CyberTraining: Implementation: Medium: Advanced Cyber Infrastructure Training in Policy Informatics

政策信息学高级网络基础设施培训（ACIT-PI）是一个面向政策科学家的跨学科网络基础设施培训项目。该项目非常重要，因为政策科学家寻求数据支持的科学技术，这需要对先进的网络基础设施（CI）方法进行培训。政策科学家可以从不同的来源收集数据，分析和解释它们，并得出基于证据的决策。在数据科学技能较低的少数族裔和低收入社区，迫切需要这样的劳动力。正如NSF的使命所述，该项目服务于国家利益，促进科学进步，繁荣和福利。国家利益是通过向两类政策科学家提供CI培训来实现的：(a) CI使用者：非营利和公共机构的研究分析师；(b) CI贡献者和专业人员：专门从事政策科学研究的科学家（研究生）。CI用户通过培训研讨会、网络研讨会和自定进度的在线培训模块进行培训。CI贡献者和CI专业人员通过一个新的跨学科政策信息学证书课程进行培训。ACIT-PI项目由佛罗里达国际大学（FIU）都市中心、公共政策与管理系、计算机与信息科学学院、电气与计算机工程学院共同承担。它使用的CI设施，包括高性能计算和互联网2资源，可与国际金融学院的信息技术部门。政策科学家包括工程师和社会科学家（犯罪学家、地理学家、规划师、公共管理人员、政治学家）。ACIT-PI项目提高了研究人员领导开发新的CI工具、公共领域数据和分析的能力。通过该项目开发的材料和工具可通过政策信息中心供其他大学更广泛地使用。该中心包括一个以标准化格式存储地方政府行政数据的政策信息学数据存储库，以促进数据驱动的研究。ACIT-PI项目对公共政策和管理教育具有创新性和变革性。首先，该项目通过年度研讨会培训地方政府的一线分析师，从而培养了大量（约120人）CI用户。其次，该项目开发了自定进度的在线培训模块，供公共行政和政策学院更广泛地采用CI。第三，它为CI贡献者/专业人员（超过100名学生）提供了一个新颖的政策信息学证书课程，其中包括注入CI工具和方法的课程创新。学生学习政策科学、计算方法（包括HPC集群使用和CI工具）、机器学习、物联网和网络安全工具等课程。博士生也被训练成政策科学方面的CI专家。该项目培养了一个由CI用户、贡献者和政策信息学专业人员组成的强大社区。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Training for Policy Informatics (ACIT-PI) is an interdisciplinary program for Cyberinfrastructure training to policy scientists. The project is important and significant because policy scientists seek data-enabled scientific techniques, which requires training in advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CI) methods. Policy scientists can harvest data from different sources, analyze and interpret them, and arrive at evidence-based decisions. Such a workforce is urgently required in minority and low-income communities with low skills in data science. As stated by NSF's mission, the project serves the national interest to promote the progress of science, prosperity and welfare. The national interest is served by offering CI training to two classes of policy scientists: (a) CI users: research analysts in nonprofit and public agencies; and (b) CI contributors and professionals: research scientists specializing in policy science (graduate students). CI users are trained through training workshops, webinars, and self-paced online training modules. CI contributors and CI professionals are trained through a novel interdisciplinary certificate program on Policy Informatics. The ACIT-PI project is jointly undertaken by Florida International University (FIU) Metropolitan Center, Department of Public Policy and Administration, School of Computing and Information Sciences, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. It uses the CI facilities including High Performance Computing and Internet 2 resources available with FIU's Division of Information Technology.Policy scientists include engineers and social scientists (criminologists, geographers, planners, public administrators, political scientists). The ACIT-PI project enhances researchers' abilities to lead the development of new CI tools, public domain data, and analysis. The materials and tools developed through the project are available for broader use by other universities through a Policy Information Hub. The Hub includes a Policy Informatics Data Repository of local government administrative data in standardized formats for fostering data driven research. The ACIT-PI project is both innovative and transformative for public policy and administration education. First, the project trains frontline analysts in local governments through annual workshops, which fosters a large pool (of about 120) of CI users. Second, project develops self-paced online training modules for broader CI adoption by the public administration and policy schools. Third, it offers a novel Policy Informatics certificate program for CI contributors/professionals (over 100 students), which includes curriculum innovations infused with CI tools and methods. Students take courses on policy science, computational methods (including HPC clusters use and CI tools), machine learning, IoT, and cybersecurity tools. PhD students are also trained to become CI experts in policy science. The project fosters a robust community of CI users, contributors, and professionals in policy informatics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.