CUE.NEXT Workshops Follow on Ideas: Call for Projects  

The three CUE.NEXT workshops held between November 2019 and January 2020 focused on creating a national dialog for envisioning the future of computing in undergraduate education (CUE). The workshop report summarizes perspectives of computing and non-computing participants, needs and challenges, potential strategies, and existing efforts.

As a follow-up to the CUE.NEXT workshops, we are inviting the CUE community to submit projects based on innovative CUE ideas related to the goals of the CUE initiative.  The efforts proposed should be on CUE activities that have the potential to be deployed widely in institutions around the country. Submissions are limited to 3 pages and need to outline a project that can contribute to CUE goals.   CUE.NEXT will fund 8-10 projects at $12,000 each.

Examples of projects include:

  • Identify and capture computing requirements for different non-computing disciplines. This should include developing  curricular plans, course descriptions and the role of computing in the curriculum.
  • Document existing CUE-like programs that have achieved success in meeting the educational needs of students in one or more disciplines outside computing. Identify strategies for successfully scaling them including scaling to other related disciplines, other institutions, and higher enrollment. 
  • Identify and organize online learning materials that can support students in other disciplines learning about computing and how to assess the needs of students in understanding computing.
  • Develop a template for a resource-rich department to work with departments in under-resourced institutions to effectively share online resources to realize CUE. 
  • Identify and analyze existing CUE efforts with respect to how they can enrich the education of computing-centric students (e.g., CS majors) and how such an effort could improve inclusion and diversity in the computing-centric field.
  • Develop a program that aims to integrate work opportunities with education in CS for underserved students outside computing departments.

We stress that these are only examples and we welcome all projects based on ideas related to the goals of the CUE initiative.

Submission requirements:

  • Each team must include at least one team member from a non-computing discipline and one from a computing-centric.  Teams consisting of Math and CS, Stat and CS do not satisfy this CUE requirement.
  • Project descriptions cannot exceed 3 pages.
  • The project should clearly describe what the computing and non-computing fields will contribute.  Teams from more than one institution are especially welcome.
  • Each project must  (i) give attention to how the effort can make the target educational programs more broadly inclusive, and (ii) pay attention to the resource needs of the initiative and address implementation challenges.
  • Each submission should also include a CV in NSF format for each team member.
  • Submission will be evaluated on a rolling basis starting February 5. For full consideration, submit before February 19, 2021. See here to apply.

The CUE.NEXT team expects to fund 8-10 submissions in the form of consulting agreements.  Funding for each project is expected to be $12,000 in consulting made out to two faculty, one in a computing and one in a non-computing discipline.  Funds will be paid in two installments. Teams need to have at least two members.  Submissions will be reviewed by the CUE.NEXT workshop organizers with input from CUE.NEXT workshop participants.

All funded projects are expected to submit a short white paper (3 pages max) of their findings and recommendations by May 1, 2021. The CUE.NEXT organizers will consider all white paper topics for discussion in the final CUE.NEXT workshop planned in fall 2021. Email cue-next@cs.northwestern.edu  for inquiries.