Workshop for the Investigation, Documentation, and Dissemination of National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Validation Testbeds at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
There is a variety of ongoing research related to intelligent infrastructure for building systems that have special needs related to verification of results. These projects require sophisticated testbeds to realistically and comprehensively evaluate the impact of their findings and products. There are many NSF funded projects, for instance, that could benefit from verifying their findings through the use of testbeds. In correspondence to this there are many potential resources at NIST and other building research centers that may make for excellent testbeds. The Principal Investigators are exploring the intellectual synergies between NSF-funded research and opportunities at NIST to verify and validate research findings. To accomplish this, they are organizing a workshop that brings together a diverse group of NSF and NIST researchers and a diverse group of NIST staff to explore opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration. The workshop is called the National Advanced Building Infrastructure Testbed (NABIT). The Principal Investigators are organizing this workshop in collaboration with Dr. Kent Reed from the Building and Fire Research Lab at NIST. They are inviting a number of appropriate NIST researchers, NSF grantees, as well as potential grantees in affiliated institutions, including Howard University, a supporting partner in this proposal. The intended outcomes of the workshop are a comprehensive inventory of potential participants in NABIT, a methodology for creating testbeds, a small number of targeted testbeds, an online resource for others, and an internship program for Howard students, run concurrently with the workshop. The targeted testbeds serve as the basis of a future comprehensive proposal to be sent to NSF and other funding institutions. Abstract Most high end research focuses on the exploration of advanced ideas and the scientific merit of their findings. Rarely are these findings tested and verified against the rich and complex conditions presented by real world applications. One impediment is the lack of time and money. Another one is the lack of readily available testbeds specially compiled databases and equipment that create realistic conditions for verification. The Principal Investigators propose to organize a workshop to explore the ways to create testbeds that would serve to verify research results in the area of building information systems. Research with these systems can impact critical application areas such as energy efficiency in buildings, sound building operation and maintenance practices, and safe and secure use of facilities. The Investigators propose to conduct a workshop to bring together two key institutional resources: researchers that need to verify their results and research institutions that have testbed potential. The workshop will not only develop the methodology, networking, and information basis for creating these testbeds, but will also provide training and entry opportunities for institutions that are interested in entering this research area, such as Howard University. The Investigators expect the workshop to lead to the creation of a National Advanced Building Infrastructure Testbed (NABIT) and further research support in this area.
