Overview of the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)

1. Overview of the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) September 11, 2008 Bruce E. Sagan Program Director Division of Mathematical Sciences www.nsf.gov 1/48

2. NSF Vision To enable America’s future through discovery, learning and innovation NSF Mission • Promote the progress of science; • Advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; • Secure the national defense. 2/48

3. NSF’s Strategic Goals • Discovery – Foster research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, emphasizing areas of greatest opportunity and potential benefit and establishing the Nation as a global leader in fundamental and transformational science and engineering • Learning – Cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens • Research Infrastructure – Build the Nation’s research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber infrastructure, and experimental tools • Stewardship – Support excellence in science and engineering research and education through a capable and responsive organization 3/48

4. Call for Reinvestment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) • Increase US talent pool • Strengthen basic research • Develop, recruit, and retain the best/brightest • Ensure innovation in America • From fundamental discoveries to marketable technologies • Facilities and instrumentation • World class science and engineering workforce • Focus on physical sciences and engineering • Doubles NSF, DOE, NIST budget over 10 years 4/48

5. NSF Budget by Directorate 5/48

6. MPS by Division 6/48

7. Ten-Year Funding History 7/48

8. Top 5 Things to Know About MPS • Most extensive and diverse scientific portfolio • Centered around the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI): fundamental discovery to marketable technologies • Largest budget: $1.25B FY08 • Develops & supports major facilities • Diverse approaches: smaller individual Principal Investigator (PI) grants to larger centers/institutes 8/48

9. Number of People Involved in MPS Activities FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 Estimate Estimate Estimate Senior Researchers 8,212 8,325 9,900 Other Professionals 2,000 2,025 2,400 Post-Doctorates 2,171 2,200 2,600 Graduate Students 7,720 7,800 9,300 Undergraduate Students 6,091 6,150 7,300 K - 12 Students 615 625 750 K - 12 Teachers 478 485 550 Total Number of People 27,287 27,610 32,800 MPS spends at least $300 million annually on Graduate and Postdoctoral training!

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12. MPS Directorate Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Physics Materials Research Mathematical Sciences Chemistry Astronomy Office of Multidisciplinary Activities 11/48

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14. Scientific Opportunities • Physical sciences at the nanoscale • Science beyond “Moore’s Law” • Physics of the universe • Complex systems (multi-scale, emergent phenomena) • Fundamental mathematical and statistical science • Sustainability (energy, environment, climate) • Computational and Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation • Interface between the physical and life sciences 13/48

15. NSF Funding Rate for Competitive Awards - Competitive Research Grants 35,000 100% 90% 30,000 80% 25,000 70% P N e 60% u 20,000 r m c 50% b e 15,000 e 40% n r t 30% 10,000 20% 5,000 10% 0 0% 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Competitive Proposal Actions Competitive Awards Funding Rate 14/48

16. MPS Funding Rate for Competitive Awards - Competitive Research Grants 15/48

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18. Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) • Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) • Coherent X-ray Light Source • Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT) • Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) • Square Kilometer Array (SKA) 17/48

19. 18/48 Facilities in Development & Under Construction Facilities under Construction: • ALMA: Atacama Large Millimeter Array, site construction • IceCube: neutrino telescope, operations initiated • LIGO: Laser-Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory • LHC: Large Hadron Collider, coming online soon Design and Development: • DUSEL: will begin formally in FY 2008. • GSMT: $5M R&D • LSST: $2-3M R&D • ATST: In “readiness” stage Other Projects: • Light source: planning to convene panel on NSF role. • ILC: International Linear Collider

20. AstronomicalSciences (AST) • Astronomy and Astrophysics Grants • Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology • Galactic Astronomy • Planetary Astronomy • Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics • Education and Special Programs • Electromagnetic Spectrum Management • Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation • Major Research Instrumentation • University Radio Observatories • Program for Research and Education with Small Telescopes • Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships 19/48

21. AST Centers and Facilities • Optical/Infrared Facilities • Gemini Observatories • National Optical Astronomy Observatory • National Solar Observatory • Radio Facilities • National Radio Astronomy Observatory • Very Large Array, New Mexico • Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, West Virginia • Very Long Baseline Array (U.S. & Possessions) • Atacama Large Millimeter Array (Chile) • National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center • Arecibo Radio Telescope, Puerto Rico 20/48

22. Division of Chemistry (CHE) • Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry • Organic Dynamics • Organic Synthesis • Physical Chemistry • Theoretical and Computational Chem. • Experimental Physical Chemistry Inorganic, Analytical & Bioinorganic & Surface Chemistry Organometallic Chemistry Chemistry Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Analytical and Surface Chemistry Centers Facilities and • Integrated Chemical Activities • Chemical Instrumentation Programs • Research Experience for Undergraduates • Undergraduate Research Centers • Discovery Corp Fellows Other Education Collaboratives Instrumentation Centers 82 Frontier Programs 21/48

23. Transformative Research: The Chemical Bonding Centers (CBC) • “Big” problems in the chemical sciences • Broad scientific interest • Public interest • High-risk/high-impact projects • Agile and cyber-enabled FY2005 – Phase I - $500K/yr (3 yrs) Powering the Planet Harry Gray, Caltech, PI Molecular Cybernetics Milan Stojanovic, Columbia, PI Chemistry at the Space-Time lLimit Shaul Mukamel, UCI, PI FY2007 - Phase II - $3M /y (5 y) Center for Enabling New Technologies through Catalysis (CENTEC) Karen Goldberg, U. Washington CENTC brings together a group of sixteen investigators from across the United States to work on the development of efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly methods of synthesizing organic material by way of activation of strong bonds. Projects focus on green chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and material production and thus, have a significant potential to increase US competitiveness. 22/48

24. Undergraduate Research Collaboratives(URC) Three competitions (’04,’05, ’06) resulted in 5 full awards, each ~ $2.7M/5 years. 2004- CASPiE (Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education)- centered at Purdue University (Gabriella Weaver) with a consortium of 2- and 4-year institutions in Indiana and Illinois. Includes remote instrumentation network. 2005- REEL (Research Experiences for Enhanced Learning)- centered at Ohio State University (Prabir Dutta) with a consortium of all (~14) of the public universities in Ohio plus Columbus Community College. Impact ~15,000 students. 2005- Northern Plains URC (NPURC, Mary Berry)- centered at South Dakota University- regional cluster incl. community and tribal colleges. 2006- University of Texas-URC (Mary Rankin)- A New Model for Teaching through Research. Integrates 1st and 2nd year laboratory program (~ 25% of UT intro chemistry students/50% minority students) with ongoing chemistry and biochemistry research programs at UT, Austin- a “vertical” collaboration model within a large R1. 2006- Community Colleges of Chicago URC (Tom Higgins)- To determine factors that encourage 2YC students to continue in science via traditional student/mentor research, team research, and partnering with 4 y institutions for summer research.

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26. Materials Research (DMR) • Advanced Materials and Processing Cluster • Metals, Ceramics and Electronic Materials • Base Science Cluster • Condensed Matter Physics • Solid-Sate Chemistry and Polymers • Materials Research and Technology Enabling Cluster • Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers • Materials Theory • National Facilities and Instrumentation • Office of Special Programs 25/48

27. Centers and Institutes • Science and Technology Centers • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers • Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers • International Materials Institutes • Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials 26/48

28. DMR Facilities • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory • Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source • Synchrotron Radiation Center • Center for High-Resolution Neutron Scattering • National Nanofrabrication Infrastructure Network 27/48

29. Materials World Network • Funds the US researchers in an International Collaboration • Foreign researchers are funded by their respective agencies • Countries and Agencies involved • Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Commission, European Science Foundation, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe 28/48

30. Mathematical Sciences (DMS) • “Core business”: single investigator and group proposals through targeted solicitations Covers the entire mathematical spectrum Institutes: 5 NSF-initiated, support for 3 others • Visitors to long term programs, workshops Workforce: responding to a major challenge. • Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce in the 21st Century (EMSW21) training grants • Postdoctoral fellowships • Research for Undergraduates Workforce 16% Advancing the Frontier 74% Institutes/ Centers 10% 29/48

31. Mathematical Sciences • Analysis • Applied Mathematics • Algebra, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and Foundations • Computational Mathematics • Geometric Analysis and Topology • Statistics and Probability • Infrastructure 30/48

32. Mathematical Sciences Institutes Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) – Berkeley, CA Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications (IMA) – U of Minnesota Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) – UCLA Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI) – Duke U, NC State U, U North Carolina, NISS Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) – Ohio State U Partial support provided for: American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) 31/48

33. Conferences, Workshops, and Special Meetings in the Mathematical Sciences • Support of “regular” conferences and workshops • Support of “special meetings” • Longer or larger-scale activities • Examples: Special research years or semesters, multi-institutional regional meetings, “summer” or “winter” schools • Awards: $50-$150K per year up to 3 years • Next Deadlines: October 18, 2005, August 24, 2006 • Solicitation: NSF 05-540 32/48

34. Education/ Workforce 3% Centers/ Institutes 4% Facilities/ Instrumentation 35% Advancing the Frontier 58% Physics (PHY) Facilities: LHC, LIGO, IceCube, NSCL, CESR Programs: Atomic, Molecular, Optical, and Plasma Physics Biological Physics Elementary Particle Physics Gravitational Physics Nuclear Physics Particle and Nuclear Astrophysics Physics at the Information Frontier Physics Frontiers Centers Theoretical Physics Education and Interdisciplinary Programs 33/48

35. Physics Frontiers Centers Kavli Center for Cosmological Physics – Chicago - Meyer FOCUS: Frontiers in Optical Coherent and Ultrafast Science Michigan/Texas - Bucksbaum Center for the Study of the Origin and Structure of Matter Hampton - Baker Center for Theoretical Biological Physics – UCSD - Onuchic 35/48

36. Physics Frontiers Centers (cont’d) Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics – Notre Dame - Wiescher Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas – Wisconsin - Prager Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics – UCSB - Gross Center for Ultracold Atoms – MIT/Harvard - Kleppner JILA (Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics) – Colorado/NIST - Wieman 36/48

37. 37/48 Physics Division Facilities Major facilities ops 35% of budget • LIGO (Caltech) gravity wave observatory • NSCL (Michigan State) radioactive ion beams • CESR e+e- Collider (Cornell) phaseout path • U.S. LHC [ATLAS, CMS] (CERN) 1st beam 2007, physics 2008 • Others in construction or planning stages: IceCube,LIGO, ERL,DUSEL Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory Large Hadron Collider ATLAS Detector

38. Office of Multidisciplinary Activities • Roles: • Supports excellence and creativity of the MPS community more effectively • Works as an investment capital resource and partner to MPS Divisions to support joint ventures across organizational boundaries • Facilitates support of research and education projects not readily accommodated by existing MPS structures 38/48

39. Office of Multidisciplinary Activities • Characteristics: • Not a traditional ‘program’ function • Does not receive/evaluate external proposals • Co-invests with MPS Divisions, other NSF Directorates, and external partners • Advice/guidance from MPS Division Directors • One year budget basis – no continuing commitments 39/48

40. NSF Merit Review Process • By Mail and/or Panel • Confidential • Anonymous 40/48

41. Intellectual Merit • Designing experiments • Conducting experiments • Interpreting results • Assessing value 41/48

42. NSF’s Review Criteria Intellectual Merit • 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? • To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? • How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? • Is there sufficient access to resources? 42/48

43. BroaderImpacts • Communication • Education • Underrepresented Groups • Industry • Environment • National security • Health • Quality of life 43/48

44. NSF’s Review Criteria Broader Impact • 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? • 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? http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pdf 44/48

45. Secrets for Success • New and original ideas • Sound, succinct, detailed focused plan • Preliminary data and/or feasibility calculation • Relevant experience • Clarity concerning future direction • Well-articulated broader impacts 45/48

46. NSF Proposals • Get to know your program officer(s) • Contact the program officer(s) to discuss your project, and learn of relevant, current opportunities • Know and follow the current Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) - it changes! • Know the audience for your proposal’s review - it is a competition! • Explicitly address Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact in both the Project Summary and Project Description! 46/48

47. NSF Proposals • Match and justify the budget to the scope of the proposed work - ask for what you need! • Be familiar with projects that have succeeded - Award Abstracts at • http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch • Special programs exist which are of interest for Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), e.g., Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) 47/48

48. Look Us Up For information on a particular division and program, go to the following web address and pick a Division: http://www.nsf.gov/home/mps/ See “MPS Directory and Staff” on MPS home page 48/48