The University of Memphis is a finalist for a Science ofLearning Center grant of $50 million.
The National Science Foundation just finished a two-day visit tothe Institute for Intelligent Systems at the FedEx Institute ofTechnology to assess the facilities and programs as 12 finalistscompete for major funding.
The grant would include $25 million over a five-year period withthe possibility of a $25 million renewal for an additional fiveyears.
"This is one of the defining directions for the Institute forIntelligent Systems," said Art Graesser, co-director of IIS anddirector of the Center for Applied Psychological Research. Graesseris a faculty member in both the computer science and psychologydepartments.
"Learning technologies and bio computing are our two signatureprojects here, and they are both successful in bringing in funding.The Science of Learning Center grant would launch us as one of thesalient technology centers in the United States," Graessersaid.
The NSF panel assessed FIT and IIS facilities, overall plan,past projects and organization members.
The proposal, A Learning Technology Hub for Industry andEducation in the Mid-South, outlines the five main divisions of IISand its goals.
Sarah Petschonek, senior psychology major, assisted with thepresentation to the NSF panel.
"The visiting committee posed some difficult questions and ourfaculty rose to the occasion. The faculty and the business andeducational communities here in Memphis have been very supportiveover the past two days," Petschonek said.
Competitors for the grant include Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, the University of Washington, the North Carolina StateResearch Triangle Institute, the University of Pittsburgh and theUniversity of Chicago. Other schools in consideration areDartmouth, Columbia University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Graesser said The U of M has a 42 percent chance of getting theScience of Learning Center grant. The original field of 60proposals was narrowed to 12, and five institutions will receivefunding.
"It is a testament to The University of Memphis that we're amongthis group of finalists," said Eric Mathews, psychology graduatestudent and assistant director of research development for FIT. "Wewill take our proposal to a blue ribbon panel in Washington, D.C.in March, so notification should come in late spring or earlysummer."
The Institute for Intelligent Systems combines severaldepartments from the College of Education, the College of Arts andSciences and the College of Engineering.
"It's a great interdisciplinary group of people. That's what thefuture of research will be," Mathews said. "The level of studentinvolvement here helps us stand out among the competition.Undergraduates here are doing conferences and presenting. We havethe funding to do that."
Petschonek plans to attend graduate school and places greatvalue on the Institute for Intelligent Systems.
"The research experience here has been invaluable, she said,"and has given me a different perspective on learning."
