This announcement solicits applications from Earth science faculty/student teams interested in participating with the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) and the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) to develop the Electronic Encyclopedia of Earthquakes. The digital library will organize Earth science and engineering information and educational resources about earthquakes. We believe this is an exciting opportunity for faculty and students committed to improving K-12 and college education to be leaders in the development of a nationally-recognized resource, and to gain experience in the rapidly growing field of digital libraries for education. A pictorial explanation of the Encyclopedia is at http://www.scec.org/e3.

SCEC is an earthquake science consortium of 40 institutions headquartered at the University of Southern California and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). SCEC's mission is to gather new information about earthquakes in Southern California, integrate that knowledge into a comprehensive and predictive understanding of earthquake phenomena, and communicate this understanding to end-users and the general public in order to increase earthquake awareness, reduce economic losses, and save lives.

IRIS is a 97-member university consortium supported by the National Science Foundation in support of seismological research and education. IRIS manages large seismic data sets from extensive national and global instrument arrays, both archived and real-time. It can leverage considerable additional content, expertise, and assistance through its national membership and foreign affiliates. The IRIS E&O program has activities designed to reach a broad audience and focus on IRIS's strengths-in particular, access to seismological data and resources of a large scientific community.

Development of the Encyclopedia is funded by NSF as part of the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Digital Library (NSDL). SCEC is the primary grantee for this project. The Consortia of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) and the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) have sub-awards under the SCEC grant. All three organizations will have faculty/student teams.

The project will develop a multi-level website with several hundred encyclopedia-like entries primarily intended for use by K-12 and college students and educators. However, it is expected that advanced students, scientists, engineers, and the general public also will find the Encyclopedia useful for general information or learning new material.

Each entry includes the following:

• Glossary: a definition illustrated with a graphic, video, or animation.
• Synopsis: Short summary of the subject that includes the relationship of the entry to other entries (one web page only), and written to be accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Again, illustrative graphics, animations, videos, etc. provides additional explanation.
• Content-in-depth: High quality material as needed to comprehensively describe the entry, including text, graphics, animations, video, interactive access to databases, etc. Some material will be organized on pages within the Encyclopedia, while other information will be included via links to other sites.
• Curricular Connections: Categorized descriptions of educational curricula (with web links or ordering information) that provide further exploration of the earth science or engineering entry, or that use the entry topic to teach concepts in math or physics. These connections are also accessible by searching on discipline, grade level, resource type, or duration.

SCEC and IRIS have responsibility for earth science content with the Encyclopedia. CUREE has responsibility for earthquake engineering content. SCEC and IRIS are seeking six teams, each with one of the following specialties to ensure topical breadth: earthquake seismology, earthquake geology, tectonic geodesy, global structure and tectonics, or seismic hazard analysis.

SCOPE OF WORK

SCEC, CUREE, and IRIS will provide resources for web page development, cataloguing tools, workshop and travel expenses, and overall management. Faculty/student teams will each identify and obtain content for approximately 50-75 entries of the Encyclopedia. Distribution of entries among the Earth science teams will be based on disciplinary expertise and other criteria once the teams are selected. Each faculty/student team will:

1. Write a glossary definition and one-page synopsis for each entry (see descriptions above) and identify potential graphics, animations, and videos to include.
2. Search for content-in-depth (see above description). Request and receive permission from authors of content to "publish" their material in the Encyclopedia. Alternatively, receive permission to link to content on other web sites that will be maintained by authors. The aim is to gain approval from the authors for reuse of the content or linking to the Encyclopedia, rather than developing new material.
3. Submit text of glossary and synopsis pages, and synthesis of content-in-depth for web page construction. Also submit graphics, animations, videos, and any other necessary material, or provide web links to location of material to include.
4. Search for curricular connections (see above description) relevant to each entry, and use the online submission tool (under development) to briefly describe and classify them according to discipline, grade level, resource type, and duration.
5. Participate in peer-review workshops and participate in additional meetings or conference calls as needed. All travel expenses will be paid by the project.

Each of the six teams will consist of a faculty member and one or more students who would be available to work on the project. It is likely that a single student will be more efficient than multiple students, to provide consistency. A commitment of a designated student to work on the project at least through August 2002 (phase 1) is required, with the continuance of the award from September 2002 through August 2003 (phase 2) contingent on the continued involvement of the same student, or on the selection of another student.

COMPENSATION

In addition to full attribution for their contribution (within the Encyclopedia and in papers written about its development), each faculty/student team will receive $15,000, divided equally between phase 1 (March-August 2002) and phase 2 (September 2002 - August 2003). Funds will be committed one phase at a time. Because funds are classified as participant support costs, no indirect rate need be charged on the funds. The awards are expected to pay primarily for the labor of the students involved but such allocation is at the discretion of the faculty advisor who is ultimately accountable for the collection of material.

REQUIRED CONTENTS OF APPLICATION

1. Cover letter by the faculty member indicating which one of the five disciplinary specialties the team is best prepared to address, and including a statement of the level of effort the $15,000 budget will afford, in hours of faculty labor and hours of student labor or similarly described. Since funds are classified as participant support costs approval by a university contracts and grants office is not required. The letter may also include relevant qualifications if the resumés are not self-explanatory.
2. Resumé of the professor.
3. Resumé of the student(s).

Include the subject line "Encyclopedia Application" and submit via email to benthien@usc.edu.

Deadline for receipt of application: Friday, February 22, 2002.

Any questions should be directed to Tom Henyey (Feb. 7 - Feb. 15: 213-740-5832) or Mark Benthien (after Feb. 15: 213-740-0323).