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(from 2003 workshop presentation on NSF funding mechanisms & proposal strategies)

This workshop presentation from 2003 provides insights into NSF funding mechanisms, proposal strategies, and the successful grant awards process. It highlights the importance of thorough planning, addressing merit review criteria, and collaboration with NSF program staff. The presentation also emphasizes the need to align proposals with NSF priorities and to ensure a competitive application.

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(from 2003 workshop presentation on NSF funding mechanisms & proposal strategies)

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  1. (from 2003 workshop presentation on NSF funding mechanisms & proposal strategies)

  2. NSF Grant Awards • ~30,000 applications received • ~10,000 applications funded • Proposals submitted electronically • Turnaround within 6 months • Of 26 federal agencies judged by OMB, only NSF received commendation for financial management (only 4.5% of budget goes to agency operation)

  3. NSF Grant Awards • Fund research & education in: • Biology & chemistry • Geoscience • Mathematics & physical sciences • Engineering & technology • Computers & information science • Social, behavioral, and economic sciences

  4. NSF Grant Awards • Collaborative Proposals • Equipment Proposals • Conferences, Symposia, Workshops • International Travel • Doctoral Dissertation Research • Renewals • Traditional • Accomplishment-Based

  5. NSF Grant Awards • Small Grants for Exploratory Research = SGER (sugar!) • Untested concepts, urgent research topics, new technologies • 1-2 year grant, <$100K, expedited internal NSF review

  6. NSF Grant Awards • Does NOT Fund: • Etiology, diagnosis, or treatment of physical or mental disease • Animal models (drug testing) • Product development • Classified research • Technical assistance • Pilot plant projects

  7. NSF Grant Awards • Bioengineering research related to diagnosis or treatment of disease or to aid persons with disabilities is acceptable • Proposals to Biological Sciences CANNOT duplicate proposals submitted to other Federal agencies

  8. NSF Grant Awards • Contact appropriate NSF Program Staff early & often • Match your ideas with their priorities • Fine-tune a “good” application into a “competitive” application

  9. http://www.nsf.gov/home/programs/start.htm

  10. http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin/

  11. http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6Start.htm

  12. http://www.nsf.gov/home/programs/guide.htm

  13. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg

  14. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9891/nsf9891.htm

  15. http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/

  16. Planning Your Proposal • Proposal submission dates vary: • Open submission • Submission windows • Target dates • Deadlines • Upcoming Target Dates & Deadlines available online (sorted by program) http://www.nsf.gov/home/deadline/deadline.htm

  17. Planning Your Proposal NSF Will Return WITHOUT REVIEW Any Application That Does Not Separately Address BOTH Merit Review Criteria: Intellectual Merit & Broader Impact

  18. Planning Your Proposal • Intellectual Merit • Increase knowledge in field? • Well conceived, innovative idea? • Clearly defined methods & analysis? • Qualified researcher(s)? • Access to appropriate resources? • Clear plan to evaluate & disseminate? • Broader Impact

  19. Planning Your Proposal • Promote teaching & training • Include researchers from underrepresented groups • Enhance institutional resources & partnerships • Disseminate results broadly • Demonstrate societal benefits

  20. Planning Your Proposal • Section A: Project Summary • <1 page, written in 3rd person • Description of funded activity • Include objectives & methods • Specify intellectual merit & broader impact • Section B: Table of Contents • Generated automatically by FastLane

  21. Planning Your Proposal • Section C: Project Description • 15 page limit • Up to 5 pages for Results from Prior NSF Support • 2.5 cm margins, no smaller than 10 pt • Recommend 11 or 12 pt for text, 10 pt for tables • NO APPENDIX MATERIAL

  22. Planning Your Proposal • Section C: Project Description • Objectives for funded period • Significance of proposed work • Relation to long-term research plans • Relation to current knowledge & work in progress • Work plan • Broader impact (www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pdf)

  23. Planning Your Proposal • Section D: References Cited • Section E: Biographical Sketches • Section F: Budget • Section G: Current & Pending Grants • Section H: Facilities, Equipment, Resources

  24. Planning Your Proposal • Section J: Supplementary Documentation • Section I: Appendices Appendices MAY NOT BE INCLUDED Unless Authorized!!

  25. Planning Your Proposal • Plan long-term education/career goals • Translate idea into achievable aims • Assess needs & available resources • Conduct literature search & pilot work • Refine aims & present to colleagues

  26. How NOT to Obtain Funding • Lack of new or original ideas • Diffuse, superficial, or unfocused plan • Lack of knowledge or published work • Lack of experience in essential methodology • Uncertainty concerning future direction • Questionable reasoning in experimental approach • Absence of acceptable scientific rationale

  27. How NOT to Obtain Funding • Unrealistically large amount of work • Lack of sufficient detail • Uncritical approach • Lack of funds • Good proposal –just not acompetitive proposal

  28. How to Obtain Funding • Create list of suggested reviewers who are especially well qualified • Identify persons you would prefer not review the proposal, indicating why • Other sources: cited references, recent literature, recent conferences

  29. How to Obtain Funding • Cannot suggest reviewers who are: • Affiliated with your University • Family members • Business partners • Thesis advisor or student • Project collaborator (journal article, research project, conference, etc.)

  30. How to Obtain Funding • At NSF: 1200 employees, 300 contractors, 100 rotating scientists & engineers from academia • From Scientific Community: 50,000 scientists & engineers participate in advisory system for proposal review

  31. How to Obtain Funding • Identify the applicable program announcement, solicitation, or program description • If none, select “Grant Proposal Guide” plus appropriate NSF Division and Program

  32. How to Obtain Funding • READ Grant Proposal Guide! • FOLLOW allinstructions! • Identify & study targeted programarea (prior studies funded, currentneeds & interests, future directions)

  33. How to Obtain Funding • Contact NSF Program Officer in planning stages • Seek assistance from NSF-funded researchers • Seek assistance of NSF grant reviewers

  34. How to Obtain Funding • Use short, concise sentences • Make points clearly • Use diagrams to illustrate models • Use tables to summarize data • NEVER assume reviewers “knowwhat you mean”

  35. How to Obtain Funding • Detailed cookbook instructions for what exactly you will do • Anticipate problems & include Plan B • Logical sequence & timetable • Design must achieve objectives • Show how results will lead to future experiments & broader impact

  36. How to Obtain Funding • Explain in detail for all anticipated results: • Analysis • Interpretation • Dissemination • Evaluation • Broader Impact

  37. How to Obtain Funding • Proposal receipt acknowledgment includes NSF # and Program Officer • Verify status of submitted proposal • Contact Program Officer in case of significant development during review period

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