This grant supports Michael Samuelian at Cornell University, who organized an Urban Tech Summit at the university’s Roosevelt Island campus in fall 2021. An initiative by SmartCities New York, the event aimed to support the development, adoption and evaluation of technologies that make cities more connected, livable, efficient, and accessible. Grant funds contributes to the overall expenses for running the event, where researchers, practitioners, advocates, and industry leaders in the urban tech space came together to present findings, network, identify common challenges, and forge new collaborations for future urban tech projects.

The Sloan Public Service Awards are an annual awards program that recognizes six outstanding public servants in New York City. Launched by the Fund for the City of New York in 1973, the awards are the only comprehensive attempt to recognize, honor and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of the more than 325,000 people who work in New York City government. Each winner--often a lifetime civil servant who has given decades to the city—receives a $10,000 prize and is celebrated individually at workplace ceremonies and jointly at a gala held in the historic Cooper Union. Funds from this grant support the continuation of the Sloan Public Service Awards for a period of five years.