PIRE I

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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
PIRE I II Post-Award Activities
OISE PO team working --To help make the projects
succeed, --To help OISE and all of NSF learn
more about the projects, --To disseminate
information on new and exciting models.
Elizabeth Lyons, OISE October 29, 2007 OISE
Advisory Committee Meeting
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
OISE team 7 POs -gt12 POs managing the
portfolio --Press releases, speeches,
highlights --Human Subjects, supplement
policy --Annual Progress Reports --Involvement
of research directorates --Evaluation --PI
meetings ?EARLY Results !!
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
NSF Press Release(s) Highlights for
Congress Speeches by Drs. Bement
Olsen Institutional press releases Stories in
major publications
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Post-Award Logistics --Human Subjects
information --Supplement Policy --Annual
Progress Reports --added travel information
requested --PO from research directorate asked
to look at it
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Measuring the Impacts of PIRE --Monitoring
progress on program objectives --Student
questions --Feedback from PI meeting --Hire
contractor
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
2nd PI meeting October 15-16, 2007 at
NSF -12 PIRE 1 PIs, each with a student -20
PIRE 2 PIs --Share progress in frontier science
with research directorates --Shar
e information on impacts on students,
institutions --Form a community of scientists,
educators and universities leading change
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
2nd PI meeting October 15-16, 2007 at NSF (cont.)
--Provide project management guidance --Discuss
evaluation of research, education, institutional
change, including site visits --Discuss role of
foreign collaborators --Identify different
models and consider how to disseminate
information on them
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education

• EARLY Results (many others will be long term!)
• Successes
• ?PIs feel science is great getting
• better
• ?Partnerships thriving, growing
• domestic ties strengthened, too
• ?Visits overseas are long enough
• for real collaboration learning
• ?Leveraging funds in US abroad
• from universities, governments, industry
• PIs feel impact on participant careers
• very positive

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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Challenges ?Administrative load
high ?Visas ?Sustainability, growth ?Assessment
of Success ?Diversity
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Impacts on Science Beyond the
Original Research Question -- Intl data ?
IRIS ?available for many other studies --IRIS
wants to copy success in developing countries of
Americas, South East Asia --Trying to add
climate equipment --Rare thriving African
scientific network --Leveraged as much in
Africa ? training geoscientists
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Impacts on students Questionna
ire -- international a big attractant --
international engagement much higher --
appreciate the cultural context science
more Student Reports -- learn new techniques,
research approaches -- value international
experience, collaborations -- strong motivator
to finish and/or continue -- multiple mentors in
US and abroad a plus -- new cultural experience
a positive -- near-peer mentoring very helpful
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education

• Student Challenges
• Language often a problem
• Cultural transition often difficult
• Logistics often challenging
• -Progress toward PhD slowed if foreign lab not
  ready, equipment not available
• -Family issues
• Flexibility is key!!

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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
Examples of Impacts on
Institutions --New Dual Degree program
International Ph. D. --New International focus
for university capital campaign, PIRE as a
model --Increases in number and quality of
graduate student applications --Stronger
relationships with university International
Office
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Partnerships for International Research and
Education
--Stronger university IP policy
practice --Development of organizational
structure with Infrastructure many assets
beyond PIs and universities --Linkage of
research to study abroad, leverage and
strengthen --Stronger ties among U.S.
universities ?joint recruiting for faculty and
post-docs --Showcasing of PIRE projects by
universities (PIRE envy)