THE IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR FACTORS IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF A SCIENCE DMZ AT SMALL INSTITUTIONS

The Science DMZ is a network research tool offering superior large science data transmission between two locations. Through a network design that places the Science DMZ at the edge of the campus network, the Science DMZ defines a network path that avoids packet inspecting devices (firewalls, packet shapers) and produces near line-rate transmission results for large data sets between institutions. Small institutions of higher education (public and private small colleges) seeking to participate in data exchange with other institutions are inhibited in the construction of Science DMZs due to the high costs of deployment. While the National Science Foundation made 18 awards in the Campus Cyberinfrastructure program to investigate the designs, methods, costs, and results of deploying Science DMZs at small institutions, there lacks a cohort view of the success factors and options that must be considered in developing the most impactful solution for any given small institution environment. This research examined the decisions and results of the 18 NSF Science DMZ projects, recording a series of major factors in the small institution deployments, and establishing the Science DMZ Capital Framework (SCF), a model to be considered prior to starting a small institution Science DMZ project

Aspects of ICT connectivity among older adults living in rural subsidized housing: reassessing the digital divide

Purpose – This article examines aspects of information communication technology (ICT) connectivity among the understudied population of low-income older adults living in rural and peri-urban subsidized housing. We aim to investigate if variations exist in access and connectivity when economic and housing conditions are constant and use data from northern New England. Design/methodology/approach – The multidisciplinary, mixed-methods approach involved administering structured surveys using iPads with senior residents (n591) from five housing sites, qualitative observations by field researchers and an ecological assessment of ICT resources at housing, community and state levels. Findings – All subsidized housing sites were broadband accessible and nearby libraries. Fewer sites had Wi-Fi freely available to residents, and individual residents disparately accessed the Internet. Age and education demonstrably influenced ICT use of social media and email. Technology in the form of iPads used for surveys posed functional challenges for some older adults, but these technology-mediated interactions were also perceived as important sites of sociability. Originality/value – Older adults disparately access and use ICT relative to socioeconomic status even as housing conditions remain constant, and access and use influences frequency of social connections with friends and family. The findings reveal factors that contribute to the existing digital divide facing older adults and broader lack of digital equity