How to Obtain Funding for Your Work: Perspectives from NSF

1. How to Obtain Funding for Your Work: Perspectives from NSF James Lightbourne Buffalo, NY October 6, 2008

2. Outline • Be realistic—take the long view • Be informed • Be strategic • Keep reviewer/program officer in mind • Seek help • Be persistent • Be a player

3. Be Realistic NSF Proposal, Award, and Funding Rate Trends

4. Early and Later Career PIsResearch Grant Funding Rates

5. Average Number of Proposals Per PI Before Receiving a Grant

6. PI Funding Rates for Research Grants

7. Distribution of Average Reviewer Ratings FY 2007

8. Be Informedhttp://www.nsf.gov • General Information about NSF • Organizational Structure http://www.nsf.gov/staff/orglist.jsp • Merit Review Process http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/meritreview/ • Staff http://www.nsf.gov/staff/ • NSF Program Announcements/Solicitations http://www.nsf.gov

9. Be Informed(continued) • NSF Future Directions http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/ • NSF Awards http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/ • Funding Rates http://dellweb.bfa.nsf.gov/ • NSF Updates by Email http://www.nsf.gov

10. Be Strategic • What are your research/education goals? • What programs make sense for you? • Research ‘core’ programs • New or cross-cutting initiatives • Equipment support • Education programs • Research in Undergraduate Institutions • Other? • What are the funding rates of these programs? • Future Directions

11. Write Proposal with Reviewers/POs in Mind • Read solicitation guidance carefully • Contact Program Officer if you have questions • Key questions to answer in proposal • What do you intend to do? • Why is the work important? • What has already been done? • How are you going to do the work?

12. NSF Merit Review Criteria 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, the reviewer will 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 resources?

13. NSF Merit Review Criteria What are broader impacts of 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? See Exampleshttp://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf

14. Seek Help • NSF Program Officers • Current • Former • Mentors on Campus • Colleagues • Previous Panelists/Reviewers • Sponsored Research Office

15. Be PersistentRe-submit • Objectively read reviews and PO comments on your proposal • Ask colleagues to read/comment on your proposal, reviews, and PO comments • Contact NSF Program Officer if you have questions

16. Be a Funding Player • Be informed about funding agencies • Attend presentations by NSF Staff • Meet NSF Program Officers • Serve as an ad hoc reviewer • Serve as a panelist • Help others write proposals • Help students find opportunities

17. Final Word