The grant supports a collaboration between the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), and LYRASIS to enhance and improve SimplyEСa state-of-the-art open source e-reader application that is used by libraries to make ebooks readily available to their patrons. Planned improvements include enhancing SimplyEХs user experience (UX), particularly for first-time users, improving accessibility and document rendering, and upgrading the systemХs digital rights management. Additional grant funds will go toward promotion and outreach activities aimed at speeding adoption of the platform among libraries, with a goal of 1,000 public libraries using SimplyE by the end of 2022.

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are being built and trained to perform a wide variety of tasksСrecognizing faces, identifying objects in photos, processing natural language by extracting concepts from text. Once a system is built and trained, however, how do we know how well it performs relative to other such systems? How do we know if the data used to train the system reflect the context in which the system will be used? To answer these questions, we need to scrutinize the training datasets that are used to construct AI systems, and the benchmarking datasets against which these systems are assessed. This grant supports work by Meredith Whittaker and Kate CrawfordСthe co-founders of the AI Now Institute at New York UniversityСand NYU Law professor Jason Schultz. Over the course of three years, Whittaker, Crawford, Schultz, and their team will dig deeply into the history, design, and technical details of some of the most foundational AI datasets, investigating where they came from, how they have evolved, and how they have been used over time. They will use these findings to catalyze a broader conversation about how to understand and appropriately govern the AI systems that are informed by these datasets. The grant outputs will include multiple papers produced for both academic and lay audiences, visualizations of the provenance and uses of specific datasets, and workshops that will bring together the growing community of researchers studying the data that underpins AI research.

This grant funds a project by Anne Bowser, Director of Innovation at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, to conduct a comprehensive review of the use of low-cost, including open source, hardware in scientific research. Open hardware refers to the licensing of the design specifications of a physical object in such a way that the described object can be created, modified, used, or distributed by anyone. Open hardware sensors or other instruments present an attractive opportunity to expand the frontiers of scientific research by dramatically lowering the costs of instrumentation. Despite this promise there is, as yet, no comprehensive account of the full range of low-cost and open source hardware solutions; how hardware is being used by researchers and public policy communities; what, if any problems have arisen for those using open hardware related to data quality, governance, and standards; and what institutions and norms are needed to encourage adoption. Bowser and her team will conduct a wide-ranging review of low-cost hardware and the open hardware movement, combining broad landscape synthesis and convenings with commissioned reports on critical issues like data quality, governance, and the relationship between open hardware and other open paradigms.

The Jupyter notebook is a popular, open source, Python-powered computing platform originally designed to allow researchers to easily execute, annotate, and share computationally sophisticated research. Since its launch, however, some researchers have discovered the notebook can also be used as an effective platform for the creation and sharing of textbooks, articles, lecture series, and other educational resources. Because the Jupyter system was not originally designed with this use-case in mind, modules and other add-ons need to be developed to streamline it as a pedagogical tool. This grant funds a collaborative project by John Stachurski, Greg Caporaso, and Chris Holdgraf to build a generic publishing workflow on top of the core Jupyter system that will simplify its use in producing educational materials.

Funds from this grant continue a partnership with the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) to promote the development and release of science-themed films and support filmmakers who explore scientific or technological themes in their work. Each year, the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund issues an open call for new and established filmmakers to submit science-themed film treatments, finished screenplays, or works-in-progress. After a rigorous independent review process, two to six projects are selected each year for support. Winning projects receive between $10,000 and $75,000 to help usher the project toward completion. In addition, winners receive year-round support from TFI, including mentorship, workshops, readings, inclusion in the annual TFI Network market, a professionally produced ТsizzleУ reel to bolster promotion and engagement with funded projects, and arranged industry meetings. TFI also hosts a highly publicized and well-attended screening and panel discussion of a science-themed film at the Tribeca Film Festival each year along with an associated reception. Last, TFI operates an Alumni Discretionary Fund that provides microgrants of up to $5,000 to previously supported projects, providing a critical intervention that helps ensure supported projects are continuing to move toward production and release. This grant supports these and related activities for a period of two years.

This grant continues a Sloan partnership with the Sundance Film Institute for a series of initiatives that promote the development, production, and distribution of science-themed films. Annual initiatives include the Sloan Commissioning Fellowship, which is awarded to a screenwriter or producer to support the development of an early-stage science-themed project. The award includes a $25,000 cash grant, a stipend for a science advisor and research, mentorship, and year-round staff support from Sundance. The Sloan Development Fellowship in the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program supports the participation of a filmmaker and his or her science-themed script in the Screenwriters Lab, Screenwriters Intensive, or Creative Producing Summit. Winners participate in the Feature Film Fellows track at the Sundance Film Festival and are eligible for additional Feature Film Program labs. The fellowship also includes a $15,000 cash grant to support the development of the project, including funds for scientific mentoring and advice. The Sloan Episodic Story Fellowship supports a writer with an early-stage, science-themed episodic project developed for television, streaming, or other platforms. It includes a $10,000 cash grant to support the development of the project, a stipend for a science advisor, and mentorship and other support from Sundance staff. The Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize is awarded by a jury of esteemed filmmakers and scientists to the writer and director of an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. The award is presented at a reception at the annual Sundance Film Festival and comes with a $20,000 cash prize. Last, the Science-in-Film Forum is a moderated panel discussion, open to all Sundance participants, featuring independent filmmakers and leading scientists and technologists who discuss compelling topics relevant to the depiction of science and technology in film and television. Grant funds support these initiatives and additional outreach, publicity, and administrative costs for a period of two years.

This grant supports a series of activities by SFFILM, the organization that hosts the annual San Francisco Film Festival, to nurture, develop, and champion films that explore scientific or technological themes and characters. Supported activities include the awarding of two $35,000 Sloan Science in Cinema Fellowships each year to promising feature film or episodic screenwriters who are exploring scientific or technological themes in their work. SFFILM also gives an annual award, the Sloan Science in Cinema Prize, to the best science-themed feature film submitted to the San Francisco Film Festival and promotes the winning film at the festival with a ceremony, screening, post-screening panel, and reception. SFFILM also compiles a yearly Sloan Stories of Science Sourcebook, which includes the best science stories and the most up-to-date scientific discoveries of the year and offers awards to two filmmakers who can develop original scripts based on these stories or ideas. Lastly, SFFILM partners with the Black List to identify promising science-themed scripts and bring them to the attention of developers, producers, and other film industry executives. Grant funds support these activities and associated operational costs for the next two years.