FAQs

Published July 2, 2012

If you have a question on how to develop a white paper contact Roger Malina at rmalina(at.)alum.mit.edu

Who are the authors?

A White Paper is coordinated by one lead person (coordinator); and includes a group of other interested people (a working group) coordinated by the lead person. Participants can contribute proposals for action to a White Paper Working Group or submit standalone proposals via a separate white paper. Authors can evolve the abstract as the work proceeds as well as the people involved. The final paper is endorsed by all the participants who wish to endorse the final white paper.

What is the scope?

We are interested in roadblocks/opportunities for enabling interdisciplinary work between Science/Engineering and Arts/Design only — not interdisciplinary work within Science/ Engineering or within Arts/Design, and not inter-disciplinary work in general. We have a broad view of the Arts including Humanities.

The call is an international call–what does that mean?

We are interested in an international perspective. White papers can be submitted by persons in any country, but the scope of the white paper is not required to include international collaboration issues (but may do so).

Is the purpose to develop proposed actions specifically for NSF or for a variety of agencies?

White papers can include some proposed actions for NSF but it is also permissible to include them for a variety of agencies, foundations, educational insitutions, non-profits or other “enablers.”

Who are the stakeholders? Are they consumers of specific products or technologies, or are the stakeholders the government agencies?

All of the above: Stakeholders include professionals in SE-AD. People who have a vested interest in SEAD success extend beyond academia, e.g. city economic development councils.

Authors do not need to address all stakeholders but proposed actions need to address specific stakeholders. It is important that the White Papers are clear about stakeholders, that they identify barriers and recommend strategies.

Does it matter if there are non-curricular responses as well as curricular ones?

We are hoping authors will address all kinds of different roadblocks/opportunities not just curricular ones.

In the case of some roadblocks, educational strategies may be relevant. However, many other factors are likely to come into play. A good model for the kinds of proposed actions we are looking for are available in the NAS Beyond Productivity report at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10671