Software Partnerships in NYC: Identifying and Developing New Ideas

Cuny City University Of New York, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

0332596 Brown This award is to the City University of New York to support the activity described below for 24 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF-03521). Partners The partners include the City University of New York (Lead Institution), and the New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA). The NYSIA has a large number of small companies in the information technology industry. The mission of this proposal is to spur the development and commercialization of advanced software technologies and software engineering methods in the NYC economic region. The focus will be on three aspects of the software industry: 1) security, 2) imaging and visualization and 3) software development and system design. To accomplish this, the City University of New York (CUNY) faculty will be paired with software industry professionals from the New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA) to develop and promote the research and development of new technologies, provide specialized development courses, create job opportunities and build upon CUNY's reputation. The group is a university wide consortium and thus can reach all the colleges and the 200 faculty members specializing in computer science. The expectation is that the industry groups will convey to the university the commercial needs and uses for software while the university will convey the technologies available and innovative approaches to design through appropriate pairing of participants. Technical assistance will be provided for small companies through joint university / industrial partnership teams involving experts in business development and marketing people. The expected outcome is to work with at least 50 companies, to get to know 30 well, and to work intensively with 15 of them. Potential Economic Impact The proposal provides a unique outreach approach with an industry association, a more standardized approach with seminars and workshops around industry needs, and an approach of developing joint projects with industry. The project will help to provide industry access to software expertise at CUNY campuses, a potential for students to learn how to work with software companies, and allows important work with smaller software companies. The development of the software industry by providing software help in research and development for small companies that cannot afford to fund research at the universities or to hire people as skilled as students and faculty for development are the major benefits to NY and NYSIA. The intellectual merit of the activity lies in the creation, transfer and application of information technologies and novel education and training of the technologically literate workforce through collaboration of the City University of New York with the regional companies. The project will help to provide industry access to software expertise at CUNY campuses, a potential for students to learn how to work with software companies, especially with smaller software companies. The development of the software industry by providing software help in research and development for small companies that cannot afford to fund research at the universities or to hire people as skilled as students and faculty for development will have a significant economic impact in New York. This proposal is excellent in terms of Broader Impacts. This project is expected to have significant impact on expanding participation to underserved populations and among campuses that could then develop stronger industry relations. There was a good balance between broad involvement and focused implementation on selected high-success probability participants. The City University of New York has a long history of providing educational opportunities to minorities, poorer City young people who cannot afford private school educations. Of the nearly 20 colleges and universities within the system, fourteen the colleges are officially considered minority institutions