NSF STS Funding Opportunities

1. EPSCoR OutreachMississippi State University18 April 2011STS Funding OpportunitiesThe National Science FoundationFred Kronz, Program DirectorScience, Technology, and Society (STS)

2. Outline • Basics of the National Science Foundation • STS Research Opportunities • Procedures, Guidelines, and Advice • Separating Awards from Declinations

3. Independent Agency Supports basic research Uses grant mechanism Low overhead; highly automated Discipline-based structure Cross-disciplinary mechanisms Use of Rotators/IPAs National Science Board NSF in a Nutshell

4. National Science Foundation Director, and Deputy Director National Science Board Computer, Information Science & Engineering Mathematical & Physical Sciences Biological Sciences Engineering Geosciences Information Resource Management Budget, Finance & Award Management Education & Human Resources Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

5. Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) • The Science, Technology, and Society Program (STS) is in SES, which is in turn in SBE • SES supports research on the intellectual and social contexts governing the development and use of science and technology • SES also supports research to advance scientific knowledge by focusing on economic, legal, political and social systems, organizations, and institutions Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences

6. SES DivisionFY 2010 Allocations by Program • Cross-Directorate Activities $3.1M • Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences $7.2M • Economics $25.0M • Innovation & Organizational Change $3.2M • Law & Social Science $5.0M • Methodology, Measurement & Statistics $3.9M • Political Science $9.3M • Science, Technology, & Society (STS) $8.9M • Sociology $8.8M FY 2011 Allocations Have Not Yet Been Set Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences

7. The Science, Technology, and Society Program Examines broader questions involving science, engineering or technology, and their impacts on society STS has four core areas: • Ethics and Values in Science (EVS) • History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) • Social Studies of Science (SSS) • Studies of Policy in Science (SPS) These areas are distinguished by the scientific and scholarly orientations they take to the subject and the different focuses within each subject. Collaborative hybrid projects involving two or more areas are strongly encouraged. Division of Social and Economic Sciences

8. Science, Technology and Society Program STS has eight modes of support • Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants • Post-doctoral Fellowships • Professional Development Fellowships • Scholars Awards • Standard Research Grants (Collaborative) • Small Grants for Training and Research • Conference and Workshop Awards • Other Grant Opportunities Associated with STS For more information, please see the STS Program Solicitation, NSF Document 08-553 The program has two deadlines per year, February 1st and August 1st Division of Social and Economic Sciences

9. Other Opportunities • Cross-Cutting Solicitations (CAREER, IGERT) • EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) • RAPID response research (RAPID) • Dear Colleague Letters (DCL) Science, Technology and Society Program

10. CAREER: Faculty Early CareerDevelopment Program • Recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of those educator-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. • Awardees are selected on the basis of creative career-development plans that effectively integrate research and education in the context of the mission of their institution. NSF 11-690 (Program Solicitation) National Science Foundation

11. CAREER: Faculty Early CareerDevelopment Program • Untenured faculty (or comparable) • Single scholar award • $400,000 minimum award, 5-year duration • Three proposals lifetime limit • Deadline: 27 July 2011 (25 July 2012) • “Walk on Water” expectation National Science Foundation

12. IGERT: Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program • Innovative research-based graduate education • Organized around an interdisciplinary research theme • Provides a framework for integrating research and education and promoting collaborations across departments and institutions • Involves a diverse group of faculty members • Students gain breadth of skills and understanding to work in an interdisciplinary environments while grounded in some disciplinary field NSF 11-533 (Program Solicitation) National Science Foundation

13. EArly-concept Grants forExploratory Research (EAGER) • Exploratory work on untested, potentially transformative ideas • High-risk, high-potential payoff • $300,000 maximum; 2 years • Eight page descriptive • Internal review only • Contact program officer first National Science Foundation

14. Rapid Response Research (RAPID) • Research when data are ephemeral • $200,000 maximum; 1 year • 5 page project description • Internal review only • Contact program officer first National Science Foundation

15. Impacts of Biology on Society DCL • IBS initiative spans across the SBE and BIO Directorates • It is intended to foster research that specifically addresses the interactions of the biological sciences with society • IBS projects should address one or more components of the STS program in the context of biological questions • Partnerships between biologists and philosophers or historians or social scientists to address current issues relevant to the impacts of biology on society and vice versa are particularly encouraged NSF 06-039 (Dear Colleague Letter—archived) Division of Social and Economic Sciences

16. Research at the Interface of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Society DCL • RIMPSS initiative spans across the SBE and MPS Directorates • Intended to foster research that specifically addresses the interactions of the mathematical/physical sciences with society • RIMPSS projects should address one or more STS components in the context of mathematical of physical science questions • Partnerships between math/physical scientists and philosophers or historians or social scientists to address current issues relevant to the RIMPSS are particularly encouraged NSF 08-065 (Dear Colleague Letter—soon to be archived) Division of Social and Economic Sciences

17. Why You Want NSF Funding • Funds curiosity-driven research • Pays full overhead (no match) • Provides summer salary support • Uses the grant mechanism

18. Where to Start? • STS Program Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf08553 • NSF Award Search: www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/ • NSF Grant Proposal Guide: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=papp

19. NSF Sources of Reviewers • Program Officer’s knowledge • References listed in the proposal • Google • Community of Science and other databases • Reviewer’s recommendations • Investigator’s suggestions

20. Funding Decisions • Program Officer decision • Feedback to PI • Informal and formal notification • Scope of work and budget discussions

21. Two Funding Criteria • Intellectual Merit • Potential Broader Impacts

22. Intellectual Merit • How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding in its own field or across different fields? • How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? • 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?

23. Potential Broader Impacts • Promotes teaching, training and learning • Broadens the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.) • Enhances the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, partnerships • Disseminates results broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding • Benefits society, by enhancing public understanding of science, for example

24. Data Management Plans • All proposals must describe plans for data management and sharing of the products of research, or assert the absence of the need for such plans • DMPs must be placed in the Special Information and Supplementary Documentation section • FastLane prevents submission of proposals that are missing DMPs • The DMP will be reviewed as part of the intellectual merit or broader impacts of the proposal or both. • For more information on DMPs, see secionii.C.d.j of the PAPPG • For SBE guidelines on DMPs: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/SBE_DataMgmtPlanPolicy.pdf

25. Budget Tips • Amounts • Reasonable, Realistic for work • Well-justified, Need-established • In-line with Program Guidelines • Eligible costs • Personnel • Equipment • Travel • Other Direct Costs, Subawards • Facilities & Administrative Costs

26. Myths about NSF • Only funds scholars at elite graduate institutions • Only funds “famous” academics • Once declined, you are likely always to be declined • Only funds “normal science” • Advisory committees make funding decisions

27. Reasons for Declinations • “Trust-me” proposal • Not feasible • Expertise gaps • Insufficient funding • Too ambitious • Incremental contribution • Bad luck

28. NSF vs. NIH • NSF tends to be smaller • NSF is more open to risky, exploratory, paradigm-challenging work • NSF stresses basic research • NSF has no scoring system, percentile system • NSF program officers make funding decisions • NSF uses “revision encouragement” loosely

29. It is useful to submit, even if declined… • Revise and resubmit • Discover other funding sources • Forces thinking • Builds relationships • Receive reviews from experts

30. Final Advice • Learn to love rejection • Team up • E-mail or call Program Officer with specific questions • Encourage dissertation improvement grant proposals

31. Additional Questions? Fred Kronz fkronz@nsf.gov 703-292-7283 Mike Gorman mgorman@nsf.gov 703-292-7318 Kelly Joyce kjoyce@nsf.gov 703-292-8543 Where Discoveries Begin