NSF funding: NSF funding: a view from the a view from the ““insideinside””

Richard McCourtEHR/DGE

National Science Foundation

rmccourt@nsf.gov

Where to Submit @ NSF Discipline-based Directorates:

Biological Sciences (BIO) Computer & Information Sciences & Engineering (CISE) Engineering (ENG) Geosciences (GEO) Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE)

Education & Human Resources

Divisions within each Directorate

Sections/Clusters

Programs within Sections

Program Directors (permanent & IPAs)

EHR’s Organizational Structure

5

The EHR Enterprise at NSF:

Program Overview Investments across STEM fields to support education

achievement and workforce development:Education Research, Development, EvaluationTeacher Development, Capacity Building and

Partnerships in K-12 EducationBroadening Participation; Support for Minority

Serving Institutions STEM Career Pathways: Undergraduate EducationPublic Engagement with Science Innovation in Graduate Education

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Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/index.jsp?org=NSF

Applying for grants and Managing Awards

Preparing the Proposal:

Start Early (3-6 months before deadline)!

Review NSF Award Abstracts (Fastlane)

Talk to your NSF Program Director

Talk to your colleagues; have experienced colleagues review a draft and comment

Recruit and describe university infrastructure support for your proposed project

Address the merit review criteria

Compliance checks (PAPP)

Program directors: available to you for advice and appointments (conference booths, visits to NSF)

Program directors are your contacts for becoming a reviewer and panelist

Do your homework before you meet with or call program officers, prepare specific questions

Program directors can help you find out about other programs and make contacts across the Foundation

Working with your Program Director

• Funding decisions are based on many factors, but not on personal relationships with program directors

• Program Officers should be treated as you would a respected colleague

• They are busy: contact them only when necessary (check the agency web site first) and in a way that allows for an efficient reply (email is preferred)

• Do not contact them when you are upset (following a declination)

Review Process OverviewReview Process Overview

You

ProgramDirector

reviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewerreviewer

Panel

Program Director

Two distinct audiences – technical and general

$ $or

Who Gets Funded (Ideal World)N

um

ber

of

p

rop

osals

Poor

Goo

d

Fair

Out

stand

ing

Excell

ent

Very

Goo

d

Almost Never funded

“AlmostAlways Funded”

Typically funded

“Gray” Zone

Give careful consideration

Two NSF Merit Review Criteria

Integration of Research and Education

Integration of Diversity into projects and activities

Additional program-specific Review Criteria (listed in the program announcement)

Institutional data—know thyself and tell the reader.

Merit Review Criteria and the

“New” Broader Impacts

Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge

And

Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

For Both Criteria:Potential to advance knowledge and benefit

society

Explore cretive original or potentially transformative concepts

Well-reasoned, organized plan to carry out and assess

Qualifications of personnel

Adequate resources

Commandments for Writing Competitive NSF

Proposals“Thou shalt propose a brilliant idea.”

“Thou shalt read the PAPP, or at least the good parts.”

“Thou shalt get help with proposal writing.”

“Thou shalt spell chek.”

“Thou shalt write for the right audience.”

“Thou shalt not irritate the reviewers.”

“Thou shalt not kill (with some exceptions) too many trees.”

"Thou shalt not steal the work of others."

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Initiated 195246,500 Fellows to date30 Nobel Laureates & 440 National

Academy of Sciences members4,600 Active Fellows in 200 institutions Higher Ph.D. completion ratesEnhanced diversity

GRFP Overview

Five Year Award – $126,000 (+)

Three years of support$30,000 Stipend per year$12,000 Educational allowance to institution

International research opportunities – expandedexpanded

Supercomputer access (XSEDE)

GRFP Key Elements

Flexible: choice of project, advisor & program

Unrestrictive: No service requirement

Portable: Any accredited institution

MS PhD

2010-2012: 2,000 Fellowships 12,000 Applications - ~17% success rate

GRFP Unique Features

Chemistry

Computer & Information

Science/Engineering

Engineering

Geosciences

Life Sciences

Mathematical Sciences

Physics and Astronomy

Psychology

Social Sciences

NSF-Supported Disciplines

RUI Research at

Undergraduate Institutions

•Baccalaureate degrees in NSF-supported fields•2-4 year institutions•No more than 10 Ph.D.s per year•Funded by individual Divisions

RUI Research at

Undergraduate Institutions

•Additional Requirement: RUI Impact Statement on effects of research on educational environment of institution•5 page maximum•Institution certifies RUI status

ROA Research Opportunity

Awards•Faculty from RUIs do research as visiting scientists•Supplement existing NSF-supported research•Request comes from host institution

CAREERFaculty Early Career

Development•NSF-Wide•Junior faculty (untenured)•Integrated Research and Teaching•$400-500K over 5 years•PECASE – Agency nominated, White House OSTP selects

CAREERFaculty Early Career

Development•NSF-Wide•Junior faculty (untenured)•Integrated Research and Teaching•$400-500K over 5 years•PECASE – Agency nominated, White House OSTP selects

REUResearch Experiences for Undergraduates

•Cross-cutting, all fields supported by NSF, including interdisciplinary•Sites – cohorts at a field station, lab, site (full proposals)•Supplements – for existing awards (short proposals)•Research, pipeline to attract and retain STEM students

REUResearch Experiences for Undergraduates

•Possible partners

•Department of Defense•Department of Energy (Geothermal and renewable energy)•International•Ethics •Research Experiences for Teachers•Evaluative Research

MRIMajor Research Instrumentation

•Development or acquisition of shared instruments•Not startup funding for one investigator•<$100,000 for non-Ph.D. granting institutions (plus all math, social and behavioral sciences)•$100,000-$4 M for all institutions•30% cost share for Ph.D.-granting

MRIMajor Research Instrumentation

•SEMs and TEMs•Confocal Microscopes, Fluorescence Stereomicroscope*•Radar Observatory•Real-time PCR*•Time-of-flight Gas Chromatograph•Laser Ablation System for Coupled Mass Spectroscopy*•NMR•Elemental Analyzers*

*<$100,000

TUESTransforming

Undergraduate Education in STEM

•Creating Learning Materials and Strategies•Implementing New Instructional Strategies•Developing Faculty Expertise•Assessing and Evaluating Student Achievement•Conducting Research on Undergraduate STEM Education

RAPIDRapid Response

Research

•Severe urgency, disaster response or unexpected events•Brief (2-5 pages)•Internal review•Up to $200K, 1 year

Recent RAPIDs•Fire severity and ecosystems in Minnesota (Ecosystem Studies)•Change in phytoplankton community structure of Lake Erie in low ice year (Biological Oceanography)•Hurricane Irene Storm Surge Sedimentation (Deep Earth Processes)•Digital catalog of linguist notes on endangered Itelman language (Arctic)•Social networks in Moroccan elections (Political Science)

EAGEREArly-concept Grants for

Exploratory Research

•Early stages, potentially transformative•New approaches, combinations of disciplines, perspectives•High Risk/High Reward•Brief (5-8 pages)•Up to $300K, 2 years

Recent EAGERsMarine biopolymers as tracers of

biogeochemical processes (Biological Oceanography)

Ecogenomics and metabolomics and the evolution of pathogenecity (Ecology of Infectious Diseases)

Silicon Graphane Analogues (Solid State & Materials Chemistry)

Programming the Crowd (Software & Hardware Foundation)