This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Idaho's EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Inter-Campus and Intra-Campus Cyber Connectivity project focuses on: 1) broadening participation in cyberinfrastructure, 2) facilitating better data management, 3) connecting a more diverse audience to research and research-based education, and 4) leveraging connections to Idaho's K-12 system. The project will support long-term, sustainable cyber connectivity and broadband access capabilities between and within academic institutions in Idaho by investing in a variety of diverse and unique networking improvements at multiple locations. This project is designed to provide infrastructure to fill gaps in the Idaho Regional Optical Network. Improvements will be implemented at North Idaho College and the University of Idaho Harbor Center in Coeur d'Alene, Lewis-Clark State College, the College of Southern Idaho, and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies in Idaho Falls.
Intellectual Merit The project will facilitate synergy among NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 and Track-2 activities related to the theme of "Water Resources in a Changing Climate". Relatively small investments in key areas, plus appropriate leveraging, will result in a more complete networking landscape. The increased access to interactive visualization, databases of environmental observations and modeling results, and data-sharing will lead to a high level of collaboration among institutions and support a wide range of research projects.
Broader Impacts The project will promote teaching, training, and learning through investments in cyberinfrastructure. The institutions that will receive funding have a high potential to reach diverse populations of both Native Americans and Hispanics. The project budget includes investments in video-conferencing equipment compatible with existing equipment recently purchased through the RII Track-1 award. The data management plan for Idaho's RII projects will create centralized archives of data related to climate change and water resources in Idaho. These will be a valuable resource for many local, regional, and national constituents, including academic institutions, state and federal agencies, stakeholders, K-12 schools, and the general public.
Idaho’s Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Inter- and Intra-Campus Connectivity (C2) project has developed significant statewide capacity for research and research-based education by providing improved cyber-connectivity and broadband access at 2-year, 4-year and rural institutions in Idaho. Through partnerships with the Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON), more institutions now have high-speed bandwidth connectivity to the Internet. In addition, increased institutional participation in IRON within Idaho now provides more high-speed connections between education and research facilities within the State. Strategic investments have improved Internet connectivity across Idaho: North Idaho College (NIC) / University of Idaho (UI) Harbor Center – Access to high speed Internet and enhanced videoconferencing capabilities were implemented (e.g., the UI facility has 100 times more Internet capacity). The project provided many mutual benefits to the higher-education institutions in northern Idaho, including increased collaboration and joint use of facilities. Lewis Clark State College (LCSC) – Access to high-speed Internet and state-of-the-art video capabilities resulted in improved distance education delivery. This enabled video conferencing network traffic for multiple simultaneous video classrooms in high definition. College of Southern Idaho (CSI) – Significant improvements have been made to desktop and wireless Internet speeds. The network responsiveness and availability to faculty, instructional computing labs, and wireless networks at the main CSI campus and their branch campuses has been greatly improved. Network upgrades greatly enhanced CSI’s ability to support math and science learning and research and have improved services to rural Idaho students. Idaho State University (ISU) – Network improvements access to IRON improved collaboration between ISU and affiliate research centers including the University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho Education Network, Idaho National Laboratory, and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies with significantly improved bandwidth and redundant links to the Internet. This has expanded ISU’s effectiveness in creating educational opportunities for students, faculty, administrators, and research staff. Idaho also now has a well-organized structure for sharing of data because of a strategic planning effort that resulted in a State Cyberinfrastructure Strategic Plan for Idaho universities. In partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory, a new tenure-track faculty member at the University of Idaho, specializing in data architecture, was hired and is providing expertise for Idaho’s growing data management initiatives, including the Northwest Knowledge Network (NKN). This project also contributed to creation of a data portal (housed at the NKN) to increase access and improve management of data. Improved connectivity is helping Idaho institutions reach a broader audience. With better Internet connections, distance learning is better meeting the needs of underrepresented and rural students. The increased bandwidth and video conferencing now enables improved delivery of video courses for distance education, participation and delivery of dual credit courses through the State's Idaho Education Network (IEN), improved access to college resources for current and prospective students, improved access for employees and students to materials for work and research, and increased ability for faculty to participate in research. For example, many Biology classes at College of Southern Idaho have frequent in-class tasks that require Internet access; those classes serve over 1,160 students each year. This award leveraged partnerships with the USDA Regional Approaches to Climate Change (REACCH) and NASA Intermountain Climate Education Network (ICE Net) projects to provide professional development and learning opportunities for college instructors and K-12 teachers. Online educational materials on climate change were created and then disseminated to K-12 and community colleges in a variety of ways, including distance learning via live interactive and/or computer-based classes. This has allowed university faculty to communicate relevant research, provide access to new data, and train teachers who are preparing the next generation workforce. Events promoting the use of cyberinfrastructure at ISU and UI improved awareness of these capabilities among faculty, staff, students, and community members. As a result of this work, more of Idaho’s residents have better access to STEM research and research based-educational opportunities.
