Dr. Peter Revesz, one of the CSE Department's professors, has been awarded the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship for September 2012 through August 2013. He will serve as a Program Manager in the Air Force Office of Scientific Research as part of this appointment.
The AAAS was founded in 1973, its first seven fellows being members of Congress. Today, there are 200 fellowships awarded annually. All fellows will take courses to improve their understanding of policymaking.
The following is an interview with Revesz about his upcoming research.
You will serve as a Program Manager in the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Can you tell us about the position and what it entails?
Yes, I'm going to be a grant Program Manager at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, or AFOSR for short. A grant Program Manager will manage research grants that are given to researchers, who often are university researchers just like for the National Science Foundation and other federal research agencies. The AFOSR program managers are responsible in general for the program announcements' exact wording, including the listing of research topics within broad areas compatible with the mission of the Air Force, the scheduling of the grant review process, and managing the grants' funding side, including periodic progress reports and final reports, and writing annual summary reports on grants activities.
Can you tell us about the significance of the fellowship for yourself and for the university?
The fellowship is a significant contribution to the overall health of the research grant system that is supported by the federal government. I hope to be able to help identify talented researchers who can make significant scientific and engineering contributions, including researchers at our university, whom I can include in the review process and alert them to upcoming opportunities. For me personally, being a program manager is a very interesting position because I have always wondered what is it like to be "on the other side" of the funding process. Reviewers usually write down only a small portion of their comments that they make when a proposal is discussed during a panel review. Hence grant applicants are often left wondering why their proposal was not funded. (It is another responsibility of program managers to make sure that the written reviews include all significant and helpful comments.) As a program manager I also will have an opportunity to help fund topics that in my opinion are underfunded within the AFOSR.
How were you nominated for the award?
I have previously served as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the State Department in Washington D.C. It was there where I met several other AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellows, and it was suggested to me that I apply for the same program.
AAAS states that its purpose is to “advance science and serve society”. What research will you conduct under the fellowship and how will it serve the organization’s purpose?
In my case, I will primarily advance science and serve society by facilitating the funding and hence the work of other researchers. However, I expect to do some data mining regarding the impact of research grants. That program may aid in identifying the research areas with the most benefit, not necessarily individual grants.
The Fellowship lasts a year. Will you be away from UNL at this time?
My family and I will be away for one year. We will miss many things in Lincoln. I hope to finish a number of projects before leaving, including having one more M.S. student graduate this August.
What skills do you hope to gain from the fellowship?
I expect to greatly advance in the art of writing successful grant proposals. I will be able to help colleagues, especially junior faculty members, by giving them comments on their grant proposal drafts so that they improve their success rates.
The Department of Computer Science wishes Dr. Revesz the best of luck in his new journey.