News for and about the Internet2 community

["Erin Stuber" <>]

October 4, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ONLINE RELEASE: http://www.researchchannel.org/news/newsstories/nsf_07.asp

ResearchChannel partners with National Science Foundation

NSF and ResearchChannel will develop science programs for national and
international broadcast

Seattle, Washington - The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today
it will partner with ResearchChannel to develop programs with science themes
for national and international distribution via cable television, the
Internet and other media.

"The partnership provides an ideal mechanism for NSF to inform the public
about the countless scientific research efforts and discoveries NSF
supports," said Jeff Nesbit, director of NSF's Office of Legislative and
Public Affairs. "ResearchChannel will make it possible for NSF to deliver
quality science-themed programming in a range of formats," Nesbit said.

Under the partnership agreement, NSF will transmit to ResearchChannel up to
150 program hours a year in formats that include a series of lectures from
distinguished scientists, including Nobel Prize winners; a series of panel
discussions with scientists and journalists about ongoing NSF-funded
research and current scientific issues; and an institutional research series
that will feature new and archived video from different scientific research
and educational communities.

Founded in 1996, ResearchChannel links a growing global audience to the
revolutionary developments, insights and discoveries of more than 60
contributing research and academic institutions.
"We bring together ideas from the world's premier institutions and share
them with the world using traditional, new and emerging technologies," said
Amy Philipson, executive director of ResearchChannel. "Our partnership with
NSF will further our efforts to engage our audience in the research process
by communicating developments as they unfold."

The partnership's first co-production is "Frontier," a weekly, hour-long
show with researchers discussing discoveries made possible through NSF
support and key issues at the research frontier. The first episode of
"Frontier" will premiere on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007, and will air on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. "Frontier" will air Wednesdays at 2 a.m., 8 a.m.,
2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (all Pacific time). It will air Saturdays at 1 a.m., 7
a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all Pacific time).

Some upcoming topics on "Frontier" include marine biologist Donal Manahan
looking at three centuries of exploration and research at the north and
south poles and why they matter today; and engineering professor Richard
Murray describing the world's most grueling competition for self-driving
robotic cars.

NSF is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields
of fundamental science and engineering, with the exception of medical
sciences. The agency is tasked with keeping the United States at the leading
edge of discovery in areas from astronomy to geology to zoology.

In addition to funding research in traditional academic areas, the agency
also supports "high-risk, high pay-off" ideas, novel collaborations and
numerous projects that may seem like science fiction today, but which the
public will take for granted tomorrow. And in every case, NSF ensures that
research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary
work will also help train tomorrow's top scientists and engineers.

ResearchChannel makes high-definition resources available more widely over
the Internet to enhance learning environments, improve videoconferencing
technology and increase accessibility to the rich digital collections
amassed by research and scientific communities.

Through cable and satellite distribution, ResearchChannel is available to
more than 26 million U.S. households. The channel is also available on
select academic networks in the United States and other countries. Online,
ResearchChannel.org uses advanced streaming and broadband technologies to
provide programming via a live webstream and an extensive video-on-demand
library. The library houses thousands of full-length programs that are
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

PRESS CONTACT
Erin Lodi
Communications and Public Relations
ResearchChannel
206-543-8907

Think Forward. Think ResearchChannel.
www.researchchannel.org