, efforts to scale up the numbers of participants have not been satisfactory. The exchange is imbalanced as more foreign scientists and researchers move to the US than the other way around. There are a number of issues that contribute to this imbalance but we could consider the US academic career system, as defined by its policies and practices, as a barrier to internationalizing the early career faculty experience. Strict curricula, pre-tenure policies and financial commitments discourage students, post doctoral fellows and pre-tenure faculty from taking international leaves to participate in research abroad experiences. Specifically, achieving an international experience requires funding that is not provided by the universities. Furthermore, intellectual property requirements and constraints in pre-tenure probationary periods may discourage students and faculty from collaborations with peers across the Atlantic or Pacific or across the American continent. Environments that support early career networking are not available. This presentation will discuss the increasing need for international collaborations and will explore the need for additional programs, more integration, better conditions and improved infrastructures that can encourage and support mobility of scientists. In addition

Research infrastructures of pan-European interest: The EU and Global issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pero, Herve, E-mail: Herve.Pero@ec.europa.e [' Research Infrastructures' Unit, DG Research, European Commission, Brussels (Belgium)

2011-01-21

Research Infrastructures act as 'knowledge industries' for the society and as a source of attraction for world scientists. At European level, the long-term objective is to support an efficient and world-class eco-system of Research Infrastructures, encompassing not only the large single-site facilities but also distributed research infrastructures, based on a network of 'regional partner facilities', with strong links with world-class universities and centres of excellence. The EC support activities help to promote the development of this fabric of research infrastructures of the highest quality and performance in Europe. Since 2002 ESFRI is also aimed at supporting a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures. The European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is ESFRI's most significant achievement to date, and KM3Net is one of its identified projects. The current Community support to the Preparatory Phase of this project aims at solving mainly governance, financial, organisational and legal issues. How should KM3Net help contributing to an efficient Research Infrastructure eco-system? This is the question to which the KM3Net stakeholders need to be able to answer very soon!

Research infrastructures of pan-European interest: The EU and Global issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pero, Herve

2011-01-01

Research Infrastructures act as 'knowledge industries' for the society and as a source of attraction for world scientists. At European level, the long-term objective is to support an efficient and world-class eco-system of Research Infrastructures, encompassing not only the large single-site facilities but also distributed research infrastructures, based on a network of 'regional partner facilities', with strong links with world-class universities and centres of excellence. The EC support activities help to promote the development of this fabric of research infrastructures of the highest quality and performance in Europe. Since 2002 ESFRI is also aimed at supporting a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures. The European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is ESFRI's most significant achievement to date, and KM3Net is one of its identified projects. The current Community support to the Preparatory Phase of this project aims at solving mainly governance, financial, organisational and legal issues. How should KM3Net help contributing to an efficient Research Infrastructure eco-system? This is the question to which the KM3Net stakeholders need to be able to answer very soon!

Research infrastructures of pan-European interest: The EU and Global issues

Science.gov (United States)

Pero, Hervé

2011-01-01

Research Infrastructures act as “knowledge industries” for the society and as a source of attraction for world scientists. At European level, the long-term objective is to support an efficient and world-class eco-system of Research Infrastructures, encompassing not only the large single-site facilities but also distributed research infrastructures, based on a network of “regional partner facilities”, with strong links with world-class universities and centres of excellence. The EC support activities help to promote the development of this fabric of research infrastructures of the highest quality and performance in Europe. Since 2002 ESFRI is also aimed at supporting a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures. The European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is ESFRI's most significant achievement to date, and KM3Net is one of its identified projects. The current Community support to the Preparatory Phase of this project aims at solving mainly governance, financial, organisational and legal issues. How should KM3Net help contributing to an efficient Research Infrastructure eco-system? This is the question to which the KM3Net stakeholders need to be able to answer very soon!

ARIADNE: A Research Infrastructure for Archaeology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hollander, H.S.; Meghini, Carlo; Scopigno, Roberto; Richards, Julian; Wright, Holly; Geser, Guntram; Cuy, Sebastian; Fihn, Johan; Fanini, Bruno; Niccolucci, Franco; Felicetti, Achille; Ronzino, Paola; Nurra, Federico; Papatheodorou, Christos; Gavrilis, Dimitris; Theodoridou, Maria; Doerr, Martin; Tudhope, Douglas; Binding, Ceri; Vlachidis, Andreas

Research e-infrastructures, digital archives and data services have become important pillars of scientific enterprise that in recent decades has become ever more collaborative, distributed and data-intensive. The archaeological research community has been an early adopter of digital tools for data

OOI CyberInfrastructure - Next Generation Oceanographic Research

Science.gov (United States)

Farcas, C.; Fox, P.; Arrott, M.; Farcas, E.; Klacansky, I.; Krueger, I.; Meisinger, M.; Orcutt, J.

2008-12-01

Software has become a key enabling technology for scientific discovery, observation, modeling, and exploitation of natural phenomena. New value emerges from the integration of individual subsystems into networked federations of capabilities exposed to the scientific community. Such data-intensive interoperability networks are crucial for future scientific collaborative research, as they open up new ways of fusing data from different sources and across various domains, and analysis on wide geographic areas. The recently established NSF OOI program, through its CyberInfrastructure component addresses this challenge by providing broad access from sensor networks for data acquisition up to computational grids for massive computations and binding infrastructure facilitating policy management and governance of the emerging system-of-scientific-systems. We provide insight into the integration core of this effort, namely, a hierarchic service-oriented architecture for a robust, performant, and maintainable implementation. We first discuss the relationship between data management and CI crosscutting concerns such as identity management, policy and governance, which define the organizational contexts for data access and usage. Next, we detail critical services including data ingestion, transformation, preservation, inventory, and presentation. To address interoperability issues between data represented in various formats we employ a semantic framework derived from the Earth System Grid technology, a canonical representation for scientific data based on DAP/OPeNDAP, and related data publishers such as ERDDAP. Finally, we briefly present the underlying transport based on a messaging infrastructure over the AMQP protocol, and the preservation based on a distributed file system through SDSC iRODS.

Concepts and procedures for mapping food and health research infrastructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brown, Kerry A.; Timotijević, Lada; Geurts, Marjolein

2017-01-01

be achieved in the area of food and health has, to date, been unclear. Scope and approach This commentary paper presents examples of the types of food and health research facilities, resources and services available in Europe. Insights are provided on the challenge of identifying and classifying research...... infrastructure. In addition, suggestions are made for the future direction of food and health research infrastructure in Europe. These views are informed by the EuroDISH project, which mapped research infrastructure in four areas of food and health research: Determinants of dietary behaviour; Intake of foods....../nutrients; Status and functional markers of nutritional health; Health and disease risk of foods/nutrients. Key findings and conclusion There is no objective measure to identify or classify research infrastructure. It is therefore, difficult to operationalise this term. EuroDISH demonstrated specific challenges...

75 FR 39266 - National Protection and Programs Directorate; National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... Infrastructure Disruptions VII. New Business VIII. Closing Remarks IX. Adjournment Procedural While this meeting... Directorate; National Infrastructure Advisory Council AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate... Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) will meet on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, at the National Press Club's Ballroom...

Development Model for Research Infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Wächter, Joachim; Hammitzsch, Martin; Kerschke, Dorit; Lauterjung, Jörn

2015-04-01

Research infrastructures (RIs) are platforms integrating facilities, resources and services used by the research communities to conduct research and foster innovation. RIs include scientific equipment, e.g., sensor platforms, satellites or other instruments, but also scientific data, sample repositories or archives. E-infrastructures on the other hand provide the technological substratum and middleware to interlink distributed RI components with computing systems and communication networks. The resulting platforms provide the foundation for the design and implementation of RIs and play an increasing role in the advancement and exploitation of knowledge and technology. RIs are regarded as essential to achieve and maintain excellence in research and innovation crucial for the European Research Area (ERA). The implementation of RIs has to be considered as a long-term, complex development process often over a period of 10 or more years. The ongoing construction of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) provides a good example for the general complexity of infrastructure development processes especially in system-of-systems environments. A set of directives issued by the European Commission provided a framework of guidelines for the implementation processes addressing the relevant content and the encoding of data as well as the standards for service interfaces and the integration of these services into networks. Additionally, a time schedule for the overall construction process has been specified. As a result this process advances with a strong participation of member states and responsible organisations. Today, SDIs provide the operational basis for new digital business processes in both national and local authorities. Currently, the development of integrated RIs in Earth and Environmental Sciences is characterised by the following properties: • A high number of parallel activities on European and national levels with numerous institutes and organisations participating

Enabling Research without Geographical Boundaries via Collaborative Research Infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Gesing, S.

2016-12-01

Collaborative research infrastructures on global scale for earth and space sciences face a plethora of challenges from technical implementations to organizational aspects. Science gateways - also known as virtual research environments (VREs) or virtual laboratories - address part of such challenges by providing end-to-end solutions to aid researchers to focus on their specific research questions without the need to become acquainted with the technical details of the complex underlying infrastructures. In general, they provide a single point of entry to tools and data irrespective of organizational boundaries and thus make scientific discoveries easier and faster. The importance of science gateways has been recognized on national as well as on international level by funding bodies and by organizations. For example, the US NSF has just funded a Science Gateways Community Institute, which offers support, consultancy and open accessible software repositories for users and developers; Horizon 2020 provides funding for virtual research environments in Europe, which has led to projects such as VRE4EIC (A Europe-wide Interoperable Virtual Research Environment to Empower Multidisciplinary Research Communities and Accelerate Innovation and Collaboration); national or continental research infrastructures such as XSEDE in the USA, Nectar in Australia or EGI in Europe support the development and uptake of science gateways; the global initiatives International Coalition on Science Gateways, the RDA Virtual Research Environment Interest Group as well as the IEEE Technical Area on Science Gateways have been founded to provide global leadership on future directions for science gateways in general and facilitate awareness for science gateways. This presentation will give an overview on these projects and initiatives aiming at supporting domain researchers and developers with measures for the efficient creation of science gateways, for increasing their usability and sustainability

Mental health research in Brazil: policies, infrastructure, financing and human resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mari Jair de Jesus

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this descriptive study was to map mental health research in Brazil, providing an overview of infrastructure, financing and policies mental health research. As part of the Atlas-Research Project, a WHO initiative to map mental health research in selected low and middle-income countries, this study was carried out between 1998 and 2002. Data collection strategies included evaluation of governmental documents and sites and questionnaires sent to key professionals for providing information about the Brazilian mental health research infrastructure. In the year 2002, the total budget for Health Research was US$101 million, of which US$3.4 million (3.4 was available for Mental Health Research. The main funding sources for mental health research were found to be the São Paulo State Funding Agency (Fapesp, 53.2% and the Ministry of Education (CAPES, 30.2%. The rate of doctors is 1.7 per 1,000 inhabitants, and the rate of psychiatrists is 2.7 per 100,000 inhabitants estimated 2000 census. In 2002, there were 53 postgraduate courses directed to mental health training in Brazil (43 in psychology, six in psychiatry, three in psychobiology and one in psychiatric nursing, with 1,775 students being trained in Brazil and 67 overseas. There were nine programs including psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, psychobiology and mental health, seven of them implemented in Southern states. During the five-year period, 186 students got a doctoral degree (37 per year and 637 articles were published in Institute for Scientic Information (ISI-indexed journals. The investment channeled towards postgraduate and human resource education programs, by means of grants and other forms of research support, has secured the country a modest but continuous insertion in the international knowledge production in the mental health area.

Research Note on the Energy Infrastructure Attack Database (EIAD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Giroux

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The January 2013 attack on the In Amenas natural gas facility drew international attention. However this attack is part of a portrait of energy infrastructure targeting by non-state actors that spans the globe. Data drawn from the Energy Infrastructure Attack Database (EIAD shows that in the last decade there were, on average, nearly 400 annual attacks carried out by armed non-state actors on energy infrastructure worldwide, a figure that was well under 200 prior to 1999. This data reveals a global picture whereby violent non-state actors target energy infrastructures to air grievances, communicate to governments, impact state economic interests, or capture revenue in the form of hijacking, kidnapping ransoms, theft. And, for politically motivated groups, such as those engaged in insurgencies, attacking industry assets garners media coverage serving as a facilitator for international attention. This research note will introduce EIAD and position its utility within various research areas where the targeting of energy infrastructure, or more broadly energy infrastructure vulnerability, has been addressed, either directly or indirectly. We also provide a snapshot of the initial analysis of the data between 1980-2011, noting specific temporal and spatial trends, and then conclude with a brief discussion on the contribution of EIAD, highlighting future research trajectories. 

Improving nuclear safety at international research reactors: The Integrated Research Reactor Safety Enhancement Program (IRRSEP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huizenga, David; Newton, Douglas; Connery, Joyce

2002-01-01

Nuclear energy continues to play a major role in the world's energy economy. Research and test reactors are an important component of a nation's nuclear power infrastructure as they provide training, experiments and operating experience vital to developing and sustaining the industry. Indeed, nations with aspirations for nuclear power development usually begin their programs with a research reactor program. Research reactors also are vital to international science and technology development. It is important to keep them safe from both accident and sabotage, not only because of our obligation to prevent human and environmental consequence but also to prevent corresponding damage to science and industry. For example, an incident at a research reactor could cause a political and public backlash that would do irreparable harm to national nuclear programs. Following the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, considerable efforts and resources were committed to improving the safety posture of the world's nuclear power plants. Unsafe operation of research reactors will have an amplifying effect throughout a country or region's entire nuclear programs due to political, economic and nuclear infrastructure consequences. (author)

75 FR 14454 - National Protection and Programs Directorate; National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-25

..., National Infrastructure Advisory Council. [FR Doc. 2010-6633 Filed 3-24-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P ... Directorate; National Infrastructure Advisory Council AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate... Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) will meet on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at the National Press Club's...

Thermal-hydraulic R and D infrastructure for water cooled reactors of the Indian nuclear power program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijayan, P.K.; Jain, V.; Saha, D.; Sinha, R.K.

2009-01-01

R and D has been the critical ingredient of Indian Nuclear Power Program from the very inception. Approach to R and D infrastructure has been closely associated with the three-stage nuclear power program that was crafted on the basis of available resources and technology in the short-term and energy security in the long-term. Early R and D efforts were directed at technologies relevant to Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) which are currently the mainstay of Indian nuclear power program. Lately, the R and D program has been steered towards the design and development of advanced and innovative reactors with the twin objective of utilization of abundant thorium and to meet the future challenges to nuclear power such as enhanced safety and reliability, better economy, proliferation resistance etc. Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is an Indian innovative reactor currently being developed to realize the above objectives. Extensive R and D infrastructure has been created to validate the system design and various passive concepts being incorporated in the AHWR. This paper provides a brief review of R and D infrastructure that has been developed at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for thermal-hydraulic investigations for water-cooled reactors of Indian nuclear power program. (author)

Towards A Grid Infrastructure For Hydro-Meteorological Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Schiffers

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Distributed Research Infrastructure for Hydro-Meteorological Study (DRIHMS is a coordinatedaction co-funded by the European Commission. DRIHMS analyzes the main issuesthat arise when designing and setting up a pan-European Grid-based e-Infrastructure for researchactivities in the hydrologic and meteorological fields. The main outcome of the projectis represented first by a set of Grid usage patterns to support innovative hydro-meteorologicalresearch activities, and second by the implications that such patterns define for a dedicatedGrid infrastructure and the respective Grid architecture.

Electric Power Infrastructure Reliability And Security Research And Development Initiative. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dale, S.; Meeker, R.; Steurer, M.; Li, H.; Pamidi, S.; Rodrigo, H.; Suryanarayanan, S.; Cartes, D.; Ordonez, J.; Domijan, A.; Liu, W.; Cox, D.; McLaren, P.; Hovsapian, R.; Edwards, D.; Simmons, S.; Wilde, N.; Woodruff, S.; Kopriva, D.; Hussaini, Y.; Mohammed, O.; Zheng, J.; Baldwin, T.L.

2008-01-01

This is the final scientific/technical report for the Electric Power Infrastructure Reliability and Security R and D Initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, under award number DE-FG02-05CH11292. This report covers results from the FSU-led, multi-institution effort conducted over the period 8/15/05 to 10/14/2007. Building upon existing infrastructure for power systems research, modeling, and simulation, the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) at Florida State University (FSU) is developing world-class programs in electric power systems research and education to support future electric power system needs and challenges. With U.S. Department of Energy Support, FSU CAPS has engaged in a multi-faceted effort to conduct basic and applied research towards understanding, developing, and deploying technologies and approaches that can lead to improved reliability and security of the North American electric power generation and delivery infrastructure. This wide-reaching project, through a number of carefully selected thrusts cutting across several research disciplines, set out to address key terrestrial electric utility power system issues and challenges. The challenges and the thrusts to address them were arrived at through analysis of a number of national reports and recommendations combined with input from an experienced multi-disciplined team of power systems research staff and faculty at FSU CAPS. The resulting project effort can be grouped into four major areas: - Power Systems and New Technology Insertion - Controls, Protection, and Security - Simulation Development - High Temperature Superconductivity (HTS)

Management and Development of the RT Research Facilities and Infrastructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Ho; Nho, Young Chang; Kim, Jae Sung

2009-01-01

The purpose of this project are to operate the core facilities of the research for the Radiation Technology in stable and to assist the research activities efficiently in the industry, academic, and research laboratory. By developing the infrastructure of the national radio technology industry, we can activate the researching area of the RT and the related industry, and obtain the primary and original technology. The key point in the study of the RT and the assistance of the industry, academic, and research laboratory for the RT area smoothly, is managing the various of unique radiation facilities in our country. The gamma Phytotron and Gene Bank are essential in the agribiology because these facilities are used to preserve and utilize the genes and to provide an experimental field for the environment and biotechnology. The Radiation Fusion Technology research supporting facilities are the core support facilities, and are used to develop the high-tech fusion areas. In addition, the most advanced analytical instruments, whose costs are very high, should be managed in stable and be utilized in supporting works, and the experimental animal supporting laboratory and Gamma Cell have to be maintained in high level and managed in stable also. The ARTI have been developed the 30MeV cyclotron during 2005∼2006, aimed to produce radioisotopes and to research the beam applications as a result of the project, 'Establishment of the Infrastructure for the Atomic Energy Research Expansion', collaborated with the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. In addition, the ARTI is in the progress of establishing cyclotron integrated complex as a core research facility, using a proton beam to produce radioisotopes and to support a various research areas. The measurement and evaluation of the irradiation dose, and irradiation supporting technology of the Good Irradiation Practice(GIP) are essential in various researching areas. One thing to remember is that the publicity

Data interoperabilty between European Environmental Research Infrastructures and their contribution to global data networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kutsch, W. L.; Zhao, Z.; Hardisty, A.; Hellström, M.; Chin, Y.; Magagna, B.; Asmi, A.; Papale, D.; Pfeil, B.; Atkinson, M.

2017-12-01

Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRIs) are expected to become important pillars not only for supporting their own scientific communities, but also a) for inter-disciplinary research and b) for the European Earth Observation Program Copernicus as a contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) or global thematic data networks. As such, it is very important that data-related activities of the ENVRIs will be well integrated. This requires common policies, models and e-infrastructure to optimise technological implementation, define workflows, and ensure coordination, harmonisation, integration and interoperability of data, applications and other services. The key is interoperating common metadata systems (utilising a richer metadata model as the `switchboard' for interoperation with formal syntax and declared semantics). The metadata characterises data, services, users and ICT resources (including sensors and detectors). The European Cluster Project ENVRIplus has developed a reference model (ENVRI RM) for common data infrastructure architecture to promote interoperability among ENVRIs. The presentation will provide an overview of recent progress and give examples for the integration of ENVRI data in global integration networks.

TRANSVAC research infrastructure - Results and lessons learned from the European network of vaccine research and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Geels, Mark J; Thøgersen, Regitze L; Guzman, Carlos A; Ho, Mei Mei; Verreck, Frank; Collin, Nicolas; Robertson, James S; McConkey, Samuel J; Kaufmann, Stefan H E; Leroy, Odile

2015-10-05

TRANSVAC was a collaborative infrastructure project aimed at enhancing European translational vaccine research and training. The objective of this four year project (2009-2013), funded under the European Commission's (EC) seventh framework programme (FP7), was to support European collaboration in the vaccine field, principally through the provision of transnational access (TNA) to critical vaccine research and development (R&D) infrastructures, as well as by improving and harmonising the services provided by these infrastructures through joint research activities (JRA). The project successfully provided all available services to advance 29 projects and, through engaging all vaccine stakeholders, successfully laid down the blueprint for the implementation of a permanent research infrastructure for early vaccine R&D in Europe. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Accelerators for Society - TIARA 2012 Test Infrastructure and Accelerator Research Area (in Polish)

CERN Document Server

Romaniuk, R S

2013-01-01

TIARA (Test Infrastructure and Accelerator Research Area - Preparatory Phae) is an European Collaboration of Accelerator Technology, which by running research projects, technical, networks and infrastructural has a duty to integrate the research and technical communities and infrastructures in the global scale of Europe. The Collaboration gathers all research centers with large accelerator infrastructures. Other ones, like universities, are affiliated as associate members. TIARA-PP (preparatory phase) is an European infrastructural project run by this Consortium and realized inside EU-FP7. The paper presents a general overview of TIARA activities, with an introduction containing a portrait of contemporary accelerator technology and a digest of its applications in modern society.

Organisation of safety research programmes and infrastructure for existing reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micaelli, J.C.

2008-01-01

The author reviewed the main drivers of safety research, noting that challenging research is an excellent means to preserve know-how and professional skills. International efforts such the NEA-CSNI joint projects are an efficient means to support experimental infrastructure for safety research, while providing useful experimental results. Other initiatives, e.g. within the EU, aimed at developing networks of international expertise and infrastructure were also mentioned. (author)

Sustainable infrastructure: A review and a research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomé, Antônio Márcio Tavares; Ceryno, Paula Santos; Scavarda, Annibal; Remmen, Arne

2016-12-15

This paper proposes a taxonomy of themes and a research agenda on sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on sustainable buildings (SB) and green infrastructure (GI). The citation databases of Web of Science formed the basis for a novel strategic thematic analysis of co-citation and co-occurrence of keywords with a longitudinal identification of themes during the last two decades (from 1995 to 2015) of an emerging and ever growing research area. SI is a multidisciplinary endeavour, including a diversified array of disciplines as general engineering, environmental ecology, construction, architecture, urban planning, and geography. This paper traces that the number of publications in SI is growing exponentially since 2003. Over 80% of total citations are concentrated in less than 10% of papers spread over a large number of journals. Most publications originate from the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The main research streams in SI are green infrastructure, sustainable buildings, and assessment methods. Emerging and prevailing research themes include methodological issues of cost-effectiveness, project management and assessment tools. Substantive issues complement the research agenda of emerging themes in the areas of integration of human, economic and corporate social responsibility values in environmental sustainability, urban landscape and sustainable drainage systems, interdisciplinary research in green material, integrated policy research in urbanization, agriculture and nature conservation, and extensions of Green Building (GB) and GI to cities of developing countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainability considerations for health research and analytic data infrastructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcox, Adam; Randhawa, Gurvaneet; Embi, Peter; Cao, Hui; Kuperman, Gilad J

2014-01-01

The United States has made recent large investments in creating data infrastructures to support the important goals of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER), with still more investment planned. These initial investments, while critical to the creation of the infrastructures, are not expected to sustain them much beyond the initial development. To provide the maximum benefit, the infrastructures need to be sustained through innovative financing models while providing value to PCOR and CER researchers. Based on our experience with creating flexible sustainability strategies (i.e., strategies that are adaptive to the different characteristics and opportunities of a resource or infrastructure), we define specific factors that are important considerations in developing a sustainability strategy. These factors include assets, expansion, complexity, and stakeholders. Each factor is described, with examples of how it is applied. These factors are dimensions of variation in different resources, to which a sustainability strategy should adapt. We also identify specific important considerations for maintaining an infrastructure, so that the long-term intended benefits can be realized. These observations are presented as lessons learned, to be applied to other sustainability efforts. We define the lessons learned, relating them to the defined sustainability factors as interactions between factors. Using perspectives and experiences from a diverse group of experts, we define broad characteristics of sustainability strategies and important observations, which can vary for different projects. Other descriptions of adaptive, flexible, and successful models of collaboration between stakeholders and data infrastructures can expand this framework by identifying other factors for sustainability, and give more concrete directions on how sustainability can be best achieved.

Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

National Research Council

2011-04-22

The United States has jurisdiction over 3.4 million square miles of ocean expanse greater than the land area of all fifty states combined. This vast marine area offers researchers opportunities to investigate the ocean's role in an integrated Earth system, but also presents challenges to society, including damaging tsunamis and hurricanes, industrial accidents, and outbreaks of waterborne diseases. The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill and 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami are vivid reminders that a broad range of infrastructure is needed to advance our still-incomplete understanding of the ocean. The National Research Council (NRC)'s Ocean Studies Board was asked by the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, comprised of 25 U.S. government agencies, to examine infrastructure needs for ocean research in the year 2030. This request reflects concern, among a myriad of marine issues, over the present state of aging and obsolete infrastructure, insufficient capacity, growing technological gaps, and declining national leadership in marine technological development; issues brought to the nation's attention in 2004 by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. A 15-member committee of experts identified four themes that encompass 32 future ocean research questions enabling stewardship of the environment, protecting life and property, promoting economic vitality, and increasing fundamental scientific understanding. Many of the questions in the report (e.g., sea level rise, sustainable fisheries, the global water cycle) reflect challenging, multidisciplinary science questions that are clearly relevant today, and are likely to take decades of effort to solve. As such, U.S. ocean research will require a growing suite of ocean infrastructure for a range of activities, such as high quality, sustained time series observations or autonomous monitoring at a broad range of spatial and temporal scales

The EUDET research infrastructure for detector R and D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregor, Ingrid-Maria

2010-01-01

EUDET is an initiative supported by the European Union to improve infrastructures for detector R and D, in particular for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The project is focused on providing support for larger scale prototype experiments as well as on facilitating collaborative efforts. It encompasses developments for vertex detectors, gaseous and silicon tracking, and highly granular electromagnetic and hadron calorimeters. In total 32 European institutes participate in the project. Twenty-seven other institutes in Europe and abroad are associated members and linked to the progress and later exploitation of the infrastructures. EUDET is closely linked to the international R and D collaborations for a future ILC detector. The R and D infrastructure program is described and some results of the R and D efforts are presented.

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

OpenAIRE

Pappalardo Gelsomina

2018-01-01

The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evo...

E-Infrastructure and Data Management for Global Change Research

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, M. L.; Gurney, R. J.; Cesar, R.; Cossu, R.; Gemeinholzer, B.; Koike, T.; Mokrane, M.; Peters, D.; Nativi, S.; Samors, R.; Treloar, A.; Vilotte, J. P.; Visbeck, M.; Waldmann, H. C.

2014-12-01

The Belmont Forum, a coalition of science funding agencies from 15 countries, is supporting an 18-month effort to assess the state of international of e-infrastructures and data management so that global change data and information can be more easily and efficiently exchanged internationally and across domains. Ultimately, this project aims to address the Belmont "Challenge" to deliver knowledge needed for action to avoid and adapt to detrimental environmental change, including extreme hazardous events. This effort emerged from conclusions by the Belmont Forum that transformative approaches and innovative technologies are needed for heterogeneous data/information to be integrated and made interoperable for researchers in disparate fields, and for myriad uses across international, institutional, disciplinary, spatial and temporal boundaries. The project will deliver a Community Strategy and Implementation Plan to prioritize international funding opportunities and long-term policy recommendations on how the Belmont Forum can implement a more coordinated, holistic, and sustainable approach to funding and supporting global change research. The Plan is expected to serve as the foundation of future Belmont Forum funding calls for proposals in support of research science goals as well as to establish long term e-infrastructure. More than 120 scientists, technologists, legal experts, social scientists, and other experts are participating in six Work Packages to develop the Plan by spring, 2015, under the broad rubrics of Architecture/Interoperability and Governance: Data Integration for Multidisciplinary Research; Improved Interface between Computation & Data Infrastructures; Harmonization of Global Data Infrastructure; Data Sharing; Open Data; and Capacity Building. Recommendations could lead to a more coordinated approach to policies, procedures and funding mechanisms to support e-infrastructures in a more sustainable way.

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Pappalardo, Gelsomina

2018-04-01

The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evolution of the atmospheric environment.

Austria announces new money for research infrastructure and social sciences

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

Austria's Minister for Science and Research, Johannes Hahn, has announced funding for research infrastructures and the social sciences, amounting to EUR 6.9 million in total. The largest chunk of the money will go to a new data processing centre for the analysis of data from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The idea is that the new centre will provide Austria with access to the key technology for solving highly complex scientific and technological problems, while strengthening Austria's domestic research infrastructure in the field of 'advanced communication networks'.

Critical Infrastructure Interdependency Modeling: A Survey of U.S. and International Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2006-08-01

The Nation’s health, wealth, and security rely on the production and distribution of certain goods and services. The array of physical assets, processes, and organizations across which these goods and services move are called "critical infrastructures".1 This statement is as true in the U.S. as in any country in the world. Recent world events such as the 9-11 terrorist attacks, London bombings, and gulf coast hurricanes have highlighted the importance of stable electric, gas and oil, water, transportation, banking and finance, and control and communication infrastructure systems. Be it through direct connectivity, policies and procedures, or geospatial proximity, most critical infrastructure systems interact. These interactions often create complex relationships, dependencies, and interdependencies that cross infrastructure boundaries. The modeling and analysis of interdependencies between critical infrastructure elements is a relatively new and very important field of study. The U.S. Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) has sponsored this survey to identify and describe this current area of research including the current activities in this field being conducted both in the U.S. and internationally. The main objective of this study is to develop a single source reference of critical infrastructure interdependency modeling tools (CIIMT) that could be applied to allow users to objectively assess the capabilities of CIIMT. This information will provide guidance for directing research and development to address the gaps in development. The results will inform researchers of the TSWG Infrastructure Protection Subgroup of research and development efforts and allow a more focused approach to addressing the needs of CIIMT end-user needs. This report first presents the field of infrastructure interdependency analysis, describes the survey methodology, and presents the leading research efforts in both a cumulative table and through individual datasheets. Data was

Enabling European Archaeological Research: The ARIADNE E-Infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hollander, H.S.; Aloia, Nicola; Binding, Ceri; Cuy, Sebastian; Doerr, Martin; Fanini, Bruno; Felicetti, Achille; Fihn, Johan; Gavrilis, Dimitris; Geser, Guntram; Meghini, Carlo; Niccolucci, Franco; Nurra, Federico; Papatheodorou, Christos; Richards, Julian; Ronzino, Paola; Scopigno, Roberto; Theodoridou, Maria; Theodoridou, Maria; Tudhope, Douglas; Vlachidis, Andreas; Wright, Holly

2017-01-01

Research e-infrastructures, digital archives and data services have become important pillars of scientific enterprise that in recent decades has become ever more collaborative, distributed and data-intensive. The archaeological research community has been an early adopter of digital tools for data

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pappalardo Gelsomina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evolution of the atmospheric environment.

Human genome program report. Part 2, 1996 research abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-11-01

This report contains Part 2 of a two-part report to reflect research and progress in the US Department of Energy Human Genome Program from 1994 through 1996, with specified updates made just before publication. Part 2 consists of 1996 research abstracts. Attention is focused on the following: sequencing; mapping; informatics; ethical, legal, and social issues; infrastructure; and small business innovation research.

Building research infrastructure in community health centers: a Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) report.

Science.gov (United States)

Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E

2013-01-01

This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and "matchmaking" between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings.

The Skogaryd Research Catchment - an infrastructure to integrate terrestrial and aquatic greenhouse gas fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Klemedtsson, Leif; Weslien, Per; Bastviken, David; Natchimuthu, Sivakiruthika; Wallin, Marcus

2015-04-01

The Skogaryd Research Catchment (SRC; 58°23'N, 12°09'E, hemiboreal) is part of the Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science (SITES, www.fieldsites.se). SITES is a national coordinated infrastructure for terrestrial and limnological field research, consisting of nine research stations covering the different landscapes and climatic regions in Sweden. The SITES initiative is a long-term effort founded by the Swedish Research Council and the station owners. Researchers regardless of affiliation are welcome use the stations including the infrastructure in their research and perform experiments (after approval) or outsource tasks which are managed by the stations. Data collected in both background monitoring programs and previous and ongoing projects at the stations are also intended to support past, present and future research. Ecological, biogeochemical, and environmental research often focus on a specific ecosystem or have strict habitat boundaries. However, the growing awareness of systems interactions, feedbacks and large scale consequences calls for approaches that integrate across ecosystems and habitats to consider whole catchments, landscapes and regions. Thus there is an urgent need for long-term field sites that support integrative and cross-habitat-boundary research. Our aim at SRC is to develop methodologies to quantify GHG balances at the landscape scale in forested regions that include land-atmosphere, land-water, and water-atmosphere exchange of CO2, CH4 and N2O. Another aim is to promote investigations to elucidate the undelaying regulation of the biogeochemical processes. The SRC harbor several main habitats including mires, forests at different growth stages, lakes, and streams. The fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG) are measured to a large extent according to ICOS protocol for the Eddy Covariance (EC) methodology for CO2, H2O, and CH4, as well as axillary data for habitats where such protocols exist. For aquatic habitats lacking such protocols

The Swedish Deep Drilling Program - an emerging scientific drilling program and new infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Henning; Juhlin, Christopher

2010-05-01

Scientific drilling projects imply numerous aspects that are difficult to handle for individual research groups. Therefore, about three years ago a joint effort was launched in the Swedish geoscientific community to establish a national program for scientific drilling, the Swedish Deep Drilling Program (SDDP). Soon afterwards, several working groups established drilling proposals with Nordic and, also, international participation. With this serious interest in scientific drilling SDDP was able to successfully promote the Swedish membership in ICDP which commenced in 2008. Two SDDP projects achieved workshop grants from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) in 2009. In the same year the Swedish Research Council decided to support an application for a truck-mounted drill rig - a big success for the SDDP working group. Scientific Drilling infrastructure: SDDP envisages a mobile platform that is capable of core drilling to at least 2500 m depth. The procurement will be made during 2010 and first operations are planned for 2011. This drill rig is primarily intended for use in the SDDP drilling projects, but will be rented out to other scientific drilling projects or even commercial enterprises in the remaining time to cover maintenance and future upgrade costs. SDDP's drill rig will be unique in Europe and complementary to the deep drilling InnovaRig of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Until now, drilling to 2000 - 3000 m implied the use of a full-sized drill rig like the InnovaRig or the mobilization of a core drill rig from another continent. This gap will now be filled by Sweden's upcoming scientific drilling infrastructure. Drilling projects and proposals: Presently, SDDP serves six projects: "Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides" (COSC; ICDP workshop spring 2010), the "Postglacial Fault Drilling Project" (PFDP; ICDP workshop autumn 2010), a "Deep Rock Laboratory" (DRL), "Palaeoproterozoic Mineralized Volcanic

An Institutional Approach to Developing Research Data Management Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James A. J. Wilson

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This article outlines the work that the University of Oxford is undertaking to implement a coordinated data management infrastructure. The rationale for the approach being taken by Oxford is presented, with particular attention paid to the role of each service division. This is followed by a consideration of the relative advantages and disadvantages of institutional data repositories, as opposed to national or international data centres. The article then focuses on two ongoing JISC-funded projects, ‘Embedding Institutional Data Curation Services in Research’ (Eidcsr and ‘Supporting Data Management Infrastructure for the Humanities’ (Sudamih. Both projects are intra-institutional collaborations and involve working with researchers to develop particular aspects of infrastructure, including: University policy, systems for the preservation and documentation of research data, training and support, software tools for the visualisation of large images, and creating and sharing databases via the Web (Database as a Service.

Utilizing an integrated infrastructure for outcomes research: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Brian E; Whipple, Elizabeth C; Lajiness, John M; Murray, Michael D

2016-03-01

To explore the ability of an integrated health information infrastructure to support outcomes research. A systematic review of articles published from 1983 to 2012 by Regenstrief Institute investigators using data from an integrated electronic health record infrastructure involving multiple provider organisations was performed. Articles were independently assessed and classified by study design, disease and other metadata including bibliometrics. A total of 190 articles were identified. Diseases included cognitive, (16) cardiovascular, (16) infectious, (15) chronic illness (14) and cancer (12). Publications grew steadily (26 in the first decade vs. 100 in the last) as did the number of investigators (from 15 in 1983 to 62 in 2012). The proportion of articles involving non-Regenstrief authors also expanded from 54% in the first decade to 72% in the last decade. During this period, the infrastructure grew from a single health system into a health information exchange network covering more than 6 million patients. Analysis of journal and article metrics reveals high impact for clinical trials and comparative effectiveness research studies that utilised data available in the integrated infrastructure. Integrated information infrastructures support growth in high quality observational studies and diverse collaboration consistent with the goals for the learning health system. More recent publications demonstrate growing external collaborations facilitated by greater access to the infrastructure and improved opportunities to study broader disease and health outcomes. Integrated information infrastructures can stimulate learning from electronic data captured during routine clinical care but require time and collaboration to reach full potential. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Highways of the future : a strategic plan for highway infrastructure research and development

Science.gov (United States)

2008-07-01

This Highways of the FutureA Strategic Plan for Highway Infrastructure Research and Development was developed in response to a need expressed by the staff of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Infrastructure Research and Developme...

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Information Assurance (CIPIA) Fellow Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chen, Peter

2003-01-01

LSU was one of the universities chosen to participate in the project of training new researchers to work on the Critical Infrastructure Protection and Information Assurance (CIPIA) areas. Three Ph.D...

IAEA Launches Expert Advisory Service for Research Reactor Infrastructure, First Mission to Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2018-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a new peer review service to assist Member States in the development of infrastructure for nuclear research reactors, expanding the range of its expert advisory missions. The first Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review for Research Reactors (INIR-RR) was conducted this week in Nigeria at the invitation of the Government, which is planning to build the country’s second research reactor. Research reactors are used for research, development, education and training. They play a vital role across several fields, producing radioisotopes used in research, medicine, industry and agriculture. Operation of a research reactor requires a national infrastructure — including a legal and regulatory framework — to ensure that national and international obligations are met during planning, design, construction, operation and decommissioning.

Establishing a distributed national research infrastructure providing bioinformatics support to life science researchers in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Maria Victoria; Griffin, Philippa C; Tyagi, Sonika; Flannery, Madison; Dayalan, Saravanan; Gladman, Simon; Watson-Haigh, Nathan; Bayer, Philipp E; Charleston, Michael; Cooke, Ira; Cook, Rob; Edwards, Richard J; Edwards, David; Gorse, Dominique; McConville, Malcolm; Powell, David; Wilkins, Marc R; Lonie, Andrew

2017-06-30

EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource (EMBL-ABR) is a developing national research infrastructure, providing bioinformatics resources and support to life science and biomedical researchers in Australia. EMBL-ABR comprises 10 geographically distributed national nodes with one coordinating hub, with current funding provided through Bioplatforms Australia and the University of Melbourne for its initial 2-year development phase. The EMBL-ABR mission is to: (1) increase Australia's capacity in bioinformatics and data sciences; (2) contribute to the development of training in bioinformatics skills; (3) showcase Australian data sets at an international level and (4) enable engagement in international programs. The activities of EMBL-ABR are focussed in six key areas, aligning with comparable international initiatives such as ELIXIR, CyVerse and NIH Commons. These key areas-Tools, Data, Standards, Platforms, Compute and Training-are described in this article. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Sustainable infrastructure system modeling under uncertainties and dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yongxi

Infrastructure systems support human activities in transportation, communication, water use, and energy supply. The dissertation research focuses on critical transportation infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure systems. The goal of the research efforts is to improve the sustainability of the infrastructure systems, with an emphasis on economic viability, system reliability and robustness, and environmental impacts. The research efforts in critical transportation infrastructure concern the development of strategic robust resource allocation strategies in an uncertain decision-making environment, considering both uncertain service availability and accessibility. The study explores the performances of different modeling approaches (i.e., deterministic, stochastic programming, and robust optimization) to reflect various risk preferences. The models are evaluated in a case study of Singapore and results demonstrate that stochastic modeling methods in general offers more robust allocation strategies compared to deterministic approaches in achieving high coverage to critical infrastructures under risks. This general modeling framework can be applied to other emergency service applications, such as, locating medical emergency services. The development of renewable energy infrastructure system development aims to answer the following key research questions: (1) is the renewable energy an economically viable solution? (2) what are the energy distribution and infrastructure system requirements to support such energy supply systems in hedging against potential risks? (3) how does the energy system adapt the dynamics from evolving technology and societal needs in the transition into a renewable energy based society? The study of Renewable Energy System Planning with Risk Management incorporates risk management into its strategic planning of the supply chains. The physical design and operational management are integrated as a whole in seeking mitigations against the

Research infrastructure, networks of science and regional development - the case of Oskarshamn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Folke Valfrid Snickars

2017-10-01

Our results indicate that research infrastructures as the ones in Oskarshamn are powerful creators of international research networks. It is possible although somewhat difficult in view of scattered systems for data provision to assess their academic and societal impacts. Engineering research has its own networks of university-industry and industry-university interaction where value is cogenerated dynamically. In the study we have come some way towards empirically analyzing the networks of research cooperation between industry and university using methods of infrastructure theory and network analysis.

Outline of research proposals selected in the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Takamichi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Usui, Shuji

1999-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created a new R and D program called Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI)' in FY 1999 with the appropriation of $19 million. The major objectives of the NERI program is to preserve the nuclear science and engineering infrastructure in the U.S. and to maintain a competitive position in the global nuclear market in the 21st century. In may, 1999, the DOE selected 45 research proposals for the first year of the NERI program. The proposals are classified into the following five R and D areas: Proliferation Resistant Reactors and/or Fuel Cycles, New Reactor Designs, Advanced Nuclear Fuel, New Technology for Management of Nuclear Waste, Fundamental Nuclear Science. Since the NERI is a very epoch-making and strategic nuclear research program sponsored by the U.S. government, the trend of the NERI is considered to affect the future R and D programs in Japanese nuclear industries and research institutes including JAERI. The present report summarizes the analyzed results of the selected 45 research proposals. Staffs comments are made on each proposal in connection with the R and D activities in JAERI. (author)

Network and computing infrastructure for scientific applications in Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Kvatadze, R.; Modebadze, Z.

2016-09-01

Status of network and computing infrastructure and available services for research and education community of Georgia are presented. Research and Educational Networking Association - GRENA provides the following network services: Internet connectivity, network services, cyber security, technical support, etc. Computing resources used by the research teams are located at GRENA and at major state universities. GE-01-GRENA site is included in European Grid infrastructure. Paper also contains information about programs of Learning Center and research and development projects in which GRENA is participating.

An Overview of Research Infrastructures in Europe - and Recommendations to LIBER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norbert Lossau

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Research infrastructures (RI include major scientific equipment, scientific collections, archives, structured information and ICT-based infrastructures and services3. They support top-level research and can be organized at the national and regional level, at EU Member State, European and global level. RIs have become a topic of interest and priority for funders, political bodies, and (increasingly institutional decision makers. In Europe the European Commission is a funder of RIs, complementing funding done by EU Member States at the national level. Over the last ten years hundreds of RI-projects have been planned and some received funding for design, extension and improvement of operations and services to scientific communities. The ESFRI4 roadmap for research infrastructures represents a financial volume of approx. 20 billion EUR for ten years to construct 44 RIs. From the perspective of realizing the objectives set for RI, 2012 is an essential milestone, as the discussion of the HORIZON 2020 programmes at the European level will take place as well as consultations with member states. The following overview is by no means complete. It focuses on some RIs majorly influenced by the production and management of scientific information and which have relevance for the European political and funding agenda. RI projects include a variety of typologies, ranging from hard, single-site facilities to distributed, soft facilities relying on networks. Typically they have emerged from discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary requirements. RIs produce, process or manage big and small but heterogeneous volumes of information. They are the so-called ‘scientific data factories’ of the 21st century. They comprise various types of information resources such as publications, digitized collections, learning objects and research data. Key issues on today’s agenda for RIs are their uptake by researchers, and their viability, sustainability and interoperability

Safety infrastructure for countries establishing their first research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou Yehia, H.; Shokr, A.M.

2010-01-01

Establishment of a research reactor is a major project requiring careful planning, preparation, implementation, and investment in time and human resources. The implementation of such a project requires establishment of sustainable infrastructures, including legal and regulatory, safety, technical, and economic. An analysis of the needs for a new research reactor facility should be performed including the development of a utilization plan and evaluation of site availability and suitability. All these elements should be covered by a feasibility study of the project. This paper discusses the elements of such a study with the main focus on the specific activities and steps for developing the necessary safety infrastructure. Progressive involvement of the main organizations in the project, and application of the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors and IAEA Safety Standards in different phases of the project are presented and discussed. (author)

Securing Canada’s Information-Technology Infrastructure: Context, Principles, and Focus Areas of Cybersecurity Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Craigen

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the challenges of cybersecurity and ultimately the provision of a stable and resilient information-technology infrastructure for Canada and, more broadly, the world. We describe the context of current cybersecurity challenges by synthesizing key source material whose importance was informed by our own real-world experiences. Furthermore, we present a checklist of guiding principles to a unified response, complete with a set of action-oriented research topics that are linked to known operational limitations. The focus areas are used to drive the formulation of a unified and relevant research and experimental development program, thereby moving us towards a stable and resilient cyberinfrastructure. When cybersecurity is viewed as an inherently interdisciplinary problem of societal concern, we expect that fundamentally new research perspectives will emerge in direct response to domain-specific protection requirements for information-technology infrastructure. Purely technical responses to cybersecurity challenges will be inadequate because human factors are an inherent aspect of the problem. This article will interest managers and entrepreneurs. Senior management teams can assess new technical developments and product releases to fortify their current security solutions, while entrepreneurs can harness new opportunities to commercialize novel technology to solve a high-impact cybersecurity problem..

ENEA infrastructures toward the LFR development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarantino, M.; Agostini, P.; Del Nevo, A.; Di Piazza, I.; Rozzia, D.

2013-01-01

ENEA has one of the most relevant EU R&D infrastructures for HLM technological development, and it is strongly involved in the main research programs worldwide supporting the development of sub-critical (MYRRHA) and critical lead cooled reactors (ALFRED). In these frames a large experimental program ranging from HLM thermal-hydraulic to large scale experiment has been implemented

Requirements for an evaluation infrastructure for reliable pervasive healthcare research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagner, Stefan Rahr; Toftegaard, Thomas Skjødeberg; Bertelsen, Olav W.

2012-01-01

The need for a non-intrusive evaluation infrastructure platform to support research on reliable pervasive healthcare in the unsupervised setting is analyzed and challenges and possibilities are identified. A list of requirements is presented and a solution is suggested that would allow researchers...

Technological and Organisational Aspects of Global Research Data Infrastructures Towards Year 2020

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fotis Karagiannis

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A general-purpose Global Research Data Infrastructure (GRDI for all sciences and research purposes is not conceivable for the next decade as there are too many discipline-specific modalities that currently prevail for such generalisation efforts to be effective. On the other hand, a more pragmatic approach is to start from what currently exists, identify best practices and key issues, and promote effective inter-domain collaboration among different components forming an ecosystem. This will promote interoperability, data exchange, data preservation, and distributed access (among others. This ecosystem of interoperable research data infrastructures will be composed of regional, disciplinary, and multidisciplinary components, such as libraries, archives, and data centres, offering data services for both primary datasets and publications. The ecosystem will support data-intensive science and research and stimulate the interaction among all its elements, thus promoting multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary science. This special issue includes a set of independent papers from renowned experts on organisational and technological issues related to GRDIs. These documents feed into and compliment the GRDI2020 roadmap, which supports a Global Research Data Infrastructure ecosystem.

ARCUS Project Managers and the Intangible Infrastructure of Large Interdisciplinary Arctic Research Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.; Turner-Bogren, E. J.; Warburton, J.

2017-12-01

Project Managers at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) lead initiatives to convene, communicate with, and connect the Arctic research community across challenging disciplinary, geographic, temporal, and cultural boundaries. They regularly serve as the organizing hubs, archivists and memory-keepers for collaborative projects comprised of many loosely affiliated partners. As leading organizers of large open science meetings and other outreach events, they also monitor the interdisciplinary landscape of community needs, concerns, opportunities, and emerging research directions. However, leveraging the ARCUS Project Manager role to strategically build out the intangible infrastructure necessary to advance Arctic research requires a unique set of knowledge, skills, and experience. Drawing on a range of lessons learned from past and ongoing experiences with collaborative science, education and outreach programming, this presentation will highlight a model of ARCUS project management that we believe works best to support and sustain our community in its long-term effort to conquer the complexities of Arctic research.

Infrastructure needs and organizational aspect of nuclear power programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villanueva, M.S.

1996-01-01

I. Introduction. II. Infrastructure development for nuclear power program: a) pre-requisites and requirements for a nuclear power program; b) long-term national policy for a nuclear power (long-term policy reason; national commitment); c) manpower development (role of academic institutions; practical manpower training); d) laws and regulations (regulatory framework; main national laws and regulations); e) nuclear research and development implementation (researches in the university; long term nuclear R and D program; research reactors); f) functions of government organizations (Atomic Energy Commission (PNRI); Department of Science and Technology; Department of Energy; Department of Education and Culture); g) industrial infrastructure; h) technology transfer (recipients's preparedness); i) safeguards obligations; j) public acceptance activities. III. Stages of nuclear power development (stage 1: planning; stage 2: detailed study and procurement; stage 3: construction; stage 4: operation) IV. Conclusion/Recommendation. (author)

The Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII) Four Years On

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finch, Robert J.; Mohagheghi, Amir H.; Solodov, Alexander; Beeley, Philip A.; Boyle, David R.

2014-01-01

Introduction: What is GNEII? • Regionally based Institution → human resource capability → Future decision makers → managers & regulators. • Education & Development → Nuclear energy infrastructure → Integrated safeguards, safety, and security (3S) → Nuclear power fundamentals. • Strategic effort → Coordinated partnership → Responsible national nuclear energy program → Regional context. Why GNEII? • Build indigenous human resources → Education, Research, Technical capacity → Integrated 3S Systems Approach - coupled with - Nuclear Energy Infrastructure. • GNEII Addresses a Need → Increased nuclear power demand → Regional Nuclear Infrastructure → GNEII is a sustainable mechanism for developing a responsible nuclear energy program

The Green Experiment: Cities, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher M. Chini

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Green infrastructure is a unique combination of economic, social, and environmental goals and benefits that requires an adaptable framework for planning, implementing, and evaluating. In this study, we propose an experimental framework for policy, implementation, and subsequent evaluation of green stormwater infrastructure within the context of sociotechnical systems and urban experimentation. Sociotechnical systems describe the interaction of complex systems with quantitative and qualitative impacts. Urban experimentation—traditionally referencing climate change programs and their impacts—is a process of evaluating city programs as if in a laboratory setting with hypotheses and evaluated results. We combine these two concepts into a singular framework creating a policy feedback cycle (PFC for green infrastructure to evaluate municipal green infrastructure plans as an experimental process within the context of a sociotechnical system. After proposing and discussing the PFC, we utilize the tool to research and evaluate the green infrastructure programs of 27 municipalities across the United States. Results indicate that green infrastructure plans should incorporate community involvement and communication, evaluation based on project motivation, and an iterative process for knowledge production. We suggest knowledge brokers as a key resource in connecting the evaluation stage of the feedback cycle to the policy phase. We identify three important needs for green infrastructure experimentation: (i a fluid definition of green infrastructure in policy; (ii maintenance and evaluation components of a green infrastructure plan; and (iii communication of the plan to the community.

Collaborative Development of e-Infrastructures and Data Management Practices for Global Change Research

Science.gov (United States)

Samors, R. J.; Allison, M. L.

2016-12-01

An e-infrastructure that supports data-intensive, multidisciplinary research is being organized under the auspices of the Belmont Forum consortium of national science funding agencies to accelerate the pace of science to address 21st century global change research challenges. The pace and breadth of change in information management across the data lifecycle means that no one country or institution can unilaterally provide the leadership and resources required to use data and information effectively, or needed to support a coordinated, global e-infrastructure. The five action themes adopted by the Belmont Forum: 1. Adopt and make enforceable Data Principles that establish a global, interoperable e-infrastructure. 2. Foster communication, collaboration and coordination between the wider research community and Belmont Forum and its projects through an e-Infrastructure Coordination, Communication, & Collaboration Office. 3. Promote effective data planning and stewardship in all Belmont Forum agency-funded research with a goal to make it enforceable. 4. Determine international and community best practice to inform Belmont Forum research e-infrastructure policy through identification and analysis of cross-disciplinary research case studies. 5. Support the development of a cross-disciplinary training curriculum to expand human capacity in technology and data-intensive analysis methods. The Belmont Forum is ideally poised to play a vital and transformative leadership role in establishing a sustained human and technical international data e-infrastructure to support global change research. In 2016, members of the 23-nation Belmont Forum began a collaborative implementation phase. Four multi-national teams are undertaking Action Themes based on the recommendations above. Tasks include mapping the landscape, identifying and documenting existing data management plans, and scheduling a series of workshops that analyse trans-disciplinary applications of existing Belmont Forum

The very large research infrastructures: the French road-map

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

After having recalled that the notion of TGIR (Tres Grande Infrastructure de Recherche, Very large research infrastructure) has evolved in time and now encompasses many different realities in terms of domain or size, this document briefly presents the main challenging fields of research: the planet, the universe seen from the Earth, particles and nuclei, matter, information, communication, computing and data services, human and social sciences, life sciences and health. It indicates TGIRs which have been selected for the French road-map: some already exist and operational (46), some are not yet operational but have been decided in terms of financing (19) and some are still projected but with different levels of priority. Appendices give selection criteria, working group compositions for different domains, and description sheets for these TGIRs (nature, localisation, scientific tools, spin-offs and impacts, international value, concerned scientific community, budget)

The Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program, the infrastructure of Primary Health Units and the Municipal Human Development Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Joaquim José; Machado, Maria Helena; Alves, Cecília Brito

2016-09-01

The main objective of this article was to examine the context in which professionals working within the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program operate. This study used the infrastructure scale of primary health units (PHUs), which was recently developed by Soares Neto and colleagues to provide more information regarding the relationship between the infrastructure of PHUs and the Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) of municipalities that received Mais Médicos Program doctors. Using exploratory and inferential statistics, the article shows that 65.2% of the PHUs that received Mais Médicos Program doctors had medium-quality infrastructure and only 5.8% of them had low-quality infrastructure. The correlation of 0.50 between the infrastructure indicator and the MHDI points to a moderate tendency for municipalities with low MHDIs to have more precarious PHUs. Using multiple linear regression analysis it can be inferred that the main factor that contributed to the increase in the infrastructure indicator of the PHUs was the average municipal income. On the other hand, the factor that negatively affected the infrastructure of the PHUs was being located in the north or northeast regions.

The 3D Elevation Program and America's infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Lukas, Vicki; Carswell, Jr., William J.

2016-11-07

Infrastructure—the physical framework of transportation, energy, communications, water supply, and other systems—and construction management—the overall planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to end—are critical to the Nation’s prosperity. The American Society of Civil Engineers has warned that, despite the importance of the Nation’s infrastructure, it is in fair to poor condition and needs sizable and urgent investments to maintain and modernize it, and to ensure that it is sustainable and resilient. Three-dimensional (3D) light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data provide valuable productivity, safety, and cost-saving benefits to infrastructure improvement projects and associated construction management. By providing data to users, the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) of the U.S. Geological Survey reduces users’ costs and risks and allows them to concentrate on their mission objectives. 3DEP includes (1) data acquisition partnerships that leverage funding, (2) contracts with experienced private mapping firms, (3) technical expertise, lidar data standards, and specifications, and (4) most important, public access to high-quality 3D elevation data. The size and breadth of improvements for the Nation’s infrastructure and construction management needs call for an efficient, systematic approach to acquiring foundational 3D elevation data. The 3DEP approach to national data coverage will yield large cost savings over individual project-by-project acquisitions and will ensure that data are accessible for other critical applications.

Bike Infrastructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva, Victor; Harder, Henrik; Jensen, Ole B.

Bike Infrastructures aims to identify bicycle infrastructure typologies and design elements that can help promote cycling significantly. It is structured as a case study based research where three cycling infrastructures with distinct typologies were analyzed and compared. The three cases......, the findings of this research project can also support bike friendly design and planning, and cyclist advocacy....

Infrastructure for Rapid Development of Java GUI Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jeremy; Hostetter, Carl F.; Wheeler, Philip

2006-01-01

The Java Application Shell (JAS) is a software framework that accelerates the development of Java graphical-user-interface (GUI) application programs by enabling the reuse of common, proven GUI elements, as distinguished from writing custom code for GUI elements. JAS is a software infrastructure upon which Java interactive application programs and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for those programs can be built as sets of plug-ins. JAS provides an application- programming interface that is extensible by application-specific plugins that describe and encapsulate both specifications of a GUI and application-specific functionality tied to the specified GUI elements. The desired GUI elements are specified in Extensible Markup Language (XML) descriptions instead of in compiled code. JAS reads and interprets these descriptions, then creates and configures a corresponding GUI from a standard set of generic, reusable GUI elements. These elements are then attached (again, according to the XML descriptions) to application-specific compiled code and scripts. An application program constructed by use of JAS as its core can be extended by writing new plug-ins and replacing existing plug-ins. Thus, JAS solves many problems that Java programmers generally solve anew for each project, thereby reducing development and testing time.

Research and development of fusion grid infrastructure based on atomic energy grid infrastructure (AEGIS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Y.; Nakajima, K.; Kushida, N.; Kino, C.; Aoyagi, T.; Nakajima, N.; Iba, K.; Hayashi, N.; Ozeki, T.; Totsuka, T.; Nakanishi, H.; Nagayama, Y.

2008-01-01

In collaboration with the Naka Fusion Institute of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (NFI/JAEA) and the National Institute for Fusion Science of National Institute of Natural Science (NIFS/NINS), Center for Computational Science and E-systems of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (CCSE/JAEA) aims at establishing an integrated framework for experiments and analyses in nuclear fusion research based on the atomic energy grid infrastructure (AEGIS). AEGIS has been being developed by CCSE/JAEA aiming at providing the infrastructure that enables atomic energy researchers in remote locations to carry out R and D efficiently and collaboratively through the Internet. Toward establishing the integrated framework, we have been applying AEGIS to pre-existing three systems: experiment system, remote data acquisition system, and integrated analysis system. For the experiment system, the secure remote experiment system with JT-60 has been successfully accomplished. For the remote data acquisition system, it will be possible to equivalently operate experimental data obtained from LHD data acquisition and management system (LABCOM system) and JT-60 Data System. The integrated analysis system has been extended to the system executable in heterogeneous computers among institutes

Regional Disparities in Romania. Contribution of the Regional Operational Program to Health Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VICTOR PLATON

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Health infrastructure is one of the weaknesses of socio-economic development in Romania and in other European states. In order to get a better picture of the Romanian health system issues, this paper analyzes a number of statistical indicators considered representative for the national and European health infrastructure for a 20 years period, between 1990 and 2010. Our paper has three main objectives: (a to identify the main trends for health infrastructure in some of the European Union countries; (b to describe the evolution of the health system in Romania, the comparative situation at the European level as well as regional level indicators dynamics; (c to overview the Regional Operational Program in Romania, how much does it help the regional health infrastructure in our country. At the European level, there is a constant decrease in the number of hospital beds. For this indicator, Romania has slightly higher values than the European average. We must mention that the hospital beds indicator offers limited information on health infrastructure which also includes medical equipment and specific devices and practices. The number of hospitals in Romania increased with 18.9% during the last 20 years (1990-2010. During the observed timeline, the number of hospitals in Romania had a constant positive evolution at regional level. The number of doctors in hospitals has an increasing trend at the local as well as at the international level. Romania has a number of doctors twice lower than the European average (3.6 doctors for one thousand inhabitants. The Regional Operational Program (ROP has a limited influence in achieving the objectives stated in Applicants Guide for Priority Axis 3. Major Intervention Area 3.1. This happens because supporting infrastructure improvements will not create institutional modernization. The financial contribution through ROP will result in the modernization of 11% of the existing hospitals in Romania.

Tank waste remediation system privatization infrastructure program requirements and document management process guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ROOT, R.W.

1999-01-01

This guide provides the Tank Waste Remediation System Privatization Infrastructure Program management with processes and requirements to appropriately control information and documents in accordance with the Tank Waste Remediation System Configuration Management Plan (Vann 1998b). This includes documents and information created by the program, as well as non-program generated materials submitted to the project. It provides appropriate approval/control, distribution and filing systems

Infrastructures Development Strategy in Energy Engineering Education and Research: a Bonus to Introduce a Safe and Secure Nuclear Power Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouhelal, Oum Keltoum

2008-01-01

In the area of Energy Engineering, high education programs including nuclear activities are currently running in collaboration with the employment sector to provide skills oriented profiles; the available packages are thus characterized by a limited size and a low impact in enhancing power technology teaching and industrial partnerships. However, ongoing nuclear applications activities are undertaken through strong legal and institutional infrastructures as Morocco has joined a large number of international conventions and agreements trusted by the IAEA. The introduction of nuclear power is subject to a close attention today to investigate if it is an alternative solution to meet the increasing energy needs. For a country not much industrialized and characterized by a medium electricity grid, the decision on the recourse to nuclear power needs to carry up early a training, R and D federative program on behalf of the engineering sector and the international cooperation. As the challenges associated to develop a successful nuclear power program requires an important effort directed toward increasing capacity, new education and training programs in the field of Energy Sciences and Engineering are presently targeted in several high education institutions prior to the goals of the education and research national reform. The preparation of a new master and engineer diploma at ENIM 'Power Systems Engineering and Management' is in process: the curricula introduces innovative concepts bringing together academic teachers, researchers and stakeholders to establish new discipline-based teaching and learning tools: what is mainly focused is to increase competency profile in consultation with the industry sector and to attract high quality students to ensure availability of human resources at the right time in the field of power technology utilization including nuclear power. A coordinated approach joining national and international partnership to implement oriented R and D

Infrastructures Development Strategy in Energy Engineering Education and Research: a Bonus to Introduce a Safe and Secure Nuclear Power Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouhelal, Oum Keltoum [National School of Mineral Industry, ENIM, BP 753, Agdal, 10000 Rabat (Morocco)

2008-07-01

In the area of Energy Engineering, high education programs including nuclear activities are currently running in collaboration with the employment sector to provide skills oriented profiles; the available packages are thus characterized by a limited size and a low impact in enhancing power technology teaching and industrial partnerships. However, ongoing nuclear applications activities are undertaken through strong legal and institutional infrastructures as Morocco has joined a large number of international conventions and agreements trusted by the IAEA. The introduction of nuclear power is subject to a close attention today to investigate if it is an alternative solution to meet the increasing energy needs. For a country not much industrialized and characterized by a medium electricity grid, the decision on the recourse to nuclear power needs to carry up early a training, R and D federative program on behalf of the engineering sector and the international cooperation. As the challenges associated to develop a successful nuclear power program requires an important effort directed toward increasing capacity, new education and training programs in the field of Energy Sciences and Engineering are presently targeted in several high education institutions prior to the goals of the education and research national reform. The preparation of a new master and engineer diploma at ENIM 'Power Systems Engineering and Management' is in process: the curricula introduces innovative concepts bringing together academic teachers, researchers and stakeholders to establish new discipline-based teaching and learning tools: what is mainly focused is to increase competency profile in consultation with the industry sector and to attract high quality students to ensure availability of human resources at the right time in the field of power technology utilization including nuclear power. A coordinated approach joining national and international partnership to implement oriented R

Perspectives in understanding open access to research data - infrastructure and technology challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Bigagli, Lorenzo; Sondervan, Jeroen

2014-05-01

The Policy RECommendations for Open Access to Research Data in Europe (RECODE) project, started in February 2013 with a duration of two years, has the objective to identify a series of targeted and over-arching policy recommendations for Open Access to European research data, based on existing good practice and addressing such hindering factors as stakeholder fragmentation, technical and infrastructural issues, ethical and legal issues, and financial and institutional policies. In this work we focus on the technical and infrastructural aspect, where by "infrastructure" we mean the technological assets (hardware and software), the human resources, and all the policies, processes, procedures and training for managing and supporting its continuous operation and evolution. The context targeted by RECODE includes heterogeneous networks, initiatives, projects and communities that are fragmented by discipline, geography, stakeholder category (publishers, academics, repositories, etc.) as well as other boundaries. Many of these organizations are already addressing key technical and infrastructural barriers to Open Access to research data. Such barriers may include: lack of automatic mechanisms for policy enforcement, lack of metadata and data models supporting open access, obsolescence of infrastructures, scarce awareness about new technological solutions, lack of training and/or expertise on IT and semantics aspects. However, these organizations are often heterogeneous and fragmented by discipline, geography, stakeholder category (publishers, academics, repositories, etc.) as well as other boundaries, and often work in isolation, or with limited contact with one another. RECODE has addressed these challenges, and the possible solutions to mitigate them, engaging all the identified stakeholders in a number of ways, including an online questionnaire, case studies interviews, literature review, a workshop. The conclusions have been validated by the RECODE Advisory Board and

Assessment of the human resources infrastructure for nuclear energy program in Macedonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaushevski, A.; Spasevska, H.; Nikolova-Poceva, S.; Popov, P.

2015-01-01

Macedonia is a country with no nuclear power and research reactors. The nuclear application is currently only in the medical industry, agriculture and food industry, accompanied by radiation measuring and protection activities in these sectors. On the other side the energy needs have been increasing in the last ten years, which resulted in electrical energy import of about 20–30% (around 3000 GWh). Nuclear power is one of the options for satisfying energy needs in the next 50 years. One of the crucial problems in nuclear energy implementation are human resources needs and educational infrastructure development in this field. No matter what will be the future energy scenario in the Republic of Macedonia, the nuclear educational program is the first step to have HR in the field of nuclear energy. This paper presents the proposed direction for having HR in nuclear energy program in a small country such as the Republic of Macedonia. Taking into account the existing national education program related to nuclear topics and in particular to nuclear power, and following the guidance and recommendations from the international nuclear educational programs at the IAEA, EHRO and others, the planning of the educational nuclear programs and human resources development in the Republic of Macedonia has been carried out. This includes the enhancing the capabilities of the national regulatory body in the Republic of Macedonia. (authors) Keywords: NEP (Nuclear Energy Program), HR (Human Resources), NEPIO (Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization), NRB (Nuclear Regulatory Body), NPP

MONITORING MECHANISM FOR INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS’ INFRASTRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halyna Leshuk

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The subject of the research is the theoretical and methodological principles of the monitoring mechanism of investment development of regions’ infrastructure. The objectives of the research are the generalization of theoretical and methodological bases of monitoring mechanism of investment development of regions’ infrastructure, as well as analysis of the current trends of investment development of the infrastructure in the regions of Ukraine with the identification of positive and negative trends. Methodology. The article deals with theoretical and methodological approaches to the definition of conceptual foundations of the mechanism of monitoring the investment development of the regions’ infrastructure with the help of general scientific methods of analysis: systematization and generalization, induction, and deduction. Results. It is proposed to interpret a monitor of the investment development of the regional infrastructure (IDRI as a systematic and complex measurement of the indicators of regional infrastructure development, the number of implemented investment projects, monitoring compliance with the developed strategic regional programs and concepts, which will ultimately help to effectively and efficiently regulate the detected deviations and passing the appropriate decisions. The IDRI monitoring mechanism should also provide a possibility of creating a system for collecting and analysing data concerning the assessment of infrastructure objects by the territorial community, which will allow potential investors to focus not only on analytical data on monitoring of regional authorities but also to take into account the public interest in a particular region. The general principles of the monitoring mechanism of investment development of the regions infrastructure are proposed in the following directions: complex and system monitoring and data collection concerning the development of the regions’ infrastructure, while the aggregate

Tank waste remediation system privatization infrastructure program configuration management implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaus, P.S.

1998-01-01

This Configuration Management Implementation Plan (CMIP) was developed to assist in managing systems, structures, and components (SSCS), to facilitate the effective control and statusing of changes to SSCS, and to ensure technical consistency between design, performance, and operational requirements. Its purpose is to describe the approach Privatization Infrastructure will take in implementing a configuration management program, to identify the Program's products that need configuration management control, to determine the rigor of control, and to identify the mechanisms for that control

Evaluation of doctoral nursing programs in Japan by faculty members and their educational and research activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Arimoto, Azusa; Gregg, Misuzu F; Nagata, Satoko; Miki, Yuko; Murashima, Sachiyo

2012-07-01

Evaluation of doctoral programs in nursing is becoming more important with the rapid increase in the programs in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate doctoral nursing programs by faculty members and to analyze the relationship of the evaluation with educational and research activities of faculty members in Japan. Target settings were all 46 doctoral nursing programs. Eighty-five faculty members from 28 programs answered the questionnaire, which included 17 items for program evaluation, 12 items for faculty evaluation, 9 items for resource evaluation, 3 items for overall evaluations, and educational and research activities. A majority gave low evaluations for sources of funding, the number of faculty members and support staff, and administrative systems. Faculty members who financially supported a greater number of students gave a higher evaluation for extramural funding support, publication, provision of diverse learning experiences, time of supervision, and research infrastructure. The more time a faculty member spent on advising doctoral students, the higher were their evaluations on the supportive learning environment, administrative systems, time of supervision, and timely feedback on students' research. The findings of this study indicate a need for improvement in research infrastructure, funding sources, and human resources to achieve quality nursing doctoral education in Japan. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring research in Humanities and Social Sciences: information from a new Italian data infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cicero, T.; Malgarini, M

2016-07-01

Measuring research output in Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) is particularly important, since in these fields scientific production is much more heterogeneous than in Natural and Life Sciences, and as such it is not well represented in standard international databases normally used to assess research output and impact. For these reason, ANVUR has recently started a new data infrastructure, aimed at gathering information about scienticic production, research infrastructures and research groups active in the Italian Universities. On the basis of these data, the aim of this paper is to provide a first characterization of Italian research Departments active in HSS, clustering them according to their level of research productivity and infrastructure availability. On the basis of our analysis, it is generally possible to distinguish among two main groups of Departments, respectively characterized by higher productivity but lower research quality, or by higher shares of excellent articles, but lower overall number of publications. (Author)

Exploring the Potential of a German Living Lab Research Infrastructure for the Development of Low Resource Products and Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justus von Geibler

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Living Labs for Sustainable Development aim to integrate users and actors for the successful generation of low-resource innovations in production-consumption systems. This paper investigates potentials of and measures towards the realization of a German Living Lab infrastructure to support actor-integrated sustainability research and innovations in Germany. Information was primarily derived from extensive dialog with experts from the fields of innovation, sustainable development and the Living Lab community (operators, users, etc., which was facilitated through interviews and workshops. A status quo analysis revealed that, generally, the sustainability and Living Lab communities are hardly intertwined. Twelve Living Labs that explicitly consider sustainability aspects were identified. The application fields “Living and Working”, “Town, Region and Mobility”, and “Retail and Gastronomy” were identified as particularly suitable for investigation in Living Labs and highly relevant in terms of resource efficiency. Based on the analyses of drivers and barriers and SWOT, keystones for the development of a research infrastructure for user integrated development of sustainable products and services were formulated. Suggested strategies and measures include targeted funding programs for actor-integrated, socio-technical research based on a Living Lab network, a communication campaign, and programs to foster networking and the inclusion of SMEs.

Green Infrastructure Research Promotes Students' Deeper Interest in Core Courses of a Water Resources Program

Science.gov (United States)

Yerk, W.; Montalto, F. A.; Foti, R.

2015-12-01

As one of most innovative among low impact development technologies, Green Infrastructure (GI) is a new technology that presents a range of potential research opportunities. Inherently linked to sustainability, urban quality of life, resilience, and other such topics, GI also represents a unique opportunity to highlight the social relevance of practical STEM research to undergraduate students. The nature of research on urban GI, in fact, as well as the accessibility of the GI sites, allows students to combine hands-on experience with theoretical work. Furthermore, the range of scales of the projects is such that they can be managed within a single term, but does not preclude longer engagement. The Sustainable Water Resource Engineering lab at Drexel University is engaged in two types of GI research outside the classroom. One type is a research co-op research internship. The second is a selective university-wide faculty-mentored summer scholarship STAR (Students Tackling Advanced Research) specifically designed for freshmen. The research projects we developed for those curricula can be accomplished by undergraduate students, but also address a larger research need in this emerging field. The research tasks have included identifying and calibrating affordable instruments, designing and building experimental setups, and monitoring and evaluating performance of GI sites. The work also promoted deeper understanding of the hydrological processes and initiated learning beyond the students' current curricula. The practice of the Lab's research being embedded into the educational process receives positive feedback from the students and achieves meaningful and long-lasting learning objectives. The experience helps students to students acquire hands-on experience, improves their metacognition and evidence-based inquiring into real-world problems, and further advances decision-making and communication skills.

Program budget 1992 of the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center. As of November 19, 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

In the future, the research program of the Nuclear Research Center in Karlsruhe will concentrate on three areas, which are of the same status over the medium term: Environmental research, energy research and micro system technology and fundamental research. The central infrastructure, the financial planning and the assignment of research and development projects of the Nuclear Research Center are presented in tables. (orig./HP) [de

The European Research Infrastructures of the ESFRI Roadmap in Biological and Medical Sciences: status and perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessia Calzolari

2014-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION. Since 2002, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures identified the needs for Research Infrastructures (RIs in Europe in priority fields of scientific research and drafted a strategic document, the ESFRI Roadmap, defining the specific RIs essential to foster European research and economy. The Biological and Medical Sciences RIs (BMS RIs were developed thanks to the active participation of many institutions in different European member states associated to address the emerging needs in biomedicine and, among these, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS, in virtue of its role in public health and research, has been specifically involved in the national development and implementation of three RIs: the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI, the European Advanced Translational Research Infrastructure in Medicine (EATRIS and the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN. AIM. This article outlines the design and development of these RIs up to the recent achievement of the ERIC status, their importance in the Horizon 2020 programme and their societal and economic potential impact, with special attention to their development and significance in Italy. CONCLUSIONS. The ISS plays a unique role in fostering a coordinated participation of excellence Italian institutes/facilities to different European biomedical RIs, thus contributing to health innovation, healthcare optimization, and healthcare cost containment.

Developing research career indicators using open data: the RISIS infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cañibano, C.; Woolley, R.; Iversen, E.; Hinze, S.; Hornbostel, S.; Tesch, J.

2016-07-01

This paper introduces the research infrastructure for rsearch and innovation policy studies (RISIS) and its ongoing work on the development of indicators for research careers. The paper first describes the rationale for developing an information system on research careers. It then uses and example to demonstratate the possibilities arising from aggregating open data from different datasets within the RISIS platform to create new information and monitoring possibilies with regard to research careers. (Author)

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure MIRRI: Strength through Coordination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erko Stackebrandt

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Microbial resources have been recognized as essential raw materials for the advancement of health and later for biotechnology, agriculture, food technology and for research in the life sciences, as their enormous abundance and diversity offer an unparalleled source of unexplored solutions. Microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRC provide live cultures and associated data to foster and support the development of basic and applied science in countries worldwide and especially in Europe, where the density of highly advanced mBRCs is high. The not-for-profit and distributed project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure aims to coordinate access to hitherto individually managed resources by developing a pan-European platform which takes the interoperability and accessibility of resources and data to a higher level. Providing a wealth of additional information and linking to datasets such as literature, environmental data, sequences and chemistry will enable researchers to select organisms suitable for their research and enable innovative solutions to be developed. The current independent policies and managed processes will be adapted by partner mBRCs to harmonize holdings, services, training, and accession policy and to share expertise. The infrastructure will improve access to enhanced quality microorganisms in an appropriate legal framework and to resource-associated data in a more interoperable way.

Bridging the divide: building infrastructure to support community-academic partnerships and improve capacity to conduct patient-centered outcomes research.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jennifer; Lipman, Paula Darby; Daniel Mullins, C

2017-12-01

For research to be useful, trustworthy, and ultimately lead to greater dissemination of findings to patients and communities, it is important to train and mentor academic researchers to meaningfully engage community members in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). Thus, it is necessary for research institutions to strengthen their underlying infrastructure to support PCOR. PATIENTS-PATient-centered Involvement in Evaluating effectiveNess of TreatmentS-at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, focuses on improving PCOR methods and addressing health disparities. It relies on evidence-based engagement methods to sustain and leverage innovative partnerships so patients, health care providers, and academic partners are motivated to participate in the conduct and dissemination of PCOR. Program components address training needs, bi-directional engagement, cultural competency, and dissemination and implementation. Activities (guided by community representatives, leadership from university schools, patient advocates, and PCOR experts) include providing resources, conducting PCOR projects, engaging community members, and disseminating PCOR findings. With its emphasis on the broad range of PCOR topics and methods, and through fostering sustainable relationships with community members and researchers, PATIENTS has successfully cultivated bi-directional partnerships and provided operational and scientific support for a new generation of skilled PCOR researchers. Early evidence of effectiveness includes progress in training and mentoring students and investigators, an increase in submission of PCOR proposals, and community-informed strategies for dissemination. Programs such as PATIENTS reinforce the value of bridging the traditional divide between academia and communities to support patient- and community-engaged dissemination and implementation research and foster sustainable PCOR infrastructure.

ECDS - a Swedish Research Infrastructure for the Open Sharing of Environment and Climate Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Klein

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Environment Climate Data Sweden (ECDS is a new Swedish research infrastructure, furthering the reuse of scientific data in the domains of environment and climate. ECDS consists of a technical infrastructure and a service organization, supporting the management, exchange, and re-use of scientific data. The technical components of ECDS include a portal and an underlying data catalogue with information on datasets. The datasets are described using a metadata profile compliant with international standards. The datasets accessible through ECDS can be hosted by universities, institutes, or research groups or at the new Swedish federated data storage facility Swestore of the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC.

Infrastructure resources for clinical research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Alexander V; Gubitz, Amelie K; Al-Chalabi, Ammar; Bedlack, Richard; Berry, James; Conwit, Robin; Harris, Brent T; Horton, D Kevin; Kaufmann, Petra; Leitner, Melanie L; Miller, Robert; Shefner, Jeremy; Vonsattel, Jean Paul; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi

2013-05-01

Clinical trial networks, shared clinical databases, and human biospecimen repositories are examples of infrastructure resources aimed at enhancing and expediting clinical and/or patient oriented research to uncover the etiology and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the paralysis of voluntary muscles. The current status of such infrastructure resources, as well as opportunities and impediments, were discussed at the second Tarrytown ALS meeting held in September 2011. The discussion focused on resources developed and maintained by ALS clinics and centers in North America and Europe, various clinical trial networks, U.S. government federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and several voluntary disease organizations that support ALS research activities. Key recommendations included 1) the establishment of shared databases among individual ALS clinics to enhance the coordination of resources and data analyses; 2) the expansion of quality-controlled human biospecimen banks; and 3) the adoption of uniform data standards, such as the recently developed Common Data Elements (CDEs) for ALS clinical research. The value of clinical trial networks such as the Northeast ALS (NEALS) Consortium and the Western ALS (WALS) Consortium was recognized, and strategies to further enhance and complement these networks and their research resources were discussed.

Against Infrastructure: Curating Community Literacy in a Jail Writing Program

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobi, Tobi

2016-01-01

This essay argues that while fostering individual and collaborative literacy can indeed promote self-awareness, confidence, and political awareness, the threat of emotional and material retribution is ever-present in jail, making the development of infrastructure challenging. Such reality compels engaged teacher-researchers to develop tactical…

WindScanner.eu - a new Remote Sensing Research Infrastructure for On- and Offshore Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Torben; Siggaard Knudsen, Søren; Sjöholm, Mikael

2012-01-01

will be disseminated throughout Europe to pilot European wind energy research centers. The new research infrastructure will become an open source infrastructure that also invites collaboration with wind energy related atmospheric scientists and wind energy industry overseas. Recent achievements with 3D Wind......A new remote sensing based research infrastructure for atmospheric boundary-layer wind and turbulence measurements named WindScanner have during the past three years been in its early phase of development at DTU Wind Energy in Denmark. During the forthcoming three years the technology......Scanners and spin-off innovation activity are described. The Danish WindScanner.dk research facility is build from new and fast-scanning remote sensing equipment spurred from achievements within fiber optics and telecommunication technologies. At the same time the wind energy society has demanded excessive 3D wind...

The challenge of developing ethical guidelines for a research infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Kutsch, Werner Leo

2016-04-01

The mission of the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS RI) is to enable research to understand the greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets and perturbations. The ICOS RI provides the long-term observations required to understand the present state and predict future behaviour of the global carbon cycle and GHG emissions. Technological developments and implementations, related to GHGs, will be promoted by the linking of research, education and innovation. In order to provide this data ICOS RI is a distributed research infrastructure. The backbones of ICOS RI are the national measurement stations such as ICOS atmosphere, ecosystem and ocean stations. ICOS Central Facilities are the European level ICOS RI Centres, which have the specific tasks in collecting and processing the data and samples received from the national measurement networks. During the establishment of ICOS RI ethical guidelines were developed. These guidelines describe principles of ethics in the research activities that should be applied within ICOS RI. They should be acknowledged and followed by all researchers affiliated to ICOS RI and should be supported by all participating institutions. The presentation describes (1) the general challenge to develop ethical guidelines in a complex international infrastructure and (2) gives an overview about the content that includes different kinds of conflicts of interests, data ethics and social responsibility.

European Bioinformatics Institute: Research Infrastructure needed for Life Science

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

The life science community is an ever increasing source of data from increasing diverse range of instruments and sources. EMBL-EBI has a remit to store and exploit this data, collected and made available openly across the world, for the benefit of the whole research community. The research infrastructure needed to support the big data analysis around this mission encompasses high performance networks, high-throughput computing, and a range of cloud and storage solutions - and will be described in the presentation.

EPA Research Highlights: EPA Studies Aging Water Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

The nation's extensive water infrastructure has the capacity to treat, store, and transport trillions of gallons of water and wastewater per day through millions of miles of pipelines. However, some infrastructure components are more than 100 years old, and as the infrastructure ...

Research infrastructures in the LHC era: a scientometric approach

CERN Document Server

Carrazza, Stefano; Salini, Silvia

2016-01-01

When a research infrastructure is funded and implemented, new information and new publications are created. This new information is the measurable output of discovery process. In this paper, we describe the impact of infrastructure for physics experiments in terms of publications and citations. In particular, we consider the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments (ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, LHCb) and compare them to the Large Electron Positron Collider (LEP) experiments (ALEPH, DELPHI, L3, OPAL) and the Tevatron experiments (CDF, D0). We provide an overview of the scientific output of these projects over time and highlight the role played by remarkable project results in the publication-citation distribution trends. The methodological and technical contribution of this work provides a starting point for the development of a theoretical model of modern scientific knowledge propagation over time.

The Swedish Research Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science - SITES

Science.gov (United States)

Lindroth, A.; Ahlström, M.; Augner, M.; Erefur, C.; Jansson, G.; Steen Jensen, E.; Klemedtsson, L.; Langenheder, S.; Rosqvist, G. N.; Viklund, J.

2017-12-01

The vision of SITES is to promote long-term field-based ecosystem research at a world class level by offering an infrastructure with excellent technical and scientific support and services attracting both national and international researchers. In addition, SITES will make data freely and easily available through an advanced data portal which will add value to the research. During the first funding period, three innovative joint integrating facilities were established through a researcher-driven procedure: SITES Water, SITES Spectral, and SITES AquaNet. These new facilities make it possible to study terrestrial and limnic ecosystem processes across a range of ecosystem types and climatic gradients, with common protocols and similar equipment. In addition, user-driven development at the nine individual stations has resulted in e.g. design of a long-term agricultural systems experiment, and installation of weather stations, flux systems, etc. at various stations. SITES, with its integrative approach and broad coverage of climate and ecosystem types across Sweden, constitutes an excellent platform for state-of-the-art research projects. SITES' support the development of: A better understanding of the way in which key ecosystems function and interact with each other at the landscape level and with the climate system in terms of mass and energy exchanges. A better understanding of the role of different organisms in controlling different processes and ultimately the functioning of ecosystems. New strategies for forest management to better meet the many and varied requirements from nature conservation, climate and wood, fibre, and energy supply points of view. Agricultural systems that better utilize resources and minimize adverse impacts on the environment. Collaboration with other similar infrastructures and networks is a high priority for SITES. This will enable us to make use of each others' experiences, harmonize metadata for easier exchange of data, and support each

Increasing chronic disease research capacity in Guatemala through a mentoring program.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnoya, Joaquin; Monzon, Jose C; Colditz, Graham A

2013-09-12

The Chronic Disease Research Fellowship Program (RFP) aims to build the research capacity of recent medical graduates to support the development of chronic disease control strategies. Guatemala is undergoing an epidemiologic transition. However, given the way universities and the health care system are structured, it lacks an environment that fosters research careers and generates the required knowledge to implement sound public health policies and clinical strategies. The RFP was implemented at the Cardiovascular Unit of Guatemala. This 4-year Program recruited two one-year fellows and provided funding to define a research topic, write a protocol and implement the research. Strong emphasis is placed on developing skills in knowledge translation and exchange to bridge the "know-do" gap. Close mentoring relationships between the Principal Investigator and former and current fellows are fostered through the Program. The mentoring Program has generated strategic data to support the implementation of sound chronic disease control strategies, mainly related to tobacco control. Results have been presented nationally and internationally. Research training has included principles of biostatistics and epidemiology, and a journal club. The Program is increasingly generating interest among medical graduates to pursue further research training abroad and is building local research capacity. Fellows and research assistants have created a research network in Guatemala and abroad. The main obstacle the Program faces is ensuring long-term sustainability. A mentoring program can lead to an increase in research interest and capacity in a low-income country with little research infrastructure.

Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Bernard

2010-12-13

The decision to implement the Innovation in Nuclear Infrastructure and Engineering Program (INIE) was an important first step towards ensuring that the United States preserves its worldwide leadership role in the field of nuclear science and engineering. Prior to INIE, university nuclear science and engineering programs were waning, undergraduate student enrollment was down, university research reactors were being shut down, while others faced the real possibility of closure. For too long, cutting edge research in the areas of nuclear medicine, neutron scattering, radiochemistry, and advanced materials was undervalued and therefore underfunded. The INIE program corrected this lapse in focus and direction and started the process of drawing a new blueprint with positive goals and objectives that supports existing as well the next generation of educators, students and researchers.

Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, John

2010-01-01

The decision to implement the Innovation in Nuclear Infrastructure and Engineering Program (INIE) was an important first step towards ensuring that the United States preserves its worldwide leadership role in the field of nuclear science and engineering. Prior to INIE, university nuclear science and engineering programs were waning, undergraduate student enrollment was down, university research reactors were being shut down, while others faced the real possibility of closure. For too long, cutting edge research in the areas of nuclear medicine, neutron scattering, radiochemistry, and advanced materials was undervalued and therefore underfunded. The INIE program corrected this lapse in focus and direction and started the process of drawing a new blueprint with positive goals and objectives that supports existing as well the next generation of educators, students and researchers.

Assessment of Road Infrastructures Pertaining to Malaysian Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samsuddin Norshakina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Road Infrastructures contribute towards many severe accidents and it needs supervision as to improve road safety levels. The numbers of fatalities have increased annually and road authority should seriously consider conducting programs or activities to periodically monitor, restore of improve road infrastructure. Implementation of road safety audits may reduce fatalities among road users and maintain road safety at acceptable standards. This paper is aimed to discuss the aspects of road infrastructure in Malaysia. The research signifies the impact of road hazards during the observations and the impact of road infrastructure types on road accidents. The F050 (Jalan Kluang-Batu Pahat road case study showed that infrastructure risk is closely related with number of accident. As the infrastructure risk increase, the number of road accidents also increase. It was also found that different road zones along Jalan Kluang-Batu Pahat showed different level of intersection volume due to number of road intersection. Thus, it is hoped that by implementing continuous assessment on road infrastructures, it might be able to reduce road accidents and fatalities among drives and the community.

Challenges in Spatial Data Infrastructure research: a role for transdisciplinarity?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bregt, A.K.; Crompvoets, J.W.H.C.; Man, de E.; Grus, L.

2009-01-01

The field of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is developing and approaches rapidly a critical masss of more or less operational SDIs. The purpose of the paper is to anticipate the possible impact of the maturing SDI field on its research agenda. Initial initiatives were predominantly techno centred

Designing a concept for an IT-infrastructure for an integrated research and treatment center.

Science.gov (United States)

Stäubert, Sebastian; Winter, Alfred; Speer, Ronald; Löffler, Markus

2010-01-01

Healthcare and medical research in Germany are heading to more interconnected systems. New initiatives are funded by the German government to encourage the development of Integrated Research and Treatment Centers (IFB). Within an IFB new organizational structures and infrastructures for interdisciplinary, translational and trans-sectoral working relationship between existing rigid separated sectors are intended and needed. This paper describes how an IT-infrastructure of an IFB could look like, what major challenges have to be solved and what methods can be used to plan such a complex IT-infrastructure in the field of healthcare. By means of project management, system analyses, process models, 3LGM2-models and resource plans an appropriate concept with different views is created. This concept supports the information management in its enterprise architecture planning activities and implies a first step of implementing a connected healthcare and medical research platform.

Integration of research infrastructures and ecosystem models toward development of predictive ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Y.; Huang, Y.; Jiang, J.; MA, S.; Saruta, V.; Liang, G.; Hanson, P. J.; Ricciuto, D. M.; Milcu, A.; Roy, J.

2017-12-01

The past two decades have witnessed rapid development in sensor technology. Built upon the sensor development, large research infrastructure facilities, such as National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and FLUXNET, have been established. Through networking different kinds of sensors and other data collections at many locations all over the world, those facilities generate large volumes of ecological data every day. The big data from those facilities offer an unprecedented opportunity for advancing our understanding of ecological processes, educating teachers and students, supporting decision-making, and testing ecological theory. The big data from the major research infrastructure facilities also provides foundation for developing predictive ecology. Indeed, the capability to predict future changes in our living environment and natural resources is critical to decision making in a world where the past is no longer a clear guide to the future. We are living in a period marked by rapid climate change, profound alteration of biogeochemical cycles, unsustainable depletion of natural resources, and deterioration of air and water quality. Projecting changes in future ecosystem services to the society becomes essential not only for science but also for policy making. We will use this panel format to outline major opportunities and challenges in integrating research infrastructure and ecosystem models toward developing predictive ecology. Meanwhile, we will also show results from an interactive model-experiment System - Ecological Platform for Assimilating Data into models (EcoPAD) - that have been implemented at the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental change (SPRUCE) experiment in Northern Minnesota and Montpellier Ecotron, France. EcoPAD is developed by integrating web technology, eco-informatics, data assimilation techniques, and ecosystem modeling. EcoPAD is designed to streamline data transfer seamlessly from research infrastructure

A Disability and Health Institutional Research Capacity Building and Infrastructure Model Evaluation: A Tribal College-Based Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Corey L.; Manyibe, Edward O.; Sanders, Perry; Aref, Fariborz; Washington, Andre L.; Robertson, Cherjuan Y.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this multimethod study was to evaluate the institutional research capacity building and infrastructure model (IRCBIM), an emerging innovative and integrated approach designed to build, strengthen, and sustain adequate disability and health research capacity (i.e., research infrastructure and investigators' research skills)…

Constructing a resilience index for the Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, R. E.; Bassett, G. W.; Buehring, W. A.; Collins, M. J.; Dickinson, D. C.; Eaton, L. K.; Haffenden, R. A.; Hussar, N. E.; Klett, M. S.; Lawlor, M. A.; Millier, D. J.; Petit, F. D.; Peyton, S. M.; Wallace, K. E.; Whitfield, R. G.; Peerenboom, J P

2010-10-14

Following recommendations made in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, which established a national policy for the identification and increased protection of critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) by Federal departments and agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2006 developed the Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection (ECIP) program. The ECIP program aimed to provide a closer partnership with state, regional, territorial, local, and tribal authorities in fulfilling the national objective to improve CIKR protection. The program was specifically designed to identify protective measures currently in place in CIKR and to inform facility owners/operators of the benefits of new protective measures. The ECIP program also sought to enhance existing relationships between DHS and owners/operators of CIKR and to build relationships where none existed (DHS 2008; DHS 2009). In 2009, DHS and its protective security advisors (PSAs) began assessing CIKR assets using the ECIP program and ultimately produced individual protective measure and vulnerability values through the protective measure and vulnerability indices (PMI/VI). The PMI/VI assess the protective measures posture of individual facilities at their 'weakest link,' allowing for a detailed analysis of the most vulnerable aspects of the facilities (Schneier 2003), while maintaining the ability to produce an overall protective measures picture. The PMI has six main components (physical security, security management, security force, information sharing, protective measures assessments, and dependencies) and focuses on actions taken by a facility to prevent or deter the occurrence of an incident (Argonne National Laboratory 2009). As CIKR continue to be assessed using the PMI/VI and owners/operators better understand how they can prevent or deter incidents, academic research, practitioner emphasis, and public policy formation have increasingly focused on resilience as a

Designing and Implementing INTREPID, an Intensive Program in Translational Research Methodologies for New Investigators

Science.gov (United States)

Aphinyanaphongs, Yindalon; Shao, Yongzhao; Micoli, Keith J.; Fang, Yixin; Goldberg, Judith D.; Galeano, Claudia R.; Stangel, Jessica H.; Chavis‐Keeling, Deborah; Hochman, Judith S.; Cronstein, Bruce N.; Pillinger, Michael H.

2014-01-01

Abstract Senior housestaff and junior faculty are often expected to perform clinical research, yet may not always have the requisite knowledge and skills to do so successfully. Formal degree programs provide such knowledge, but require a significant commitment of time and money. Short‐term training programs (days to weeks) provide alternative ways to accrue essential information and acquire fundamental methodological skills. Unfortunately, published information about short‐term programs is sparse. To encourage discussion and exchange of ideas regarding such programs, we here share our experience developing and implementing INtensive Training in Research Statistics, Ethics, and Protocol Informatics and Design (INTREPID), a 24‐day immersion training program in clinical research methodologies. Designing, planning, and offering INTREPID was feasible, and required significant faculty commitment, support personnel and infrastructure, as well as committed trainees. PMID:25066862

Supporting effective delivery: CSIR research on and advocacy of infrastructure management

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wall, K

2006-02-01

Full Text Available sets out issues of concern that arise when infrastructure management policies and practices do not meet acceptable standards, and it describes the research results. Finally, it summarises the plan and programme necessary to support effective delivery...

Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database Fitness and Suitability Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heidrich, Brenden [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-03-01

In 2014, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology Innovation (NE-4) initiated the Nuclear Energy-Infrastructure Management Project by tasking the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) to create a searchable and interactive database of all pertinent NE supported or related infrastructure. This database will be used for analyses to establish needs, redundancies, efficiencies, distributions, etc. in order to best understand the utility of NE’s infrastructure and inform the content of the infrastructure calls. The NSUF developed the database by utilizing data and policy direction from a wide variety of reports from the Department of Energy, the National Research Council, the International Atomic Energy Agency and various other federal and civilian resources. The NEID contains data on 802 R&D instruments housed in 377 facilities at 84 institutions in the US and abroad. A Database Review Panel (DRP) was formed to review and provide advice on the development, implementation and utilization of the NEID. The panel is comprised of five members with expertise in nuclear energy-associated research. It was intended that they represent the major constituencies associated with nuclear energy research: academia, industry, research reactor, national laboratory, and Department of Energy program management. The Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database Review Panel concludes that the NSUF has succeeded in creating a capability and infrastructure database that identifies and documents the major nuclear energy research and development capabilities across the DOE complex. The effort to maintain and expand the database will be ongoing. Detailed information on many facilities must be gathered from associated institutions added to complete the database. The data must be validated and kept current to capture facility and instrumentation status as well as to cover new acquisitions and retirements.

SARC: Development and Support of a Sarcoma Research Consortium Infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arkison, Jim

2007-10-29

SARC is a non-for-profit organization whose mission and vision is to advocate for the collaboration on the design of clinical trials on sarcoma, to further the knowledge regarding the diagnosis and treatment of sarcoma and provide accurate and up to date information to physicians, patients and families. The objectives are to assist in the development of the infrastructure for the continued growth and spectrum of clinical research, to facilitate biannual meeting of investigators, and to develop a preclinical research base that would design and conduct research that would improve the process of drug treatments selected for clinical research trials.

Common Technologies for Environmental Research Infrastructures in ENVRIplus

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Jean-Daniel

2016-04-01

Environmental and geoscientific research infrastructures (RIs) are dedicated to distinct aspects of the ocean, atmosphere, ecosystems, or solid Earth research, yet there is significant commonality in the way they conceive, develop, operate and upgrade their observation systems and platforms. Many environmental Ris are distributed network of observatories (be it drifting buoys, geophysical observatories, ocean-bottom stations, atmospheric measurements sites) with needs for remote operations. Most RIs have to deal with calibration and standardization issues. RIs use a variety of measurements technologies, but this variety is based on a small, common set of physical principles. All RIs have set their own research and development priorities, and developed their solution to their problems - however many problems are common across RIs. Finally, RIs may overlap in terms of scientific perimeter. In ENVRIplus we aim, for the first time, to identify common opportunities for innovation, to support common research and development across RIs on promising issues, and more generally to create a forum to spread state of the art techniques among participants. ENVRIplus activities include 1) measurement technologies: where are the common types of measurement for which we can share expertise or common development? 2) Metrology : how do we tackle together the diversified challenge of quality assurance and standardization? 3) Remote operations: can we address collectively the need for autonomy, robustness and distributed data handling? And 4) joint operations for research: are we able to demonstrate that together, RIs are able to provide relevant information to support excellent research. In this process we need to nurture an ecosystem of key players. Can we involve all the key technologists of the European RIs for a greater mutual benefit? Can we pave the way to a growing common market for innovative European SMEs, with a common programmatic approach conducive to targeted R&D? Can we

Research training among pediatric residency programs: a national assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramson, Erika L; Naifeh, Monique M; Stevenson, Michelle D; Todd, Christopher; Henry, Emilie D; Chiu, Ya-Lin; Gerber, Linda M; Li, Su-Ting T

2014-12-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) states that "residents should participate in scholarly activity." However, there is little guidance for effectively integrating scholarly activity into residency. This study was conducted to understand how pediatric residency programs meet ACGME requirements and to identify characteristics of successful programs. The authors conducted an online cross-sectional survey of all pediatric residency program directors in October 2012, assessing program characteristics, resident participation in scholarly activity, program infrastructure, barriers, and outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify characteristics of programs in the top quartile for resident scholarly activity participation. The response rate was 52.8% (105/199 programs). Seventy-seven (78.6%) programs required scholarly activity, although definitions were variable. When including only original research, systematic reviews or meta-analyses, and case reports or series with references, resident participation averaged 56% (range 0%-100%). Characteristics associated with high-participation programs included a scholarly activity requirement (odds ratio [OR] = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-30.0); program director belief that all residents should present work regionally or nationally (OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.5-15.1); and mentorship by >25% of faculty (OR = 3.6, CI = 1.2-11.4). Only 47.1% (41) of program directors were satisfied with resident participation, and only 30.7% (27) were satisfied with the quality of research training provided. The findings suggest that resident scholarly activity experience is highly variable and suboptimal. Identifying characteristics of successful programs can improve the resident research training experience.

Using a CRIS for e-Infrastructure: e-Infrastructure for Scholarly Publications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Dijk

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Scholarly publications are a major part of the research infrastructure. One way to make output available is to store the publications in Open Access Repositories (OAR. A Current Research Information System (CRIS that conforms to the standard CERIF (Common European Research Information Format could be a key component in the e-infrastructure. A CRIS provides the structure and makes it possible to interoperate the CRIS metadata at every stage of the research cycle. The international DRIVER projects are creating a European repository infrastructure. Knowledge Exchange has launched a project to develop a metadata exchange format for publications between CRIS and OAR systems.

Envri Cluster - a Community-Driven Platform of European Environmental Researcher Infrastructures for Providing Common E-Solutions for Earth Science

Science.gov (United States)

Asmi, A.; Sorvari, S.; Kutsch, W. L.; Laj, P.

2017-12-01

European long-term environmental research infrastructures (often referred as ESFRI RIs) are the core facilities for providing services for scientists in their quest for understanding and predicting the complex Earth system and its functioning that requires long-term efforts to identify environmental changes (trends, thresholds and resilience, interactions and feedbacks). Many of the research infrastructures originally have been developed to respond to the needs of their specific research communities, however, it is clear that strong collaboration among research infrastructures is needed to serve the trans-boundary research requires exploring scientific questions at the intersection of different scientific fields, conducting joint research projects and developing concepts, devices, and methods that can be used to integrate knowledge. European Environmental research infrastructures have already been successfully worked together for many years and have established a cluster - ENVRI cluster - for their collaborative work. ENVRI cluster act as a collaborative platform where the RIs can jointly agree on the common solutions for their operations, draft strategies and policies and share best practices and knowledge. Supporting project for the ENVRI cluster, ENVRIplus project, brings together 21 European research infrastructures and infrastructure networks to work on joint technical solutions, data interoperability, access management, training, strategies and dissemination efforts. ENVRI cluster act as one stop shop for multidisciplinary RI users, other collaborative initiatives, projects and programmes and coordinates and implement jointly agreed RI strategies.

77 FR 37060 - Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-20

.../IP/IICD, 245 Murray Lane SW., Mailstop 0602, Arlington, VA 20598-0602. Email requests should go to...), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP... the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov . Email: Include the...

Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element Management Plan: Human Research Program. Revision B

Science.gov (United States)

Norsk, Peter; Baumann, David

2012-01-01

NASA s Human Research Program (HRP) is an applied research and technology program within the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) that addresses human health and performance risk mitigation strategies in support of exploration missions. The HRP research and technology development is focused on the highest priority risks to crew health and safety with the goal of ensuring mission success and maintaining long-term crew health. Crew health and performance standards, defined by the NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer (CHMO), set the acceptable risk level for exploration missions. The HRP conducts research to inform these standards as well as provide deliverables, such as countermeasures, that ensure standards can be met to maximize human performance and mission success. The Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element was formed as part of the HRP to develop a scientifically-based, integrated approach to understanding and mitigating the health risks associated with human spaceflight. These health risks have been organized into four research portfolios that group similar or related risks. A fifth portfolio exists for managing technology developments and infrastructure projects. The HHC Element portfolios consist of: a) Vision and Cardiovascular; b) Exercise and Performance; c) Multisystem; d) Bone; and e) Technology and Infrastructure. The HHC identifies gaps associated with the health risks and plans human physiology research that will result in knowledge required to more fully understand risks and will result in validated countermeasures to mitigate risks.

Funding research data management and related infrastructures : Knowledge Exchange and Science Europe briefing paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bijsterbosch, Magchiel; Duca, Daniela; Katerbow, Matthias; Kupiainen, Irina; Dillo, Ingrid; Doorn, P.K.; Enke, Harry; de Lucas, Jesus Eugenio Marco

2016-01-01

Research Funding Organisations (RFO) and Research Performing Organisations (RPO) throughout Europe are well aware that science and scholarship increasingly depend on infrastructures supporting sustainable Research Data Management (RDM). In two complementary surveys, the Science Europe Working Group

An interoperable research data infrastructure to support climate service development

Science.gov (United States)

De Filippis, Tiziana; Rocchi, Leandro; Rapisardi, Elena

2018-02-01

Accessibility, availability, re-use and re-distribution of scientific data are prerequisites to build climate services across Europe. From this perspective the Institute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council (IBIMET-CNR), aiming at contributing to the sharing and integration of research data, has developed a research data infrastructure to support the scientific activities conducted in several national and international research projects. The proposed architecture uses open-source tools to ensure sustainability in the development and deployment of Web applications with geographic features and data analysis functionalities. The spatial data infrastructure components are organized in typical client-server architecture and interact from the data provider download data process to representation of the results to end users. The availability of structured raw data as customized information paves the way for building climate service purveyors to support adaptation, mitigation and risk management at different scales.This work is a bottom-up collaborative initiative between different IBIMET-CNR research units (e.g. geomatics and information and communication technology - ICT; agricultural sustainability; international cooperation in least developed countries - LDCs) that embrace the same approach for sharing and re-use of research data and informatics solutions based on co-design, co-development and co-evaluation among different actors to support the production and application of climate services. During the development phase of Web applications, different users (internal and external) were involved in the whole process so as to better define user needs and suggest the implementation of specific custom functionalities. Indeed, the services are addressed to researchers, academics, public institutions and agencies - practitioners who can access data and findings from recent research in the field of applied meteorology and climatology.

The Past and the Future of Holocaust Research : From Disparate Sources to an Integrated European Holocaust Research Infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blanke, Tobias; Daelen, Veerle Vanden; Frankl, Michal; Kristel, Conny; Rodriguez, Kepa; Speck, Reto; Rapp, Andrea; Lossau, Norbert; Neurot, Heike

2014-01-01

The European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) has been set up by the European Union to create a sustainable complex of services for researchers. EHRI will bring together information about dispersed collections, based on currently more than 20 partner organisations in 13 countries and many

Benchmarking infrastructure for mutation text mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Artjom; Riazanov, Alexandre; Hindle, Matthew M; Baker, Christopher Jo

2014-02-25

Experimental research on the automatic extraction of information about mutations from texts is greatly hindered by the lack of consensus evaluation infrastructure for the testing and benchmarking of mutation text mining systems. We propose a community-oriented annotation and benchmarking infrastructure to support development, testing, benchmarking, and comparison of mutation text mining systems. The design is based on semantic standards, where RDF is used to represent annotations, an OWL ontology provides an extensible schema for the data and SPARQL is used to compute various performance metrics, so that in many cases no programming is needed to analyze results from a text mining system. While large benchmark corpora for biological entity and relation extraction are focused mostly on genes, proteins, diseases, and species, our benchmarking infrastructure fills the gap for mutation information. The core infrastructure comprises (1) an ontology for modelling annotations, (2) SPARQL queries for computing performance metrics, and (3) a sizeable collection of manually curated documents, that can support mutation grounding and mutation impact extraction experiments. We have developed the principal infrastructure for the benchmarking of mutation text mining tasks. The use of RDF and OWL as the representation for corpora ensures extensibility. The infrastructure is suitable for out-of-the-box use in several important scenarios and is ready, in its current state, for initial community adoption.

Benchmarking infrastructure for mutation text mining

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Experimental research on the automatic extraction of information about mutations from texts is greatly hindered by the lack of consensus evaluation infrastructure for the testing and benchmarking of mutation text mining systems. Results We propose a community-oriented annotation and benchmarking infrastructure to support development, testing, benchmarking, and comparison of mutation text mining systems. The design is based on semantic standards, where RDF is used to represent annotations, an OWL ontology provides an extensible schema for the data and SPARQL is used to compute various performance metrics, so that in many cases no programming is needed to analyze results from a text mining system. While large benchmark corpora for biological entity and relation extraction are focused mostly on genes, proteins, diseases, and species, our benchmarking infrastructure fills the gap for mutation information. The core infrastructure comprises (1) an ontology for modelling annotations, (2) SPARQL queries for computing performance metrics, and (3) a sizeable collection of manually curated documents, that can support mutation grounding and mutation impact extraction experiments. Conclusion We have developed the principal infrastructure for the benchmarking of mutation text mining tasks. The use of RDF and OWL as the representation for corpora ensures extensibility. The infrastructure is suitable for out-of-the-box use in several important scenarios and is ready, in its current state, for initial community adoption. PMID:24568600

REGIONAL EFFECTS OF THE EU FUNDS ABSORPTION FOR EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ROMANIA 2007-2013 PROGRAMMING PERIOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aida Catana

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The educational infrastructure was one of the priorities financed by European Regional Development Fund in Romania through Regional Operational Programme in 2007-2013 programming period. The regions for development in Romania needed financial support to improve the quality of local educational infrastructure but the administrative capacity to get EU funds wasn’t prepared to take advantage of the available opportunities. This paper shows that the level of local development in terms of institutional capacity and financial resources had influenced the amount of funds obtained by the local authorities. Even if the less developed regions had an important need for resources, the more developed regions succeeded to implement more projects for educational infrastructure.

Building community-engaged health research and discovery infrastructure on the South Side of Chicago: science in service to community priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Makelarski, Jennifer A; Chin, Marshall H; Desautels, Shane; Johnson, Daniel; Johnson, Waldo E; Miller, Doriane; Peters, Susan; Robinson, Connie; Schneider, John; Thicklin, Florence; Watson, Natalie P; Wolfe, Marcus; Whitaker, Eric

2011-01-01

To describe the roles community members can and should play in, and an asset-based strategy used by Chicago's South Side Health and Vitality Studies for, building sustainable, large-scale community health research infrastructure. The Studies are a family of research efforts aiming to produce actionable knowledge to inform health policy, programming, and investments for the region. Community and university collaborators, using a consensus-based approach, developed shared theoretical perspectives, guiding principles, and a model for collaboration in 2008, which were used to inform an asset-based operational strategy. Ongoing community engagement and relationship-building support the infrastructure and research activities of the studies. Key steps in the asset-based strategy include: 1) continuous community engagement and relationship building, 2) identifying community priorities, 3) identifying community assets, 4) leveraging assets, 5) conducting research, 6) sharing knowledge and 7) informing action. Examples of community member roles, and how these are informed by the Studies' guiding principles, are provided. Community and university collaborators, with shared vision and principles, can effectively work together to plan innovative, large-scale community-based research that serves community needs and priorities. Sustainable, effective models are needed to realize NIH's mandate for meaningful translation of biomedical discovery into improved population health. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introducing the LEMC: How to build an Early Music Research Infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Berchum, Marnix; Fields, Ben; Page, Kevin

2014-01-01

This paper outlines a Research Infrastructure for the study of Early Music. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of CERN serves as example for the building blocks needed. The paper discusses the elements of the proposed Large Early Music Collider (LEMC), including the requirements of encoded music, the

Research on Methods for Discovering and Selecting Cloud Infrastructure Services Based on Feature Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huamin Zhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays more and more cloud infrastructure service providers are providing large numbers of service instances which are a combination of diversified resources, such as computing, storage, and network. However, for cloud infrastructure services, the lack of a description standard and the inadequate research of systematic discovery and selection methods have exposed difficulties in discovering and choosing services for users. First, considering the highly configurable properties of a cloud infrastructure service, the feature model method is used to describe such a service. Second, based on the description of the cloud infrastructure service, a systematic discovery and selection method for cloud infrastructure services are proposed. The automatic analysis techniques of the feature model are introduced to verify the model’s validity and to perform the matching of the service and demand models. Finally, we determine the critical decision metrics and their corresponding measurement methods for cloud infrastructure services, where the subjective and objective weighting results are combined to determine the weights of the decision metrics. The best matching instances from various providers are then ranked by their comprehensive evaluations. Experimental results show that the proposed methods can effectively improve the accuracy and efficiency of cloud infrastructure service discovery and selection.

Latin American space activities based on different infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Gall, Ruth

The paper deals with recent basic space research and space applications in several Latin-American countries. It links space activities with national scientific and institutional infrastructures and stresses the importance of interdisciplinary space programs, that can play a major role in the developing countries achievement of self reliance in space matters.

Climate Science's Globally Distributed Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, D. N.

2016-12-01

The Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) is primarily funded by the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science (the Office of Biological and Environmental Research [BER] Climate Data Informatics Program and the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research Next Generation Network for Science Program), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the European Infrastructure for the European Network for Earth System Modeling (IS-ENES), and the Australian National University (ANU). Support also comes from other U.S. federal and international agencies. The federation works across multiple worldwide data centers and spans seven international network organizations to provide users with the ability to access, analyze, and visualize data using a globally federated collection of networks, computers, and software. Its architecture employs a series of geographically distributed peer nodes that are independently administered and united by common federation protocols and application programming interfaces (APIs). The full ESGF infrastructure has now been adopted by multiple Earth science projects and allows access to petabytes of geophysical data, including the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP; output used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment reports), multiple model intercomparison projects (MIPs; endorsed by the World Climate Research Programme [WCRP]), and the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME; ESGF is included in the overarching ACME workflow process to store model output). ESGF is a successful example of integration of disparate open-source technologies into a cohesive functional system that serves the needs the global climate science community. Data served by ESGF includes not only model output but also observational data from satellites and instruments, reanalysis, and generated images.

MillionTreesNYC, Green infrastructure, and urban ecology: building a research agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Jacqueline W.T. Lu; Megan Shane; Erika Svendsen; Lindsay Campbell; Cristiana Fragola; Marianne Krasny; Gina Lovasl; David Maddox; Simon McDonnell; P. Timon McPhearson; Franco Montalto; Andrew Newman; Ellen Pehek; Ruth A. Rae; Richard Stedman; Keith G. Tidball; Lynne Westphal; Tom Whitlow

2009-01-01

MillionTreesNYC is a citywide, public-private initiative with an ambitious goal: to plant and care for one million new trees across New York City's five boroughs by 2017. The Spring 2009 workshop MillionTreesNYC, Green Infrastructure, and Urban Ecology: Building a Research Agenda brought together more than 100 researchers, practitioners and New York City...

Modelling the South African fruit export infrastructure: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FG Ortmann

2006-06-01

Full Text Available A description is provided of work performed as part of the fruit logistics infrastructure project commissioned by the South African Deciduous Fruit Producers’ Trust and coordinated by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, as described in [Van Dyk FE & Maspero E, 2004, An analysis of the South African fruit logistics infrastructure, ORiON, 20(1, pp. 55–72]. After a brief introduction to the problem, two models (a single-commodity graph theoretic model and a multi-commodity mathematical programming model are derived for determining the maximal weekly flow or throughput of fresh fruit through the South African national export infrastructure. These models are solved for two extreme seasonal export scenarios and the solutions show that no export infrastructure expansion is required in the near future - observed bottlenecks are not fundamental to the infrastructure and its capacities, but are rather due to sub-optimal management and utilisation of the existing infrastructure.

An interoperable research data infrastructure to support climate service development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. De Filippis

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Accessibility, availability, re-use and re-distribution of scientific data are prerequisites to build climate services across Europe. From this perspective the Institute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council (IBIMET-CNR, aiming at contributing to the sharing and integration of research data, has developed a research data infrastructure to support the scientific activities conducted in several national and international research projects. The proposed architecture uses open-source tools to ensure sustainability in the development and deployment of Web applications with geographic features and data analysis functionalities. The spatial data infrastructure components are organized in typical client–server architecture and interact from the data provider download data process to representation of the results to end users. The availability of structured raw data as customized information paves the way for building climate service purveyors to support adaptation, mitigation and risk management at different scales.This work is a bottom-up collaborative initiative between different IBIMET-CNR research units (e.g. geomatics and information and communication technology – ICT; agricultural sustainability; international cooperation in least developed countries – LDCs that embrace the same approach for sharing and re-use of research data and informatics solutions based on co-design, co-development and co-evaluation among different actors to support the production and application of climate services. During the development phase of Web applications, different users (internal and external were involved in the whole process so as to better define user needs and suggest the implementation of specific custom functionalities. Indeed, the services are addressed to researchers, academics, public institutions and agencies – practitioners who can access data and findings from recent research in the field of applied meteorology and climatology.

Cyber and physical infrastructure interdependencies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, Laurence R.; Kelic, Andjelka; Warren, Drake E.

2008-09-01

The goal of the work discussed in this document is to understand the risk to the nation of cyber attacks on critical infrastructures. The large body of research results on cyber attacks against physical infrastructure vulnerabilities has not resulted in clear understanding of the cascading effects a cyber-caused disruption can have on critical national infrastructures and the ability of these affected infrastructures to deliver services. This document discusses current research and methodologies aimed at assessing the translation of a cyber-based effect into a physical disruption of infrastructure and thence into quantification of the economic consequences of the resultant disruption and damage. The document discusses the deficiencies of the existing methods in correlating cyber attacks with physical consequences. The document then outlines a research plan to correct those deficiencies. When completed, the research plan will result in a fully supported methodology to quantify the economic consequences of events that begin with cyber effects, cascade into other physical infrastructure impacts, and result in degradation of the critical infrastructure's ability to deliver services and products. This methodology enables quantification of the risks to national critical infrastructure of cyber threats. The work addresses the electric power sector as an example of how the methodology can be applied.

Reproducibility in Research: Systems, Infrastructure, Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom Crick

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The reproduction and replication of research results has become a major issue for a number of scientific disciplines. In computer science and related computational disciplines such as systems biology, the challenges closely revolve around the ability to implement (and exploit novel algorithms and models. Taking a new approach from the literature and applying it to a new codebase frequently requires local knowledge missing from the published manuscripts and transient project websites. Alongside this issue, benchmarking, and the lack of open, transparent and fair benchmark sets present another barrier to the verification and validation of claimed results. In this paper, we outline several recommendations to address these issues, driven by specific examples from a range of scientific domains. Based on these recommendations, we propose a high-level prototype open automated platform for scientific software development which effectively abstracts specific dependencies from the individual researcher and their workstation, allowing easy sharing and reproduction of results. This new e-infrastructure for reproducible computational science offers the potential to incentivise a culture change and drive the adoption of new techniques to improve the quality and efficiency – and thus reproducibility – of scientific exploration.

Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program: undergraduate student outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Sarah L

2012-12-01

Equine teaching and research programs are popular but expensive components of most land grant universities. External funding for equine research, however, is limited and restricts undergraduate research opportunities that enhance student learning. In 1999, a novel undergraduate teaching and research program was initiated at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. A unique aspect of this program was the use of young horses generally considered "at risk" and in need of rescue but of relatively low value. The media interest in such horses was utilized to advantage to obtain funding for the program. The use of horses from pregnant mare urine (PMU) ranches and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustangs held the risks of attracting negative publicity, potential of injury while training previously unhandled young horses, and uncertainty regarding re-sale value; however, none of these concerns were realized. For 12 years the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program received extensive positive press and provided invaluable learning opportunities for students. Over 500 students, at least 80 of which were minorities, participated in not only horse management and training but also research, event planning, public outreach, fund-raising, and website development. Public and industry support provided program sustainability with only basic University infrastructural support despite severe economic downturns. Student research projects generated 25 research abstracts presented at national and international meetings and 14 honors theses. Over 100 students went on to veterinary school or other higher education programs, and more than 100 others pursued equine- or science-related careers. Laudatory popular press articles were published in a wide variety of breed/discipline journals and in local and regional newspapers each year. Taking the risk of using "at risk" horses yielded positive outcomes for all, especially the undergraduate students.

Ship space to database: emerging infrastructures for studies of the deep subseafloor biosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter T. Darch

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background An increasing array of scientific fields face a “data deluge.” However, in many fields data are scarce, with implications for their epistemic status and ability to command funding. Consequently, they often attempt to develop infrastructure for data production, management, curation, and circulation. A component of a knowledge infrastructure may serve one or more scientific domains. Further, a single domain may rely upon multiple infrastructures simultaneously. Studying how domains negotiate building and accessing scarce infrastructural resources that they share with other domains will shed light on how knowledge infrastructures shape science. Methods We conducted an eighteen-month, qualitative study of scientists studying the deep subseafloor biosphere, focusing on the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP and its successor, the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP2. Our methods comprised ethnographic observation, including eight months embedded in a laboratory, interviews (n = 49, and document analysis. Results Deep subseafloor biosphere research is an emergent domain. We identified two reasons for the domain’s concern with data scarcity: limited ability to pursue their research objectives, and the epistemic status of their research. Domain researchers adopted complementary strategies to acquire more data. One was to establish C-DEBI as an infrastructure solely for their domain. The second was to use C-DEBI as a means to gain greater access to, and reconfigure, IODP/IODP2 to their advantage. IODP/IODP2 functions as infrastructure for multiple scientific domains, which creates competition for resources. C-DEBI is building its own data management infrastructure, both to acquire more data from IODP and to make better use of data, once acquired. Discussion Two themes emerge. One is data scarcity, which can be understood only in relation to a domain�

Women in EPOS: the role of women in a large pan-European Research Infrastructure for Solid Earth sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Calignano, Elisa; Freda, Carmela; Baracchi, Laura

2017-04-01

Women are outnumbered by men in geosciences senior research positions, but what is the situation if we consider large pan-European Research Infrastructures? With this contribution we want to show an analysis of the role of women in the implementation of the European Plate Observing System (EPOS): a planned research infrastructure for European Solid Earth sciences, integrating national and transnational research infrastructures to enable innovative multidisciplinary research. EPOS involves 256 national research infrastructures, 47 partners (universities and research institutes) from 25 European countries and 4 international organizations. The EPOS integrated platform demands significant coordination between diverse solid Earth disciplinary communities, national research infrastructures and the policies and initiatives they drive, geoscientists and information technologists. The EPOS architecture takes into account governance, legal, financial and technical issues and is designed so that the enterprise works as a single, but distributed, sustainable research infrastructure. A solid management structure is vital for the successful implementation and sustainability of EPOS. The internal organization relies on community-specific Working Packages (WPs), Transversal WPs in charge of the overall EPOS integration and implementation, several governing, executive and advisory bodies, a Project Management Office (PMO) and the Project Coordinator. Driven by the timely debate on gender balance and commitment of the European Commission to promote gender equality in research and innovation, we decided to conduct a mapping exercise on a project that crosses European national borders and that brings together diverse geoscience disciplines under one management structure. We present an analysis of women representation in decision-making positions in each EPOS Working Package (WP Leader, proxy, legal, financial and IT contact persons), in the Boards and Councils and in the PMO

Strategy for sustainability of the Joint European Research Infrastructure Network for Coastal Observatories - JERICO

OpenAIRE

Puillat, Ingrid; Farcy, Patrick; Durand, Dominique; Petihakis, George; Morin, Pascal; Kriegger, Magali; Petersen, Wilhelm; Tintoré, Joaquin; Sorensen, Kai; Sparnocchia, Stefania; Wehde, Henning

2015-01-01

The JERICO European research infrastructure (RI) is integrating several platform types i.e. fixed buoys, piles, moorings, drifters, Ferryboxes, gliders, HF radars, coastal cable observatories and the associated technologies dedicated to the observation and monitoring of the European coastal seas. The infrastructure is to serve both the implementation of European marine policies and the elucidation of key scientific questions through dedicated observation and monitoring plans. It includes obse...

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2009-08-01

This report documents the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: U.S. EPA'S RESEARCH PLAN FOR GRAVITY SEWERS

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has long recognized the need for research and development in the area of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Most recently in support of the Agency’s Sustainable Water Infrastructu...

The Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) Software Development: Applications, Infrastructure, and Middleware/Networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Dean N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2011-06-30

The status of and future plans for the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) hinge on software that PCMDI is either currently distributing or plans to distribute to the climate community in the near future. These software products include standard conventions, national and international federated infrastructures, and community analysis and visualization tools. This report also mentions other secondary software not necessarily led by or developed at PCMDI to provide a complete picture of the overarching applications, infrastructures, and middleware/networks. Much of the software described anticipates the use of future technologies envisioned over the span of next year to 10 years. These technologies, together with the software, will be the catalyst required to address extreme-scale data warehousing, scalability issues, and service-level requirements for a diverse set of well-known projects essential for predicting climate change. These tools, unlike the previous static analysis tools of the past, will support the co-existence of many users in a productive, shared virtual environment. This advanced technological world driven by extreme-scale computing and the data it generates will increase scientists’ productivity, exploit national and international relationships, and push research to new levels of understanding.

Nordic research infrastructures for plant phenotyping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristiina Himanen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Plant phenomics refers to the systematic study of plant phenotypes. Together with closely monitored, controlled climates, it provides an essential component for the integrated analysis of genotype-phenotype-environment interactions. Currently, several plant growth and phenotyping facilities are under establishment globally, and numerous facilities are already in use. Alongside the development of the research infrastructures, several national and international networks have been established to support shared use of the new methodology. In this review, an overview is given of the Nordic plant phenotyping and climate control facilities. Since many areas of phenomics such as sensor-based phenotyping, image analysis and data standards are still developing, promotion of educational and networking activities is especially important. These facilities and networks will be instrumental in tackling plant breeding and plant protection challenges. They will also provide possibilities to study wild species and their ecological interactions under changing Nordic climate conditions.

Infrastructures for healthcare

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langhoff, Tue Odd; Amstrup, Mikkel Hvid; Mørck, Peter

2018-01-01

The Danish General Practitioners Database has over more than a decade developed into a large-scale successful information infrastructure supporting medical research in Denmark. Danish general practitioners produce the data, by coding all patient consultations according to a certain set of classif...... synergy into account, if not to risk breaking down the fragile nature of otherwise successful information infrastructures supporting research on healthcare....

ForM@Ter: a French Solid Earth Research Infrastructure Project

Science.gov (United States)

Mandea, M.; Diament, M.; Jamet, O.; Deschamps-Ostanciaux, E.

2017-12-01

Recently, some noteworthy initiatives to develop efficient research e-infrastructures for the study of the Earth's system have been set up. However, some gaps between the data availability and their scientific use still exists, either because technical reasons (big data issues) or because of the lack of a dedicated support in terms of expert knowledge of the data, software availability, or data cost. The need for thematic cooperative platforms has been underlined over the last years, as well as the need to create thematic centres designed to federate the scientific community of Earth's observation. Four thematic data centres have been developed in France, covering the domains of ocean, atmosphere, land, and solid Earth sciences. For the Solid Earth science community, a research infrastructure project named ForM@Ter was launched by the French Space Agency (CNES) and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), with the active participation of the National institute for geographical and forestry information (IGN). Currently, it relies on the contributions of scientists from more than 20 French Earth science laboratories.Preliminary analysis have showed that a focus on the determination of the shape and movements of the Earth surface (ForM@Ter: Formes et Mouvements de la Terre) can federate a wide variety of scientific areas (earthquake cycle, tectonics, morphogenesis, volcanism, erosion dynamics, mantle rheology, geodesy) and offers many interfaces with other geoscience domains, such as glaciology or snow evolution. This choice motivates the design of an ambitious data distribution scheme, including a wide variety of sources - optical imagery, SAR, GNSS, gravity, satellite altimetry data, in situ observations (inclinometers, seismometers, etc.) - as well as a wide variety of processing techniques. In the evolving context of the current and forthcoming national and international e-infrastructures, the challenge of the project is to design a non

Urban Green Infrastructure: German Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Olegovna Dushkova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a concept of urban green infrastructure and analyzes the features of its implementation in the urban development programmes of German cities. We analyzed the most shared articles devoted to the urban green infrastructure to see different approaches to definition of this term. It is based on materials of field research in the cities of Berlin and Leipzig in 2014-2015, international and national scientific publications. During the process of preparing the paper, consultations have been held with experts from scientific institutions and Administrations of Berlin and Leipzig as well as local experts from environmental organizations of both cities. Using the German cities of Berlin and Leipzig as examples, this paper identifies how the concept can be implemented in the program of urban development. It presents the main elements of green city model, which include mitigation of negative anthropogenic impact on the environment under the framework of urban sustainable development. Essential part of it is a complex ecological policy as a major necessary tool for the implementation of the green urban infrastructure concept. This ecological policy should embody not only some ecological measurements, but also a greening of all urban infrastructure elements as well as implementation of sustainable living with a greater awareness of the resources, which are used in everyday life, and development of environmental thinking among urban citizens. Urban green infrastructure is a unity of four main components: green building, green transportation, eco-friendly waste management, green transport routes and ecological corridors. Experience in the development of urban green infrastructure in Germany can be useful to improve the environmental situation in Russian cities.

Research opportunities in photochemical sciences for the DOE Hydrogen Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padro, C.E.G. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States)

1996-09-01

For several decades, interest in hydrogen has ebbed and flowed. With the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970`s and the promise of inexpensive nuclear power, hydrogen research focused on fuel applications. The economics and the realities of nuclear power shifted the emphasis to hydrogen as an energy carrier. Environmental benefits took center stage as scientists and politicians agreed on the potential threat of carbon dioxide emissions to global climate change. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Utility Technologies manages the National Hydrogen Program. In this role, the DOE provides national leadership and acts as a catalyst through partnerships with industry. These partnerships are needed to assist in the transition of sustainable hydrogen systems from a government-supported research and development phase to commercial successes in the marketplace. The outcome of the Program is expected to be the orderly phase-out of fossil fuels as a result of market-driven technology advances, with a least-cost, environmentally benign energy delivery system. The program seeks to maintain its balance of high-risk, long-term research in renewable based technologies that address the environmental benefits, with nearer-term, fossil based technologies that address infrastructure and market issues. National laboratories, universities, and industry are encouraged to participate, cooperate, and collaborate in the program. The U.S. Hydrogen Program is poised to overcome the technical and economic challenges that currently limit the impact of hydrogen on our energy picture, through cooperative research, development, and demonstrations.

PRACE - The European HPC Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Stadelmeyer, Peter

2014-05-01

The mission of PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe) is to enable high impact scientific discovery and engineering research and development across all disciplines to enhance European competitiveness for the benefit of society. PRACE seeks to realize this mission by offering world class computing and data management resources and services through a peer review process. This talk gives a general overview about PRACE and the PRACE research infrastructure (RI). PRACE is established as an international not-for-profit association and the PRACE RI is a pan-European supercomputing infrastructure which offers access to computing and data management resources at partner sites distributed throughout Europe. Besides a short summary about the organization, history, and activities of PRACE, it is explained how scientists and researchers from academia and industry from around the world can access PRACE systems and which education and training activities are offered by PRACE. The overview also contains a selection of PRACE contributions to societal challenges and ongoing activities. Examples of the latter are beside others petascaling, application benchmark suite, best practice guides for efficient use of key architectures, application enabling / scaling, new programming models, and industrial applications. The Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE) is an international non-profit association with its seat in Brussels. The PRACE Research Infrastructure provides a persistent world-class high performance computing service for scientists and researchers from academia and industry in Europe. The computer systems and their operations accessible through PRACE are provided by 4 PRACE members (BSC representing Spain, CINECA representing Italy, GCS representing Germany and GENCI representing France). The Implementation Phase of PRACE receives funding from the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreements RI-261557, RI-283493 and RI

Assessment of the biodiesel distribution infrastructure in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagace, C.

2007-08-01

Canada's biodiesel industry is in its infancy, and must work to achieve the demand needed to ensure its development. This assessment of Canada's biodiesel distribution infrastructure was conducted to recommend the most efficient infrastructure pathway for effective biodiesel distribution. The study focused on the establishment of a link between biodiesel supplies and end-users. The current Canadian biodiesel industry was discussed, and future market potentials were outlined. The Canadian distillate product distribution infrastructure was discussed. Technical considerations and compliance issues were reviewed. The following 2 scenarios were used to estimate adaptations and costs for the Canadian market: (1) the use of primary terminals to ensure quality control of biodiesel, and (2) storage in secondary terminals where biodiesel blends are prepared before being transported to retail outlets. The study showed that relevant laboratory training programs are needed as well as proficiency testing programs in order to ensure adequate quality control of biodiesel. Standards for biodiesel distribution are needed, as well as specifications for the heating oil market. It was concluded that this document may prove useful in developing government policy objectives and identifying further research needs. 21 refs., 12 tabs., 13 figs

INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: U.S. EPA’S RESEARCH PLANS FOR GRAVITY SEWERS

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has long recognized the need for research and development in the area of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Most recently in support of the Agency’s Sustainable Water ...

Final report for the Integrated and Robust Security Infrastructure (IRSI) laboratory directed research and development project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hutchinson, R.L.; Hamilton, V.A.; Istrail, G.G.; Espinoza, J.; Murphy, M.D.

1997-11-01

This report describes the results of a Sandia-funded laboratory-directed research and development project titled {open_quotes}Integrated and Robust Security Infrastructure{close_quotes} (IRSI). IRSI was to provide a broad range of commercial-grade security services to any software application. IRSI has two primary goals: application transparency and manageable public key infrastructure. IRSI must provide its security services to any application without the need to modify the application to invoke the security services. Public key mechanisms are well suited for a network with many end users and systems. There are many issues that make it difficult to deploy and manage a public key infrastructure. IRSI addressed some of these issues to create a more manageable public key infrastructure.

Raising the Bar on External Research Funding: Infrastructure and Strategies for Enhancing Faculty Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Chval, Kathryn B.; Nossaman, Larry D.

2014-01-01

Administrators seek faculty who have the expertise to secure external funding to support their research agenda. Administrators also seek strategies to support and enhance faculty productivity across different ranks. In this manuscript, we describe the infrastructure we established and strategies we implemented to enhance the research enterprise at…

Online molecular image repository and analysis system: A multicenter collaborative open-source infrastructure for molecular imaging research and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mahabubur; Watabe, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

Molecular imaging serves as an important tool for researchers and clinicians to visualize and investigate complex biochemical phenomena using specialized instruments; these instruments are either used individually or in combination with targeted imaging agents to obtain images related to specific diseases with high sensitivity, specificity, and signal-to-noise ratios. However, molecular imaging, which is a multidisciplinary research field, faces several challenges, including the integration of imaging informatics with bioinformatics and medical informatics, requirement of reliable and robust image analysis algorithms, effective quality control of imaging facilities, and those related to individualized disease mapping, data sharing, software architecture, and knowledge management. As a cost-effective and open-source approach to address these challenges related to molecular imaging, we develop a flexible, transparent, and secure infrastructure, named MIRA, which stands for Molecular Imaging Repository and Analysis, primarily using the Python programming language, and a MySQL relational database system deployed on a Linux server. MIRA is designed with a centralized image archiving infrastructure and information database so that a multicenter collaborative informatics platform can be built. The capability of dealing with metadata, image file format normalization, and storing and viewing different types of documents and multimedia files make MIRA considerably flexible. With features like logging, auditing, commenting, sharing, and searching, MIRA is useful as an Electronic Laboratory Notebook for effective knowledge management. In addition, the centralized approach for MIRA facilitates on-the-fly access to all its features remotely through any web browser. Furthermore, the open-source approach provides the opportunity for sustainable continued development. MIRA offers an infrastructure that can be used as cross-boundary collaborative MI research platform for the rapid

Development of a pharmacy student research program at a large academic medical center.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Milena M; Skoglund, Erik; Bergman, Scott; Scheetz, Marc H

2015-11-01

A program to promote research by pharmacy students created through the collaboration of an academic medical center and a college of pharmacy is described. In 2009, Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy and Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) expanded their existing partnership by establishing a program to increase opportunities for pharmacy students to conduct clinical-translational research. All professional year 1, 2, or 3 students at the college, as well as professional year 4 students on rotation at NMH, can participate in the program. Central to the program's infrastructure is the mentorship of student leads by faculty- and hospital-based pharmacists. The mentors oversee the student research projects and guide development of poster presentations; student leads mentor junior students and assist with orientation and training activities. Publication of research findings in the peer-reviewed literature is a key program goal. In the first four years after program implementation, participation in a summer research program grew nearly 10-fold (mainly among incoming professional year 2 or 3 students, and student poster presentations at national pharmacy meetings increased nearly 20-fold; the number of published research articles involving student authors increased from zero in 2009 to three in 2012 and two in 2013. A collaborative program between an academic medical center and a college of pharmacy has enabled pharmacy students to conduct research at the medical center and has been associated with increases in the numbers of poster presentations and publications involving students. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Research Program Overview

Science.gov (United States)

PEER logo Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center home about peer news events research products laboratories publications nisee b.i.p. members education FAQs links research Research Program Overview Tall Buildings Initiative Transportation Research Program Lifelines Program Concrete Grand

E-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2010-01-01

The 8th e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting was held in the Globe from 4 to 5 November to discuss the development of Europe’s distributed computing and storage resources.   Project leaders attend the E-Concertation Meeting at the Globe on 5 November 2010. © Corentin Chevalier E-Infrastructures have become an indispensable tool for scientific research, linking researchers to virtually unlimited e-resources like the grid. The recent e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting brought together e-Science project leaders to discuss the development of this tool in the European context. The meeting was part of an ongoing initiative to develop a world-class e-infrastructure resource that would establish European leadership in e-Science. The e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting was organised by the Commission Services (EC) with the support of e-ScienceTalk. “The Concertation meeting at CERN has been a great opportunity for e-ScienceTalk to meet many of the 38 new proje...

Formation of Innovative Infrastructure of the Industrial Sphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ya. Veselovsky

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: in article problems of formation of innovative infrastructure of the industrial sphere in the Russian Federation are investigated, her merits and demerits are considered. In the context of foreign experience the analysis of statistics of development of innovative infrastructure on the basis of which is carried out the main shortcomings constraining efficiency of her work are allocated. Among them lack of cooperation between the organizations of infrastructure, a gap between scientific sector and business community, lack of effective communications between participants of innovative process, information opacity, extremely insufficient financing, and also low demand for innovations from the industrial enterprises, lack of motivation at business to carry out financing of innovative projects. Authors offer mechanisms of formation and management of innovative infrastructure. The purpose of article is increase in efficiency of innovative infrastructure of the industrial sphere. Article tasks: to analyse a condition of innovative infrastructure of the industrial sphere in Russia; to study foreign experience of formation of innovative infrastructure; to reveal shortcomings of functioning of innovative infrastructure; to offer mechanisms of formation and management of innovative infrastructure of the industrial sphere. Methods: hen carrying out a research data of Rosstat, legislative and normative legal acts, state programs of development of innovative activities and the industrial sphere, fundamental and application-oriented works of authoritative scientists in the field of innovative development were the main sources of basic data. The research is based on theoretical methods of scientific knowledge, in particular use of methods of synthesis and deduction, and also methods of empirical knowledge for which allowed to open a range of a set of problems which hinder with innovative development of the industrial sphere. Results: the analysis of the

Sustainability of evidence-based healthcare: research agenda, methodological advances, and infrastructure support.

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Enola; Luke, Douglas; Calhoun, Annaliese; McMillen, Curtis; Brownson, Ross; McCrary, Stacey; Padek, Margaret

2015-06-11

Little is known about how well or under what conditions health innovations are sustained and their gains maintained once they are put into practice. Implementation science typically focuses on uptake by early adopters of one healthcare innovation at a time. The later-stage challenges of scaling up and sustaining evidence-supported interventions receive too little attention. This project identifies the challenges associated with sustainability research and generates recommendations for accelerating and strengthening this work. A multi-method, multi-stage approach, was used: (1) identifying and recruiting experts in sustainability as participants, (2) conducting research on sustainability using concept mapping, (3) action planning during an intensive working conference of sustainability experts to expand the concept mapping quantitative results, and (4) consolidating results into a set of recommendations for research, methodological advances, and infrastructure building to advance understanding of sustainability. Participants comprised researchers, funders, and leaders in health, mental health, and public health with shared interest in the sustainability of evidence-based health care. Prompted to identify important issues for sustainability research, participants generated 91 distinct statements, for which a concept mapping process produced 11 conceptually distinct clusters. During the conference, participants built upon the concept mapping clusters to generate recommendations for sustainability research. The recommendations fell into three domains: (1) pursue high priority research questions as a unified agenda on sustainability; (2) advance methods for sustainability research; (3) advance infrastructure to support sustainability research. Implementation science needs to pursue later-stage translation research questions required for population impact. Priorities include conceptual consistency and operational clarity for measuring sustainability, developing evidence

SIOS: A regional cooperation of international research infrastructures as a building block for an Arctic observing system

Science.gov (United States)

Holmen, K. J.; Lønne, O. J.

2016-12-01

The Svalbard Integrated Earth Observing System (SIOS) is a regional response to the Earth System Science (ESS) challenges posed by the Amsterdam Declaration on Global Change. SIOS is intended to develop and implement methods for how observational networks in the Arctic are to be designed in order to address such issues in a regional scale. SIOS builds on the extensive observation capacity and research installations already in place by many international institutions and will provide upgraded and relevant Observing Systems and Research Facilities of world class in and around Svalbard. It is a distributed research infrastructure set up to provide a regional observational system for long term measurements under a joint framework. As one of the large scale research infrastructure initiatives on the ESFRI roadmap (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures), SIOS is now being implemented. The new research infrastructure organization, the SIOS Knowledge Center (SIOS-KC), is instrumental in developing methods and solutions for setting up its regional contribution to a systematically constructed Arctic observational network useful for global change studies. We will discuss cross-disciplinary research experiences some case studies and lessons learned so far. SIOS aims to provide an effective, easily accessible data management system which makes use of existing data handling systems in the thematic fields covered by SIOS. SIOS will, implement a data policy which matches the ambitions that are set for the new European research infrastructures, but at the same time be flexible enough to consider `historical' legacies. Given the substantial international presence in the Svalbard archipelago and the pan-Arctic nature of the issue, there is an opportunity to build SIOS further into a wider regional network and pan-Arctic context, ideally under the umbrella of the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) initiative. It is necessary to anchor SIOS strongly in a European

Corrosion Protection of Launch Infrastructure and Hardware Through the Space Shuttle Program

Science.gov (United States)

Calle, L. M.

2011-01-01

Corrosion, the environmentally induced degradation of materials, has been a challenging and costly problem that has affected NASA's launch operations since the inception of the Space Program. Corrosion studies began at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1966 during the Gemini/Apollo Programs with the evaluation of long-term protective coatings for the atmospheric protection of carbon steel. NASA's KSC Beachside Corrosion Test Site, which has been documented by the American Society of Materials (ASM) as one of the most corrosive, naturally occurring environments in the world, was established at that time. With the introduction of the Space Shuttle in 1981, the already highly corrosive natural conditions at the launch pad were rendered even more severe by the acidic exhaust from the solid rocket boosters. In the years that followed, numerous efforts at KSC identified materials, coatings, and maintenance procedures for launch hardware and equipment exposed to the highly corrosiye environment at the launch pads. Knowledge on materials degradation, obtained by facing the highly corrosive conditions of the Space Shuttle launch environment, as well as limitations imposed by the environmental impact of corrosion control, have led researchers at NASA's Corrosion Technology Laboratory to establish a new technology development capability in the area of corrosion prevention, detection, and mitigation at KSC that is included as one of the "highest priority" technologies identified by NASA's integrated technology roadmap. A historical perspective highlighting the challenges encountered in protecting launch infrastructure and hardware from corrosion during the life of the Space Shuttle program and the new technological advances that have resulted from facing the unique and highly corrosive conditions of the Space Shuttle launch environment will be presented.

Impacts of Permafrost on Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services

Science.gov (United States)

Trochim, E.; Schuur, E.; Schaedel, C.; Kelly, B. P.

2017-12-01

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) program developed knowledge pyramids as a tool for advancing scientific understanding and making this information accessible for decision makers. Knowledge pyramids are being used to synthesize, curate and disseminate knowledge of changing land ice, sea ice, and permafrost in the Arctic. Each pyramid consists of a one-two page summary brief in broadly accessible language and literature organized by levels of detail including synthesizes and scientific building blocks. Three knowledge pyramids have been produced related to permafrost on carbon, infrastructure, and ecosystem services. Each brief answers key questions with high societal relevance framed in policy-relevant terms. The knowledge pyramids concerning infrastructure and ecosystem services were developed in collaboration with researchers specializing in the specific topic areas in order to identify the most pertinent issues and accurately communicate information for integration into policy and planning. For infrastructure, the main issue was the need to build consensus in the engineering and science communities for developing improved methods for incorporating data applicable to building infrastructure on permafrost. In ecosystem services, permafrost provides critical landscape properties which affect basic human needs including fuel and drinking water availability, access to hunting and harvest, and fish and wildlife habitat. Translating these broad and complex topics necessitated a systematic and iterative approach to identifying key issues and relating them succinctly to the best state of the art research. The development of the knowledge pyramids provoked collaboration and synthesis across distinct research and engineering communities. The knowledge pyramids also provide a solid basis for policy development and the format allows the content to be regularly updated as the research community advances.

The Satellite Data Thematic Core Service within the EPOS Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Manunta, Michele; Casu, Francesco; Zinno, Ivana; De Luca, Claudio; Buonanno, Sabatino; Zeni, Giovanni; Wright, Tim; Hooper, Andy; Diament, Michel; Ostanciaux, Emilie; Mandea, Mioara; Walter, Thomas; Maccaferri, Francesco; Fernandez, Josè; Stramondo, Salvatore; Bignami, Christian; Bally, Philippe; Pinto, Salvatore; Marin, Alessandro; Cuomo, Antonio

2017-04-01

EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is a long-term plan to facilitate the integrated use of data, data products, software and services, available from distributed Research Infrastructures (RI), for solid Earth science in Europe. Indeed, EPOS integrates a large number of existing European RIs belonging to several fields of the Earth science, from seismology to geodesy, near fault and volcanic observatories as well as anthropogenic hazards. The EPOS vision is that the integration of the existing national and trans-national research infrastructures will increase access and use of the multidisciplinary data recorded by the solid Earth monitoring networks, acquired in laboratory experiments and/or produced by computational simulations. The establishment of EPOS will foster the interoperability of products and services in the Earth science field to a worldwide community of users. Accordingly, the EPOS aim is to integrate the diverse and advanced European Research Infrastructures for solid Earth science, and build on new e-science opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex solid-Earth System. One of the EPOS Thematic Core Services (TCS), referred to as Satellite Data, aims at developing, implementing and deploying advanced satellite data products and services, mainly based on Copernicus data (namely Sentinel acquisitions), for the Earth science community. This work intends to present the technological enhancements, fostered by EPOS, to deploy effective satellite services in a harmonized and integrated way. In particular, the Satellite Data TCS will deploy five services, EPOSAR, GDM, COMET, 3D-Def and MOD, which are mainly based on the exploitation of SAR data acquired by the Sentinel-1 constellation and designed to provide information on Earth surface displacements. In particular, the planned services will provide both advanced DInSAR products (deformation maps, velocity maps, deformation time series) and value-added measurements (source model

European network infrastructures of observatories for terrestrial Global Change research

Science.gov (United States)

Vereecken, H.; Bogena, H.; Lehning, M.

2009-04-01

The earth's climate is significantly changing (e.g. IPCC, 2007) and thus directly affecting the terrestrial systems. The number and intensity hydrological extremes, such as floods and droughts, are continually increasing, resulting in major economical and social impacts. Furthermore, the land cover in Europe has been modified fundamentally by conversions for agriculture, forest and for other purposes such as industrialisation and urbanisation. Additionally, water resources are more than ever used for human development, especially as a key resource for agricultural and industrial activities. As a special case, the mountains of the world are of significant importance in terms of water resources supply, biodiversity, economy, agriculture, traffic and recreation but particularly vulnerable to environmental change. The Alps are unique because of the pronounced small scale variability they contain, the high population density they support and their central position in Europe. The Alps build a single coherent physical and natural environment, artificially cut by national borders. The scientific community and governmental bodies have responded to these environmental changes by performing dedicated experiments and by establishing environmental research networks to monitor, analyse and predict the impact of Global Change on different terrestrial systems of the Earths' environment. Several European network infrastructures for terrestrial Global Change research are presently immerging or upgrading, such as ICOS, ANAEE, LifeWatch or LTER-Europe. However, the strongest existing networks are still operating on a regional or national level and the historical growth of such networks resulted in a very heterogeneous landscape of observation networks. We propose therefore the establishment of two complementary networks: The NetwOrk of Hydrological observAtories, NOHA. NOHA aims to promote the sustainable management of water resources in Europe, to support the prediction of

Quantitative Evaluation of the Community Research Fellows Training Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucy eD'Agostino McGowan

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Context: The Community Research Fellows Training (CRFT program is a community-based participatory research (CBPR initiative for the St. Louis area. This fifteen week program, based on a Master in Public Health curriculum, was implemented by the Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in partnership with the Siteman Cancer Center. Objectives: We measure the knowledge gained by participants and evaluate participant and faculty satisfaction of the CRFT program both in terms of meeting learning objectives and actively engaging the community in the research process.Participants: We conducted analyses on 44 community members who participated in the CRFT program and completed the baseline and follow-up knowledge assessments.Main Outcome Measures: Knowledge gain is measured by a baseline and follow-up assessment given at the first and final session. Additionally, pre- and post-tests are given after the first 12 sessions. To measure satisfaction, program evaluations are completed by both the participants and faculty after each topic. Mid-way through the program, a mid-term assessment was administered to assess the program’s community engagement. We analyzed the results from the assessments, pre- and post-tests, and evaluations.Results: The CRFT participants’ knowledge increased at follow-up as compared with baseline on average by a 16.5 point difference (p<0.0001. Post-test scores were higher than pre-test scores for 11 of the 12 sessions. Both participants and faculty enjoyed the training and rated all session well.Conclusions: The CRFT program was successful in increasing community knowledge, in participant satisfaction, and in faculty satisfaction. This success has enhanced the infrastructure for CBPR as well as led to CBPR pilot projects that address health disparities in the St. Louis Greater Metropolitan Area.

LANL: Weapons Infrastructure Briefing to Naval Reactors, July 18, 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chadwick, Frances [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2018-07-18

Presentation slides address: The Laboratory infrastructure supports hundreds of high hazard, complex operations daily; LANL’s unique science and engineering infrastructure is critical to delivering on our mission; LANL FY17 Budget & Workforce; Direct-Funded Infrastructure Accounts; LANL Org Chart; Weapons Infrastructure Program Office; The Laboratory’s infrastructure relies on both Direct and Indirect funding; NA-50’s Operating, Maintenance & Recapitalization funding is critical to the execution of the mission; Los Alamos is currently executing several concurrent Line Item projects; Maintenance @ LANL; NA-50 is helping us to address D&D needs; We are executing a CHAMP Pilot Project at LANL; G2 = Main Tool for Program Management; MDI: Future Investments are centered on facilities with a high Mission Dependency Index; Los Alamos hosted first “Deep Dive” in November 2016; Safety, Infrastructure & Operations is one of the most important programs at LANL, and is foundational for our mission success.

2011 Biomass Program Platform Peer Review. Infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindauer, Alicia [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2012-02-01

This document summarizes the recommendations and evaluations provided by an independent external panel of experts at the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program’s Infrastructure Platform Review meeting.

Infrastructure: concept, types and value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander E. Lantsov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Researches of influence of infrastructure on the economic growth and development of the countries gained currency. However the majority of authors drop the problem of definition of accurate concept of studied object and its criteria out. In the given article various approaches in the definition of «infrastructure» concept, criterion and the characteristics of infrastructure distinguishing it from other capital assets are presented. Such types of infrastructure, as personal, institutional, material, production, social, etc. are considered. Author’s definition of infrastructure is given.

Infrastructure for Detector Research and Development towards the International Collider

CERN Document Server

Aguilar, J.; Fiutowski, T.; Idzik, M.; Kulis, Sz.; Przyborowski, D.; Swientek, K.; Bamberger, A.; Kohli, M.; Lupberger, M.; Renz, U.; Schumacher, M.; Zwerger, Andreas; Calderone, A.; Cussans, D.G.; Heath, H.F.; Mandry, S.; Page, R.F.; Velthuis, J.J.; Attie, D.; Calvet, D.; Colas, P.; Coppolani, X.; Degerli, Y.; Delagnes, E.; Gelin, M.; Giomataris, I.; Lutz, P.; Orsini, F.; Rialot, M.; Senee, F.; Wang, W.; Alozy, J.; Apostolakis, J.; Aspell, P.; Bergsma, F.; Campbell, M.; Formenti, F.; Santos, H.Franca; Garcia, E.Garcia; de Gaspari, M.; Giudice, P.A.; Grefe, Ch.; Grichine, V.; Hauschild, M.; Ivantchenko, V.; Kehrli, A.; Kloukinas, K.; Linssen, L.; Cudie, X.Llopart; Marchioro, A.; Musa, L.; Ribon, A.; Trampitsch, G.; Uzhinskiy, V.; Anduze, M.; Beyer, E.; Bonnemaison, A.; Boudry, V.; Brient, J.C.; Cauchois, A.; Clerc, C.; Cornat, R.; Frotin, M.; Gastaldi, F.; Jauffret, C.; Jeans, D.; Karar, A.; Mathieu, A.; de Freitas, P.Mora; Musat, G.; Rouge, A.; Ruan, M.; Vanel, J.C.; Videau, H.; Besson, A.; de Masi, G.Claus.R.; Doziere, G.; Dulinski, W.; Goffe, M.; Himmi, A.; Hu-Guo, Ch.; Morel, F.; Valin, I.; Winter, M.; Bonis, J.; Callier, S.; Cornebise, P.; Dulucq, F.; Giannelli, M.Faucci; Fleury, J.; Guilhem, G.; Martin-Chassard, G.; de la Taille, Ch.; Poschl, R.; Raux, L.; Seguin-Moreau, N.; Wicek, F.; Benyamna, M.; Bonnard, J.; Carloganu, C.; Fehr, F.; Gay, P.; Mannen, S.; Royer, L.; Charpy, A.; Da Silva, W.; David, J.; Dhellot, M.; Imbault, D.; Ghislain, P.; Kapusta, F.; Pham, T.Hung; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Sefri, R.; Dzahini, D.; Giraud, J.; Grondin, D.; Hostachy, J.Y.; Morin, L.; Bassignana, D.; Pellegrini, G.; Lozano, M.; Quirion, D.; Fernandez, M.; Jaramillo, R.; Munoz, F.J.; Vila, I.; Dolezal, Z.; Drasal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Kvasnicka, P.; Aplin, S.; Bachynska, O.; Behnke, T.; Behr, J.; Dehmelt, K.; Engels, J.; Gadow, K.; Gaede, F.; Garutti, E.; Gottlicher, P.; Gregor, I.M.; Haas, T.; Henschel, H.; Koetz, U.; Lange, W.; Libov, V.; Lohmann, W.; Lutz, B.; Mnich, J.; Muhl, C.; Ohlerich, M.; Potylitsina-Kube, N.; Prahl, V.; Reinecke, M.; Roloff, P.; Rosemann, Ch.; Rubinski, Igor; Schade, P.; Schuwalov, S.; Sefkow, F.; Terwort, M.; Volkenborn, R.; Kalliopuska, J.; Mehtaelae, P.; Orava, R.; van Remortel, N.; Cvach, J.; Janata, M.; Kvasnicka, J.; Marcisovsky, M.; Polak, I.; Sicho, P.; Smolik, J.; Vrba, V.; Zalesak, J.; Bergauer, T.; Dragicevic, M.; Friedl, M.; Haensel, S.; Irmler, C.; Kiesenhofer, W.; Krammer, M.; Valentan, M.; Piemontese, L.; Cotta-Ramusino, A.; Bulgheroni, A.; Jastrzab, M.; Caccia, M.; Re, V.; Ratti, L.; Traversi, G.; Dewulf, J.P.; Janssen, X.; De Lentdecker, G.; Yang, Y.; Bryngemark, L.; Christiansen, P.; Gross, P.; Jonsson, L.; Ljunggren, M.; Lundberg, B.; Mjornmark, U.; Oskarsson, A.; Richert, T.; Stenlund, E.; Osterman, L.; Rummel, S.; Richter, R.; Andricek, L.; Ninkovich, J.; Koffmane, Ch.; Moser, H.G.; Boisvert, V.; Green, B.; Green, M.G.; Misiejuk, A.; Wu, T.; Bilevych, Y.; Carballo, V.M.Blanco; Chefdeville, M.; de Nooij, L.; Fransen, M.; Hartjes, F.; van der Graaf, H.; Timmermans, J.; Abramowicz, H.; Ben-Hamu, Y.; Jikhleb, I.; Kananov, S.; Levy, A.; Levy, I.; Sadeh, I.; Schwartz, R.; Stern, A.; Goodrick, M.J.; Hommels, L.B.A.; Ward, R.Shaw.D.R.; Daniluk, W.; Kielar, E.; Kotula, J.; Moszczynski, A.; Oliwa, K.; Pawlik, B.; Wierba, W.; Zawiejski, L.; Bailey, D.S.; Kelly, M.; Eigen, G.; Brezina, Ch.; Desch, K.; Furletova, J.; Kaminski, J.; Killenberg, M.; Kockner, F.; Krautscheid, T.; Kruger, H.; Reuen, L.; Wienemann, P.; Zimmermann, R.; Zimmermann, S.; Bartsch, V.; Postranecky, M.; Warren, M.; Wing, M.; Corrin, E.; Haas, D.; Pohl, M.; Diener, R.; Fischer, P.; Peric, I.; Kaukher, A.; Schafer, O.; Schroder, H.; Wurth, R.; Zarnecki, A.F.

2012-01-01

The EUDET-project was launched to create an infrastructure for developing and testing new and advanced detector technologies to be used at a future linear collider. The aim was to make possible experimentation and analysis of data for institutes, which otherwise could not be realized due to lack of resources. The infrastructure comprised an analysis and software network, and instrumentation infrastructures for tracking detectors as well as for calorimetry.

Landscape of the EU-US Research Infrastructures and actors: Moving towards international interoperability of earth system data

Science.gov (United States)

Asmi, Ari; Powers, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are major long-term investments supporting innovative, bottom-up research activities. In the environmental research, they range from high atmosphere radars, to field observation networks and coordinated laboratory facilities. The Earth system is highly interactive and each part of the system interconnected across the spatial and disciplinary borders. However, due practical and historical reasons, the RIs are built from disciplinary points-of-view and separately in different parts of the world, with differing standards, policies, methods and research cultures. This heterogeneity provides necessary diversity to study the complex Earth system, but makes cross-disciplinary and/or global interoperability a challenge. Global actions towards better interoperability are surfacing, especially with EU and US. For example, recent mandates within the US government prioritize open data for federal agencies and federally funded science, and encourage collaboration among agencies to reduce duplication of efforts and increase efficient use of resources. There are several existing initiatives working toward these goals (e.g., COOPEUS, EarthCube, RDA, ICSU-WDS, DataOne, ESIP, USGEO, GEO). However, there is no cohesive framework to coordinate efforts among these, and other, entities. COOPEUS and EarthCube have now begun to map the landscape of interoperability efforts across earth science domains. The COOPEUS mapping effort describes the EU and US landscape of environmental research infrastructures to accomplish the following: identify gaps in services (data provision) necessary to address societal priorities; provide guidance for development of future research infrastructures; and identify opportunities for Research Infrastructures (RIs) to collaborate on issues of common interest. EarthCube mapping effort identifies opportunities to engage a broader community by identifying scientific domain organizations and entities. We present the current situation

Research Networking Systems: The State of Adoption at Institutions Aiming to Augment Translational Research Infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Obeid, Jihad S; Johnson, Layne M; Stallings, Sarah; Eichmann, David

Fostering collaborations across multiple disciplines within and across institutional boundaries is becoming increasingly important with the growing emphasis on translational research. As a result, Research Networking Systems that facilitate discovery of potential collaborators have received significant attention by institutions aiming to augment their research infrastructure. We have conducted a survey to assess the state of adoption of these new tools at the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) funded institutions. Survey results demonstrate that most CTSA funded institutions have either already adopted or were planning to adopt one of several available research networking systems. Moreover a good number of these institutions have exposed or plan to expose the data on research expertise using linked open data, an established approach to semantic web services. Preliminary exploration of these publically-available data shows promising utility in assessing cross-institutional collaborations. Further adoption of these technologies and analysis of the data are needed, however, before their impact on cross-institutional collaboration in research can be appreciated and measured.

Progress In Developing An In-Pile Acoustically Telemetered Sensor Infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, James A.; Garrett, Steven L.; Heibel, Michael D.; Agarwal, Vivek; Heidrich, Brenden J.

2016-09-01

A salient grand challenge for a number of Department of Energy programs such as Fuels Cycle Research and Development ( includes Accident Tolerant Fuel research and the Transient Reactor Test Facility Restart experiments), Light Water Sustainability, and Advanced Reactor Technologies is to enhance our fundamental understanding of fuel and materials behavior under irradiation. Robust and accurate in-pile measurements will be instrumental to develop and validate a computationally predictive multi-scale understanding of nuclear fuel and materials. This sensing technology will enable the linking of fundamental micro-structural evolution mechanisms to the macroscopic degradation of fuels and materials. The in situ sensors and measurement systems will monitor local environmental parameters as well as characterize microstructure evolution during irradiation. One of the major road blocks in developing practical robust, and cost effective in-pile sensor systems, are instrument leads. If a wireless telemetry infrastructure can be developed for in-pile use, in-core measurements would become more attractive and effective. Thus to be successful in accomplishing effective in-pile sensing and microstructure characterization an interdisciplinary measurement infrastructure needs to be developed in parallel with key sensing technology. For the discussion in this research, infrastructure is defined as systems, technology, techniques, and algorithms that may be necessary in the delivery of beneficial and robust data from in-pile devices. The architecture of a system’s infrastructure determines how well it operates and how flexible it is to meet future requirements. The limiting path for the effective deployment of the salient sensing technology will not be the sensors themselves but the infrastructure that is necessary to communicate data from in-pile to the outside world in a non-intrusive and reliable manner. This article gives a high level overview of a promising telemetry

Infrastructure support for the Waste Management Institute. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

North Carolina A ampersand T State University is in the process of developing an infrastructure for an interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute (WMI). The Interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute (WMI) was approved in June 1994 by the General Administration of the University of North Carolina as an academic support unit with research and public service functions. The mission of the WMI is to enhance awareness and understanding of waste management issues and to provide instructional support including research and outreach. The goals of WMI are as follows: increase the number of minority professionals who will work in waste management fields; develop cooperative and exchange programs involving faculty, students, government, and industry; serve as institutional sponsor of public awareness workshops and lecture series; and support interdisciplinary research programs. Accomplishments for this reporting period are presented for WMI enrollment; waste management and certificate program; waste management instructional projects; undergraduate scholarship/stipend and faculty student development projects; research; and community relations

Building generation four: results of Canadian research program on generation IV energy technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, T.; Leung, L.K.H.; Guzonas, D.; Brady, D.; Poupore, J.; Zheng, W.

2014-01-01

A collaborative grant program has been established between Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to support research and development (R&D) for the Canadian SuperCritical Water-cooled Reactor (SCWR) concept, which is one of six advanced nuclear reactor systems being studied under the Generation-IV International Forum (GIF). The financial support for this grant program is provided by NSERC and NRCan. The grant fund has supported university research investigating the neutronic, fuel, thermal-hydraulics, chemistry and material properties of the Canadian SCWR concept. Twenty-two universities have actively collaborated with experts from AECL Nuclear Laboratories and NRCan's CanmetMATERIALS (CMAT) Laboratory to advance the technologies, enhance their infrastructure, and train highly qualified personnel. Their R&D findings have been contributed to GIF fulfilling Canada's commitments. The unique collaborative structure and the contributions to Canada's nuclear science and technology of the NSERC/NRCan/AECL Generation IV Energy Technologies Program are presented. (author)

Institutional Infrastructure for Broader Impacts Engagement - Showcasing Effective Strategies and Approaches from a Large Research Institute

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, A. U.; Sullivan, S. B.; Smith, L. K.; Lynds, S. E.

2014-12-01

The need for robust scientific and especially climate literacy is increasing. Funding agencies mandate that scientists make their findings and data publically available. Ideally, this mandate is achieved by scientists and educators working together to translate research findings into common knowledge. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) is the largest research institute at the University of Colorado and home institute to over 500 scientists. CIRES provides an effective organizational infrastructure to support its scientists in broadening their research impact. Education specialists provide the necessary experience, connections, logistical support, and evaluation expertise to develop and conduct impactful education and outreach efforts. Outreach efforts are tailored to the project needs and the scientists' interests. They span from deep engagement efforts with a high time commitment by the scientist thus a high dosage to short presentations by the scientists that reach many people without stimulating a deep engagement and have therefore a low dosage. We use three examples of current successful programs to showcase these different engagement levels and report on their impact: i) deep transformative and time-intensive engagement through a Research Experience for Community College students program, ii) direct engagement during a teacher professional development workshop centered around a newly developed curriculum bringing authentic climate data into secondary classrooms, iii) short-time engagement through a virtual panel discussion about the state of recent climate science topics, the recordings of which were repurposed in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). In this presentation, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of broader impacts work. We discuss successful strategies that we developed, stress the importance of robust impact evaluation, and summarize different avenues of funding outreach efforts.

A Qualitative Approach to Examining Knowledge Sharing in Iran Tax Administration Reform Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Shami Zanjanie

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to examine knowledge sharing infrastructure of "Iran Tax Administration Reform Program". The qualitative approach by using case study method was applied in this research. In order to meet the research goal, four infrastructural dimensions of knowledge sharing were studied: leadership & strategy, culture, structure, and information technology. To the authors’ knowledge, this was maybe the first paper which examined knowledge sharing infrastructure in programs environment

Person-generated Data in Self-quantification. A Health Informatics Research Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kathleen; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando J; Lopez-Campos, Guillermo H; Almalki, Manal; Merolli, Mark

2017-01-09

The availability of internet-connected mobile, wearable and ambient consumer technologies, direct-to-consumer e-services and peer-to-peer social media sites far outstrips evidence about the efficiency, effectiveness and efficacy of using them in healthcare applications. The aim of this paper is to describe one approach to build a program of health informatics research, so as to generate rich and robust evidence about health data and information processing in self-quantification and associated healthcare and health outcomes. The paper summarises relevant health informatics research approaches in the literature and presents an example of developing a program of research in the Health and Biomedical Informatics Centre (HaBIC) at the University of Melbourne. The paper describes this program in terms of research infrastructure, conceptual models, research design, research reporting and knowledge sharing. The paper identifies key outcomes from integrative and multiple-angle approaches to investigating the management of information and data generated by use of this Centre's collection of wearable, mobiles and other devices in health self-monitoring experiments. These research results offer lessons for consumers, developers, clinical practitioners and biomedical and health informatics researchers. Health informatics is increasingly called upon to make sense of emerging self-quantification and other digital health phenomena that are well beyond the conventions of healthcare in which the field of informatics originated and consolidated. To make a substantial contribution to optimise the aims, processes and outcomes of health self-quantification needs further work at scale in multi-centre collaborations for this Centre and for health informatics researchers generally.

Building the national health information infrastructure for personal health, health care services, public health, and research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Detmer Don E

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving health in our nation requires strengthening four major domains of the health care system: personal health management, health care delivery, public health, and health-related research. Many avoidable shortcomings in the health sector that result in poor quality are due to inaccessible data, information, and knowledge. A national health information infrastructure (NHII offers the connectivity and knowledge management essential to correct these shortcomings. Better health and a better health system are within our reach. Discussion A national health information infrastructure for the United States should address the needs of personal health management, health care delivery, public health, and research. It should also address relevant global dimensions (e.g., standards for sharing data and knowledge across national boundaries. The public and private sectors will need to collaborate to build a robust national health information infrastructure, essentially a 'paperless' health care system, for the United States. The federal government should assume leadership for assuring a national health information infrastructure as recommended by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee. Progress is needed in the areas of funding, incentives, standards, and continued refinement of a privacy (i.e., confidentiality and security framework to facilitate personal identification for health purposes. Particular attention should be paid to NHII leadership and change management challenges. Summary A national health information infrastructure is a necessary step for improved health in the U.S. It will require a concerted, collaborative effort by both public and private sectors. If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. Lord Kelvin

78 FR 37648 - Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching (STIM) Grants Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-21

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Space Transportation Infrastructure...-availability of Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants in FY 2013. SUMMARY: The Office of... Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation. [FR Doc. 2013-14859 Filed 6-20-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910...

77 FR 35700 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-14

... (NPPD), Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP), Infrastructure Information Collection Division (IICD... Information Collection Request should be forwarded to DHS/NPPD/IP/IICD, 245 Murray Lane, SW., Mailstop 0602, Arlington, VA 20598-0602. Email requests should go to Vickie Bovell, [email protected] . Written...

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: U.S. EPA’S RESEARCH PLANS FOR GRAVITY SEWERS

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has long recognized the need for research and development in the area of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Most recently in support of the Agency’s Sustainable Water Infrastruct...

Development of a public health nursing data infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Monsen, Karen A; Bekemeier, Betty; P Newhouse, Robin; Scutchfield, F Douglas

2012-01-01

An invited group of national public health nursing (PHN) scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders met in October 2010 identifying a critical need for a national PHN data infrastructure to support PHN research. This article summarizes the strengths, limitations, and gaps specific to PHN data and proposes a research agenda for development of a PHN data infrastructure. Future implications are suggested, such as issues related to the development of the proposed PHN data infrastructure and future research possibilities enabled by the infrastructure. Such a data infrastructure has potential to improve accountability and measurement, to demonstrate the value of PHN services, and to improve population health. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A National CRIS Infrastructure as the Cornerstone of Transparency in the Research Domain

OpenAIRE

Chudlarský, Tomáš; Dvořák, Jan

2012-01-01

Presented at the CRIS2012 Conference in Prague, Session "National CRIS".-- 9 pages.-- Contains: Conference paper (PDF) + presentation. The Czech Research, Development and Innovation Information System is the key component of the national research information infrastructure in the Czech Republic. The role of the national CRIS has traditionally been strong. We present the usage data of the Czech R&D&I Information System: it is being used massively and frequently. We thus argue that for the t...

Nuclear Safeguards Infrastructure Development and Integration with Safety and Security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacic, Donald N.; Raffo-Caiado, Ana Claudia; McClelland-Kerr, John; Van sickle, Matthew; Bissani, Mo

2009-01-01

Faced with increasing global energy demands, many developing countries are considering building their first nuclear power plant. As a country embarks upon or expands its nuclear power program, it should consider how it will address the 19 issues laid out in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) document Milestones in Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power. One of those issues specifically addresses the international nonproliferation treaties and commitments and the implementation of safeguards to prevent diversion of nuclear material from peaceful purposes to nuclear weapons. Given the many legislative, economic, financial, environmental, operational, and other considerations preoccupying their planners, it is often difficult for countries to focus on developing the core strengths needed for effective safeguards implementation. Typically, these countries either have no nuclear experience or it is limited to the operation of research reactors used for radioisotope development and scientific research. As a result, their capacity to apply safeguards and manage fuel operations for a nuclear power program is limited. This paper argues that to address the safeguards issue effectively, a holistic approach must be taken to integrate safeguards with the other IAEA issues including safety and security - sometimes referred to as the '3S' concept. Taking a holistic approach means that a country must consider safeguards within the context of its entire nuclear power program, including operations best practices, safety, and security as well as integration with its larger nonproliferation commitments. The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration's International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement Program (INSEP) has been involved in bilateral technical cooperation programs for over 20 years to promote nonproliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. INSEP is currently spearheading efforts to promote the development of

An Integrated Research Infrastructure for Validating Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strasser, T. I.; Moyo, C.; Bründlinger, R.

2017-01-01

quality and ensure security of supply. At the same time, the increased availability of advanced automation and communication technologies provides new opportunities for the derivation of intelligent solutions to tackle the challenges. Previous work has shown various new methods of operating highly...... interconnected power grids, and their corresponding components, in a more effective way. As a consequence of these developments, the traditional power system is being transformed into a cyber-physical energy system, a smart grid. Previous and ongoing research have tended to mainly focus on how specific aspects...... of smart grids can be validated, but until there exists no integrated approach for the analysis and evaluation of complex cyber-physical systems configurations. This paper introduces integrated research infrastructure that provides methods and tools for validating smart grid systems in a holistic, cyber...

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-comparative effectiveness research infrastructure investments: emerging data resources, tools and publications.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, Courtney; Holve, Erin

2014-11-01

The Recovery Act provided a substantial, one-time investment in data infrastructure for comparative effectiveness research (CER). A review of the publications, data, and tools developed as a result of this support has informed understanding of the level of effort undertaken by these projects. Structured search queries, as well as outreach efforts, were conducted to identify and review resources from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 CER projects building electronic clinical data infrastructure. The findings from this study provide a spectrum of productivity across a range of topics and settings. A total of 451 manuscripts published in 192 journals, and 141 data resources and tools were identified and address gaps in evidence on priority populations, conditions, and the infrastructure needed to support CER.

United States Domestic Research Reactor Infrastructure - TRIGA Reactor Fuel Support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrell, Douglas

2008-01-01

The purpose of the United State Domestic Research Reactor Infrastructure Program is to provide fresh nuclear reactor fuel to United States universities at no, or low, cost to the university. The title of the fuel remains with the United States government and when universities are finished with the fuel, the fuel is returned to the United States government. The program is funded by the United States Department of Energy - Nuclear Energy division, managed by Department of Energy - Idaho Field Office, and contracted to the Idaho National Laboratory's Management and Operations Contractor - Battelle Energy Alliance. Program has been at Idaho since 1977 and INL subcontracts with 26 United States domestic reactor facilities (13 TRIGA facilities, 9 plate fuel facilities, 2 AGN facilities, 1 Pulstar fuel facility, 1 Critical facility). University has not shipped fuel since 1968 and as such, we have no present procedures for shipping spent fuel. In addition: floor loading rate is unknown, many interferences must be removed to allow direct access to the reactor tank, floor space in the reactor cell is very limited, pavement ends inside our fence; some of the surface is not finished. The whole approach is narrow, curving and downhill. A truck large enough to transport the cask cannot pull into the lot and then back out (nearly impossible / refused by drivers); a large capacity (100 ton), long boom crane would have to be used due to loading dock obstructions. Access to the entrance door is on a sidewalk. The campus uses it as a road for construction equipment, deliveries and security response. Large trees are on both sides of sidewalk. Spent fuel shipments have never been done, no procedures approved or in place, no approved casks, no accident or safety analysis for spent fuel loading. Any cask assembly used in this facility will have to be removed from one crane, moved on the floor and then attached to another crane to get from the staging area to the reactor room. Reactor

[The haematological biobank--an infrastructure for quality assurance, development and research].

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsen, Hans E; Pilgaard, Linda; Højfeldt, Anne Dirks; Andersson, Torben Lüth; Schmitz, Alexander; Gade, Katrine Hindborg; Fogd, Kirsten; Nyegaard, Mette; Bøgsted, Martin; Dybkær, Karen

2011-05-23

Archived patient samples of biological material coupled to clinical databases are valuable and hold the potential to improve patient care, quality control, research and development. Biobanks form a catalytic infrastructure which ensures the registration, handling and storage of collected biological material. Here, we describe the Haematology Biobank and stress the significance of a registration database. Together, these form the basis for retrospective validation of clinical progress and prognostic evaluation of new diagnostic methods, which can therefore be more quickly implemented in the clinic.

Using tracking infrastructure to support public health programs, policies, and emergency response in New York City.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffery, Nancy Loder; McKelvey, Wendy; Matte, Thomas

2015-01-01

To describe how the New York City (NYC) Tracking Program has used nationally mandated Secure Portal infrastructure and staff analytical expertise to support programs and inform policy. The NYC Health Department assesses, investigates, and acts on a wide range of environmental concerns to protect the health of New Yorkers. Specific examples of highly effective policies or initiatives that relied on the NYC Tracking Program are described, including restaurant sanitary grade posting, rat indexing, converting boilers to cleaner-burning fuels, reducing exposure to mercury from fish and contaminated products, and responding to Superstorm Sandy. The NYC Tracking Program supports the Health Department in using inspectional, administrative, and health data to guide operations. Tracking has also allowed internal and external partners to use these data to guide policy development.

Contextual-Analysis for Infrastructure Awareness Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramos, Juan David Hincapie; Tabard, Aurelien; Alt, Florian

Infrastructures are persistent socio-technical systems used to deliver different kinds of services. Researchers have looked into how awareness of infrastructures in the areas of sustainability [6, 10] and software appropriation [11] can be provided. However, designing infrastructure-aware systems...... has specific requirements, which are often ignored. In this paper we explore the challenges when developing infrastructure awareness systems based on contextual analysis, and propose guidelines for enhancing the design process....

Needs assessment for developing a program to help train advanced-practice pharmacists for research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulkley, Christina F; Miller, Michael J; Bush, Colleen G; Nussbaum, Barbara B; Draugalis, JoLaine R

2017-12-01

Results of a needs assessment to determine priority topics and preferred formats for research training in pharmacy residency programs are reported. For pharmacists seeking advanced-practice positions in academia, the ability to conduct practice-based research is expected. Pharmacy residency programs are a primary recruitment source for these positions, but research training varies by residency site and available expertise. To help define the optimal content and format of resident research training, ASHP and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation conducted a needs assessment targeting postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency directors (RPDs). The response rate was 36.5% (271 of 743 invitees); the information obtained was used to guide development of a Web-based training series. Only 12% of the RPDs who participated in the survey indicated that currently available research training resources within their residency programs were sufficient. Sixty-seven percent of surveyed RPDs agreed that a Web-based training program would be a useful resource, and 81% agreed that the target audience should be pharmacy residents. Training topics of greatest interest to RPDs included (1) components of a resident research plan, (2) identifying research questions, (3) study design and sample selection, (4) project management, (5) data acquisition, cleaning, management, and analysis, and (6) presenting and publishing project results. This needs assessment clearly identified opportunities for improving the infrastructure and content of PGY1 residency research training. At a minimum, training programs should focus on practice-based research concepts using readily accessible health-system data systems and provide universal accessibility and sufficient flexibility to allow residency programs to integrate the training in a manner that works best for the program. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

The relevance of large scale environmental research infrastructures from the point of view of Ethics: the case of EMSO

Science.gov (United States)

Favali, Paolo; Beranzoli, Laura; Best, Mairi; Franceschini, PierLuigi; Materia, Paola; Peppoloni, Silvia; Picard, John

2014-05-01

EMSO (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water Column Observatory) is a large-scale European Research Infrastructure (RI). It is a geographically distributed infrastructure composed of several deep-seafloor and water-column observatories, which will be deployed at key sites in European waters, spanning from the Arctic, through the Atlantic and Mediterranean, to the Black Sea, with the basic scientific objective of real-time, long-term monitoring of environmental processes related to the interaction between the geosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. EMSO is one of the environmental RIs on the ESFRI roadmap. The ESRFI Roadmap identifies new RIs of pan-European importance that correspond to the long term needs of European research communities. EMSO will be the sub-sea segment of the EU's large-scale Earth Observation program, Copernicus (previously known as GMES - Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and will significantly enhance the observational capabilities of European member states. An open data policy compliant with the recommendations being developed within the GEOSS initiative (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) will allow for shared use of the infrastructure and the exchange of scientific information and knowledge. The processes that occur in the oceans have a direct impact on human societies, therefore it is crucial to improve our understanding of how they operate and interact. To encompass the breadth of these major processes, sustained and integrated observations are required that appreciate the interconnectedness of atmospheric, surface ocean, biological pump, deep-sea, and solid-Earth dynamics and that can address: • natural and anthropogenic change; • interactions between ecosystem services, biodiversity, biogeochemistry, physics, and climate; • impacts of exploration and extraction of energy, minerals, and living resources; • geo-hazard early warning capability for earthquakes, tsunamis, gas-hydrate release, and slope

Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology (NERIES)—Web Portal Developments for Interactive Access to Earthquake Data on a European Scale

OpenAIRE

A. Spinuso; L. Trani; S. Rives; P. Thomy; F. Euchner; Danijel Schorlemmer; Joachim Saul; Andres Heinloo; R. Bossu; T. van Eck

2009-01-01

The Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology (NERIES) is European Commission (EC) project whose focus is networking together seismological observatories and research institutes into one integrated European infrastructure that provides access to data and data products for research. Seismological institutes and organizations in European and Mediterranean countries maintain large, geographically distributed data archives, therefore this scenario suggested a design approach bas...

First Joint Workshop on Energy Management for Large-Scale Research Infrastructures

CERN Document Server

2011-01-01

  CERN, ERF (European Association of National Research Facilities) and ESS (European Spallation Source) announce the first Joint Workshop on Energy Management for Large-Scale Research Infrastructures. The event will take place on 13-14 October 2011 at the ESS office in Sparta - Lund, Sweden.   The workshop will bring together international experts on energy and representatives from laboratories and future projects all over the world in order to identify the challenges and best practice in respect of energy efficiency and optimization, solutions and implementation as well as to review the challenges represented by potential future technical solutions and the tools for effective collaboration. Further information at: http://ess-scandinavia.eu/general-information

Building safeguards infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, Rebecca S.; McClelland-Kerr, John

2009-01-01

Much has been written in recent years about the nuclear renaissance - the rebirth of nuclear power as a clean and safe source of electricity around the world. Those who question the nuclear renaissance often cite the risk of proliferation, accidents or an attack on a facility as concerns, all of which merit serious consideration. The integration of these three areas - sometimes referred to as 3S, for safety, security and safeguards - is essential to supporting the growth of nuclear power, and the infrastructure that supports them should be strengthened. The focus of this paper will be on the role safeguards plays in the 3S concept and how to support the development of the infrastructure necessary to support safeguards. The objective of this paper has been to provide a working definition of safeguards infrastructure, and to discuss xamples of how building safeguards infrastructure is presented in several models. The guidelines outlined in the milestones document provide a clear path for establishing both the safeguards and the related infrastructures needed to support the development of nuclear power. The model employed by the INSEP program of engaging with partner states on safeguards-related topics that are of current interest to the level of nuclear development in that state provides another way of approaching the concept of building safeguards infrastructure. The Next Generation Safeguards Initiative is yet another approach that underscored five principal areas for growth, and the United States commitment to working with partners to promote this growth both at home and abroad.

Do federal and state audits increase compliance with a grant program to improve municipal infrastructure (AUDIT study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

De La O, Ana L; Martel García, Fernando

2014-09-03

Poor governance and accountability compromise young democracies' efforts to provide public services critical for human development, including water, sanitation, health, and education. Evidence shows that accountability agencies like superior audit institutions can reduce corruption and waste in federal grant programs financing service infrastructure. However, little is know about their effect on compliance with grant reporting and resource allocation requirements, or about the causal mechanisms. This study protocol for an exploratory randomized controlled trial tests the hypothesis that federal and state audits increase compliance with a federal grant program to improve municipal service infrastructure serving marginalized households. The AUDIT study is a block randomized, controlled, three-arm parallel group exploratory trial. A convenience sample of 5 municipalities in each of 17 states in Mexico (n=85) were block randomized to be audited by federal auditors (n=17), by state auditors (n=17), and a control condition outside the annual program of audits (n=51) in a 1:1:3 ratio. Replicable and verifiable randomization was performed using publicly available lottery numbers. Audited municipalities were included in the national program of audits and received standard audits on their use of federal public service infrastructure grants. Municipalities receiving moderate levels of grant transfers were recruited, as these were outside the auditing sampling frame--and hence audit program--or had negligible probabilities of ever being audited. The primary outcome measures capture compliance with the grant program and markers for the causal mechanisms, including deterrence and information effects. Secondary outcome measure include differences in audit reports across federal and state auditors, and measures like career concerns, political promotions, and political clientelism capturing synergistic effects with municipal accountability systems. The survey firm and research

N2R vs. DR Network Infrastructure Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jens Myrup; Roost, Lars Jessen; Toft, Per Nesager

2007-01-01

Recent development of Internet-based services has set higher requirements to network infrastructures in terms of more bandwidth, lower delays and more reliability. Theoretical research within the area of Structural Quality of Service (SQoS) has introduced a new type of infrastructure which meet...... these requirements: N2R infrastructures. This paper contributes to the ongoing research with a case study from North Jutland. An evaluation of three N2R infrastructures compared to a Double Ring (DR) infrastructure will provide valuable information of the practical applicability of N2R infrastructures. In order...... to study if N2R infrastructures perform better than the DR infrastructure, a distribution network was established based on geographical information system (GIS) data. Nodes were placed with respect to demographic and geographical factors. The established distribution network was investigated with respect...

Striking the Right Balance: Federal Infrastructure Transfer Programs, 2002–2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bev Dahlby

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Over the last 13 years, the federal government has helped fund a wide array of infrastructure programs: A total of 8,012 projects across the country between 2002 and 2015, funded to the tune of $20.3 billion. A substantial portion of that was done in the name of recession “stimulus.” But far from all of it. And, for better or worse, federal programs have become a permanent feature of fiscal federalism. The only question now is, whether Ottawa has been spending federal taxpayer money as effectively as possible when it does fund these projects. As it turns out, federal handouts for projects in Canadian provinces and municipalities have been relatively well deployed. An analysis finds that a greater amount of federal matching funds were dedicated to projects where provinces faced a higher marginal cost of public funds than the federal government, helping to at least somewhat minimize the negative economic impacts of the additional tax burden. And that a greater amount of funds was dedicated to projects that enhanced economic productivity, such as transit and roads, which increase the probability for national spillover benefits due to the potential for increased federal tax revenue, unlike quality-oflife projects (such as recreation projects that do not. However, the persistent fiscal imbalance in the provinces’ and the federal government’s marginal cost of raising public funds can only continue to exacerbate the demands from provinces for federal matching funds. Despite federal fiscal equalization programs that provide transfers to provinces with below-average per capita tax bases, there remain notable horizontal fiscal imbalances across the provinces, and a vertical imbalance between lower and higher government levels. Recent estimates calculate the federal government’s marginal cost to be 1.17, compared to a range of 1.41 for Alberta to 3.60 for Ontario, more than three times as high as the federal government’s cost. There are already

Europlanet Research Infrastructure: Planetary Simulation Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, G. R.; Mason, N. J.; Green, S.; Gómez, F.; Prieto, O.; Helbert, J.; Colangeli, L.; Srama, R.; Grande, M.; Merrison, J.

2008-09-01

EuroPlanet The Europlanet Research Infrastructure consortium funded under FP7 aims to provide the EU Planetary Science community greater access for to research infrastructure. A series of networking and outreach initiatives will be complimented by joint research activities and the formation of three Trans National Access distributed service laboratories (TNA's) to provide a unique and comprehensive set of analogue field sites, laboratory simulation facilities, and extraterrestrial sample analysis tools. Here we report on the infrastructure that comprises the second TNA; Planetary Simulation Facilities. 11 laboratory based facilities are able to recreate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with specific emphasis on Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. The strategy has been to offer some overlap in capabilities to ensure access to the highest number of users and to allow for progressive and efficient development strategies. For example initial testing of mobility capability prior to the step wise development within planetary atmospheres that can be made progressively more hostile through the introduction of extreme temperatures, radiation, wind and dust. Europlanet Research Infrastructure Facilties: Mars atmosphere simulation chambers at VUA and OU These relatively large chambers (up to 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 m) simulate Martian atmospheric conditions and the dual cooling options at VUA allows stabilised instrument temperatures while the remainder of the sample chamber can be varied between 220K and 350K. Researchers can therefore assess analytical protocols for instruments operating on Mars; e.g. effect of pCO2, temperature and material (e.g., ± ice) on spectroscopic and laser ablation techniques while monitoring the performance of detection technologies such as CCD at low T & variable p H2O & pCO2. Titan atmosphere and surface simulation chamber at OU The chamber simulates Titan's atmospheric composition under a range of

KLIMA 2050: a research-based innovation centre for risk reduction through climate adaptation of infrastructure and buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Solheim, Anders; Time, Berit; Kvande, Tore; Sivertsen, Edvard; Cepeda, Jose; Lappegard Hauge, Åshild; Bygballe, Lena; Almås, Anders-Johan

2016-04-01

Klima 2050 - Risk reduction through climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure is a Centre for Research based Innovation (SFI), funded jointly by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the partners of the centre. The aim of Klima 2050 is to reduce the societal risks associated with climate changes, including enhanced precipitation and flood water exposure within the built environment. The Centre will strengthen companies' innovation capacity through a focus on long-term research. It is also a clear objective to facilitate close cooperation between Research & Development, performing companies, public entities, and prominent research groups. Emphasis will be placed on development of moisture-resilient buildings, storm-water management, blue-green solutions, mitigation measures for water-triggered landslides, socio-economic incentives and decision-making processes. Both extreme weather and gradual climatic changes will be addressed. The Centre consists of a consortium of 18 partners from three sectors: industry, public entities and research/education organizations. The partners from the industry/private sector include a variety of companies from the building industry. The public entities comprise the most important infrastructure owners in Norway (public roads, railroads, buildings, airports), as well as the directorate for water and energy. The research and education partners are SINTEF Building and Infrastructure, the Norwegian Business School, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. This contribution presents the main research plans and activities of this Centre, which was started in 2015 and will run for 8 years, until 2023. The presentation also includes options for international cooperation in the Centre via PhD and postdoctoral positions, MSc projects and guest-researcher stays with Klima 2050 partners.

Freight railway transport: Critical variables to improve the transport applied to infrastructure costs and its associated traffic flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakowska, L.; Pulawska-Obiedowska, S.

2016-07-01

The developed societies have as challenge, among others, to achieve a mobility development based on economic models of low carbon and energy efficient, making it accessible to the entire population. In this context, the sustainable mobility seems to meet the economic, social and environmental needs, minimizing their negative impact. There are three factors that are relevant: (1) infrastructures; (2) modes of transport more ecological and safe, and (3) operations and services for passengers and freights.The objective of this research is to provide guidance to investment in sustainable transport infrastructures that are truly useful and effective. In particular we have studied the case of the railway, using the following information: details of the infrastructure; cost of construction (per kilometre); maintenance cost, and life cycle. This information may be relevant to consider their possible business models.The methodology of this research was focused in the detailed analysis of the infrastructure use and maintenance criteria, the market opportunities for freight development and the available data to validate the obtained results from the software tool reached in this work. Our research includes the different following aspects:• Evaluation of the supported traffic by the rail line.• Relevant items to be considered in the rail infrastructure. Defining the track, we can group items in two sets: civil and rail installations.• Rolling stock available. Locomotives and wagons are modelled to introduce the data as convenience for the user.Besides our research includes the development of software, Decision System Tool (DST), for studying the construction and maintenance cost of railway infrastructure. It is developed in a common and open source program, providing the user the interaction with the critical variable of the line. It has been adjusted using the following references: MOM PlanCargorail; EcoTransIT, and Projects funded by Framework Program of EU (New

Development of a Pilot Data Management Infrastructure for Biomedical Researchers at University of Manchester – Approach, Findings, Challenges and Outlook of the MaDAM Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meik Poschen

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Management and curation of digital data has been becoming ever more important in a higher education and research environment characterised by large and complex data, demand for more interdisciplinary and collaborative work, extended funder requirements and use of e-infrastructures to facilitate new research methods and paradigms. This paper presents the approach, technical infrastructure, findings, challenges and outlook (including future development within the successor project, MiSS of the ‘MaDAM: Pilot data management infrastructure for biomedical researchers at University of Manchester’ project funded under the infrastructure strand of the JISC Managing Research Data (JISCMRD programme. MaDAM developed a pilot research data management solution at the University of Manchester based on biomedical researchers’ requirements, which includes technical and governance components with the flexibility to meet future needs across multiple research groups and disciplines.

Study of an intrinsically safe infrastructure for training and research on nuclear technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ripani Marco

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Within European Partitioning & Transmutation research programs, infrastructures specifically dedicated to the study of fundamental reactor physics and engineering parameters of future fast-neutron-based reactors are very important, being some of these features not available in present zero-power prototypes. This presentation will illustrate the conceptual design of an Accelerator-Driven System with high safety standards, but ample flexibility for measurements. The design assumes as base option a 70 MeV, 0.75 mA proton cyclotron, as the one which will be installed at the INFN National Laboratory in Legnaro, Italy and a Beryllium target, with Helium gas as core coolant. Safety is guaranteed by limiting the thermal power to 200 kW, with a neutron multiplication coefficient around 0.94, loading the core with fuel containing Uranium enriched at 20% inserted in a solid-lead diffuser. The small decay heat can be passively removed by thermal radiation from the vessel. Such a system could be used to study, among others, some specific aspects of neutron diffusion in lead, beam-core coupling, target cooling and could serve as a training facility.

Towards an advanced e-Infrastructure for Civil Protection applications: Research Strategies and Innovation Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzetti, P.; Nativi, S.; Verlato, M.; Angelini, V.

2009-04-01

-Time capabilities, privileging time-of-response instead of accuracy, b) Security services to support complex data policies and trust relationships, c) Interoperability with existing or planned infrastructures (e.g. e-Government, INSPIRE compliant, etc.). Actually these requirements are the main reason why CP applications differ from Earth Science applications. Therefore further research is required to design and implement an advanced e-Infrastructure satisfying those specific requirements. In particular five themes where further research is required were identified: Grid Infrastructure Enhancement, Advanced Middleware for CP Applications, Security and Data Policies, CP Applications Enablement, and Interoperability. For each theme several research topics were proposed and detailed. They are targeted to solve specific problems for the implementation of an effective operational European e-Infrastructure for CP applications.

Study for Action Plan proposal on some issues of the national nuclear infrastructure for the new research reactor project in phase 1&2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Hong Lan; Bui Dang Hanh; Nguyen Nhi Dien

2017-01-01

The Project on construction for a new research reactor in Vietnam is under preparation. At the same time, it is necessary to prepare a firm and comprehensive national nuclear infrastructure which is aimed to implement smoothly and ensure safety and security for the project. How is the status of the nuclear infrastructure for research reactor project in Vietnam, how can it be assessed, what is the assessment used for and what are we going to do with that? So, all of these things are the goals set out to address in this Task. However, due to time constraints and conformity with requirement of project progress, this Task assessed only 8 critical issues in infrastructure in phase 1&2, including National position; Management; Legislative framework; Regulatory framework; Human resource development; Radioactive waste; Site survey, site selection and evaluation; and Environmental protection. Conditions and criteria in the documents on milestones and assessment of the national nuclear infrastructure to support a new research reactor project of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were used as bases for assessing the Vietnam's infrastructure status. The results of the Task are assessment and identification for gaps which need to be addressed and proposing for a plan on completing the national nuclear infrastructure for the research reactor project on 8 issues in stages 1&2. (author)

Building the Synergy between Public Sector and Research Data Infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Craglia, Massimo; Friis-Christensen, Anders; Ostländer, Nicole; Perego, Andrea

2014-05-01

INSPIRE is a European Directive aiming to establish a EU-wide spatial data infrastructure to give cross-border access to information that can be used to support EU environmental policies, as well as other policies and activities having an impact on the environment. In order to ensure cross-border interoperability of data infrastructures operated by EU Member States, INSPIRE sets out a framework based on common specifications for metadata, data, network services, data and service sharing, monitoring and reporting. The implementation of INSPIRE has reached important milestones: the INSPIRE Geoportal was launched in 2011 providing a single access point for the discovery of INSPIRE data and services across EU Member States (currently, about 300K), while all the technical specifications for the interoperability of data across the 34 INSPIRE themes were adopted at the end of 2013. During this period a number of EU and international initiatives has been launched, concerning cross-domain interoperability and (Linked) Open Data. In particular, the EU Open Data Portal, launched in December 2012, made provisions to access government and scientific data from EU institutions and bodies, and the EU ISA Programme (Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations) promotes cross-sector interoperability by sharing and re-using EU-wide and national standards and components. Moreover, the Research Data Alliance (RDA), an initiative jointly funded by the European Commission, the US National Science Foundation and the Australian Research Council, was launched in March 2013 to promote scientific data sharing and interoperability. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), besides being the technical coordinator of the implementation of INSPIRE, is also actively involved in the initiatives promoting cross-sector re-use in INSPIRE, and sustainable approaches to address the evolution of technologies - in particular, how to support Linked Data in INSPIRE and

EPA-WERF Cooperative Agreement: Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure for the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

This is a brief slide presentation that will provide an overview of several projects that are being conducted in EPA-WERF Cooperative Agreement, Innovation and Research for Water Infrastructure for the 21st Century. The cooperative agreement objectives are to produce, evaluate, &...

IT Infrastructure to Support the Secondary Use of Routinely Acquired Clinical Imaging Data for Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K.Y.E. Leung (Esther); F. van der Lijn (Fedde); H.A. Vrooman (Henri); M.C.J.M. Sturkenboom (Miriam); W.J. Niessen (Wiro)

2014-01-01

textabstractWe propose an infrastructure for the automated anonymization, extraction and processing of image data stored in clinical data repositories to make routinely acquired imaging data available for research purposes. The automated system, which was tested in the context of analyzing routinely

DASISH Reference Model for SSH Data Infrastructures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fihn, Johan; Gnadt, Timo; Hoogerwerf, M.L.; Jerlehag, Birger; Lenkiewicz, Przemek; Priddy, M.; Shepherdson, John

2016-01-01

The current ”rising tide of scientific data” accelerates the need for e-infrastructures to support the lifecycle of data in research, from creation to reuse [RTW]. Different types of e-infrastructures address this need. Consortia like GÉANT and EGI build technical infrastructures for networking and

Research-informed design, management and maintenance of infrastructure slopes: development of a multi-scalar approach

Science.gov (United States)

Glendinning, S.; Helm, P. R.; Rouainia, M.; Stirling, R. A.; Asquith, J. D.; Hughes, P. N.; Toll, D. G.; Clarke, D.; Powrie, W.; Smethurst, J.; Hughes, D.; Harley, R.; Karim, R.; Dixon, N.; Crosby, C.; Chambers, J.; Dijkstra, T.; Gunn, D.; Briggs, K.; Muddle, D.

2015-09-01

The UK's transport infrastructure is one of the most heavily used in the world. The performance of these networks is critically dependent on the performance of cutting and embankment slopes which make up £20B of the £60B asset value of major highway infrastructure alone. The rail network in particular is also one of the oldest in the world: many of these slopes are suffering high incidents of instability (increasing with time). This paper describes the development of a fundamental understanding of earthwork material and system behaviour, through the systematic integration of research across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially these range from microscopic studies of soil fabric, through elemental materials behaviour to whole slope modelling and monitoring and scaling up to transport networks. Temporally, historical and current weather event sequences are being used to understand and model soil deterioration processes, and climate change scenarios to examine their potential effects on slope performance in futures up to and including the 2080s. The outputs of this research are being mapped onto the different spatial and temporal scales of infrastructure slope asset management to inform the design of new slopes through to changing the way in which investment is made into aging assets. The aim ultimately is to help create a more reliable, cost effective, safer and more resilient transport system.

Advancing vector biology research: a community survey for future directions, research applications and infrastructure requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Kohl, Alain; Pondeville, Emilie; Schnettler, Esther; Crisanti, Andrea; Supparo, Clelia; Christophides, George K.; Kersey, Paul J.; Maslen, Gareth L.; Takken, Willem; Koenraadt, Constantianus J. M.; Oliva, Clelia F.; Busquets, Núria; Abad, F. Xavier; Failloux, Anna-Bella; Levashina, Elena A.; Wilson, Anthony J.; Veronesi, Eva; Pichard, Maëlle; Arnaud Marsh, Sarah; Simard, Frédéric; Vernick, Kenneth D.

2016-01-01

Vector-borne pathogens impact public health, animal production, and animal welfare. Research on arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and midges which transmit pathogens to humans and economically important animals is crucial for development of new control measures that target transmission by the vector. While insecticides are an important part of this arsenal, appearance of resistance mechanisms is increasingly common. Novel tools for genetic manipulation of vectors, use of Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria, and other biological control mechanisms to prevent pathogen transmission have led to promising new intervention strategies, adding to strong interest in vector biology and genetics as well as vector–pathogen interactions. Vector research is therefore at a crucial juncture, and strategic decisions on future research directions and research infrastructure investment should be informed by the research community. A survey initiated by the European Horizon 2020 INFRAVEC-2 consortium set out to canvass priorities in the vector biology research community and to determine key activities that are needed for researchers to efficiently study vectors, vector-pathogen interactions, as well as access the structures and services that allow such activities to be carried out. We summarize the most important findings of the survey which in particular reflect the priorities of researchers in European countries, and which will be of use to stakeholders that include researchers, government, and research organizations. PMID:27677378

Cloud Infrastructure & Applications - CloudIA

Science.gov (United States)

Sulistio, Anthony; Reich, Christoph; Doelitzscher, Frank

The idea behind Cloud Computing is to deliver Infrastructure-as-a-Services and Software-as-a-Service over the Internet on an easy pay-per-use business model. To harness the potentials of Cloud Computing for e-Learning and research purposes, and to small- and medium-sized enterprises, the Hochschule Furtwangen University establishes a new project, called Cloud Infrastructure & Applications (CloudIA). The CloudIA project is a market-oriented cloud infrastructure that leverages different virtualization technologies, by supporting Service-Level Agreements for various service offerings. This paper describes the CloudIA project in details and mentions our early experiences in building a private cloud using an existing infrastructure.

Franchising of infrastructure concessions in Chile: A Policy Report

OpenAIRE

Eduardo Engel; Ronald Fischer; Alexander Galetovic

2000-01-01

This report describes and evaluates the present state of the Chilean infrastructure concessions program. This program is leading to a complete upgrade of Chile's highway system and has been recently extended to seaports. The main principles underlying the economics of franchising are examined and used to evaluate the programof privatizations of highways and seaports. Compared with experiences in other countries, theresults are fairly good. The infrastructure deficit has been greatly reduced, ...

An Overview of Research Infrastructure for Medieval Studies in the United States: Associations, Institutes, and Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zan Kocher

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This overview of research infrastructure in the United States brieflymentions some institutes, universities, associations, conferences,sources of funding, types of courses, research databases, academicjournals and book publishers. It intends to make American medievalistresources better accessible to colleagues from other countries, and toencourage those who wish to study in the United States and those whoare using the Internet to seek printed or digital materials for theirteaching or research.

Architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure for regional climate change research

Science.gov (United States)

Titov, Alexander; Gordov, Evgeny

2013-04-01

Georeferenced datasets (meteorological databases, modeling and reanalysis results, etc.) are actively used in modeling and analysis of climate change for various spatial and temporal scales. Due to inherent heterogeneity of environmental datasets as well as their size which might constitute up to tens terabytes for a single dataset studies in the area of climate and environmental change require a special software support based on SDI approach. A dedicated architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure aiming at regional climate change analysis using modern web mapping technologies is presented. Geoportal is a key element of any SDI, allowing searching of geoinformation resources (datasets and services) using metadata catalogs, producing geospatial data selections by their parameters (data access functionality) as well as managing services and applications of cartographical visualization. It should be noted that due to objective reasons such as big dataset volume, complexity of data models used, syntactic and semantic differences of various datasets, the development of environmental geodata access, processing and visualization services turns out to be quite a complex task. Those circumstances were taken into account while developing architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure as a universal framework providing geodata services. So that, the architecture presented includes: 1. Effective in terms of search, access, retrieval and subsequent statistical processing, model of storing big sets of regional georeferenced data, allowing in particular to store frequently used values (like monthly and annual climate change indices, etc.), thus providing different temporal views of the datasets 2. General architecture of the corresponding software components handling geospatial datasets within the storage model 3. Metadata catalog describing in detail using ISO 19115 and CF-convention standards datasets used in climate researches as a basic element of the

INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WITH VIRTUAL MACHINE TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artem D. Beresnev

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Subject of research. Information infrastructure for the training environment with application of technology of virtual computers for small pedagogical systems (separate classes, author's courses is created and investigated. Research technique. The life cycle model of information infrastructure for small pedagogical systems with usage of virtual computers in ARIS methodology is constructed. The technique of information infrastructure formation with virtual computers on the basis of process approach is offered. The model of an event chain in combination with the environment chart is used as the basic model. For each function of the event chain the necessary set of means of information and program support is defined. Technique application is illustrated on the example of information infrastructure design for the educational environment taking into account specific character of small pedagogical systems. Advantages of the designed information infrastructure are: the maximum usage of open or free components; the usage of standard protocols (mainly, HTTP and HTTPS; the maximum portability (application servers can be started up on any of widespread operating systems; uniform interface to management of various virtualization platforms, possibility of inventory of contents of the virtual computer without its start, flexible inventory management of the virtual computer by means of adjusted chains of rules. Approbation. Approbation of obtained results was carried out on the basis of training center "Institute of Informatics and Computer Facilities" (Tallinn, Estonia. Technique application within the course "Computer and Software Usage" gave the possibility to get half as much the number of refusals for components of the information infrastructure demanding intervention of the technical specialist, and also the time for elimination of such malfunctions. Besides, the pupils who have got broader experience with computer and software, showed better results

Vehicle-to-infrastructure program cooperative adaptive cruise control.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

This report documents the work completed by the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners LLC (CAMP) Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) Consortium during the project titled Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC). Participating companies in the V2I Cons...

Implementation status of the extreme light infrastructure - nuclear physics (ELI-NP) project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gales, S., E-mail: sydney.gales@eli-np.ro; Zamfir, N. V., E-mail: sydney.gales@eli-np.ro [ELI-NP, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, RO-077125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania)

2015-02-24

The Project Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) is part of the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap. ELI will be built as a network of three complementary pillars at the frontier of laser technologies. The ELI-NP pillar (NP for Nuclear Physics) is under construction near Bucharest (Romania) and will develop a scientific program using two 10 PW lasers and a Compton back-scattering high-brilliance and intense gamma beam, a marriage of laser and accelerator technology at the frontier of knowledge. In the present paper, the technical description of the facility, the present status of the project as well as the science, applications and future perspectives will be discussed.

Government of Canada position paper on a national strategy for critical infrastructure protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-11-01

The Government of Canada's position on the development of a comprehensive national approach to critical infrastructure protection (CIP) was presented along with a policy framework for developing a national cyber security strategy and a review of the Emergency Preparedness Act. Canada's national critical infrastructure (NCI) is defined as physical and information technology facilities, networks, services and assets, which if destroyed, would have a serious impact on health, safety, security and economics. The CIP strategy includes an NCI assurance program for various sectors of the economy, including the energy, transportation, finance, health care, food, communications, water, safety and manufacturing sectors. It also includes CIP for the government sector. This report described the key elements of an NCI protection strategy. These include guiding principles, risk management, information sharing, inventory of critical infrastructure assets, threats and warnings, critical infrastructure interdependencies, governance mechanisms, research and development, and international cooperation. refs., tabs., figs.

Piping research program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-09-01

This document presents the piping research program plan for the Structural and Seismic Engineering Branch and the Materials Engineering Branch of the Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The plan describes the research to be performed in the areas of piping design criteria, environmentally assisted cracking, pipe fracture, and leak detection and leak rate estimation. The piping research program addresses the regulatory issues regarding piping design and piping integrity facing the NRC today and in the foreseeable future. The plan discusses the regulatory issues and needs for the research, the objectives, key aspects, and schedule for each research project, or group of projects focussing of a specific topic, and, finally, the integration of the research areas into the regulatory process is described. The plan presents a snap-shot of the piping research program as it exists today. However, the program plan will change as the regulatory issues and needs change. Consequently, this document will be revised on a bi-annual basis to reflect the changes in the piping research program. (author)

75 FR 60771 - Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2010-0080] Critical Infrastructure Partnership... that the meeting may adjourn early if the committee has completed its business. For additional..., Section Chief Partnership Programs, Partnership and Outreach Division, Office of Infrastructure Protection...

Common definition for categories of clinical research: a prerequisite for a survey on regulatory requirements by the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kubiak, Christine; de Andres-Trelles, Fernando; Kuchinke, Wolfgang

2009-01-01

in relation to the wide spectrum of clinical research, the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN) developed a multinational survey in ten European countries. However a lack of common classification framework for major categories of clinical research was identified, and therefore reaching...... with cell therapy, etc.); diagnostic studies; clinical research on nutrition; other interventional clinical research (including trials in complementary and alternative medicine, trials with collection of blood or tissue samples, physiology studies, etc.); and epidemiology studies. Our classification...

Smart and multifunctional concrete toward sustainable infrastructures

CERN Document Server

Han, Baoguo; Ou, Jinping

2017-01-01

This book presents the latest research advances and findings in the field of smart/multifunctional concretes, focusing on the principles, design and fabrication, test and characterization, performance and mechanism, and their applications in infrastructures. It also discusses future challenges in the development and application of smart/multifunctional concretes, providing useful theory, ideas and principles, as well as insights and practical guidance for developing sustainable infrastructures. It is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and engineers in the field of civil-engineering materials and infrastructures.

Meeting the research infrastructure needs of micropolitan and rural communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Strasburger, Janette F

2009-05-01

In the 1800s, this country chose to establish land-grant colleges to see that the working class could attain higher education, and that the research needs of the agricultural and manufacturing segments of this country could be met. It seems contrary to our origins to see so little support at present for research infrastructure going to the very communities that need such research to sustain their populations, grow their economies, to attract physicians, to provide adequate health care, and to educate, retain, and employ their youth. Cities are viewed as sources for high-paying jobs, yet many of these same jobs could be translated to rural and micropolitan areas, provided that the resources are established to support it. One of the fastest growing economic periods in this country's history was during World War II, when even the smallest and most remote towns contributed substantially to the innovations, manufacture, and production of goods benefiting our nation as a whole. Rural areas have always lagged somewhat behind metropolitan areas in acquisition of new technology. Rural electricity and rural phone access are examples from the past. Testing our universities' abilities to grow distributive research networks beyond their campuses will create a competitive edge regionally, against global workplace, educational, and research competition, and will lay the groundwork for efficiency in research and for new innovation.

A centralized informatics infrastructure for the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Jeng-Jong; Nahm, Meredith; Wakim, Paul; Cushing, Carol; Poole, Lori; Tai, Betty; Pieper, Carl F.

2009-01-01

Background Clinical trial networks were created to provide a sustaining infrastructure for the conduct of multisite clinical trials. As such, they must withstand changes in membership. Centralization of infrastructure including knowledge management, portfolio management, information management, process automation, work policies, and procedures in clinical research networks facilitates consistency and ultimately research. Purpose In 2005, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) transitioned from a distributed data management model to a centralized informatics infrastructure to support the network’s trial activities and administration. We describe the centralized informatics infrastructure and discuss our challenges to inform others considering such an endeavor. Methods During the migration of a clinical trial network from a decentralized to a centralized data center model, descriptive data were captured and are presented here to assess the impact of centralization. Results We present the framework for the informatics infrastructure and evaluative metrics. The network has decreased the time from last patient-last visit to database lock from an average of 7.6 months to 2.8 months. The average database error rate decreased from 0.8% to 0.2%, with a corresponding decrease in the interquartile range from 0.04%–1.0% before centralization to 0.01%–0.27% after centralization. Centralization has provided the CTN with integrated trial status reporting and the first standards-based public data share. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis showed a 50% reduction in data management cost per study participant over the life of a trial. Limitations A single clinical trial network comprising addiction researchers and community treatment programs was assessed. The findings may not be applicable to other research settings. Conclusions The identified informatics components provide the information and infrastructure needed for our clinical trial

Green infrastructure planning for cooling urban communities: Overview of the contemporary approaches with special reference to Serbian experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marić Igor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates contemporary approaches defined by the policies, programs or standards that favor green infrastructure in urban planning for cooling urban environments with special reference to Serbian experiences. The research results reveal an increasing emphasis on the multifunctionality of green infrastructure as well the determination to the development of policies, guidelines and standards with the support of the overall community. Further, special importance is given to policies that promote ‘cool communities’ strategies resulting in the increase of vegetation-covered areas, what has contributed in adapting urban environments to the impacts of climate change. In addition, this research indicates the important role of local authorities and planners in Serbia in promoting planning policies and programs that take into consideration the role of green infrastructure in terms of improving climatic conditions, quality of life and reducing energy needed for cooling and heating. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 36035: Spatial, ecological, energy, and social aspects of developing settlements and climate change - mutual impacts i br. 43007: The investigation of climate change and its impacts, climate change adaptation and mitigation

Infrastructural urbanism that learns from place

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carruth, Susan

2015-01-01

. Conventionally, energy ‘infrastructure’ denotes a physical system of pipes, cables, generators, plants, transformers, sockets, and pylons, however recent architectural research emerging within the loosely defined movement of Infrastructural Urbanism has reframed infrastructure as a symbiotic system of flows...

Narrating national geo information infrastructures : Balancing infrastructures and innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koerten, H.; Veenswijk, M.

2009-01-01

This paper examines narratives relating to the development of National Geo Information Infrastructures (NGII) in eth-nographic research on a Dutch NGII project which was monitored throughout its course. We used an approach which focuses on narratives concerning the environment, groups and practice

Tank waste remediation system retrieval and disposal mission infrastructure plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Root, R.W.

1998-01-01

This system plan presents the objectives, organization, and management and technical approaches for the Infrastructure Program. This Infrastructure Plan focuses on the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Project's Retrieval and Disposal Mission

Energy research program 82

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

The energy research program 82 (EFP-82) is prepared by the Danish ministry of energy in order to continue the extension of the Danish energy research and development started through the former trade ministry's programs EM-1 (1976) and EM-2 (1978), and the energy ministry's programs EFP-80 and EFP-81. The new program is a continuation of the activities in the period 1982-84 with a total budget of 100 mio.Dkr. The program gives a brief description of background, principles, organization and financing, and a detailed description of each research area. (BP)

Assessment of infrastructure development requirements for embarking on nuclear power program in Macedonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, N.; Ilijovski, I.; Popovski, V.

2015-01-01

Over the past decades nuclear energy has been proven as reliable and economical energy supply that is capable of meeting demanding energy market requirements. Many countries around the world consider entering into new nuclear energy programs and building new power reactors for satisfying their increasing electrical energy needs. A nuclear power program is a major undertaking requiring careful planning, preparation and investment, and human resources for building adequate nuclear infrastructure. Preparations for making a decision to enter into a new nuclear energy program requires a significant amount of financial and human resources, time, and assistance from already developed countries and international nuclear organizations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from Vienna provides technical help, financial assistance, and documented knowledge that are important for countries facing the challenge of entering nuclear programs for the first time. The IAEA organizes technical courses and information exchange meetings for new countries at which experiences and lessons learned are provided to new countries. This paper describes the key activities in the process for making a decision to enter a new nuclear energy program. It describes the efforts currently being conducted in the Republic of Macedonia in the direction of collecting information, performing various feasibility studies, and engaging in regional cooperation for utilizing experiences of the regional countries in performing such activities, and in developing their nuclear power programs. This paper also provides an overview of the IAEA documents and recommendations that are relevant for this topic

The Small Aircraft Transportation System for America: A Case in Public Infrastructure Change

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Brent D.

2000-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, industry stakeholders, and academia, have joined forces to pursue the NASA National General Aviation Roadmap leading to a Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). This strategic undertaking has a 25-year goal to bring next-generation technologies and improve travel between remote communities and transportation centers in urban areas by utilizing the nation's 5,400 public-use general aviation airports. To facilitate this initiative, a comprehensive upgrade of public infrastructure must be planned, coordinated, and implemented within the framework of the national air transportation system. The Nebraska NASA EPSCoR Program has proposed to deliver research support in key public infrastructure areas in coordination with the General Aviation Program Office at the NASA Langley Research Center. Ultimately, SATS may permit tripling aviation system throughput capacity by tapping the underutilized general aviation facilities to achieve the national goal of doorstep-to-destination travel at four times the speed of highways for the nation's suburban, rural, and remote communities.

3D-e-Chem-VM: Structural Cheminformatics Research Infrastructure in a Freely Available Virtual Machine.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Ross; Verhoeven, Stefan; Vass, Márton; Vriend, Gerrit; de Esch, Iwan J P; Lusher, Scott J; Leurs, Rob; Ridder, Lars; Kooistra, Albert J; Ritschel, Tina; de Graaf, Chris

2017-02-27

3D-e-Chem-VM is an open source, freely available Virtual Machine ( http://3d-e-chem.github.io/3D-e-Chem-VM/ ) that integrates cheminformatics and bioinformatics tools for the analysis of protein-ligand interaction data. 3D-e-Chem-VM consists of software libraries, and database and workflow tools that can analyze and combine small molecule and protein structural information in a graphical programming environment. New chemical and biological data analytics tools and workflows have been developed for the efficient exploitation of structural and pharmacological protein-ligand interaction data from proteomewide databases (e.g., ChEMBLdb and PDB), as well as customized information systems focused on, e.g., G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRdb) and protein kinases (KLIFS). The integrated structural cheminformatics research infrastructure compiled in the 3D-e-Chem-VM enables the design of new approaches in virtual ligand screening (Chemdb4VS), ligand-based metabolism prediction (SyGMa), and structure-based protein binding site comparison and bioisosteric replacement for ligand design (KRIPOdb).

Infrastructure development assistance modeling for nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. H.; Hwang, K.; Park, K. M.; Kim, S. W.; Lee, S. M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model, a general frame to be utilized in assisting newcomer countries to start a nuclear power program. A nuclear power plant project involves technical complexity and high level of investment with long duration. Considering newcomers are mostly developing countries that lack the national infrastructure, key infrastructure issues may constitute the principal constraints to the development of a nuclear power program. In this regard, it is important to provide guidance and support to set up an appropriate infrastructure when we help them with the first launch of nuclear power plant project. To date, as a sole nuclear power generation company, KHNP has been invited many times to mentor or assist newcomer countries for their successful start of a nuclear power program since Republic of Korea is an exemplary case of a developing country which began nuclear power program from scratch and became a major world nuclear energy country in a short period of time. Through hosting events organized to aid newcomer countries' initiation of nuclear power projects, difficulties have been recognized. Each event had different contents according to circumstances because they were held as an unstructured and one-off thing. By developing a general model, we can give more adequate and effective aid in an efficient way. In this paper, we created a model to identify necessary infrastructures at the right stage, which was mainly based on a case of Korea. Taking into account the assistance we received from foreign companies and our own efforts for technological self-reliance, we have developed a general time table and specified activities required to do at each stage. From a donor's perspective, we explored various ways to help nuclear infrastructure development including technical support programs, training courses, and participating in IAEA technical cooperation programs on a regular basis. If we further develop the model, the next task would be to

Infrastructure development assistance modeling for nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, J. H.; Hwang, K.; Park, K. M.; Kim, S. W.; Lee, S. M. [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., LTD, 23, 106 gil, Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, 153-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model, a general frame to be utilized in assisting newcomer countries to start a nuclear power program. A nuclear power plant project involves technical complexity and high level of investment with long duration. Considering newcomers are mostly developing countries that lack the national infrastructure, key infrastructure issues may constitute the principal constraints to the development of a nuclear power program. In this regard, it is important to provide guidance and support to set up an appropriate infrastructure when we help them with the first launch of nuclear power plant project. To date, as a sole nuclear power generation company, KHNP has been invited many times to mentor or assist newcomer countries for their successful start of a nuclear power program since Republic of Korea is an exemplary case of a developing country which began nuclear power program from scratch and became a major world nuclear energy country in a short period of time. Through hosting events organized to aid newcomer countries' initiation of nuclear power projects, difficulties have been recognized. Each event had different contents according to circumstances because they were held as an unstructured and one-off thing. By developing a general model, we can give more adequate and effective aid in an efficient way. In this paper, we created a model to identify necessary infrastructures at the right stage, which was mainly based on a case of Korea. Taking into account the assistance we received from foreign companies and our own efforts for technological self-reliance, we have developed a general time table and specified activities required to do at each stage. From a donor's perspective, we explored various ways to help nuclear infrastructure development including technical support programs, training courses, and participating in IAEA technical cooperation programs on a regular basis. If we further develop the model, the next task

Creating an infrastructure for training in the responsible conduct of research: the University of Pittsburgh's experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Barbara E; Friedman, Charles P; Rosenberg, Jerome L; Russell, Joanne; Beedle, Ari; Levine, Arthur S

2006-02-01

In response to public concerns about the consequences of research misconduct, academic institutions have become increasingly cognizant of the need to implement comprehensive, effective training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) for faculty, staff, students, and external collaborators. The ability to meet this imperative is challenging as universities confront declining financial resources and increasing complexity of the research enterprise. The authors describe the University of Pittsburgh's design, implementation, and evaluation of a Web-based, institution-wide RCR training program called Research and Practice Fundamentals (RPF). This project, established in 2000, was embedded in the philosophy, organizational structure, and technology developed through the Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems grant from the National Library of Medicine. Utilizing a centralized, comprehensive approach, the RPF system provides an efficient mechanism for deploying content to a large, diverse cohort of learners and supports the needs of research administrators by providing access to information about who has successfully completed the training. During its first 3 years of operation, the RPF served over 17,000 users and issued more than 38,000 training certificates. The 18 modules that are currently available address issues required by regulatory mandates and other content areas important to the research community. RPF users report high levels of satisfaction with content and ease of using the system. Future efforts must explore methods to integrate non-RCR education and training into a centralized, cohesive structure. The University of Pittsburgh's experience with the RPF demonstrates the importance of developing an infrastructure for training that is comprehensive, scalable, reliable, centralized, affordable, and sustainable.

Research Ethics Capacity Building in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of NIH Fogarty-Funded Programs 2000–2012

Science.gov (United States)

Ndebele, Paul; Wassenaar, Douglas; Benatar, Solomon; Fleischer, Theodore; Kruger, Mariana; Adebamowo, Clement; Kass, Nancy; Hyder, Adnan A.; Meslin, Eric M.

2014-01-01

The last fifteen years have witnessed a significant increase in investment in research ethics capacity development throughout the world. We examine nine research ethics training programs that are focused on Sub-Saharan Africa and supported by the US National Institutes of Health. We collected data from grants awards’ documents and annual reports supplemented by questionnaires completed by the training program directors. Together, these programs provided long-term training in research ethics to 275 African professionals, strengthened research ethics committees in 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and created research ethics curricula at many institutions and bioethics centers within Africa. Trainees’ leadership resulted in new national systems and policies on research ethics, human tissue storage and export, and methods of monitoring compliance with research ethics guidelines. Training programs adapted to challenges that arose due to varied trainees’ background knowledge in ethics, duration of time available for training, spoken and written English language skills, administrative obstacles, and the need to sustain post-training research ethics activities. Our report showcases the development of awareness of research ethics and building/strengthening of basic research ethics infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, the increasing amount and complexity of health research being conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa suggests the need for continued investment in research ethics capacity development in this region. This paper is part of a collection of papers analyzing the Fogarty International Center’s International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development program. PMID:24782070

Research ethics capacity building in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of NIH Fogarty-funded programs 2000–2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndebele, Paul; Wassenaar, Douglas; Benatar, Solomon; Fleischer, Theodore; Kruger, Mariana; Adebamowo, Clement; Kass, Nancy; Hyder, Adnan A; Meslin, Eric M

2014-04-01

The last fifteen years have witnessed a significant increase in investment in research ethics capacity development throughout the world. We examine nine research ethics training programs that are focused on Sub-Saharan Africa and supported by the US National Institutes of Health. We collected data from grants awards' documents and annual reports supplemented by questionnaires completed by the training program directors. Together, these programs provided long-term training in research ethics to 275 African professionals, strengthened research ethics committees in 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and created research ethics curricula at many institutions and bioethics centers within Africa. Trainees' leadership resulted in new national systems and policies on research ethics, human tissue storage and export, and methods of monitoring compliance with research ethics guidelines. Training programs adapted to challenges that arose due to varied trainees' background knowledge in ethics, duration of time available for training, spoken and written English language skills, administrative obstacles, and the need to sustain post-training research ethics activities. Our report showcases the development of awareness of research ethics and building/strengthening of basic research ethics infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, the increasing amount and complexity of health research being conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa suggests the need for continued investment in research ethics capacity development in this region. This paper is part of a collection of papers analyzing the Fogarty International Center's International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development program.

Energy research program 84

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The energy research program 84 (EFP-84) is prepared by the Danish Ministry of Energy in order to continue the extension of the Danish energy research and development started through the former Trade Ministry's programs EM-1 (1976) and EM-2 (1978), and the Ministry of Energy's programs EFP-80, EFP-81, EFP-82 and EFP-83. The new program is a continuation of the activities in the period 1984-86 with a total budget of 112 mio. DKK. The program gives a brief description of background, principles, organization and financing, and a detailed description of each research area. (ln)

Energy research program 83

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The energy research program 83 (EFP-83) is prepared by the Danish Ministry of Energy in order to continue the extension of the Danish energy research and development started through the former Trade Ministry's programs EM-1 (1976) and EM-2 (1978), and the Ministry of Energy's programs EFP-80, EFP-81 and EFP-82. The new program is a continuation of the activities in the period 1983-85 with a total budget of 111 mio. DKK. The program gives a brief description of background, principles, organization and financing, and a detailed description of each research area. (ln)

Energy research program 85

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The energy research program 85 (EFP-85) is prepared by the Danish Ministry of Energy in order to continue the extension of the Danish energy research and development started through the former Trade Ministry's programs EM-1 (1976) and EM-2 (1978), and Ministry of Energy's programs EFP-80, EFP-81, EFP-82, EFP-83, and EFP-84. The new program is a continuation of the activities in the period 1985-87 with a total budget of 110 mio. DKK. The program gives a brief description of background, principles, organization and financing, and a detailed description of each research area. (ln)

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE EUROPEAN FUNDED PROJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian-Ion Ceptureanu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Absorption of European funds is on top of Romania’s public agenda for the last years although the first programming period has ended and the necessary lessons were learned so far. To have a high degree of absorption of funds provided by the EU must be of quality projects and their implementation to be successful. Through this work we aimed to investigate the success factors of infrastructure projects with European funding in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Kosovo, and identify critical success factors of these projects through a research surveying the teams of consultants and support personnel from the countries in an international consulting company. The research results are therefore constitute the empirical evidence of what constitutes critical success factors of infrastructure projects financed by the European Union and can be used as a starting point for scientific studies of the management of European projects or other actions that investigates measures that can be taken to improve the success rate of projects implemented in the area mentioned above.One of the contributions of this paper is to identify the critical success factors of success factors present in literature. With more so as they are critical success factors of infrastructure projects with European funding still required field studies and analysis performed in the present context. In addition, the critical factors were operationalized in a conceptual framework. Moreover, this framework includes leadership style of project manager as critical success factor has been identified in the research as the most important in the context in which it was conducted. As such, this paper demonstrates, with the necessary limitations, the importance of management style of project managers in the context of specific European funded infrastructure projects. And this is happening even though there are sophisticated project management tools availabe and relevant knowledge exists

Infrastructure development through civil nuclear cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphrey, A.M.; Burkart, A.R.

2010-01-01

Due to growing concerns over electricity demand, energy security, and climate change, numerous countries are considering the construction of new nuclear power plants. Most of these will be built in nations with existing nuclear power programs, but an increasing number of States have expressed serious interest in developing new nuclear power programs. These countries will be faced with many challenges in establishing the robust infrastructures necessary for the safe, secure, and safeguarded deployment of nuclear power. Fortunately, there is much a State can gain through cooperation with other States with more developed programs. By sharing information on previous experience and established best practices, an emerging nuclear energy State can benefit from the lessons learned by its partners. Through a broad range of civil nuclear cooperation, the United States is helping new entrants develop the sound infrastructure necessary to deploy nuclear power plants with the highest standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation

Grids in Europe - a computing infrastructure for science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kranzlmueller, D.

2008-01-01

Grids provide sheer unlimited computing power and access to a variety of resources to todays scientists. Moving from a research topic of computer science to a commodity tool for science and research in general, grid infrastructures are built all around the world. This talk provides an overview of the developments of grids in Europe, the status of the so-called national grid initiatives as well as the efforts towards an integrated European grid infrastructure. The latter, summarized under the title of the European Grid Initiative (EGI), promises a permanent and reliable grid infrastructure and its services in a way similar to research networks today. The talk describes the status of these efforts, the plans for the setup of this pan-European e-Infrastructure, and the benefits for the application communities. (author)

European Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR): the new international center for fundamental physics and its research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortov, Vladimir E; Sharkov, Boris Yu; Stöker, H

2012-01-01

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) accelerator center at Darmstadt, Germany, will provide the international scientific community with unique experimental opportunities of a scope and scale out of reach for any other large-scale facility in the world. With its staff of over 2500, it is expected to fundamentally expand our knowledge of hadron, nuclear, and atomic physics and their application to cosmology, astrophysics, and technology. In this review, the design details of the accelerator complex are discussed and the experimental research program for FAIR is presented. Particular attention is paid to experiments on the extreme state of matter arising from the isochoric heating of a material by heavy-ion beams. One of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe, FAIR is a part of the strategic development roadmap for the European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). (physics of our days)

Support Process Development for Assessing Green Infrastructure in Omaha, NE

Science.gov (United States)

Evaluates Omaha’s current process for assessing green infrastructure projects and recommends improvements for comparing green and gray infrastructure. Compares Omaha’s design criteria to other cities. Reviews other US programs with rights-of-way criteria.

On the Use of Geographic Information in Humanities Research Infrastructure: A Case Study on Cultural Heritage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albina Mościcka

2018-03-01

Full Text Available As an invaluable source of knowledge about the past, cultural heritage may be an important element of the humanities research infrastructure, along with other elements, such as spatial references. Therefore, this paper attempts to provide an answer to the questions concerning the ways in which spatial information can contribute to the development of this infrastructure and the aspects of storytelling based on cultural resources that can be supported by such infrastructure. The objective of the methodology that was used was to combine the aspects that refer to spatial information and cultural items into a single, common issue, and to describe them in a formalized way with use of Unified Modeling Language (UML. As a result, the study presents a proposal of the Humanities Infrastructure Architecture based on spatially-oriented movable cultural items, taking into account their use in the context of interoperability, along with the concept of creating spatial databases that would include movable monuments. The authors also demonstrate that the ISO 19100 series of geographical information standards may be a source of interesting conceptual solutions that may be used in the process of the standardization of geographical information that was recorded in the descriptions of cultural heritage items in form of metadata and data structure descriptions.

A Survey on Infrastructure-Based Vehicular Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiano M. Silva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The infrastructure of vehicular networks plays a major role in realizing the full potential of vehicular communications. More and more vehicles are connected to the Internet and to each other, driving new technological transformations in a multidisciplinary way. Researchers in automotive/telecom industries and academia are joining their effort to provide their visions and solutions to increasingly complex transportation systems, also envisioning a myriad of applications to improve the driving experience and the mobility. These trends pose significant challenges to the communication systems: low latency, higher throughput, and increased reliability have to be granted by the wireless access technologies and by a suitable (possibly dedicated infrastructure. This paper presents an in-depth survey of more than ten years of research on infrastructures, wireless access technologies and techniques, and deployment that make vehicular connectivity available. In addition, we identify the limitations of present technologies and infrastructures and the challenges associated with such infrastructure-based vehicular communications, also highlighting potential solutions.

Energy research program 86

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The energy research program 86 (EFP-86) is prepared by the Danish Ministry of Energy in order to continue the extension of the Danish energy research and development started through the former Trade Ministry's programs EM-1 (1976) and EM-2 (1978), and the Ministry of Energy's programs EFP-80, EFP-81, EFP-82, EFP-83, EFP-84, and EFP-85. The new program is a continuation of the activities in the period 1986-88 with a total budget of 116 mio. DKK. The program gives a brief description of background, principles, organization and financing, and a detailed description of each research area. (ln)

Connected vehicle pilot deployment program.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

The U.S. Department of Transportations (USDOTs) connected vehicle research : program is a multimodal initiative to enable safe, interoperable, networked wireless : communications among vehicles, infrastructure, and personal communications : dev...

Energy research program 80

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The energy research program 80 contains an extension of the activities for the period 1980-82 within a budget of 100 mio.kr., that are a part of the goverment's employment plan for 1980. The research program is based on a number of project proposals, that have been collected, analysed, and supplemented in October-November 1979. This report consists of two parts. Part 1: a survey of the program, with a brief description of the background, principles, organization and financing. Part 2: Detailed description of the different research programs. (LN)

Structures and infrastructures series

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2008-01-01

"Research, developments, and applications...on the most advanced techonologies for analyzing, predicting, and optimizing the performance of structures and infrastructures such as buildings, bridges, dams...

Integrating Environmental Science and the Economy: Innovative Partnerships between the Private Sector and Research Infrastructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abad Chabbi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The present paper is a preliminary analysis of the funding, organizational culture, environmental, and innovation challenges that are currently faced by Environmental Research Infrastructures (ERI and private enterprises working together. We contend there is a strong case for building creative collaboration models across these sectors that also require to new management tools to effectively generate economically-driven solutions to the global society at large in the face of climate change. To that end, public/private stakeholders that are likely to partner to address climate change also face new frontiers in how they will structurally and organizationally work together. We explore these issues around changing political, scientific, commercial environments; partnerships models; barriers in bridging these communities; and the role of formal project management processes. There is no one solution to fit all conditions that can bring together a specific public/private enterprise that incorporates a research infrastructure. However, we have provided two examples of collaborative models of public/private enterprises to highlight how these issues can be addressed, and to foster future dynamic and creative solutions to this problem.

Equipment qualification research program: program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, R.G.; Smith, P.D.

1982-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has developed this program plan for research in equipment qualification (EQA). In this report the research program which will be executed in accordance with this plan will be referred to as the Equipment Qualification Research Program (EQRP). Covered are electrical and mechanical equipment under the conditions described in the OBJECTIVE section of this report. The EQRP has two phases; Phase I is primarily to produce early results and to develop information for Phase II. Phase I will last 18 months and consists of six projects. The first project is program management. The second project is responsible for in-depth evaluation and review of EQ issues and EQ processes. The third project is responsible for detailed planning to initiate Phase II. The remaining three projects address specific equipment; i.e., valves, electrical equipment, and a pump

CERIF-CRIS for the European e-Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Jeffery

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The European e-infrastructure is the ICT support for research although the infrastructure will be extended for commercial/business use. It supports the research process across funding agencies to research institutions to innovation. It supports experimental facilities, modelling and simulation, communication between researchers, and workflow of research processes and research management. We propose the core should be CERIF: an EU recommendation to member states for exchanging research information and for homogeneous access to heterogeneous information. CERIF can also integrate associated systems (such as finance, human resource, project management, and library services and provides interoperation among research institutions, research funders, and innovators.

Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP): innovative program promoting undergraduate research in the medical field.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagher, Michael M; Atieh, Jessica A; Soubra, Marwa K; Khoury, Samia J; Tamim, Hani; Kaafarani, Bilal R

2016-06-06

Most educational institutions lack a structured system that provides undergraduate students with research exposure in the medical field. The objective of this paper is to describe the structure of the Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP) which was established at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, as well as to assess the success of the program. The MRVP is a program that targets undergraduate students interested in becoming involved in the medical research field early on in their academic career. It provides students with an active experience and the opportunity to learn from and support physicians, clinical researchers, basic science researchers and other health professionals. Through this program, students are assigned to researchers and become part of a research team where they observe and aid on a volunteer basis. This paper presents the MRVP's four major pillars: the students, the faculty members, the MRVP committee, and the online portal. Moreover, details of the MRVP process are provided. The success of the program was assessed by carrying out analyses using information gathered from the MRVP participants (both students and faculty). Satisfaction with the program was assessed using a set of questions rated on a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (lowest satisfaction) to 5 (highest satisfaction). A total of 211 students applied to the program with a total of 164 matches being completed. Since the beginning of the program, three students have each co-authored a publication in peer-reviewed journals with their respective faculty members. The majority of the students rated the program positively. Of the total number of students who completed the program period, 35.1 % rated the effectiveness of the program with a 5, 54.8 % rated 4, and 8.6 % rated 3. A small number of students gave lower ratings of 2 and 1 (1.1 % and 0.4 %, respectively). The MRVP is a program that provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to learn about research firsthand

WindScanner.eu - a new remote sensing research infrastructure for on- and offshore wind energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikkelsen, Torben; Knudsen, Soeren; Sjoeholm, M.; Angeloua, N.; Tegtmeier, A. [Technical Univ. og Denmark. DTU Wind Energy, DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark)

2012-07-01

A new remote sensing based research infrastructure for atmospheric boundary-layer wind and turbulence measurements named WindScanner have during the past three years been in its early phase of development at DTU Wind Energy in Denmark. During the forthcoming three years the technology will be disseminated throughout Europe to pilot European wind energy research centers. The new research infrastructure will become an open source infrastructure that also invites collaboration with wind energy related atmospheric scientists and wind energy industry overseas. Recent achievements with 3D WindScanners and spin-off innovation activity are described. The Danish WindScanner.dk research facility is build from new and fast-scanning remote sensing equipment spurred from achievements within fiber optics and telecommunication technologies. At the same time the wind energy society has demanded excessive 3D wind flow and ever taller wind profile measurements for the wind energy resource assessment studies on- and off shore of the future. Today, hub heights on +5 MW wind turbines exceed the 100 m mark. At the Danish DTU test site Oesterild testing is ongoing with a Siemens turbine with hub height 120 meters and a rotor diameter of 154 meters; hence its blade tips reaches almost 200 meters into the sky. The wind speed profiles over the rotor planes are consequently no longer representatively measured by a single cup anemometer at hub height from a nearby met-mast; power curve assessment as well as turbine control call for multi-height multi point measurement strategies of wind speed and wind shear within the turbines entire rotor plane. The development of our new remote sensing-based WindScanner.dk facility as well as the first measurement results obtained to date are here presented, including a first wind lidar measurement of turbulence in complex terrain within an internal boundary layer developing behind an escarpment. Also measurements of wind speed and direction profiles

Towards the integration and development of a cross-European research network and infrastructure: the DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity (DEDIPAC) Knowledge Hub.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakerveld, Jeroen; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Kroeze, Willemieke; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Allais, Oliver; Andersen, Lene Frost; Cardon, Greet; Capranica, Laura; Chastin, Sebastien; Donnelly, Alan; Ekelund, Ulf; Finglas, Paul; Flechtner-Mors, Marion; Hebestreit, Antje; Hendriksen, Ingrid; Kubiak, Thomas; Lanza, Massimo; Loyen, Anne; MacDonncha, Ciaran; Mazzocchi, Mario; Monsivais, Pablo; Murphy, Marie; Nöthlings, Ute; O'Gorman, Donal J; Renner, Britta; Roos, Gun; Schuit, Abertine J; Schulze, Matthias; Steinacker, Jürgen; Stronks, Karien; Volkert, Dorothee; Van't Veer, Pieter; Lien, Nanna; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Brug, Johannes

2014-11-22

To address major societal challenges and enhance cooperation in research across Europe, the European Commission has initiated and facilitated 'joint programming'. Joint programming is a process by which Member States engage in defining, developing and implementing a common strategic research agenda, based on a shared vision of how to address major societal challenges that no Member State is capable of resolving independently. Setting up a Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) should also contribute to avoiding unnecessary overlap and repetition of research, and enable and enhance the development and use of standardised research methods, procedures and data management. The Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity (DEDIPAC) Knowledge Hub (KH) is the first act of the European JPI 'A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life'. The objective of DEDIPAC is to contribute to improving understanding of the determinants of dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. DEDIPAC KH is a multi-disciplinary consortium of 46 consortia and organisations supported by joint programming grants from 12 countries across Europe. The work is divided into three thematic areas: (I) assessment and harmonisation of methods for future research, surveillance and monitoring, and for evaluation of interventions and policies; (II) determinants of dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours across the life course and in vulnerable groups; and (III) evaluation and benchmarking of public health and policy interventions aimed at improving dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. In the first three years, DEDIPAC KH will organise, develop, share and harmonise expertise, methods, measures, data and other infrastructure. This should further European research and improve the broad multi-disciplinary approach needed to study the interactions between multilevel determinants in influencing dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Insights will be translated into more effective

Acquisition of Cleanroom Research Equipment to Support Ongoing DoD Programs at ASU

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-12

research and to educate scientists and engineers in selected technical areas of importance to national defense. DURIP funding provides for the acquisition...infrastructure for nanotechnology discovery and innovation. The ASU NanoFab is one of the 16 sites in the new NSF National Nanotechnology ...National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN). NNCI sites provide researchers from academia, small and large companies and government labs with

Maintaining knowledge, training and infrastructure for research and development in nuclear safety - INSAG-16. A report by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of maintaining capabilities for nuclear research and education, especially with regard to safety aspects, so that nuclear safety may be maintained in IAEA Member States, and to alert Member States to the potential for significant harm if the infrastructure for research, development and education is not maintained. If the infrastructure for nuclear safety is not maintained, there will be a steady decrease in expertise, and thus in capability to respond to new challenges. The lead time in developing replacement educational opportunities is very long, because most institutions will require an indication of the number of enthusiastic potential students before investing in new infrastructure, and potential students may look elsewhere in the absence of an exciting analytical and experimental programme and a growing career field. Once lost, it would require massive inputs of resources from many IAEA Member States to attempt to re-establish the infrastructure, as was done to establish it when nuclear technology was new. The result could be a downward spiral in which expertise is lost, influence of the technical community on the decision making process is diminished, and complacency, fed by diminished technical capability, begins to exert a strong effect. In view of the above, INSAG has the following recommendations: In order to maintain and further enhance the safety of nuclear facilities and to protect workers and the public and the environment from radiological consequences, the infrastructure for safety research (experimental facilities, highly competent staff and modern analytical tools) must be maintained and supported by the responsible governmental organizations as well as by the operating organizations and manufacturers. This support should include international networking and co-operation, including joint funding of centres of excellence that have facilities and equipment for use in nuclear research

What's My Lane? Identifying the State Government Role in Critical Infrastructure Protection

OpenAIRE

Donnelly, Timothy S.

2012-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited What constitutes an effective Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) protection program for Massachusetts This study evaluates existing literature regarding CIKR to extrapolate an infrastructure protection role for Massachusetts. By reviewing historical events and government strategies regarding infrastructure protection, Chapters I and II will provide scope and context for issues surrounding critical infrastructure. Chapter ...

NEMO-SN1 observatory developments in view of the European Research Infrastructures EMSO and KM3NET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Favali, Paolo, E-mail: emsopp@ingv.i [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect. Roma 2, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma (Italy); Beranzoli, Laura [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect. Roma 2, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma (Italy); Italiano, Francesco [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sect. Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo (Italy); Migneco, Emilio; Musumeci, Mario; Papaleo, Riccardo [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via di S. Sofia 62, 95125 Catania (Italy)

2011-01-21

NEMO-SN1 (Western Ionian Sea off Eastern Sicily), the first real-time multiparameter observatory operating in Europe since 2005, is one of the nodes of the upcoming European ESFRI large-scale research infrastructure EMSO (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory), a network of seafloor observatories placed at marine sites on the European Continental Margin. NEMO-SN1 constitutes also an important test-site for the study of prototypes of Kilometre Cube Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT), another European ESFRI large-scale research infrastructure. Italian resources have been devoted to the development of NEMO-SN1 facilities and logistics, as with the PEGASO project, while the EC project ESONET-NoE is funding a demonstration mission and a technological test. EMSO and KM3NeT are presently in the Preparatory Phase as projects funded under the EC-FP7.

Managing assets in the infrastructure sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Houten, T.P.; Zhang, L.

2010-01-01

In view of the importance of managing assets and the lack of research in managing assets in the infrastructure sector, we develop an asset management model in this study. This model is developed in line with the unique characteristics of the infrastructure assets and asset management principles and

Railway infrastructure security

CERN Document Server

Sforza, Antonio; Vittorini, Valeria; Pragliola, Concetta

2015-01-01

This comprehensive monograph addresses crucial issues in the protection of railway systems, with the objective of enhancing the understanding of railway infrastructure security. Based on analyses by academics, technology providers, and railway operators, it explains how to assess terrorist and criminal threats, design countermeasures, and implement effective security strategies. In so doing, it draws upon a range of experiences from different countries in Europe and beyond. The book is the first to be devoted entirely to this subject. It will serve as a timely reminder of the attractiveness of the railway infrastructure system as a target for criminals and terrorists and, more importantly, as a valuable resource for stakeholders and professionals in the railway security field aiming to develop effective security based on a mix of methodological, technological, and organizational tools. Besides researchers and decision makers in the field, the book will appeal to students interested in critical infrastructur...

Policy Model of Sustainable Infrastructure Development (Case Study : Bandarlampung City, Indonesia)

Science.gov (United States)

Persada, C.; Sitorus, S. R. P.; Marimin; Djakapermana, R. D.

2018-03-01

Infrastructure development does not only affect the economic aspect, but also social and environmental, those are the main dimensions of sustainable development. Many aspects and actors involved in urban infrastructure development requires a comprehensive and integrated policy towards sustainability. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate an infrastructure development policy that considers various dimensions of sustainable development. The main objective of this research is to formulate policy of sustainable infrastructure development. In this research, urban infrastructure covers transportation, water systems (drinking water, storm water, wastewater), green open spaces and solid waste. This research was conducted in Bandarlampung City. This study use a comprehensive modeling, namely the Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) with Rapid Appraisal of Infrastructure (Rapinfra), it uses of Analytic Network Process (ANP) and it uses system dynamics model. The findings of the MDS analysis showed that the status of Bandarlampung City infrastructure sustainability is less sustainable. The ANP analysis produces 8 main indicators of the most influential in the development of sustainable infrastructure. The system dynamics model offered 4 scenarios of sustainable urban infrastructure policy model. The best scenario was implemented into 3 policies consist of: the integrated infrastructure management, the population control, and the local economy development.

THE STUDY OF THE FORECASTING PROCESS INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT BUSINESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. V. Sibirskaia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. When forecasting the necessary infrastructural support entrepreneurship predict rational distribution of the potential and expected results based on capacity development component of infrastructural maintenance, efficient use of resources, expertise and development of regional economies, the rationalization of administrative decisions, etc. According to the authors, the process of predicting business infrastructure software includes the following steps: analysis of the existing infrastructure support business to the top of the forecast period, the structure of resources, identifying disparities, their causes, identifying positive trends in the analysis and the results of research; research component of infrastructural support entrepreneurship, assesses complex system of social relations, institutions, structures and objects made findings and conclusions of the study; identification of areas of strategic change and the possibility of eliminating weaknesses and imbalances, identifying prospects for the development of entrepreneurship; identifying a set of factors and conditions affecting each component of infrastructure software, calculated the degree of influence of each of them and the total effect of all factors; adjustment indicators infrastructure forecasts. Research of views of category says a method of strategic planning and forecasting that methods of strategic planning are considered separately from forecasting methods. In a combination methods of strategic planning and forecasting, in relation to infrastructure ensuring business activity aren't given in literature. Nevertheless, authors consider that this category should be defined for the characteristic of the intrinsic and substantial nature of strategic planning and forecasting of infrastructure ensuring business activity.processing.

Radon Research Program, FY 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

The scientific information being sought in this program encompasses research designed to determine radon availability and transport outdoors, modeling transport into and within buildings, physics and chemistry of radon and radon progeny, dose response relationships, lung cancer risk, and mechanisms of radon carcinogenesis. The main goal of the DOE/OHER Radon Research Program is to develop information to reduce these uncertainties and thereby provide an improved health risk estimate of exposure to radon and its progeny as well as to provide information useful in radon control strategies. Results generated under the Program were highlighted in a National Research Council report on radon dosimetry. The study concluded that the risk of radon exposure is 30% less in homes than in mines. This program summary of book describes the OHER FY-1991 Radon Research Program. It is the fifth in an annual series of program books designed to provide scientific and research information to the public and to other government agencies on the DOE Radon Research Program

Ecological Research Division, Marine Research Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-05-01

This report presents program summaries of the various projects sponsored during 1979 by the Marine Research Program of the Ecological Research Division. Program areas include the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the marine environment; a study of the baseline ecology of a proposed OTEC site near Puerto Rico; the environmental impact of offshore geothermal energy development; the movement of radionuclides through the marine environment; the environmental aspects of power plant cooling systems; and studies of the physical and biological oceangraphy of the continental shelves bordering the United States.

Ecological Research Division, Marine Research Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-05-01

This report presents program summaries of the various projects sponsored during 1979 by the Marine Research Program of the Ecological Research Division. Program areas include the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the marine environment; a study of the baseline ecology of a proposed OTEC site near Puerto Rico; the environmental impact of offshore geothermal energy development; the movement of radionuclides through the marine environment; the environmental aspects of power plant cooling systems; and studies of the physical and biological oceangraphy of the continental shelves bordering the United States

Infrastructure Development of the Science and Engineering Alliance (IDSEA). Annual report, 1995--1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-04-01

This document is intended to serve two purposes: (1) a program status report on the progress the Science and Engineering Alliance (SEA) made since receiving initial Department of Energy (DOE) support for infrastructure development; and (2) a summary report of the activities administered by the SEA compiled in a single document under the auspices of the SEA Program. In 1995, a universal resource locator (URL) on the World Wide Web (WWW) was established for easy access to pertinent information about the SEA Program. The information pointed to by the URL is updated periodically, and the interested reader is urged to access the WWW for more information. The SEA is a university-government-industry partnership that seeks ways to enhance the research and teaching capability of its members. The SEA program continues to evolve into a very successful interdisciplinary program. It is a model inter-HBCU collaboration, and an excellent example of how cooperation between universities and a national laboratory can capitalize on their individual strengths to expand research opportunities for minority students and researchers. The members are committed to developing collaborative research programs, enhance teaching techniques, and modify science and engineering curriculum to improve student training.

76 FR 21789 - ITS Joint Program Office; Vehicle to Infrastructure Core System Concept of Operations; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-18

... Concept of Operations; Notice of Public Meeting AGENCY: Research and Innovative Technology Administration...) Core System Concept of Operations on May 17, 2011 at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriott, 30559 Flynn... to work originally performed under the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Proof of Concept (VII POC...

Data Storage and Management for Global Research Data Infrastructures - Status and Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Laure

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In the vision of Global Research Data Infrastructures (GRDIs, data storage and management plays a crucial role. A successful GRDI will require a common globally interoperable distributed data system, formed out of data centres, that incorporates emerging technologies and new scientific data activities. The main challenge is to define common certification and auditing frameworks that will allow storage providers and data communities to build a viable partnership based on trust. To achieve this, it is necessary to find a long-term commitment model that will give financial, legal, and organisational guarantees of digital information preservation. In this article we discuss the state of the art in data storage and management for GRDIs and point out future research directions that need to be tackled to implement GRDIs.

Kentucky DOE-EPSCoR Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stencel, J.M.; Ochsenbein, M.P.

2003-04-14

The KY DOE EPSCoR Program included efforts to impact positively the pipeline of science and engineering students and to establish research, education and business infrastructure, sustainable beyond DOE EPSCoR funding.

Genetic Algorithms for Agent-Based Infrastructure Interdependency Modeling and Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

May Permann

2007-03-01

Today’s society relies greatly upon an array of complex national and international infrastructure networks such as transportation, electric power, telecommunication, and financial networks. This paper describes initial research combining agent-based infrastructure modeling software and genetic algorithms (GAs) to help optimize infrastructure protection and restoration decisions. This research proposes to apply GAs to the problem of infrastructure modeling and analysis in order to determine the optimum assets to restore or protect from attack or other disaster. This research is just commencing and therefore the focus of this paper is the integration of a GA optimization method with a simulation through the simulation’s agents.

Joint deployment of refuelling infrastructure and vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R.

2010-01-01

A wide range of fuels will be used in future transportation technologies. This presentation discussed refuelling infrastructure solutions for alternative fuels. A well-placed demonstration infrastructure will help to accelerate market development. Stakeholder collaboration is needed to create high value business paradigms and identify stakeholder benefits. Infrastructure paradigms include the home; businesses; retail public refuelling forecourts; and multi-fuel waste heat recovery sites. Commercial nodes can be developed along major transportation routes. Stakeholder groups include technology providers, supply chain and service providers, commercial end-users, and government. A successful alternative fuel infrastructure model will consider market development priorities, time frames and seed investment opportunities. Applications must be market-driven in order to expand. A case study of the natural gas vehicle (NGV) program in Ontario was also discussed, as well as various hydrogen projects. tabs., figs.

Infrastructure monitoring with spaceborne SAR sensors

CERN Document Server

ANGHEL, ANDREI; CACOVEANU, REMUS

2017-01-01

This book presents a novel non-intrusive infrastructure monitoring technique based on the detection and tracking of scattering centers in spaceborne SAR images. The methodology essentially consists of refocusing each available SAR image on an imposed 3D point cloud associated to the envisaged infrastructure element and identifying the reliable scatterers to be monitored by means of four dimensional (4D) tomography. The methodology described in this book provides a new perspective on infrastructure monitoring with spaceborne SAR images, is based on a standalone processing chain, and brings innovative technical aspects relative to conventional approaches. The book is intended primarily for professionals and researchers working in the area of critical infrastructure monitoring by radar remote sensing.

A method for the efficient prioritization of infrastructure renewal projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karydas, D.M.; Gifun, Joe

2006-01-01

The infrastructure renewal program at MIT consists of a large number of projects with an estimated budget that could approach $1 billion. Infrastructure renewal at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the process of evaluating and investing in the maintenance of facility systems and

78 FR 71565 - Secretarial Infrastructure Business Development Mission to Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Office of Business Liaison Secretarial Infrastructure Business Development... amending the Notice published at 78 FR 48855, August 12, 2013, regarding the Secretarial Infrastructure..., Trade Program Assistant. [FR Doc. 2013-28579 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P ...

Safety impacts of bicycle infrastructure: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

DiGioia, Jonathan; Watkins, Kari Edison; Xu, Yanzhi; Rodgers, Michael; Guensler, Randall

2017-06-01

This paper takes a critical look at the present state of bicycle infrastructure treatment safety research, highlighting data needs. Safety literature relating to 22 bicycle treatments is examined, including findings, study methodologies, and data sources used in the studies. Some preliminary conclusions related to research efficacy are drawn from the available data and findings in the research. While the current body of bicycle safety literature points toward some defensible conclusions regarding the safety and effectiveness of certain bicycle treatments, such as bike lanes and removal of on-street parking, the vast majority treatments are still in need of rigorous research. Fundamental questions arise regarding appropriate exposure measures, crash measures, and crash data sources. This research will aid transportation departments with regard to decisions about bicycle infrastructure and guide future research efforts toward understanding safety impacts of bicycle infrastructure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Radon Research Program, FY-1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-03-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) has established a Radon Research Program with the primary objectives of acquiring knowledge necessary to improve estimates of health risks associated with radon exposure and also to improve radon control. Through the Radon Research Program, OHER supports and coordinates the research activities of investigators at facilities all across the nation. From this research, significant advances are being made in our understanding of the health effects of radon. OHER publishes this annual report to provide information to interested researchers and the public about its research activities. This edition of the report summarizes the activities of program researchers during FY90. Chapter 2 of this report describes how risks associated with radon exposure are estimated, what assumptions are made in estimating radon risks for the general public, and how the uncertainties in these assumptions affect the risk estimates. Chapter 3 examines how OHER, through the Radon Research Program, is working to gather information for reducing the uncertainties and improving the risk estimates. Chapter 4 highlights some of the major findings of investigators participating in the Radon Research Program in the past year. And, finally, Chapter 5 discusses the direction in which the program is headed in the future. 20 figs

Ethical implication of providing scientific data and services to diverse stakeholders: the case of the EPOS research infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Freda, Carmela; Atakan, Kuvvet; Cocco, Massimo

2017-04-01

EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is an ESFRI infrastructure serving the needs of the solid Earth science community as a whole. EPOS promotes the use of multidisciplinary solid Earth data to improve the understanding of physical and chemical processes controlling earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis as well as those driving tectonics and surface dynamics. The EPOS mission is to create a single, sustainable, and distributed infrastructure that integrates the diverse European research infrastructures for solid Earth science under a common framework with the final goal of delivering a suite of domain-specific and multidisciplinary data, products, and services in one single and integrated platform. Addressing ethics issues is a relevant challenge for any initiative, program or project dealing with scientific data and products provision, access to services for scientific purposes and communication with different stakeholders, including industry and society at large. In examining the role of EPOS on openly and freely delivering scientific data and products to diverse stakeholders including but not limited to scientists, we are looking at ethical issues associated with the use and re-use of these data and products possibly leading to a malevolent use and/or misuse of the data with implications on, for example, national security, environmental protection and risk communication. Moreover, EPOS is aware that the research promoted by the use of data delivered through its platform can have a profound influence on the environment, human health and wellbeing, economic development, and other facets of societies. We know there is nothing intrinsically bad about openly and freely delivering scientific data, as it serves as a tool for leveraging researches leading to solutions for a responsible management of Earth's resources and mitigation of natural hazards. However, we must evaluate the effects of such a data provision and feel the obligation to adopt a responsible

EMSODEV and EPOS-IP: key findings for effective management of EU research infrastructure projects

Science.gov (United States)

Materia, Paola; Bozzoli, Sabrina; Beranzoli, Laura; Cocco, Massimo; Favali, Paolo; Freda, Carmela; Sangianantoni, Agata

2017-04-01

EMSO (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water-column Observatory, http://www.emso-eu.org) and EPOS (European Plate Observing System, https://www.epos-ip.org) are pan-European Research Infrastructures (RIs) in the ESFRI 2016 Roadmap. EMSO has recently become an ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), whilst EPOS application is in progress. Both ERICs will be hosted in Italy and the "Representing Entity" is INGV. EMSO consists of oceanic environment observation systems spanning from the Arctic through the Atlantic and Mediterranean, to the Black Sea for long-term, high-resolution, real-time monitoring of natural and man-induced processes such as hazards, climate, and marine ecosystems changes to study their evolution and interconnections. EPOS aims at creating a pan-European infrastructure for solid Earth science to support a safe and sustainable society. EPOS will enable innovative multidisciplinary research for a better understanding of Earth's physical and chemical processes controlling earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ground instability, tsunami, and all those processes driving tectonics and Earth's surface dynamics. Following the conclusion of their Preparatory Phases the two RIs are now in their Implementation Phase still supported by the EC through the EMSODEV and EPOS-IP projects, both run by dedicated Project Management Offices at INGV with sound experience in EU projects. EMSODEV (H2020 project, 2015-2018) involves 11 partners and 9 associate partners and aims at improving the harmonization among the EMSO ERIC observation systems through the realization of EMSO Generic Instrument Modules (EGIMs), and a Data Management Platform (DMP) to implement interoperability and standardization. The DMP will provide access to data from all EMSO nodes, providing a unified, homogeneous, infrastructure-scale and user-oriented platform integrated with the increased measurement capabilities and functions provided by the EGIMs. EPOS IP (H2020 project, 2015

Laboratory-Directed Research and Development 2016 Summary Annual Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillai, Rekha Sukamar; Jacobson, Julie Ann

2017-01-01

The Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by March of each year. The program operates under the authority of DOE Order 413.2C, 'Laboratory Directed Research and Development' (April 19, 2006), which establishes DOE's requirements for the program while providing the laboratory director broad flexibility for program implementation. LDRD funds are obtained through a charge to all INL programs. This report includes summaries of all INL LDRD research activities supported during Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. INL is the lead laboratory for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). The INL mission is to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options, and critical infrastructure with a vision to change the world's energy future and secure our critical infrastructure. Operating since 1949, INL is the nation's leading research, development, and demonstration center for nuclear energy, including nuclear nonproliferation and physical and cyber-based protection of energy systems and critical infrastructure, as well as integrated energy systems research, development, demonstration, and deployment. INL has been managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (a wholly owned company of Battelle) for DOE since 2005. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, is a partnership between Battelle, BWX Technologies, Inc., AECOM, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National University Consortium (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, University of New Mexico, and Oregon State University), and the Idaho university collaborators (i.e., University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University). Since its creation, INL's research and development (R&D) portfolio has broadened with targeted programs supporting national missions to advance nuclear energy, enable clean

National Computational Infrastructure for Lattice Gauge Theory: Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard Brower; Norman Christ; Michael Creutz; Paul Mackenzie; John Negele; Claudio Rebbi; David Richards; Stephen Sharpe; Robert Sugar

2006-01-01

This is the final report of Department of Energy SciDAC Grant ''National Computational Infrastructure for Lattice Gauge Theory''. It describes the software developed under this grant, which enables the effective use of a wide variety of supercomputers for the study of lattice quantum chromodynamics (lattice QCD). It also describes the research on and development of commodity clusters optimized for the study of QCD. Finally, it provides some high lights of research enabled by the infrastructure created under this grant, as well as a full list of the papers resulting from research that made use of this infrastructure

Physical Research Program: research contracts and statistical summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The physical research program consists of fundamental theoretical and experimental investigations designed to support the objectives of ERDA. The program is directed toward discovery of natural laws and new knowledge, and to improved understanding of the physical sciences as related to the development, use, and control of energy. The ultimate goal is to develop a scientific underlay for the overall ERDA effort and the fundamental principles of natural phenomena so that these phenomena may be understood and new principles, formulated. The physical research program is organized into four functional subprograms, high-energy physics, nuclear sciences, materials sciences, and molecular sciences. Approximately four-fifths of the total physical research program costs are associated with research conducted in ERDA-owned, contractor-operated federally funded research and development centers. A little less than one-fifth of the costs are associated with the support of research conducted in other laboratories

Research results of the Optimiturve research program in 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alakangas, E.

1992-01-01

Optimiturve research program is one of the energy research programs funded by the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Finland. The main target of the program is double the annual hectare yield of peat dried by solar radiation to decrease the peat production costs, to speed up the circulation of capital invested to peat production with the aid of a new production method developed in this research, and hence improve the price competitivity of peat. The targets of the research program are expected to be completed by improving the drying of peat, the efficiency of the peat production machinery, and by developing peat production techniques. The program was started in 1988, and the targets are to be fulfilled up to year 1993. The research program is carried out in cooperation with universities, research organizations and peat producers. This publication consists of the results of the ongoing projects in the Optimiturve research program in 1991. The aim, the contents and the main results of the 18 projects are presented. At the end of this publication there is a list of the reports published in Reports series

Idaho National Laboratory Ten-year Site Plan (2012 through 2021) -- DOE-NE's National Nuclear Capability -- Developing and Maintaining the INL Infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cal Ozaki

2010-06-01

To meet long-term objectives to transform the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), we are providing an integrated, long-term vision of infrastructure requirements that support research, development and demonstration (RD&D) goals outlined in the DOE strategic plans, including the NE Roadmap and reports such as Facilities for the Future of Nuclear Energy Research: A Twenty-year Outlook. The goal of the INL Ten-year Site Plan (TYSP) is to clearly link RD&D mission goals and INL core capabilities with infrastructure requirements (single and multi-program), establish the 10-year end-state vision for INL complexes, identify and prioritize infrastructure and capability gaps, as well as the most efficient and economic approaches to closing those gaps.

Playing with Complexity. Management and organisation of large infrastructure projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.J.C.M. Hertogh (Marcel); E. Westerveld (Edward)

2010-01-01

textabstractInternationally there is a huge desire to increase mobility by constructing new infrastructure. The European Union has an investment program of approximately € 600 billion up to 2020. At the same time we notice that while ambitions are high, the requirements put on new infrastructure

Sustaining Participatory Design in the organization - Infrastructuring with Participatory Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolmsten, Johan

Modern organizations need to be able to change to seize opportunities and meet challenges, which are ever more rapidly presenting themselves. In doing so, they need to make use of the creativity and innovations of their employees. At the same time Information Technology applications today...... are likely to take the form of complex, integrated infrastructures, supporting collaboration within and across organizations. This places requirements on the development of IT infrastructures. As the work practices within an organization change, the supporting infrastructure also needs to evolve. This Ph......D thesis is about sustaining Participatory Design in the organization to enable users to influence the development of the IT infrastructure that supports their work practices. The empirical research is based on a long-term action research study, where this researcher works as an embedded researcher...

Perspectives for photonuclear research at the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filipescu, D.; Balabanski, D.L.; Constantin, P.; Gales, S.; Tesileanu, O.; Ur, C.A.; Ursu, I.; Zamfir, N.V. [Horia Hulubei National Institute for R and D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Anzalone, A.; La Cognata, M.; Spitaleri, C. [INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy); Belyshev, S.S. [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physics Faculty, Moscow (Russian Federation); Camera, F. [Departement of Physics, University of Milano, Milano (Italy); INFN section of Milano, Milano (Italy); Csige, L.; Krasznahorkay, A. [Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA Atomki), Institute of Nuclear Research, Post Office Box 51, Debrecen (Hungary); Cuong, P.V. [Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Centre of Nuclear Physics, Institute of Physics, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Cwiok, M.; Dominik, W.; Mazzocchi, C. [University of Warsaw, Warszawa (Poland); Derya, V.; Zilges, A. [University of Cologne, Institute for Nuclear Physics, Cologne (Germany); Gai, M. [University of Connecticut, LNS at Avery Point, Connecticut, Groton (United States); Gheorghe, I. [Horia Hulubei National Institute for R and D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); University of Bucharest, Nuclear Physics Department, Post Office Box MG-11, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Ishkhanov, B.S. [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physics Faculty, Moscow (Russian Federation); Lomonosov Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kuznetsov, A.A.; Orlin, V.N.; Stopani, K.A.; Varlamov, V.V. [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Pietralla, N. [Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Institut fur Kernphysik, Darmstadt (Germany); Sin, M. [University of Bucharest, Nuclear Physics Department, Post Office Box MG-11, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Utsunomiya, H. [Konan University, Department of Physics, Kobe (Japan); University of Tokyo, Center for Nuclear Study, Saitama (Japan); Weller, H.R. [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, North Carolina, Durham (United States); Duke University, Department of Physics, North Carolina, Durham (United States)

2015-12-15

The perspectives for photonuclear experiments at the new Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility are discussed in view of the need to accumulate novel and more precise nuclear data. The parameters of the ELI-NP gamma beam system are presented. The emerging experimental program, which will be realized at ELI-NP, is presented. Examples of day-one experiments with the nuclear resonance fluorescence technique, photonuclear reaction measurements, photofission experiments and studies of nuclear collective excitation modes and competition between various decay channels are discussed. The advantages which ELI-NP provides for all these experiments compared to the existing facilities are discussed. (orig.)

Optimal infrastructure maintenance scheduling problem under budget uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

This research addresses a general class of infrastructure asset management problems. Infrastructure : agencies usually face budget uncertainties that will eventually lead to suboptimal planning if : maintenance decisions are made without taking the u...

Smart Cyber Infrastructure for Big Data processing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makkes, M.X.; Cushing, R.; Oprescu, A.M.; Koning, R.; Grosso, P.; Meijer, R.J.; Laat, C. de

2014-01-01

The landscape of research cyber infrastructure is rapidly changing. There is a move towards virtualized and programmable infrastructure. The cloud paradigm enables the use of computing resources in different places and allows for optimizing workflows in either bringing computing to the data or the

An Extensible Open-Source Compiler Infrastructure for Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quinlan, D; Ur, S; Vuduc, R

2005-12-09

Testing forms a critical part of the development process for large-scale software, and there is growing need for automated tools that can read, represent, analyze, and transform the application's source code to help carry out testing tasks. However, the support required to compile applications written in common general purpose languages is generally inaccessible to the testing research community. In this paper, we report on an extensible, open-source compiler infrastructure called ROSE, which is currently in development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. ROSE specifically targets developers who wish to build source-based tools that implement customized analyses and optimizations for large-scale C, C++, and Fortran90 scientific computing applications (on the order of a million lines of code or more). However, much of this infrastructure can also be used to address problems in testing, and ROSE is by design broadly accessible to those without a formal compiler background. This paper details the interactions between testing of applications and the ways in which compiler technology can aid in the understanding of those applications. We emphasize the particular aspects of ROSE, such as support for the general analysis of whole programs, that are particularly well-suited to the testing research community and the scale of the problems that community solves.

WDS/DSA Certification - International collaboration for a trustworthy research data infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Mokrane, Mustapha; Hugo, Wim; Harrison, Sandy

2016-04-01

Today's research is international, transdisciplinary, and data-enabled, which requires scrupulous data stewardship, full and open access to data, and efficient collaboration and coordination. New expectations on researchers based on policies from governments and funders to share data fully, openly, and in a timely manner present significant challenges but are also opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of research and its accountability to society. Researchers should be able to archive and disseminate data as required by many institutions or funders, and civil society to scrutinize datasets underlying public policies. Thus, the trustworthiness of data services must be verifiable. In addition, the need to integrate large and complex datasets across disciplines and domains with variable levels of maturity calls for greater coordination to achieve sufficient interoperability and sustainability. The World Data System (WDS) of the International Council for Science (ICSU) promotes long-term stewardship of, and universal and equitable access to, quality-assured scientific data and services across a range of disciplines in the natural and social sciences. WDS aims at coordinating and supporting trusted scientific data services for the provision, use, and preservation of relevant datasets to facilitate scientific research, in particular under the ICSU umbrella, while strengthening their links with the research community. WDS certifies its Members, holders and providers of data or data products, using internationally recognized standards. Certification of scientific data services is essential to ensure trustworthiness of the global research data infrastructure. It contributes to building a searchable, distributed, interoperable and sustainable research data infrastructure. Several certification standards have been developed over the last decade, such as the Network of Expertise in long-term Storage and Accessibility of Digital Resources in Germany (NESTOR) seal

Integrative Curriculum Development in Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Jow, Julius O.; Edwards, Matthew E.; Montgomery, V. Trent; James, Ralph B.; Blackburn, Noel D.; Glenn, Chance M.

2015-01-01

Using a vertical education enhancement model, a Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement (NERVE) program was developed. The NERVE program is aimed at developing nuclear engineering education and research to 1) enhance skilled workforce development in disciplines relevant to nuclear power, national security and medical physics, and 2) increase the number of students and faculty from underrepresented groups (women and minorities) in fields related to the nuclear industry. The program uses multi-track training activities that vertically cut across the several education domains: undergraduate degree programs, graduate schools, and post-doctoral training. In this paper, we present the results of an integrative curriculum development in the NERVE program. The curriculum development began with nuclear content infusion into existing science, engineering and technology courses. The second step involved the development of nuclear engineering courses: 1) Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 2) Nuclear Engineering I, and 2) Nuclear Engineering II. The third step is the establishment of nuclear engineering concentrations in two engineering degree programs: 1) electrical engineering, and 2) mechanical engineering. A major outcome of the NERVE program is a collaborative infrastructure that uses laboratory work, internships at nuclear facilities, on-campus research, and mentoring in collaboration with industry and government partners to provide hands-on training for students. The major activities of the research and education collaborations include: - One-week spring training workshop at Brookhaven National Laboratory: The one-week training and workshop is used to enhance research collaborations and train faculty and students on user facilities/equipment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and for summer research internships. Participants included students, faculty members at Alabama A and M University and research collaborators at BNL. The activities include 1) tour and

Integrative Curriculum Development in Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Jow, Julius O.; Edwards, Matthew E.; Montgomery, V. Trent [Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science Center, Alabama A and M University, Huntsville, AL (United States); James, Ralph B.; Blackburn, Noel D. [Nonproliferation and National Security Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States); Glenn, Chance M. [College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences, Alabama A and M University, Huntsville, AL (United States)

2015-07-01

Using a vertical education enhancement model, a Nuclear Education and Research Vertical Enhancement (NERVE) program was developed. The NERVE program is aimed at developing nuclear engineering education and research to 1) enhance skilled workforce development in disciplines relevant to nuclear power, national security and medical physics, and 2) increase the number of students and faculty from underrepresented groups (women and minorities) in fields related to the nuclear industry. The program uses multi-track training activities that vertically cut across the several education domains: undergraduate degree programs, graduate schools, and post-doctoral training. In this paper, we present the results of an integrative curriculum development in the NERVE program. The curriculum development began with nuclear content infusion into existing science, engineering and technology courses. The second step involved the development of nuclear engineering courses: 1) Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 2) Nuclear Engineering I, and 2) Nuclear Engineering II. The third step is the establishment of nuclear engineering concentrations in two engineering degree programs: 1) electrical engineering, and 2) mechanical engineering. A major outcome of the NERVE program is a collaborative infrastructure that uses laboratory work, internships at nuclear facilities, on-campus research, and mentoring in collaboration with industry and government partners to provide hands-on training for students. The major activities of the research and education collaborations include: - One-week spring training workshop at Brookhaven National Laboratory: The one-week training and workshop is used to enhance research collaborations and train faculty and students on user facilities/equipment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and for summer research internships. Participants included students, faculty members at Alabama A and M University and research collaborators at BNL. The activities include 1) tour and

Information technology developments within the national biological information infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Cotter, G.; Frame, M.T.

2000-01-01

Looking out an office window or exploring a community park, one can easily see the tremendous challenges that biological information presents the computer science community. Biological information varies in format and content depending whether or not it is information pertaining to a particular species (i.e. Brown Tree Snake), or a specific ecosystem, which often includes multiple species, land use characteristics, and geospatially referenced information. The complexity and uniqueness of each individual species or ecosystem do not easily lend themselves to today's computer science tools and applications. To address the challenges that the biological enterprise presents the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) (http://www.nbii.gov) was established in 1993. The NBII is designed to address these issues on a National scale within the United States, and through international partnerships abroad. This paper discusses current computer science efforts within the National Biological Information Infrastructure Program and future computer science research endeavors that are needed to address the ever-growing issues related to our Nation's biological concerns.

A new vision of the post-NIST civil infrastructure program: the challenges of next-generation construction materials and processes

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, H. Felix; Wan, Yan

2014-03-01

Our nation's infrastructural systems are crumbling. The deteriorating process grows over time. The physical aging of these vital facilities and the remediation of their current critical state pose a key societal challenge to the United States. Current sensing technologies, while well developed in controlled laboratory environments, have not yet yielded tools for producing real-time, in-situ data that are adequately comprehensible for infrastructure decision-makers. The need for advanced sensing technologies is national because every municipality and state in the nation faces infrastructure management challenges. The need is critical because portions of infrastructure are reaching the end of their life-spans and there are few cost-effective means to monitor infrastructure integrity and to prioritize the renovation and replacement of infrastructure elements. New advanced sensing technologies that produce cost-effective inspection and real-time monitoring data, and that can also help or aid in meaningful interpretation of the acquired data, therefore will enhance the safety in regard to the public on structural integrity by issuing timely and accurate alert data for effective maintenance to avoid disasters happening. New advanced sensing technologies also allow more informed management of infrastructural investments by avoiding premature replacement of infrastructure and identifying those structures in need of immediate action to prevent from catastrophic failure. Infrastructure management requires that once a structural defect is detected, an economical and efficient repair be made. Advancing the technologies of repairing infrastructure elements in contact with water, road salt, and subjected to thermal changes requires innovative research to significantly extend the service life of repairs, lower the costs of repairs, and provide repair technologies that are suitable for a wide range of conditions. All these new technologies will provide increased lifetimes

Organizing for ontological change: The kernel of an AIDS research infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Polk, Jessica Beth

2015-01-01

Is it possible to prepare and plan for emergent and changing objects of research? Members of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study have been investigating AIDS for over 30 years, and in that time, the disease has been repeatedly transformed. Over the years and across many changes, members have continued to study HIV disease while in the process regenerating an adaptable research organization. The key to sustaining this technoscientific flexibility has been what we call the kernel of a research infrastructure: ongoing efforts to maintain the availability of resources and services that may be brought to bear in the investigation of new objects. In the case of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, these resources are as follows: specimens and data, calibrated instruments, heterogeneous experts, and participating cohorts of gay and bisexual men. We track three ontological transformations, examining how members prepared for and responded to changes: the discovery of a novel retroviral agent (HIV), the ability to test for that agent, and the transition of the disease from fatal to chronic through pharmaceutical intervention. Respectively, we call the work, ‘technologies’, and techniques of adapting to these changes, ‘repurposing’, ‘elaborating’, and ‘extending the kernel’. PMID:26477206

Research Institute for Technical Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, Ronald L.

1996-01-01

The NASA research grant to Wilberforce University enabled us to establish the Research Institute for Technical Careers (RITC) in order to improve the teaching of science and engineering at Wilberforce. The major components of the research grant are infrastructure development, establishment of the Wilberforce Intensive Summer Experience (WISE), and Joint Research Collaborations with NASA Scientists. (A) Infrastructure Development. The NASA grant has enabled us to improve the standard of our chemistry laboratory and establish the electronics, design, and robotics laboratories. These laboratories have significantly improved the level of instruction at Wilberforce University. (B) Wilberforce Intensive Summer Experience (WISE). The WISE program is a science and engineering bridge program for prefreshman students. It is an intensive academic experience designed to strengthen students' knowledge in mathematics, science, engineering, computing skills, and writing. (C) Joint Collaboration. Another feature of the grant is research collaborations between NASA Scientists and Wilberforce University Scientists. These collaborations have enabled our faculty and students to conduct research at NASA Lewis during the summer and publish research findings in various journals and scientific proceedings.

Onsite and Electric Backup Capabilities at Critical Infrastructure Facilities in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, Julia A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wallace, Kelly E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Kudo, Terence Y. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Eto, Joseph H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-04-01

The following analysis, conducted by Argonne National Laboratory’s (Argonne’s) Risk and Infrastructure Science Center (RISC), details an analysis of electric power backup of national critical infrastructure as captured through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Program (ECIP) Initiative. Between January 1, 2011, and September 2014, 3,174 ECIP facility surveys have been conducted. This study focused first on backup capabilities by infrastructure type and then expanded to infrastructure type by census region.

Preventive maintenance program for a research and production reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rico, N.A.

1990-01-01

This program proposes a simple, rapid and efficient methodology for the task of developing a really preventive maintenance discipline. Moreover, the lower cost of its application -since it must satisfy the plant's budget-. To this purpose, an extremely economical and easily obtainable infrastructure is proposed. The following stage is referred to the commissioning system, subsequent supervision and follow-up. The experience gained from the two reactors as RA-6 (Bariloche Atomic Center) and NUR (RAE) of Argelia. Finally, the interacting characteristic of this program, since it may be rapidly adapted to different dimensions of plants, laboratories, etc., must be pointed out. (Author) [es

Overview of Gas Research Institute environmental research programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.M.

1991-01-01

The Gas Research Institute (GRI) is a private not-for-profit membership organization of natural gas pipelines, distribution companies and natural gas producers. GRI's purpose is to plan, to manage and to develop financing for a gas-related research and development (R and D) program on behalf of its members and their customers. GRI does not do any research itself. GRI's R and D program is designed to provide advanced technologies for natural gas supply, transport, storage, distribution and end-use applications in all markets. In addition, basic research is conducted for GRI in these areas to build a foundation for future technology breakthroughs. Work in the Environment and Safety Research Department includes sections interested in: supply related research, air quality research, end use equipment safety research, gas operations safety research, and gas operations environmental research. The Natural Gas Supply Program has research ongoing in such areas as: restoration of pipeline right-of-ways; cleaning up town gas manufacturing sites; the development of methanogenic bacteria for soil and groundwater cleanup; development of biological fluidized carbon units for rapid destruction of carbonaceous compounds; research on liquid redox sulfur recovery for sulfur removal from natural gas; research on produced water and production wastes generated by the natural gas industry; environmental effects of coalbed methane production; and subsurface effects of natural gas operations. The western coalbed methane and ground water programs are described

The Czech National Grid Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Chudoba, J.; Křenková, I.; Mulač, M.; Ruda, M.; Sitera, J.

2017-10-01

The Czech National Grid Infrastructure is operated by MetaCentrum, a CESNET department responsible for coordinating and managing activities related to distributed computing. CESNET as the Czech National Research and Education Network (NREN) provides many e-infrastructure services, which are used by 94% of the scientific and research community in the Czech Republic. Computing and storage resources owned by different organizations are connected by fast enough network to provide transparent access to all resources. We describe in more detail the computing infrastructure, which is based on several different technologies and covers grid, cloud and map-reduce environment. While the largest part of CPUs is still accessible via distributed torque servers, providing environment for long batch jobs, part of infrastructure is available via standard EGI tools in EGI, subset of NGI resources is provided into EGI FedCloud environment with cloud interface and there is also Hadoop cluster provided by the same e-infrastructure.A broad spectrum of computing servers is offered; users can choose from standard 2 CPU servers to large SMP machines with up to 6 TB of RAM or servers with GPU cards. Different groups have different priorities on various resources, resource owners can even have an exclusive access. The software is distributed via AFS. Storage servers offering up to tens of terabytes of disk space to individual users are connected via NFS4 on top of GPFS and access to long term HSM storage with peta-byte capacity is also provided. Overview of available resources and recent statistics of usage will be given.

Data Management Challenges in a National Scientific Program of 55 Diverse Research Projects

Science.gov (United States)

De Bruin, T.

2016-12-01

psychological issue, not a technical one. The presentation will explain how the data portal was set up and is embedded in national and international data access infrastructures. The focus of the presentation will be on the roles of research funders, researchers and their institutions, politics and society in achieving truly open data, using the ZKO program as a real-life example.

Towards a joint approach for access to environmental research infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Ingrid; Tjulin, Anders; Pappalardo, Gelsomina; Gagliardi, Simone; Philippin, Sabine; Sellegri, Karine; Chabbi, Abad

2016-04-01

Geoscience is a multi-disciplinary field and in many cases its research benefits from considering different kinds of observational results. Geoscience observations are in some cases of direct interest also to the public. For these reasons effective knowledge transfer and access also across disciplines are especially important for research infrastructures (RIs) in the environmental domain. More generally, the ultimate success of a RI is measured by its scientific outcome and this is best achieved based on efficient access for a broad scientific community. In this presentation the authors report activities to develop governance tools so that the access to environmental RIs and to the data that they provide is common, fair and based on scientific rationale, regarding at the same time economically and technically reasonable use of limited resources. Implementing such governance tools will indeed foster and widen the access to RIs across environmental science domains while addressing societal challenges. The strategies also need to be flexible and sustainable over the expected lifetimes of the RIs. The reported activities involve researchers from different projects and environmental subdomains that come together in the project ENVRI_plus. ENVRI_plus is a Cluster project of RIs that brings together the current ESFRI roadmap RIs in the environmental domain and other relevant existing and developing RIs and projects. ENVRI_plus also offers opportunities for free-of-charge transnational access to four multi-disciplinary research platforms. These calls for access target research groups and companies wishing to conduct research or to test instruments for cross-disciplinary topics within the environmental domains atmosphere, biosphere, marine, and solid earth. They are initiated specifically to gain experience with access across different disciplines (further information is given at www.envriplus.eu). ENVRI_plus receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research

To Support Research Activities Under the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, John C.

2003-01-01

The Alabama NASA EPSCoR Program is a collaborative venture of The Alabama Space Grant Consortium, The Alabama EPSCoR, and faculty and staff at 10 Alabama colleges and universities as well as the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. There are two Research Clusters which include infrastructure-building and outreach elements embedded in their research activities. Each of the two Research Clusters is in an area of clear and demonstrable relevance to NASA's mission, to components of other Alabama EPSCoR projects, and to the State of Alabama's economic development. This Final Report summarizes and reports upon those additional activities occurring after the first report was submitted in March 2000 (included here as Appendix C). Since the nature of the activities and the manner in which they relate to one another differ by cluster, these clusters function independently and are summarized in parallel in this report. They do share a common administration by the Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) and by this means, good ideas from each group were communicated to the other, as appropriate. During the past year these research teams, involving 15 scientists, 16 graduate students, 16 undergraduates, and 7 high school students involving 10 Alabama universities had 14 peer reviewed scientific journal articles published, 21 others reviewed for publication or published in proceedings, gave 7 formal presentations and numerous informal presentations to well over 3000 people, received 3 patents and were awarded 14 research proposals for more than $213K dollars in additional research related to these investigations. Each cluster's activities are described and an Appendix summarizes these achievements.

Infrastructure support for a waste management institute. Final project report, September 12, 1994--September 11, 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-11-01

North Carolina A and T State University has completed the development of an infrastructure for the interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute (WMI). The Interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute (WMI) was approved in June, 1994 by the General Administration of the University of North Carolina as an academic support unit with research and public service functions. The mission of the WMI is to enhance awareness and understanding of waste management issues and to provide instructional support including research and outreach. The goals of WMI are as follows: increase the number of minority professionals who will work in waste management fields; develop cooperative and exchange programs involving faculty, students, government, and industry; serve as institutional sponsor of public awareness workshops and lecture series; and support interdisciplinary research programs. The vision of the WMI is to provide continued state-of-the art environmental educational programs, research, and outreach.

The GEOSS solution for enabling data interoperability and integrative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Nativi, Stefano; Mazzetti, Paolo; Craglia, Max; Pirrone, Nicola

2014-03-01

Global sustainability research requires an integrative research effort underpinned by digital infrastructures (systems) able to harness data and heterogeneous information across disciplines. Digital data and information sharing across systems and applications is achieved by implementing interoperability: a property of a product or system to work with other products or systems, present or future. There are at least three main interoperability challenges a digital infrastructure must address: technological, semantic, and organizational. In recent years, important international programs and initiatives are focusing on such an ambitious objective. This manuscript presents and combines the studies and the experiences carried out by three relevant projects, focusing on the heavy metal domain: Global Mercury Observation System, Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), and INSPIRE. This research work recognized a valuable interoperability service bus (i.e., a set of standards models, interfaces, and good practices) proposed to characterize the integrative research cyber-infrastructure of the heavy metal research community. In the paper, the GEOSS common infrastructure is discussed implementing a multidisciplinary and participatory research infrastructure, introducing a possible roadmap for the heavy metal pollution research community to join GEOSS as a new Group on Earth Observation community of practice and develop a research infrastructure for carrying out integrative research in its specific domain.

Marine Research Infrastructure collaboration in the COOPLUS project framework - Promoting synergies for marine ecosystems studies

Science.gov (United States)

Beranzoli, L.; Best, M.; Embriaco, D.; Favali, P.; Juniper, K.; Lo Bue, N.; Lara-Lopez, A.; Materia, P.; Ó Conchubhair, D.; O'Rourke, E.; Proctor, R.; Weller, R. A.

2017-12-01

Understanding effects on marine ecosystems of multiple drivers at various scales; from regional such as climate and ocean circulation, to local, such as seafloor gas emissions and harmful underwater noise, requires long time-series of integrated and standardised datasets. Large-scale research infrastructures for ocean observation are able to provide such time-series for a variety of ocean process physical parameters (mass and energy exchanges among surface, water column and benthic boundary layer) that constitute important and necessary measures of environmental conditions and change/development over time. Information deduced from these data is essential for the study, modelling and prediction of marine ecosystems changes and can reveal and potentially confirm deterioration and threats. The COOPLUS European Commission project brings together research infrastructures with the aim of coordinating multilateral cooperation among RIs and identifying common priorities, actions, instruments, resources. COOPLUS will produce a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) which will be a shared roadmap for mid to long-term collaboration. In particular, marine RIs collaborating in COOPLUS, namely the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory: EMSO (Europe), the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI, USA), Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, Australia), can represent a source of important data for researchers of marine ecosystems. The RIs can then, in turn, receive suggestions from researchers for implementing new measurements and stimulating cross-cutting collaborations and data integration and standardisation from their user community. This poster provides a description of EMSO, OOI, ONC and IMOS for the benefit of marine ecosystem studies and presents examples of where the analyses of time-series have revealed noteworthy environmental conditions, temporal trends and events.

The Efficiency of Development of the Social Infrastructure of Region with Orientation on its Priority

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panasjuk Valentyna M.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at researching the criteria for assessing the efficiency of development of social infrastructure of region with orientation on its priority. It has been determined that the main measures and instruments for substantiating the social infrastructure development priorities can include: targeting, targeted programming; operational regulation; strategic planning; rationing and budgeting; predictive modeling according to the scale of its potential on the basis of methodical assessments of efficiency of its development. It has been defined that the types of activity providing the population with production and social services have their own specificity and features, as well as corresponding methods for assessing their activity. Five groups of indicators were allocated, considering which it is recommended to carry out assessments of the types of activity providing the population with production and social services: structural, production, personnel, financial, investment-innovative. Given the small number of indicators of development of each type of infrastructure, as well as regional specificity and type of development of infrastructure industries, it is necessary to apply a regional-differentiated approach to the assessment of their provision with infrastructural facilities.

Urban Green Infrastructure: German Experience

OpenAIRE

Diana Olegovna Dushkova; Sergey Nikolaevich Kirillov

2016-01-01

The paper presents a concept of urban green infrastructure and analyzes the features of its implementation in the urban development programmes of German cities. We analyzed the most shared articles devoted to the urban green infrastructure to see different approaches to definition of this term. It is based on materials of field research in the cities of Berlin and Leipzig in 2014-2015, international and national scientific publications. During the process of preparing the paper, consultations...

TEODOOR, a blueprint for distributed terrestrial observation data infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Kunkel, Ralf; Sorg, Jürgen; Abbrent, Martin; Borg, Erik; Gasche, Rainer; Kolditz, Olaf; Neidl, Frank; Priesack, Eckart; Stender, Vivien

2017-04-01

TERENO (TERrestrial ENvironmental Observatories) is an initiative funded by the large research infrastructure program of the Helmholtz Association of Germany. Four observation platforms to facilitate the investigation of consequences of global change for terrestrial ecosys-tems and the socioeconomic implications of these have been implemented and equipped from 2007 until 2013. Data collection, however, is planned to be performed for at least 30 years. TERENO provides series of system variables (e.g. precipitation, runoff, groundwater level, soil moisture, water vapor and trace gases fluxes) for the analysis and prognosis of global change consequences using integrated model systems, which will be used to derive efficient prevention, mitigation and adaptation strategies. Each platform is operated by a different Helmholtz-Institution, which maintains its local data infrastructure. Within the individual observatories, areas with intensive measurement programs have been implemented. Different sensors provide information on various physical parameters like soil moisture, temperatures, ground water levels or gas fluxes. Sensor data from more than 900 stations are collected automatically with a frequency of 20 s-1 up to 2 h-1, summing up to about 2,500,000 data values per day. In addition, three weather radar devices create raster data with a frequency of 12 to 60 h-1. The data are automatically imported into local relational database systems using a common data quality assessment framework, used to handle processing and assessment of heterogeneous environmental observation data. Starting with the way data are imported into the data infrastructure, custom workflows are developed. Data levels implying the underlying data processing, stages of quality assessment and data ac-cessibility are defined. In order to facilitate the acquisition, provision, integration, management and exchange of heterogeneous geospatial resources within a scientific and non-scientific environment

Distinctions between intelligent manufactured and constructed systems and a new discipline for intelligent infrastructure hypersystems

Science.gov (United States)

Aktan, A. Emin

2003-08-01

Although the interconnected systems nature of the infrastructures, and the complexity of interactions between their engineered, socio-technical and natural constituents have been recognized for some time, the principles of effectively operating, protecting and preserving such systems by taking full advantage of "modeling, simulations, optimization, control and decision making" tools developed by the systems engineering and operations research community have not been adequately studied or discussed by many engineers including the writer. Differential and linear equation systems, numerical and finite element modeling techniques, statistical and probabilistic representations are universal, however, different disciplines have developed their distinct approaches to conceptualizing, idealizing and modeling the systems they commonly deal with. The challenge is in adapting and integrating deterministic and stochastic, geometric and numerical, physics-based and "soft (data-or-knowledge based)", macroscopic or microscopic models developed by various disciplines for simulating infrastructure systems. There is a lot to be learned by studying how different disciplines have studied, improved and optimized the systems relating to various processes and products in their domains. Operations research has become a fifty-year old discipline addressing complex systems problems. Its mathematical tools range from linear programming to decision processes and game theory. These tools are used extensively in management and finance, as well as by industrial engineers for optimizing and quality control. Progressive civil engineering academic programs have adopted "systems engineering" as a focal area. However, most of the civil engineering systems programs remain focused on constructing and analyzing highly idealized, often generic models relating to the planning or operation of transportation, water or waste systems, maintenance management, waste management or general infrastructure hazards

Infrastructure Quality, Local Government Spending and Corruption

OpenAIRE

Ig. Sigit Murwito; Boedi Rheza; Sri Mulyati; Elizabeth Karlinda; Ratnawati Muyanto

2012-01-01

We study on how a larger local government budget on infrastructure does not reflect into good quality of road in forty-one district/city across Indonesia given the fact of low infrastructure quality and low government spending on infrastructure. This study excels its preceded studies done by Tanzi and Davoodi (1997) at country level. The methodology used is a combination of quantitative and qualitative approach since our main research query is to seek facts on why a larger government spending...

Leading research report for fiscal 1998 on the report on researches on intelligent social infrastructure technology; 1998 nendo chiteki shakai kiban kogaku gijutsu no chosa kenkyu hokokusho sendo kenkyu hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

Researches are conducted for showing some guidelines on the system and method of the intelligent social infrastructure technology (ISIT) as a 21st century type systematization technology, and a report is submitted on the result. Discussed in the report are the technological system and image of ISIT, the research and development setup and administrative tasks involving intelligent social infrastructure construction, and the systematization and operation of the ISIT. Mentioned as important element technologies are the infrastructure and information/communications technologies for security and disaster prevention, information technology and automatization technology for maintenance, and intelligent materials enabling disaster prediction and detection. Stated in connection with the future development of ISIT are information/communication technologies for system control, monitoring, and normal/urgent dual use. Specific examples are shown, such as the active card, urban disaster prevention and monitoring system, active city, intelligent network, and so forth. (NEDO)

Successful introduction of an underutilized elderly pneumococcal vaccine in a national immunization program by integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tae Un; Kim, Eunsung; Park, Young-Joon; Kim, Dongwook; Kwon, Yoon Hyung; Shin, Jae Kyong; Park, Ok

2016-03-18

Although pneumococcal vaccines had been recommended for the elderly population in South Korea for a considerable period of time, the coverage has been well below the optimal level. To increase the vaccination rate with integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure and governmental funding, the Korean government introduced an elderly pneumococcal vaccination into the national immunization program with a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in May 2013. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the program in increasing the vaccine coverage rate and maintaining stable vaccine supply and safe vaccination during the 20 months of the program. We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the process of introducing and the outcomes of the program in terms of the systematic organization, efficiency, and stability at the national level. A staggered introduction during the first year utilizing the public sector, with a target coverage of 60%, was implemented based on the public demand for an elderly pneumococcal vaccination, vaccine supply capacity, vaccine delivery capacity, safety, and sustainability. During the 20-month program period, the pneumococcal vaccine coverage rate among the population aged ≥65 years increased from 5.0% to 57.3% without a noticeable vaccine shortage or safety issues. A web-based integrated immunization information system, which includes the immunization registry, vaccine supply chain management, and surveillance of adverse events following immunization, reduced programmatic errors and harmonized the overall performance of the program. Introduction of an elderly pneumococcal vaccination in the national immunization program based on strong government commitment, meticulous preparation, financial support, and the pre-existing public health infrastructure resulted in an efficient, stable, and sustainable increase in vaccination coverage. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluating Infrastructure Development in Complex Home Visiting Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Margaret; Cole, Russell; Coffee-Borden, Brandon; Paulsell, Diane; Boller, Kimberly

2013-01-01

In recent years, increased focus on the effectiveness and accountability of prevention and intervention programs has led to greater government funding for the implementation and spread of evidence-based health and human service delivery models. In particular, attention has been paid to programs that require significant infrastructure investment…

Maintaining knowledge, training and infrastructure for research and development in nuclear safety. INSAG-16. A report by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (Russian Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of maintaining capabilities for nuclear research and education, especially with regard to safety aspects, so that nuclear safety may be maintained in IAEA Member States, and to alert Member States to the potential for significant harm if the infrastructure for research, development and education is not maintained. If the infrastructure for nuclear safety is not maintained, there will be a steady decrease in expertise, and thus in capability to respond to new challenges. The lead time in developing replacement educational opportunities is very long, because most institutions will require an indication of the number of enthusiastic potential students before investing in new infrastructure, and potential students may look elsewhere in the absence of an exciting analytical and experimental programme and a growing career field. Once lost, it would require massive inputs of resources from many IAEA Member States to attempt to re-establish the infrastructure, as was done to establish it when nuclear technology was new. The result could be a downward spiral in which expertise is lost, influence of the technical community on the decision making process is diminished, and complacency, fed by diminished technical capability, begins to exert a strong effect. In view of the above, INSAG has the following recommendations: In order to maintain and further enhance the safety of nuclear facilities and to protect workers and the public and the environment from radiological consequences, the infrastructure for safety research (experimental facilities, highly competent staff and modern analytical tools) must be maintained and supported by the responsible governmental organizations as well as by the operating organizations and manufacturers. This support should include international networking and co-operation, including joint funding of centres of excellence that have facilities and equipment for use in nuclear research

Security infrastructure for dynamically provisioned cloud infrastructure services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demchenko, Y.; Ngo, C.; de Laat, C.; Lopez, D.R.; Morales, A.; García-Espín, J.A.; Pearson, S.; Yee, G.

2013-01-01

This chapter discusses conceptual issues, basic requirements and practical suggestions for designing dynamically configured security infrastructure provisioned on demand as part of the cloud-based infrastructure. This chapter describes general use cases for provisioning cloud infrastructure services

Establishing the infrastructure to conduct comparative effectiveness research toward the elimination of disparities: a community-based participatory research framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Danyell S; Dapic, Virna; Sultan, Dawood H; August, Euna M; Green, B Lee; Roetzheim, Richard; Rivers, Brian

2013-11-01

In Tampa, Florida, researchers have partnered with community- and faith-based organizations to create the Comparative Effectiveness Research for Eliminating Disparities (CERED) infrastructure. Grounded in community-based participatory research, CERED acts on multiple levels of society to enhance informed decision making (IDM) of prostate cancer screening among Black men. CERED investigators combined both comparative effectiveness research and community-based participatory research to design a trial examining the effectiveness of community health workers and a digitally enhanced patient decision aid to support IDM in community settings as compared with "usual care" for prostate cancer screening. In addition, CERED researchers synthesized evidence through the development of systematic literature reviews analyzing the effectiveness of community health workers in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of African American adults toward cancer prevention and education. An additional systematic review analyzed chemoprevention agents for prostate cancer as an emerging technique. Both of these reviews, and the comparative effectiveness trial supporting the IDM process, add to CERED's goal of providing evidence to eliminate cancer health disparities.

Gas Research Institute research program summary: Goals and accomplishments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

Gas Research Institute's research and development programs pursue technologies that maximize the value of gas energy services while minimizing the cost of supplying and delivering gaseous fuels. Four program areas, Supply Options, End Use, Gas Operations, and Crosscutting Research, are described in the report, together with related project titles and numbers. Also included are summaries of 1990 research results, research collaboration and supported work, and patents and licensing agreements. Glossaries of budget and program terms and of acronyms and abbreviations often used in the GRI literature are added

Fusion research program in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.S.

1996-01-01

Fusion research in Korea is still premature, but it is a fast growing program. Groups in several universities and research institutes were working either in small experiments or in theoretical areas. Recently, couple of institutes who have small fusion-related experiments, proposed medium-size tokamak programs to jump into fusion research at the level of international recognition. Last year, Korean government finally approved to construct 'Superconducting Tokamak' as a national fusion program, and industries such as Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and Samsung joined to support this program. Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) has organized national project teams including universities, research institutes and companies. National project teams are performing design works since this March. (author)

77 FR 21989 - Critical Infrastructure Private Sector Clearance Program Request

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-12

... Advisors email the form to the individual who then emails back the completed form, minus their date and... official who nominated the applicant and by the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection. Upon...

DETERMINANTS OF RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS IN CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przemysław Borkowski

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Article deals with the problem of risk assessment in critical energy infrastructure. Firstly the critical infrastructure in energy sector is discussed than risk identification methodology for application to critical infrastructure is proposed. Specific conditions resulting from features of critical infrastructure are addressed in the context of risk assessment procedure. The limits of such a procedure are outlined and critical factors influencing different stages of risk assessment process are researched in view of specificity of the sector.

Modular Infrastructure for Rapid Flight Software Development

Science.gov (United States)

Pires, Craig

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of modular infrastructure to assist in the development of flight software. A feature of this program is the use of model based approach for application unique software. A review of two programs that this approach was use on are: the development of software for Hover Test Vehicle (HTV), and Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Experiment (LADEE).

Infrastructures for healthcare: From synergy to reverse synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Langhoff, Tue Odd; Amstrup, Mikkel Hvid; Mørck, Peter; Bjørn, Pernille

2018-03-01

The Danish General Practitioners Database has over more than a decade developed into a large-scale successful information infrastructure supporting medical research in Denmark. Danish general practitioners produce the data, by coding all patient consultations according to a certain set of classifications, on the entire Danish population. However, in the Autumn of 2014, the system was temporarily shut down due to a lawsuit filed by two general practitioners. In this article, we ask why and identify a political struggle concerning authority, control, and autonomy related to a transformation of the fundamental ontology of the information infrastructure. We explore how the transformed ontology created cracks in the inertia of the information infrastructure damaging the long-term sustainability. We propose the concept of reverse synergy as the awareness of negative impacts occurring when uncritically adding new actors or purposes to a system without due consideration to the nature of the infrastructure. We argue that while long-term information infrastructures are dynamic by nature and constantly impacted by actors joining or leaving the project, each activity of adding new actors must take reverse synergy into account, if not to risk breaking down the fragile nature of otherwise successful information infrastructures supporting research on healthcare.

Research Problems in Data Curation: Outcomes from the Data Curation Education in Research Centers Program

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, C. L.; Mayernik, M. S.; Weber, N.; Baker, K. S.; Kelly, K.; Marlino, M. R.; Thompson, C. A.

2013-12-01

The need for data curation is being recognized in numerous institutional settings as national research funding agencies extend data archiving mandates to cover more types of research grants. Data curation, however, is not only a practical challenge. It presents many conceptual and theoretical challenges that must be investigated to design appropriate technical systems, social practices and institutions, policies, and services. This presentation reports on outcomes from an investigation of research problems in data curation conducted as part of the Data Curation Education in Research Centers (DCERC) program. DCERC is developing a new model for educating data professionals to contribute to scientific research. The program is organized around foundational courses and field experiences in research and data centers for both master's and doctoral students. The initiative is led by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, and library and data professionals at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). At the doctoral level DCERC is educating future faculty and researchers in data curation and establishing a research agenda to advance the field. The doctoral seminar, Research Problems in Data Curation, was developed and taught in 2012 by the DCERC principal investigator and two doctoral fellows at the University of Illinois. It was designed to define the problem space of data curation, examine relevant concepts and theories related to both technical and social perspectives, and articulate research questions that are either unexplored or under theorized in the current literature. There was a particular emphasis on the Earth and environmental sciences, with guest speakers brought in from NCAR, National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Through the assignments, students

Epilepsy informatics and an ontology-driven infrastructure for large database research and patient care in epilepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Satya S.; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Lhatoo, Samden D.

2013-01-01

Summary The epilepsy community increasingly recognizes the need for a modern classification system that can also be easily integrated with effective informatics tools. The 2010 reports by the United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) identified informatics as a critical resource to improve quality of patient care, drive clinical research, and reduce the cost of health services. An effective informatics infrastructure for epilepsy, which is underpinned by a formal knowledge model or ontology, can leverage an ever increasing amount of multimodal data to improve (1) clinical decision support, (2) access to information for patients and their families, (3) easier data sharing, and (4) accelerate secondary use of clinical data. Modeling the recommendations of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification system in the form of an epilepsy domain ontology is essential for consistent use of terminology in a variety of applications, including electronic health records systems and clinical applications. In this review, we discuss the data management issues in epilepsy and explore the benefits of an ontology-driven informatics infrastructure and its role in adoption of a “data-driven” paradigm in epilepsy research. PMID:23647220

A multi VO Grid infrastructure at DESY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gellrich, Andreas

2010-01-01

As a centre for research with particle accelerators and synchrotron light, DESY operates a Grid infrastructure in the context of the EU-project EGEE and the national Grid initiative D-GRID. All computing and storage resources are located in one Grid infrastructure which supports a number of Virtual Organizations of different disciplines, including non-HEP groups such as the Photon Science community. Resource distribution is based on fair share methods without dedicating hardware to user groups. Production quality of the infrastructure is guaranteed by embedding it into the DESY computer centre.

Laboratory-Directed Research and Development 2016 Summary Annual Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pillai, Rekha Sukamar [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Jacobson, Julie Ann [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2017-01-01

The Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by March of each year. The program operates under the authority of DOE Order 413.2C, “Laboratory Directed Research and Development” (April 19, 2006), which establishes DOE’s requirements for the program while providing the laboratory director broad flexibility for program implementation. LDRD funds are obtained through a charge to all INL programs. This report includes summaries of all INL LDRD research activities supported during Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. INL is the lead laboratory for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). The INL mission is to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options, and critical infrastructure with a vision to change the world’s energy future and secure our critical infrastructure. Operating since 1949, INL is the nation’s leading research, development, and demonstration center for nuclear energy, including nuclear nonproliferation and physical and cyber-based protection of energy systems and critical infrastructure, as well as integrated energy systems research, development, demonstration, and deployment. INL has been managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (a wholly owned company of Battelle) for DOE since 2005. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, is a partnership between Battelle, BWX Technologies, Inc., AECOM, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National University Consortium (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, University of New Mexico, and Oregon State University), and the Idaho university collaborators (i.e., University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University). Since its creation, INL’s research and development (R&D) portfolio has broadened with targeted programs supporting national missions to advance nuclear energy

Methodology for Analyzing and Developing Information Management Infrastructure to Support Telerehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Saptono

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The proliferation of advanced technologies led researchers within the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation (RERC-TR to devise an integrated infrastructure for clinical services using the University of Pittsburgh (PITT model. This model describes five required characteristics for a telerehabilitation (TR infrastructure: openness, extensibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security. The infrastructure is to deliver clinical services over distance to improve access to health services for people living in underserved or remote areas. The methodological approach to design, develop, and employ this infrastructure is explained and detailed for the remote wheelchair prescription project, a research task within the RERC-TR. The availability of this specific clinical service and personnel outside of metropolitan areas is limited due to the lack of specialty expertise and access to resources. The infrastructure is used to deliver expertise in wheeled mobility and seating through teleconsultation to remote clinics, and has been successfully deployed to five rural clinics in Western Pennsylvania. Keywords: Telerehabilitation, Information Management, Infrastructure Development Methodology, Videoconferencing, Online Portal, Database

Housing – nationally significant infrastructure?

OpenAIRE

Hickman, H.; While, A.

2015-01-01

Research report commissioned by law firm Bond Dickinson and Quod Planning to explore the potential role of the consenting regime for National Infrastructure Planning to deliver large scale housing schemes.

FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONS OF EFFICIENCY PRODUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anzor H. Jankaziev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the methodological andmethodical bases of research and development institutes forming effi ciency production infrastructure. Focuses on the organizationalside of the issue as the comparative characteristics. It is proposed allocation of integraland differential approach to assessing the investment attractiveness of the industrial infrastructure of the enterprise. Consideredsectoral, regional, national and internationallevels of development of industrial infrastructure.

Initial research on recycled tyre bales for road infrastructure applications

Science.gov (United States)

Duda, Aleksander; Sobala, Dariusz

2017-12-01

The paper reviews selected surveys carried out within the R&D project, co-financed with the European Regional Development Fund, called "ReUse - Innovative Recycling Materials, Enhancing the Sustainability of Bridge Facilities" (Innotech No. K3 / IN3 / 38/228116 / NCBiR / 15). The aim of the project and conducted research is to develop and implement innovative, cheap and environmentally-friendly recycled construction material in the form of tyre bales made from compressed used car tyres. This material is likely to be applied in civil engineering, especially in transport infrastructure, geotechnical and hydraulic engineering. New material is cheap and has unique properties such as low weight, high water permeability, high vibration and noise-damping capacity, low pressure coefficient values and other parameters that technically and economically allow it to replace natural aggregates. The extensive practical application of new material will facilitate the replacement of waste management methods with the environmentally friendly ones.

Working towards a European Geological Data Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

van der Krogt, Rob; Hughes, Richard; Pedersen, Mikael; Serrano, Jean-Jacques; Lee, Kathryn A.; Tulstrup, Jørgen; Robida, François

2013-04-01

The increasing importance of geological information for policy, regulation and business needs at European and international level has been recognized by the European Parliament and the European Commission, who have called for the development of a common European geological knowledge base. The societal relevance of geoscience data/information is clear from many current issues such as shale gas exploration (including environmental impacts), the availability of critical mineral resources in a global economy, management and security with regard to geohazards (seismic, droughts, floods, ground stability), quality of (ground-)water and soil and societal responses to the impacts of climate change. The EGDI-Scope project responds to this, aiming to prepare an implementation plan for a pan-European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI), under the umbrella of the FP7 e- Infrastructures program. It is envisaged that the EGDI will build on geological datasets and models currently held by the European Geological Surveys at national and regional levels, and will also provide a platform for datasets generated by the large number of relevant past, ongoing and future European projects which have geological components. With European policy makers and decision makers from (international) industry as the main target groups (followed by research communities and the general public) stakeholder involvement is imperative to the successful realization and continuity of the EGDI. With these ambitions in mind, the presentation will focus on the following issues, also based on the first results and experiences of the EGDI-Scope project that started mid-2012: • The organization of stakeholder input and commitment connected to relevant 'use cases' within different thematic domains; a number of stakeholder representatives is currently involved, but the project is open to more extensive participation; • A large number of European projects relevant for data delivery to EGDI has been reviewed

Spatial Data Envelopment Analysis Method for the Evaluation of Regional Infrastructure Disparities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birutė Galinienė

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose—to achieve a more detailed assessment of regional differences, exploring regional infrastructure and human capital usage efficiency and to display analysis capabilities of spatial data efficient frontier method.Design/methodology/approach—the data envelopment analysis (DEA is applied to find the efficient frontier, which extends the application of production function of the regions. This method of mathematical programming optimization allows assessing the effectiveness of the regional spatial aspects presented. In recent studies this method is applied for evaluating the European Union regional policy issues.Findings—the application of DEA reveals its feasibility for regional input and output studies to evaluate more detailed and more reasonable fund allocation between Lithuanian regions. This analysis shows that in the comparatively efficient Lithuanian regions, such as Vilnius and Klaipėda, “the bottleneck” of usage of transport infrastructure and regional specific human capital is reached. It is stated that decision-making units could enhance region attractiveness for private investors by improving indirect factors in these regions. For practical significance of the study the results are compared with German regional analysis, conducted by Schaffer and other researchers (2011.Practical implications—the practical value of this work is based on giving more accurate planning tools for fund allocation decisions in Lithuanian regions while planning infrastructure and human capital development. The regional indicators were analyzed for 2010.Research type—case study.

Vehicle infrastructure integration (VII) based road-condition warning system for highway collision prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-01

As a major ITS initiative, the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program is to revolutionize : transportation by creating an enabling communication infrastructure that will open up a wide range of : safety applications. The road-condition warn...

78 FR 59666 - Transmission Infrastructure Program; Proposed Transmission Infrastructure Program Updates and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

... the Program to evaluate its current project development and financing practices and to identify areas... the conditions precedent required for a Project Applicant to apply for financing. Submitted after... involves the underwriting, financing, and loan monitoring and servicing for an Eligible Project. With few...

SEE-GRID eInfrastructure for Regional eScience

Science.gov (United States)

Prnjat, Ognjen; Balaz, Antun; Vudragovic, Dusan; Liabotis, Ioannis; Sener, Cevat; Marovic, Branko; Kozlovszky, Miklos; Neagu, Gabriel

In the past 6 years, a number of targeted initiatives, funded by the European Commission via its information society and RTD programmes and Greek infrastructure development actions, have articulated a successful regional development actions in South East Europe that can be used as a role model for other international developments. The SEEREN (South-East European Research and Education Networking initiative) project, through its two phases, established the SEE segment of the pan-European G ´EANT network and successfully connected the research and scientific communities in the region. Currently, the SEE-LIGHT project is working towards establishing a dark-fiber backbone that will interconnect most national Research and Education networks in the region. On the distributed computing and storage provisioning i.e. Grid plane, the SEE-GRID (South-East European GRID e-Infrastructure Development) project, similarly through its two phases, has established a strong human network in the area of scientific computing and has set up a powerful regional Grid infrastructure, and attracted a number of applications from different fields from countries throughout the South-East Europe. The current SEEGRID-SCI project, ending in April 2010, empowers the regional user communities from fields of meteorology, seismology and environmental protection in common use and sharing of the regional e-Infrastructure. Current technical initiatives in formulation are focusing on a set of coordinated actions in the area of HPC and application fields making use of HPC initiatives. Finally, the current SEERA-EI project brings together policy makers - programme managers from 10 countries in the region. The project aims to establish a communication platform between programme managers, pave the way towards common e-Infrastructure strategy and vision, and implement concrete actions for common funding of electronic infrastructures on the regional level. The regional vision on establishing an e-Infrastructure

Research Ethics with Undergraduates in Summer Research Training Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, I.; Yalcin, K.

2016-02-01

Many undergraduate research training programs incorporate research ethics into their programs and some are required. Engaging students in conversations around challenging topics such as conflict of interest, cultural and gender biases, what is science and what is normative science can difficult in newly formed student cohorts. In addition, discussing topics with more distant impacts such as science and policy, intellectual property and authorship, can be difficult for students in their first research experience that have more immediate concerns about plagiarism, data manipulation, and the student/faculty relationship. Oregon State University's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Ocean Sciences: From Estuaries to the Deep Sea as one model for incorporating a research ethics component into summer undergraduate research training programs. Weaved into the 10-week REU program, undergraduate interns participate in a series of conversations and a faculty mentor panel focused on research ethics. Topics discussed are in a framework for sharing myths, knowledge and personal experiences on issues in research with ethical implications. The series follows guidelines and case studies outlined from the text, On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences.

Building a NGII : Balancing between infrastructure and innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koerten, H.; Veenswijk, M.

2009-01-01

A multitude of studies has been published on how National Geo Information Infrastructures (NGII), also known as Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI), should be designed, set up and monitored. Scientific research on day-to-day experiences, on what is really happening in NGIIprojects is hard to find. We

Anticipating Interruptions. Security and risk in a liberalized electricity infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvast, A.

2013-11-01

During the past ten years, a number of social scientists have emphasized the importance of material infrastructures like electricity supply as a research topic for the social sciences. The developing of such new perspectives concerning infrastructures also includes uncertainties and risks. This research analyzes the management of uncertainties in the Finnish electricity infrastructure by posing the following research question: how are electricity interruptions, or blackouts, anticipated in Finland and how are these interruptions managed as risks? The main research methodology of the work is multi-sited field work. The empirical materials include interviews with experts and lay people (33 interviews); participant observation in two electricity control rooms; an electricity consumer survey (115 respondents); and also a number of infrastructure and security policy documents and observations from electricity security seminars. The materials were primarily gathered between 2004 and 2008. Social science research often links risks with major current social changes or socio-cultural risk perceptions. In recent international social science discussions, however, a new research topic has emerged - those styles of reasoning and techniques of governance that are deployed to manage risk as a practical matter. My study explores these themes empirically by focusing on the specific habitual practices of risk management in the Finnish electricity infrastructure. The work develops various also semi-ethnographic inquiries into infrastructure risk techniques like monitor screening of real-time risks in electricity control rooms; the management of risks in a liberalized electricity market; the emergence of Finnish reasoning about blackouts from a specific historical background; and the ways in which electricity consumers respond to blackouts in their homes. In addition, the work reflects upon the position of a risk researcher in those situations when the research subjects do not define

A Flight Control System Architecture for the NASA AirSTAR Flight Test Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Murch, Austin M.

2008-01-01

A flight control system architecture for the NASA AirSTAR infrastructure has been designed to address the challenges associated with safe and efficient flight testing of research control laws in adverse flight conditions. The AirSTAR flight control system provides a flexible framework that enables NASA Aviation Safety Program research objectives, and includes the ability to rapidly integrate and test research control laws, emulate component or sensor failures, inject automated control surface perturbations, and provide a baseline control law for comparison to research control laws and to increase operational efficiency. The current baseline control law uses an angle of attack command augmentation system for the pitch axis and simple stability augmentation for the roll and yaw axes.

76 FR 50487 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Stakeholder Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2011-0018] Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Stakeholder Survey AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS. ACTION: 30... Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of...

76 FR 17935 - Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Stakeholder Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2011-0018] Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Stakeholder Survey AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS. ACTION: 60... Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of...

Critical Infrastructure Protection: EMP Impacts on the U.S. Electric Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Boston, Edwin J., Jr.

The purpose of this research is to identify the United States electric grid infrastructure systems vulnerabilities to electromagnetic pulse attacks and the cyber-based impacts of those vulnerabilities to the electric grid. Additionally, the research identifies multiple defensive strategies designed to harden the electric grid against electromagnetic pulse attack that include prevention, mitigation and recovery postures. Research results confirm the importance of the electric grid to the United States critical infrastructures system and that an electromagnetic pulse attack against the electric grid could result in electric grid degradation, critical infrastructure(s) damage and the potential for societal collapse. The conclusions of this research indicate that while an electromagnetic pulse attack against the United States electric grid could have catastrophic impacts on American society, there are currently many defensive strategies under consideration designed to prevent, mitigate and or recover from an electromagnetic pulse attack. However, additional research is essential to further identify future target hardening opportunities, efficient implementation strategies and funding resources.

76 FR 36137 - National Infrastructure Advisory Council

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-21

... has completed its business. For additional information, please consult the NIAC Web site, http://www... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2011-0034] National Infrastructure Advisory Council AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS. ACTION: Committee Management; Notice of...

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Scott Staley

2010-03-31

This program was undertaken in response to the US Department of Energy Solicitation DE-PS30-03GO93010, resulting in this Cooperative Agreement with the Ford Motor Company and BP to demonstrate and evaluate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and required fueling infrastructure. Ford initially placed 18 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) in three geographic regions of the US (Sacramento, CA; Orlando, FL; and southeast Michigan). Subsequently, 8 advanced technology vehicles were developed and evaluated by the Ford engineering team in Michigan. BP is Ford's principal partner and co-applicant on this project and provided the hydrogen infrastructure to support the fuel cell vehicles. BP ultimately provided three new fueling stations. The Ford-BP program consists of two overlapping phases. The deliverables of this project, combined with those of other industry consortia, are to be used to provide critical input to hydrogen economy commercialization decisions by 2015. The program's goal is to support industry efforts of the US President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in developing a path to a hydrogen economy. This program was designed to seek complete systems solutions to address hydrogen infrastructure and vehicle development, and possible synergies between hydrogen fuel electricity generation and transportation applications. This project, in support of that national goal, was designed to gain real world experience with Hydrogen powered Fuel Cell Vehicles (H2FCV) 'on the road' used in everyday activities, and further, to begin the development of the required supporting H2 infrastructure. Implementation of a new hydrogen vehicle technology is, as expected, complex because of the need for parallel introduction of a viable, available fuel delivery system and sufficient numbers of vehicles to buy fuel to justify expansion of the fueling infrastructure. Viability of the fuel structure means widespread, affordable hydrogen which can return a reasonable profit to

The development of a cislunar space infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, C. A.; Johnson, A. S.; Mcglinchey, J. M.; Ryan, K. D.

1989-01-01

The primary objective of this Advanced Mission Design Program is to define the general characteristics and phased evolution of a near-Earth space infrastructure. The envisioned foundation includes a permanently manned, self-sustaining base on the lunar surface, a space station at the Libration Point between earth and the moon (L1), and a transportation system that anchors these elements to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) station. The implementation of this conceptual design was carried out with the idea that the infrastructure is an important step in a larger plan to expand man's capabilities in space science and technology. Such expansion depends on low cost, reliable, and frequent access to space for those who wish to use the multiple benefits of this environment. The presence of a cislunar space infrastructure would greatly facilitate the staging of future planetary missions, as well as the full exploration of the lunar potential for science and industry. The rationale for, and a proposed detailed scenario in support of, the cislunar space infrastructure are discussed.

Quality Assurance of ARM Program Climate Research Facility Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peppler, RA; Kehoe, KE; Sonntag, KL; Bahrmann, CP; Richardson, SJ; Christensen, SW; McCord, RA; Doty, DJ; Wagener, Richard [BNL; Eagan, RC; Lijegren, JC; Orr, BW; Sisterson, DL; Halter, TD; Keck, NN; Long, CN; Macduff, MC; Mather, JH; Perez, RC; Voyles, JW; Ivey, MD; Moore, ST; Nitschke, DL; Perkins, BD; Turner, DD

2008-03-01

This report documents key aspects of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) data quality assurance program as it existed in 2008. The performance of ACRF instruments, sites, and data systems is measured in terms of the availability, usability, and accessibility of the data to a user. First, the data must be available to users; that is, the data must be collected by instrument systems, processed, and delivered to a central repository in a timely manner. Second, the data must be usable; that is, the data must be inspected and deemed of sufficient quality for scientific research purposes, and data users must be able to readily tell where there are known problems in the data. Finally, the data must be accessible; that is, data users must be able to easily find, obtain, and work with the data from the central repository. The processes described in this report include instrument deployment and calibration; instrument and facility maintenance; data collection and processing infrastructure; data stream inspection and assessment; the roles of value-added data processing and field campaigns in specifying data quality and haracterizing the basic measurement; data archival, display, and distribution; data stream reprocessing; and engineering and operations management processes and procedures. Future directions in ACRF data quality assurance also are presented.

Quality Assurance of ARM Program Climate Research Facility Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peppler, R.A.; Kehoe, K.E.; Sonntag, K.L.; Bahramann, C.P.; Richardson, S.J.; Christensen, S.W.; McCord, R.A.; Doty, D.J.; Wagener, R.; Eagan, R.C.; Lijegren, J.C.; Orr, B.W.; Sisterson, D.L.; Halter, T.D.; Keck, N.N.; Long, C.N.; Macduff, M.C.; Mather, J.H.; Perez, R.C.; Voyles, J.W.; Ivey, M.D.; Moore, S.T.; Nitschke, D.L.; Perkins, B.D.; Turner, D.D.

2008-01-01

This report documents key aspects of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) data quality assurance program as it existed in 2008. The performance of ACRF instruments, sites, and data systems is measured in terms of the availability, usability, and accessibility of the data to a user. First, the data must be available to users; that is, the data must be collected by instrument systems, processed, and delivered to a central repository in a timely manner. Second, the data must be usable; that is, the data must be inspected and deemed of sufficient quality for scientific research purposes, and data users must be able to readily tell where there are known problems in the data. Finally, the data must be accessible; that is, data users must be able to easily find, obtain, and work with the data from the central repository. The processes described in this report include instrument deployment and calibration; instrument and facility maintenance; data collection and processing infrastructure; data stream inspection and assessment; the roles of value-added data processing and field campaigns in specifying data quality and characterizing the basic measurement; data archival, display, and distribution; data stream reprocessing; and engineering and operations management processes and procedures. Future directions in ACRF data quality assurance also are presented

GRI's Devonian Shales Research Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidry, F.K.

1991-01-01

This paper presents a summary of the key observations and conclusions from the Gas Research Institute's (GRI's) Comprehensive Study Well (CSW) research program conducted in the Devonian Shales of the Appalachian Basin. Initiated in 1987, the CSW program was a series of highly instrumented study wells drilled in cooperation with industry partners. Seven wells were drilled as part of the program. Extensive data sets were collected and special experiments were run on the CSW's in addition to the operator's normal operations, with the objectives of identifying geologic production controls, refining formation evaluation tools, and improving reservoir description and stimulation practices in the Devonian Shales. This paper highlights the key results from the research conducted in the CSW program in the areas of geologic production controls, formation evaluation, stimulation and reservoir engineering, and field operations. The development of geologic, log analysis, and reservoir models for the Shales from the data gathered and analysis, and reservoir models for the Shales from the data gathered and analyzed during the research is discussed. In addition, on the basis of what was learned in the CSW program, GRI's plans for new research in the Devonian Shales are described

Integrating Research and Extension for the Nsf-Reu Program in Water Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Judge, J.; Migliaccio, K.; Gao, B.; Shukla, S.; Ehsani, R.; McLamore, E.

2011-12-01

Providing positive and meaningful research experiences to students in their undergraduate years is critical for motivating them to pursue advanced degrees or research careers in science and engineering. Such experiences not only offer training for the students in problem solving and critical thinking via hands-on projects, but also offer excellent mentoring and recruiting opportunities for the faculty advisors. The goal of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department (ABE) at the University of Florida (UF) is to provide eight undergraduate students a unique opportunity to conduct research in water resources using interdisciplinary approaches, integrating research and extension. The students are selected from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. The eight-week REU Program utilizes the extensive infrastructure of UF - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) through the Research and Education Centers (RECs). Two students are paired to participate in their own project under the direct supervision of one of the four research mentors. Four of the eight students are located at the main campus, in Gainesville, Fl, and four remaining students are located off-campus, at the RECs, where some of the ABE faculty are located. The students achieve an enriching cohort experience through social networking, daily blogs, and weekly video conferences to share their research and other REU experiences. The students are co-located during the Orientation week and also during the 5-day Florida Waters Tour. Weekly group meetings and guest lectures are conducted via synchronously through video conferencing. The integration of research and extension is naturally achieved through the projects at the RECs, the guest lectures, Extension workshops, and visits to the Water Management Districts in Florida. In the last two years of the Program, we have received over 80 applicants, from four-year and advanced

Linking International Development Actors to Geophysical Infrastructure: Exploring an IRIS Community Role in Bridging a Communications Gap

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner-Lam, A.; Aster, R.; Beck, S.; Ekstrom, G.; Fisher, K.; Meltzer, A.; Nyblade, A.; Sandvol, E.; Willemann, R.

2008-12-01

Over the past quarter century, national investments in high-fidelity digital seismograph networks have resulted in a global infrastructure for real-time in situ earthquake monitoring. Many network operators adhere to community-developed standards, with the result that there are few technical impediments to data sharing and real-time information exchange. Two unanswered questions, however, are whether the existing models of international collaboration will ensure the stability and sustainability of global earthquake monitoring, and whether the participating institutions can work with international development agencies and non- governmental organizations in meeting linked development and natural hazard risk reduction goals. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, many of these actors are enlarging their commitments to natural hazard risk reduction and building national technical capacities, among broader programs in poverty alleviation and adaptation to environmental stress. Despite this renewed commitment, international development organizations, with notable exceptions, have been relatively passive in discussions of how the existing earthquake monitoring infrastructure could be leveraged to support risk-reduction programs and meet sustainable development goals. At the same time, the international seismological community - comprising universities and government seismological surveys - has built research and education initiatives such as EarthScope, AfricaArray, and similar programs in China, Europe and South America, that use innovative instrumentation technologies and deployment strategies to enable new science and applications, and promote education and training in critical sectors. Can these developments be combined? Recognizing this communication or knowledge gap, the IRIS International Working Group (IWG) explores the link between the activities of IRIS Members using IRIS facilities and the missions of international development agencies, such as US AID, the World

Resurrecting social infrastructure as a determinant of urban tuberculosis control in Delhi, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Shivani; Sharma, Nandini; Joshi, Kulanand; Aggarwal, Nishi; Kannan, Anjur Tupil

2014-01-17

The key to universal coverage in tuberculosis (TB) management lies in community participation and empowerment of the population. Social infrastructure development generates social capital and addresses the crucial social determinants of TB, thereby improving program performance. Recently, there has been renewed interest in the concept of social infrastructure development for TB control in developing countries. This study aims to revive this concept and highlight the fact that documentation on ways to operationalize urban TB control is required from a holistic development perspective. Further, it explains how development of social infrastructure impacts health and development outcomes, especially with respect to TB in urban settings. A wide range of published Government records pertaining to social development parameters and TB program surveillance, between 2001 and 2011 in Delhi, were studied. Social infrastructure development parameters like human development index along with other indicators reflecting patient profile and habitation in urban settings were selected as social determinants of TB. These include adult literacy rates, per capita income, net migration rates, percentage growth in slum population, and percentage of urban population living in one-room dwelling units. The impact of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program on TB incidence was assessed as an annual decline in new TB cases notified under the program. Univariate linear regression was employed to examine the interrelationship between social development parameters and TB program outcomes. The decade saw a significant growth in most of the social development parameters in the State. TB program performance showed 46% increment in lives saved among all types of TB cases per 100,000 population. The 7% reduction in new TB case notifications from the year 2001 to 2011, translates to a logarithmic decline of 5.4 new TB cases per 100,000 population. Except per capita income, literacy, and net

Human Research Program Integrated Research Plan. Revision A January 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

The Integrated Research Plan (IRP) describes the portfolio of Human Research Program (HRP) research and technology tasks. The IRP is the HRP strategic and tactical plan for research necessary to meet HRP requirements. The need to produce an IRP is established in HRP-47052, Human Research Program - Program Plan, and is under configuration management control of the Human Research Program Control Board (HRPCB). Crew health and performance is critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The Human Research Program (HRP) is essential to enabling extended periods of space exploration because it provides knowledge and tools to mitigate risks to human health and performance. Risks include physiological and behavioral effects from radiation and hypogravity environments, as well as unique challenges in medical support, human factors, and behavioral or psychological factors. The Human Research Program (HRP) delivers human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. Without HRP results, NASA will face unknown and unacceptable risks for mission success and post-mission crew health. This Integrated Research Plan (IRP) describes HRP s approach and research activities that are intended to address the needs of human space exploration and serve HRP customers and how they are integrated to provide a risk mitigation tool. The scope of the IRP is limited to the activities that can be conducted with the resources available to the HRP; it does not contain activities that would be performed if additional resources were available. The timescale of human space exploration is envisioned to take many decades. The IRP illustrates the program s research plan through the timescale of early lunar missions of extended duration.

Cloud Environment Automation: from infrastructure deployment to application monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Aiftimiei, C.; Costantini, A.; Bucchi, R.; Italiano, A.; Michelotto, D.; Panella, M.; Pergolesi, M.; Saletta, M.; Traldi, S.; Vistoli, C.; Zizzi, G.; Salomoni, D.

2017-10-01

The potential offered by the cloud paradigm is often limited by technical issues, rules and regulations. In particular, the activities related to the design and deployment of the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud layer can be difficult to apply and time-consuming for the infrastructure maintainers. In this paper the research activity, carried out during the Open City Platform (OCP) research project [1], aimed at designing and developing an automatic tool for cloud-based IaaS deployment is presented. Open City Platform is an industrial research project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), started in 2014. It intends to research, develop and test new technological solutions open, interoperable and usable on-demand in the field of Cloud Computing, along with new sustainable organizational models that can be deployed for and adopted by the Public Administrations (PA). The presented work and the related outcomes are aimed at simplifying the deployment and maintenance of a complete IaaS cloud-based infrastructure.

Establishing the Safety Infrastructure for NPP in Mongolia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enkhbat, Norov; Lee, Y. E.

2013-01-01

The survey results and analyses were used to establish the basis for developing nuclear safety infrastructure in Mongolia. Power Energy effective reform or introduction of nuclear reactors should be implemented in coming future to avoid this critical situation faces us. The most participant suggested that Mongolia may cooperate in the field of nuclear safety and infrastructure development with the Republic of Korea. Nuclear Energy Agency of the government of Mongolia has organized Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development (NUPID) training in cooperating with Seoul National University and other organizations in 2008, 2010 and 2012. There is a need to improve the nuclear energy law of Mongolia. Total energy supply of Mongolia is 5124.08 MWt as of 2012. 92.4% of total energy supply produces with coal, 0.56% with liquid fuel, and 0.01% with renewable energy sources, remained 6% imports from Russia. Mongolia operates seven Thermal Centralized Systems (TCS) with total capacity of 802 MWt, which provides dual; electricity and thermal power. Energy demand in Mongolia is expected to increase, due to the dramatically expanding mining industry. It is absolutely impossible to supply such rapid growth having operated old technology and inefficient production which exists currently in Mongolia. Therefor Mongolian government is interested in utilizing nuclear energy and approved Nuclear Energy Law in 2009. National Development Strategy (2008-2021) stated as that the peaceful exploitation of the nuclear energy will be an important factor for the sustainable development of Magnolia. Action Plan of the Government for 2008-2012 stated as that ...conduct a comprehensive research for use of nuclear energy, develop technical and economic feasibility study and improve radiation control and safety. International community has developed appropriate approaches in the form of IAEA safety standards, which has a positive experience of regulation and safety. These approaches contribute to the

Establishing the Safety Infrastructure for NPP in Mongolia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enkhbat, Norov [Korea Advanced Institue of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Y. E. [Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

The survey results and analyses were used to establish the basis for developing nuclear safety infrastructure in Mongolia. Power Energy effective reform or introduction of nuclear reactors should be implemented in coming future to avoid this critical situation faces us. The most participant suggested that Mongolia may cooperate in the field of nuclear safety and infrastructure development with the Republic of Korea. Nuclear Energy Agency of the government of Mongolia has organized Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development (NUPID) training in cooperating with Seoul National University and other organizations in 2008, 2010 and 2012. There is a need to improve the nuclear energy law of Mongolia. Total energy supply of Mongolia is 5124.08 MWt as of 2012. 92.4% of total energy supply produces with coal, 0.56% with liquid fuel, and 0.01% with renewable energy sources, remained 6% imports from Russia. Mongolia operates seven Thermal Centralized Systems (TCS) with total capacity of 802 MWt, which provides dual; electricity and thermal power. Energy demand in Mongolia is expected to increase, due to the dramatically expanding mining industry. It is absolutely impossible to supply such rapid growth having operated old technology and inefficient production which exists currently in Mongolia. Therefor Mongolian government is interested in utilizing nuclear energy and approved Nuclear Energy Law in 2009. National Development Strategy (2008-2021) stated as that the peaceful exploitation of the nuclear energy will be an important factor for the sustainable development of Magnolia. Action Plan of the Government for 2008-2012 stated as that ...conduct a comprehensive research for use of nuclear energy, develop technical and economic feasibility study and improve radiation control and safety. International community has developed appropriate approaches in the form of IAEA safety standards, which has a positive experience of regulation and safety. These approaches contribute to the

A new DoD initiative: the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arevalo, S; Atwood, C; Bell, P; Blacker, T D; Dey, S; Fisher, D; Fisher, D A; Genalis, P; Gorski, J; Harris, A; Hill, K; Hurwitz, M; Kendall, R P; Meakin, R L; Morton, S; Moyer, E T; Post, D E; Strawn, R; Veldhuizen, D v; Votta, L G

2008-01-01

In FY2008, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program, a $360M program with a two-year planning phase and a ten-year execution phase. CREATE will develop and deploy three computational engineering tool sets for DoD acquisition programs to use to design aircraft, ships and radio-frequency antennas. The planning and execution of CREATE are based on the 'lessons learned' from case studies of large-scale computational science and engineering projects. The case studies stress the importance of a stable, close-knit development team; a focus on customer needs and requirements; verification and validation; flexible and agile planning, management, and development processes; risk management; realistic schedules and resource levels; balanced short- and long-term goals and deliverables; and stable, long-term support by the program sponsor. Since it began in FY2008, the CREATE program has built a team and project structure, developed requirements and begun validating them, identified candidate products, established initial connections with the acquisition programs, begun detailed project planning and development, and generated the initial collaboration infrastructure necessary for success by its multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams

Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program: sustainability of taking a risk with "at risk" horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Sarah L; Molnar, Anne

2012-12-01

In 1999, the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program (YHTRP) was initiated at Rutgers University. The unique aspect of the program was using horses generally considered "at risk" and in need of rescue, but of relatively low value. The risks of using horses from pregnant mare urine (PMU) ranches and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustangs were high, but, ultimately, unrealized. No students or staff members were seriously injured over the course of the next 12 yr, and the horses were sold annually as highly desirable potential athletes or pleasure horses, usually at a profit. The use of "at risk" horses generated a significant amount of positive media attention and attracted substantial funding in the form of donations and sponsorships, averaging over $60,000 (USD)per year. Despite economic downturns, public and industry support provided sustainability for the program with only basic University infrastructural support. Taking the risk of using "at risk" horses paid off, with positive outcomes for all.

Securing the United States' power infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Happenny, Sean F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-08-01

The United States’ power infrastructure is aging, underfunded, and vulnerable to cyber attack. Emerging smart grid technologies may take some of the burden off of existing systems and make the grid as a whole more efficient, reliable, and secure. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is funding research into several aspects of smart grid technology and grid security, creating a software simulation tool that will allow researchers to test power distribution networks utilizing different smart grid technologies to determine how the grid and these technologies react under different circumstances. Demonstrating security in embedded systems is another research area PNNL is tackling. Many of the systems controlling the U.S. critical infrastructure, such as the power grid, lack integrated security and the networks protecting them are becoming easier to breach. Providing a virtual power substation network to each student team at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, thereby supporting the education of future cyber security professionals, is another way PNNL is helping to strengthen the security of the nation’s power infrastructure.

Seismic safety margins research program overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokarz, F.J.; Smith, P.D.

1978-01-01

A multiyear seismic research program has been initiated at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. This program, the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP) is funded by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The program is designed to develop a probabilistic systems methodology for determining the seismic safety margins of nuclear power plants. Phase I, extending some 22 months, began in July 1978 at a funding level of approximately $4.3 million. Here we present an overview of the SSMRP. Included are discussions on the program objective, the approach to meet the program goal and objectives, end products, the probabilistic systems methodology, and planned activities for Phase I

Fiscal 1997 report on the investigational research on intelligent social infrastructure technology; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho (chiteki shakai kiban kogaku gijutsu no chosa kenkyu hokokusho)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

The paper first described an aim and outline of intelligent social infrastructure technology, summed up the system of social infrastructure and the situation in Japan in terms of the structure, lifeline, moving bodies such as railroad and automobiles, communication, security, and maintenance. Considering this present situation, the paper next described a concept of the intelligent social infrastructure technology to be newly constructed and a course of the development. Besides, as subjects required to study for the development of intelligent social infrastructure technology, it reported on risk management, methods of definition/collection/transfer/supply of information, infrastructure applicable at emergency, normal/emergency dual course system, privacy, robustness, and additionally the problems to be caused pertaining to architecture/civil engineering, traffic, security, communication, etc. when the infrastructure develops as a social system. Moreover, as element technology, the intelligent system related technology and data communication technology were described in detail. Examples of the research project were also reported. 101 refs., 70 figs., 42 tabs.

Security infrastructure for on-demand provisioned Cloud infrastructure services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demchenko, Y.; Ngo, C.; de Laat, C.; Wlodarczyk, T.W.; Rong, C.; Ziegler, W.

2011-01-01

Providing consistent security services in on-demand provisioned Cloud infrastructure services is of primary importance due to multi-tenant and potentially multi-provider nature of Clouds Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) environment. Cloud security infrastructure should address two aspects of the

Can Economics Provide Insights into Trust Infrastructure?

Science.gov (United States)

Vishik, Claire

Many security technologies require infrastructure for authentication, verification, and other processes. In many cases, viable and innovative security technologies are never adopted on a large scale because the necessary infrastructure is slow to emerge. Analyses of such technologies typically focus on their technical flaws, and research emphasizes innovative approaches to stronger implementation of the core features. However, an observation can be made that in many cases the success of adoption pattern depends on non-technical issues rather than technology-lack of economic incentives, difficulties in finding initial investment, inadequate government support. While a growing body of research is dedicated to economics of security and privacy in general, few theoretical studies in this area have been completed, and even fewer that look at the economics of “trust infrastructure” beyond simple “cost of ownership” models. This exploratory paper takes a look at some approaches in theoretical economics to determine if they can provide useful insights into security infrastructure technologies and architectures that have the best chance to be adopted. We attempt to discover if models used in theoretical economics can help inform technology developers of the optimal business models that offer a better chance for quick infrastructure deployment.

Innovative infrastructure of scientific-industrial cluster

OpenAIRE

SHEBEKO KONSTANTIN K

2016-01-01

Based on the analysis of problems of creation and functioning of innovation infrastructure in Belarus conclusions on the lack of its effectiveness are made. Main focus is given to the analysis of the practice of innovation infrastructure functioning, created on the basis of Polessky State University as a research university in order to perform technological modernization of the economy and the dissemination of effective business practices in Pripyat Polesye region in the form of scientific an...

NASA's computer science research program

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, R. L.

1983-01-01

Following a major assessment of NASA's computing technology needs, a new program of computer science research has been initiated by the Agency. The program includes work in concurrent processing, management of large scale scientific databases, software engineering, reliable computing, and artificial intelligence. The program is driven by applications requirements in computational fluid dynamics, image processing, sensor data management, real-time mission control and autonomous systems. It consists of university research, in-house NASA research, and NASA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) and Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE). The overall goal is to provide the technical foundation within NASA to exploit advancing computing technology in aerospace applications.

Research program on regulatory safety research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mailaender, R.

2010-02-01

This paper elaborated for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the synthesis report for 2009 made by the SFOE's program leader on the research program concerning regulatory nuclear safety research, as co-ordinated by the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI. Work carried out in various areas is reviewed, including that done on reactor safety, radiation protection and waste disposal as well as human aspects, organisation and safety culture. Work done concerning materials, pressure vessel integrity, transient analysis, the analysis of serious accidents in light-water reactors, fuel and material behaviour, melt cooling and concrete interaction is presented. OECD data bank topics are discussed. Transport and waste disposal research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory is looked at. Requirements placed on the personnel employed in nuclear power stations are examined and national and international co-operation is reviewed

1974 review of the research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

The role of the Research Program in Controlled Thermonuclear Research, the activities that are contained within the Research Program, and summaries of the reports prepared by the study groups that analyzed the six activity areas that make up the Research Program are described. The recommendations by an ''Overview Panel'' are given. The recommendations are based on an analysis of the individual study group reports, consultations with CTR staff and field scientists, and on independent review of CTR program plans and needs. In some cases the recommendations of the Overview Panel are identical with study group recommendations and in other cases they are not. Some recommendations by the Overview Panel take into account factors and information that go beyond that available to the study groups. The five-year budget needed to accomplish the recommended Research Program is discussed. The Overview Panel chose to normalize its budget recommendations to the actual FY 1975 Research Program budget, reflecting the fact that this is already determined. The budgets for subsequent years are then based on this starting point. The complete reports prepared by the six study groups are given. Each report is based on an analysis of the needs as dictated by the Magnetic Confinement Systems and Development and Technology Program Plans. (U.S.)

Trustworthy Critical Infrastructures via Physics-Aware Just-Ahead-Of-Time Verification

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

Dr. Saman Zonouz, assistant professor at Rutgers University, NJ and the director of the 4N6 Cyber Security and Forensics Laboratory is visiting CERN for a collaboration meeting. His previous works and research interests include PLC program analysis, security of embedded systems, and malware analysis and reverse engineering. Before the collaboration meeting, Dr. Zonouz is giving a 30-minutes-long talk, titled 'Trustworthy Critical Infrastructures via Physics-Aware Just-Ahead-Of-Time Verification', followed by Q&A and discussions. You can find the abstract of the talk below. The presentation is open to anyone interested, but please register on Indico to know the size of the room needed. (Please note the new room: 31/3-004, IT Auditorium.) Abstract Critical cyber-physical infrastructures, such as the power grid, integrate networks of computational and physical processes to provide the people across the globe with essential functionalities and services. Protecting these critical infrastructu...

Department of Energy's Virtual Lab Infrastructure for Integrated Earth System Science Data

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, D. N.; Palanisamy, G.; Shipman, G.; Boden, T.; Voyles, J.

2014-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD) produces a diversity of data, information, software, and model codes across its research and informatics programs and facilities. This information includes raw and reduced observational and instrumentation data, model codes, model-generated results, and integrated data products. Currently, most of this data and information are prepared and shared for program specific activities, corresponding to CESD organization research. A major challenge facing BER CESD is how best to inventory, integrate, and deliver these vast and diverse resources for the purpose of accelerating Earth system science research. This talk provides a concept for a CESD Integrated Data Ecosystem and an initial roadmap for its implementation to address this integration challenge in the "Big Data" domain. Towards this end, a new BER Virtual Laboratory Infrastructure will be presented, which will include services and software connecting the heterogeneous CESD data holdings, and constructed with open source software based on industry standards, protocols, and state-of-the-art technology.

Local food protection and safety infrastructure and capacity: a Maryland case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kufel, Joanna Zablotsky; Resnick, Beth A; Fox, Mary; Frattaroli, Shannon; Gielen, Andrea; Burke, Thomas A

2011-01-01