Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship

1. Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship NSF Training Grants Workshop The NSF Reviewers’ Perspective

2. NSFTrainingGrants • Outline: • Proposal Preparation and Submission • NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures • A Reviewers’ Perspective

3. Application Focus Review Criteria Proposals… • Proposal Preparation and Submission • Proposals must describe integrative, research-based, graduate education and training activities in emerging areas of science and engineering. • The IGERT project should be organized around an interdisciplinary theme involving a diverse group of faculty members and other investigators with appropriate expertise in research and teaching.

4. Application Focus Review Criteria Proposals… • Proposal Preparation and Submission…continued • IGERT projects are expected to incorporate : • A comprehensive interdisciplinary theme • Integration of interdisciplinary research &education • State-of-the-art research instruments, equipment and educational tools and methodologies; • Career development opportunities… professional and personal skills…an international perspective, and instruction in ethics

5. Application Focus Review Criteria Proposals… • Proposal Preparation and Submission…continued • IGERT projects are expected to incorporate : • Program strategy and plan for recruitment, mentoring, retention • Strategy and methodology for formative assessments • Administrative plan and organizational structure • Plan for dissemination of results

6. Application Focus Review Criteria Proposals… • Proposal Preparation and Submission…continued • IGERT projects are expected to incorporate : • Institutional commitment to facilitating and furthering the plans and goals of the IGERT project “Proposals are expected to address ALL of the above topics.”

7. Application Focus Review Criteria Proposals… • IGERT proposals must include: • List of Participants • Vision, Goals, and Thematic Basis • Major Research Efforts • Education and Training • Institutional Commitment • Other Resources and Connections

8. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… • NSF Review Criteria • Proposals are reviewed by peer review panels • Proposals are evaluated using two merit review criteria: • intellectual merit, and • broader impacts of the proposed effort.

9. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… • NSF Review Criteria…continued • Intellectual merit of the proposed activity • Does the proposed activity advance knowledge and understanding within its field or across different fields? • How well qualified is the proposer to conduct the project? (prior work) • Does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? • Is it well conceived and organized? • Is there sufficient access to resources?

10. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… • NSF Review Criteria…continued • Broader impacts of the proposed activity • Does the activity advance discovery and understanding and promote teaching, training, and learning? • Does it broaden the participation of underrepresented groups? • Will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education? • Will the results be disseminated broadly? • What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

11. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… NSF Review Criteria…continued • Intellectual Merit • The interdisciplinary theme • Coherence and effectiveness as a focus Forward looking? Important? Effective for graduate students? • Is the proposed research of high quality and relevant to the interdisciplinary theme? • Administrative plan/organizational structure • Roles specified? Avenues for trainee input? If multi-institutional, how will they work?

12. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… IGERT Review Criteria…continued Integration and coherence of the theme Quality of the research efforts Quality and innovation in the education component, and integration with the research Effectiveness of career development opportunities Effectiveness of the strategy for recruitment, mentoring, retention Appropriateness of the plans for assessment Appropriateness of the administrative plan

13. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Reviewers are looking for: Is proposal well crafted? Is the subject compelling? Is the program actually integrated? Is the program actually interdisciplinary Have the proposers done their homework? Are letters from collaborating institutions included and meaningful Things to avoid: Adjective /adverb over kill Promising too much Complexity Research over kill Poor grammar and dropped or incorrect prepositions

14. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Summary It’s all about integration: emerging science, excellence in training and education engaging and enfranchising broad participation preparation for 21st century global careers And remember…. Just because you say it’s so…doesn’t make it so.

15. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: This is a well-written proposal. This reviewer is most impressed with the clarity of presentation and organization of the proposal. The proposal is concise and to the point containing little extraneous information or dialog. The proposers have kept the use of adjectives and adverbs within acceptable limits.

16. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: The proposers have suggested traditional methods of increasing underrepresented groups. Generally, this reviewer does not believe the proposers recognize the inherent difficulties in recruiting to the STEM disciplines, and they will have a particularly difficult time due to the subject matter of the major thrust of this activity, which may require extraordinary measures to achieve success.

17. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: There is no doubt that the proposed program will produce interesting and potentially beneficial results as far as ….. are concerned, yet there is some question vis-à-vis how well prepared the graduates will be to conduct truly integrative research and cross disciplinary boundaries to do so.

18. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: There is no mention of plans for dissemination or strategies for enhancement of scientific and technological understanding by the scientific community or by the society at large who are unacquainted with the issues of xxxx and environment. This reviewer feels that this may be one major omission in the program since there is much misinformation these days concerning the risks associated with xxxx.

19. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: This reviewer also particularly appreciates that some young faculty are included on the proposal as co-PIs, helping to establish their careers and providing the opportunity to gain much knowledge and best practices from the IGERT experience.

20. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: An important feature of this program not often seen is the fact that the host institution will commit space to house all the students in close proximity. … space to house IGERT fellows together is a critical component that is often lacking in IGERTs… the results of which can splinter students into departmental silos and degrade collaborative opportunities.

21. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: All of these components are well described, but this reviewer does not feel the excitement or enthusiasm one should feel for a truly transformative IGERT program. The proposers have not adequately articulated the educational or research program in such a way that it makes a compelling case for interdisciplinary science.

22. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: … the proposed outcomes are overly ambitious and the intensity of involvement of individual students cannot be sustained over a 4 or 5 year period of study and research with out running the risk of student burnout.

23. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: ….there is a lot written that suggests IGERT students will formulate problems, integrate information, and generate actionable knowledge, yet this reviewer does not see how this will be done. The complexity of the program seems to get in the way of providing a clear concise description of the curriculum, the research, and the international experience and how they fit together and develop an integrative program.

24. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: XXX College is shown as a collaborating institution and it is mentioned numerous times throughout the proposal that there will be collaborations with the College, yet this reviewer cannot find anywhere in the proposal where it is stated what, exactly, they will collaborate on or contribute to the program.

25. Application Focus Review Criteria Peer Review… Comments: Overall the international experience seems to be tacked on to the proposal. There is scant information concerning how it fits with the educational or research objectives of the program other than experience for fellows. There is mention of further details concerning the international program in the budget notes, of which there were none. Of the three international partners, only two provided letters of support.

26. Application Focus Review Criteria NSFTrainingGrants Thank you… Questions?