Post on 29-Aug-2018
NSF: Life in the Sausage Factory NSF: Where Science Policy Begins
NSF: So Many Good Ideas, So Little Discretionary Spending
NSF: Putting the Basic in Basic Research
NSF in a Nutshell
Dana E. Lehr and R. Scott Fisher, Program Directors Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Astronomical Sciences National Science Foundation rfisher@nsf.gov 09 December 2010
NSF Quick Facts
Independent Agency Supports basic research & education Uses grant mechanism FY10 Budget $6.9B
Discipline-based structure Cross-disciplinary mechanisms Use of Rotators/IPAs National Science Board
Other Sciences
Mathematics & ComputerSciences
Environmental Sciences
Engineering
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences &Psychology
All Life Sciences 4.7%
27.7%
35.5%
44.5%
50.3%
76.0%
39.1%
NSF Support for Basic Research at Academic Institutions
Share of Total Federal Support
NSF Vision Advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering.
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NSF Mission To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the national defense.
NSF Workforce
Consists of 1,200 career employees, 150 scientists from research institutions on temporary duty, 200 contract workers, and the staff of the NSB office and the Office of the Inspector General.
Unlike other agencies, NSF does not maintain its own research laboratories.
NSF Bread and Butter
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded
Supports national research centers, oceanographic research vessels, and multi-user facilities through cooperative agreements with managing organizations
National Science Foundation
Inspector General
National Science Board
Director Deputy Director
Staff Offices
Computer & Information
Science & Engineering
Engineering Geosciences Mathematical & Physical
Sciences
Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
Education & Human Resources
Budget, Finance & Award
Management
Information Resource
Management
Biological Sciences
MPS at a Glance Largest NSF Directorate: over $1B budget Nearly half of NSF’s large facilities Science scope: Space: “from quarks to the cosmos” Time: “from the incredibly short to the
unimaginably long” Character: “from the very abstract to almost ready
for the marketplace”
Provides ~40% of university federal funding in the physical sciences
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Division of Chemistry
Division of Materials Research
Division of Mathematical
Sciences
Division of Physics
Division of Astronomical
Sciences
Office of Multidisciplinary Activities
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Division of Astronomical Sciences
Modes of support include,
• single-investigator and collaborative awards, • funding for acquisition and development of astronomical
instrumentation, • technology development for future ground-based facilities, • educational projects that leverage the Division's research investments to
build research and workforce capacity and to increase scientific literacy. http://www.nsf.gov/astronomy
The NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences is the steward of ground-based astronomical research in the United States The Division supports research in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics and related multidisciplinary studies.
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Division of Astronomical Sciences
• Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) • Gemini Observatory • National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) (Arecibo) • National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) (KPNO & CTIO) • National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) (VLA, GBT, ALMA) • National Solar Observatory (NSO) (Tucson, Sac Peak, ATST) • NSF-funded University Radio Observatories (UROs) • Electromagnetic Spectrum Management (ESM)
Anyone may propose for observing time on NSF AST-funded facilities
Facilities
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Division of Astronomical Sciences
• Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG) • Education & Special Programs (ESP) (CAREER, PAARE, and REU) • NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships (AAPF)
Individual Investigator Programs
Nigel Sharp: nsharp@nsf.gov
Scott Fisher: rfisher@nsf.gov
Dana Lehr: dlehr@nsf.gov
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What’s a Program? A well-defined grant-giving function, usually with a well-defined budget Usually means an individual investigator grant program, but could also refer to a facilities program (especially in MPS)
NSF Programs for Specific Purposes ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Faculty Early-CAREER Development
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Before You Place Pen to Paper II
• Goal of Program • Eligibility • Special proposal preparation and/or award
requirements • Deadlines/Target dates/ Submission
windows • Pre/Full proposal
In Program Announcement/Solicitation, look for:
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Things to consider
• Why do it? • Why you and not someone else?
• Uniqueness of research, educational opportunities, available facilities...
• What are your strengths? • Capture the reviewers’ attention in the summary and
introduction. Make them want to read more.
• YOU must convince the reviewer you are worthy of funding
• Express yourself clearly • It’s not the reviewer’s job to figure out what you are
trying to accomplish and why
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Sections of a Proposal
• Cover Sheet
• Project Summary
• Table of Contents
• Project Description: Research and Broader Impacts • References
• Biographical Sketches
• Budget
• Current and Pending Support
• Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
• Special Information and Supplementary Documentation: – Short letters of commitment to collaborate NOT Support – Post-Doc Mentoring
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Merit Review Criteria 1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? • How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and
understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, please comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to the necessary resources?
2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? • How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society? Post doc mentoring activities will be evaluated under B.I.
If Declined …
• Don’t lose heart but try again • Common Reasons for Declination
• “Trust-me” proposal, • “Incremental” contribution, • Weak educational component, • Expertise gaps, Insufficient fund / time request, • Not a good fit in the program, • Bad luck: Funding limitations, timing, program balance
• Read Reviews and Panel Summary consider comments (+ and -), suggestions • Talk to the Program Director • Revise proposal and submit again
• Try to express yourself more clearly the next time • Don’t assume same set of reviewers
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If Awarded
• Celebrate, you are one of the few fortunate ones • FY 2009 OVERALL NSF Success Rate 32%
(Research 28%; Research, New PI: 20%) Includes ARRA funded projects
• FY 2008 OVERALL NSF Success Rate 25% (Research 21%; Research, New PI: 15%)
Two modes for Grants: “standard” – entire grant amount in year 1
“continuing” – yearly increments based on satisfactory annual reports
Scott Fisher Dana Lehr Paul Morris September 9th, 2010
Astro2010 Response Group Astronomy in Society (AiS)
Astro2010 Recommendations (paraphrased)
1) The community should encourage and support astronomers’ commitment to serving in service/policy positions at the relevant funding agencies.
2) The AAS and astronomy departments should make students aware of the wide variety of academic/non-academic career choices available to those that study astronomy
An AST Response to a Recommendation
Recommendation: The AAS and astronomy departments should make students aware of the wide variety of academic/non-academic career choices available to those that study astronomy Possible Action: We tweak PAARE to allow, emphasize, and promote partnerships that bring in students from other disciplines like ENG, CS, admin.