We Want You! – CRA is Hiring!

On August 25, 2011, In CRA, People, By Peter Harsha

Here at CRA World HQ, we’re looking for a Program Manager. Below is the official notice. If you or someone you know might be interested, please apply! Send applications and inquiries to employment@cra.org. The position will remain open until a suitable applicant is found!

Program Manager

This posting will expire on December 31, 2011.

Organization/Institution: Computing Research Association (CRA)
Posted: August 25, 2011

CRA’s mission is to strengthen research and advance education in the computing fields, expand opportunities for women and minorities, and improve public and policymaker understanding of the importance of computing and computing research in our society.

The role of the Program Manager is to support the CRA in the development and execution of programs that benefit the computing community by increasing participation and diversity in computing research. Specific tasks include the following (not exhaustive):

  • Work with CRA volunteers to plan, design and implement new and existing programs.
  • Oversee, track and provide updates of all related activities (including assessment and evaluation of programs)
  • Plan and coordinate all aspects of telephone and in-person professional meetings, workshops and special events
  • Participate in committee and program meetings, on the phone and in person, traveling as required
  • Assist committee members in securing funding for various programs
  • Write proposals and reports, including the development and implementation of budgets
  • Manage all federal and foundation funding for committees
  • Facilitate communication between and among external and internal constituencies
  • Work closely with volunteers and the webmasters to develop promotional materials, newsletters and web content
  • Increase visibility of the organization through participation at conferences, development of promotional materials and collaborations with other groups

The selected candidate will work closely with the chairs of the CRA committees, particularly CRA-W, that he or she will support. This position requires the ability to work independently and with significant autonomy. Initiative, organization, maturity, accounting experience and judgment are vital to this position. The staff member must operate under pressure in a busy office and maintain comprehensive control of a multitude of projects simultaneously while pushing all projects to timely completion and providing continual updates on the status of each project to the appropriate stakeholders. Reliability and good communication skills are key requirements. A strong interest in computing research and its impacts is desired. Availability to travel offsite to various meetings is necessary.

This is not a research position. It is a position working with and supporting the computing research community.

Application Instructions

Desired background:

  1. Experience working with a research community
  2. Financial management and accounting experience in a non-profit environment; particularly experience with the National Science Foundation’s processes and procedures
  3. Demonstrated organizational and communication skills

The Computing Research Association is an association of more than 200 North American academic departments of computer science, computer engineering, and related fields; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia engaging in basic computing research; and affiliated professional societies with a focus on enhancing the computing research environment. CRA offers an excellent benefits package and competitive salaries. For more information, see www.cra.org.

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

CS PostDoc Numbers Surge — We Need Your Input!

On May 12, 2011, In Computing Community Consortium (CCC), People, By Peter Harsha

(The following is cross-posted with CRA’s Computing Community Consortium blog)

The Computing Research Association recently published the results of its annual Taulbee Survey, and the numbers of PostDocs rose to record levels, continuing a trend that we have witnessed for more than a decade — and bringing new meaning to the CRA’s PostDoc white paper effort.

Background

As we have blogged here before, CRA — the umbrella organization of the CCC — initiated an effort last fall to engage the community in a conversation about PostDocs, at a time when a growing number of new CS PhDs appeared to be going that route. A committee commissioned by CRA prepared a white paper reporting the statistics associated with academic and industry hiring, with the aim of providing a starting point for further discussion throughout the community. The white paper was posted online on Feb. 2 – http://cra.org/postdocs — and we have received some comments on the companion web forum.

New Survey Data

Based on this year’s Taulbee Survey data, the three-year rolling average for the number of new PhDs pursuing PostDocs rose from 159 in 2009 to 218 in 2010 — an increase of 37% in just one year. That’s on top of a tripling in the number of PostDocs observed during the 12-year period from 1998 through 2009, as reported in the white paper, suggesting that the trend toward PostDocs is not only continuing but perhaps also accelerating.  Meanwhile, the number of new PhDs who pursued tenure-track faculty appointments declined yet again, from 151 in 2009 to 137 in 2010, or 9% (three-year rolling averages). (The numbers of new PhDs pursuing other positions, including teaching and research appointments in academia, positions in industry, etc., remained essentially flat.)

Here’s a graph showing the hiring of new computer science PhDs from U.S. and Canadian universities from 1998 through 2010 (three-year rolling averages):

Hiring of new computer science PhDs from U.S. and Canadian universities, as a 3-year rolling average, 1998-2010

And taking a closer look at just the academic positions:

Academic hiring of new computer science PhDs from U.S. and Canadian universities, as a 3-year rolling average, 1998-2010

(For comparison purposes, these graphs are updates to Figures 1 and 2 in the original white paper.)

We Need Your Input

What do you think about these trends — and the implications for PostDocs, graduate students, faculty, universities, companies, and the field as a whole? Please discuss the white paper with your colleagues within your departments and labs — and post your views about this trend and PostDocs generally on the companion web forum: http://cra.org/postdocs. Some things to consider:

  • Should funders increase or decrease the number of PostDocs in response to the economy, or, more explicitly, in response to academic and industrial hiring trends?
  • Does an increase in funding of PostDocs come at the expense of funding for graduate students? If so, at what point does the growth in PostDoc positions begin to threaten the pipeline of next-generation researchers?
  • Is the PostDoc the most effective way to encourage interdisciplinary interactions?
  • Are there reasons to maintain a PostDoc pipeline in one computing subfield at a higher level than in another?
  • To what degree is a PostDoc experience helpful for a researcher who will take a non-academic position?
  • Is there a gender difference in terms of the impact on PostDocs?
  • To what extent should the computer science community be engaged in setting guidelines for the balance between PostDocs and students, if the total amount of funding is roughly constant?

Your input is immensely valuable, as the committee will soon compile and articulate the consensus of the community, if any, on this issue.

(Contributed by Erwin Gianchandani, CCC Director, and Member, CRA’s PostDoc Committee)

Tagged with: • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

CNSF Exhibition

On May 12, 2011, In Events, People, Research, Uncategorized, By MelissaNorr

The Coalition for National Science Funding held another successful Science Exposition on Capitol Hill last night and once again CRA played a part. CRA was ably represented this year by Dr. L. Jean Camp and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) student Carl Brugger from Indiana University who did a fantastic job showing and explaining their work on Ethical Technologies in the Homes of Seniors (ETHOS). ETHOS researches and develops technologies to keep seniors connected to offsite caregivers and to keep seniors safe in their homes. The exhibit received a number of Congressional staff, NSF staff, and other exhibitors interested in learning about the projects displayed. The three technologies exhibited for CRA included an external device to indicate the trustworthiness of web sites, a tablet computer that uses photos of pills to assist in the monitoring of medication doses and interactions, and a clock set that would indicate to an offsite caregiver that a senior was home and active.

Dr. L. Jean Camp and Carl Brugger at the CRA exhibit

The CNSF exhibition, a sort of science fair for Congress and staff, had 32 booths manned by researchers representing universities and scientific societies featuring some of the important research funded by the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Camp and Carl Brugger discuss the displayed research

As we’ve noted before in this space, personal visits to members of Congress and their staff are vital to getting the message about the importance of computing research out. If you are coming to Washington and would like to visit your Representative and Senators, let us know and we’ll be happy to help with appointments and provide materials for your use!

 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries Next Entries »
Go To Top »