From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Subject: INDUSTRY:  NRC to fund $595K research agenda for Fall 1992.
Date: Fri, 8 May 1992 06:35:08 GMT
Message-ID: <1992May8.063508.28798@u.washington.edu>
Organization: WORLDESIGN, Seattle



The respected journal, SCIENCE, in a ScienceScope news article,* notes
that the U.S. National Research Council has solicited support from
several agencies for a major study of "exposure to synthetic environ-
ments."  Among those pledging to support the $595,000 study, according
to SCIENCE, are NASA, DARPA, the Army's Human Engineering Laboratory,
and the NSF.  No word was given in the article regarding who would be
working on the study or how they were chosen.  Similarly, the NRC
"prospectus" cited in the article is clear on what should be done, but
the article does not say what will be done.

Any further advice on this matter would be welcome.

In a similar vein, Dr. John Hestenes, director of the NSF's investiga-
tion into the virtual world, has indicated that reports from the recent
research-setting meeting at UNC -- which got mixed reactions from the
participants -- will be available when they are completed by the UNC
organizers.  The NSF cannot author or publish these reports per existing 
law; the organizers have to forward them to Congress (and thence to the 
public) directly.  I know that time constraints for everyone are tough,
especially given the research schedule that UNC has bitten off for the
rest of the year (including the major VISTAnet demo, which deserves 
discussion here), but researchers overseas seem to be making rapid pro-
gress and it would be good for North American researchers to know what
to expect in the way of federal support, now when it can do them some
good in making their own plans.
  

Bob Jacobson
Moderator

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* "Envisioning Research with Virtual Reality," SCIENCE, 1 May 1992, p. 603.