Unveil the mystery of research grant: Helpful hints for seeking - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chu-Hsiang (Daisy) Chang, Science of Organizations Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences Directorate

Unveil the mystery of research grant: Helpful hints for seeking funding from the National Science Foundation

Clemson U Oct 2017

National Science Foundation

• Created by Congress in 1950
• “to promote the progress of science, to

advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense. . .”

• Annual budget of about $7 billion

National Science Foundation

• Under increasing pressure to provide quality

research when using taxpayer dollars

• “NSF must focus research funding on areas

most likely to strengthen the economy, national security, and other national priorities.” --Rep. Lamar Smith R-Texas

Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate

• 1 of 7 NSF Directorates
• Annual budget of approximately $254 million
• Funds more than 50% of federally funded basic

research in SBE fields in academic institutions

• Most of the funds go to peer-reviewed grants

to individuals and small groups

• Also provides funding to major surveys; collect

data on the science and engineering enterprise

Social and Economic Sciences Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences

Office of the Director

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

Social and Economic Sciences Division

• Decision, Risk, and Management Science (DRMS)
• Economics
• Law and Social Sciences (LSS)
• Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS)
• Political Science
• Science of Organizations (SoO)
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
• Sociology

Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division

• Archaeology
• Biological Anthropology
• Cultural Anthropology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Sciences
• Science of Learning
• Documenting Endangered Languages
• Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS)
• Linguistics
• Perception, Action, and Cognition (PAC)
• Social Psychology
• And cross-directorate initiatives/activities…

Where to start with writing a proposal?

• A basic idea
• Research questions/ hypotheses
• Methods
• Check to see what awards have been previously

funded (www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/)

• Think about scale and budget and be sure these

are within the scale of the program you are applying to.

What is in a proposal?

• Project summary: 1 page
• Project description: up to 15 pages
• References
• Biosketches
• Budget and budget justification
• Current and pending support
• Facilities, equipment and other Resources
• Special information and supplementary

documentation

Be sure to pay attention to ...

• Data Management Plan (DMP)
• All proposals must describe plans for data management and

sharing

• Sharing data, coding schemes, analysis strategies; archiving to

assure replication of findings

• Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan
• If request money for a postdoc, must have plan as

supplementary doc (1 page)

• IRB (Human Subjects) Clearance
• No award involving human subject can be made without IRB

approval or exemption.

• This approval is not needed at the time of proposal application,

but PIs are urged to have their approval pending.

Proposal Tips

• Give yourself plenty of time

– Do not expect to be successful by “throwing something together at the last minute” – Proposal writing is a craft

• Focus on theoretical foundations and prospective

theoretical contributions of the project.

• Build in a strong case for societal benefits
• Make sure the budget is well justified.

Merit Review

• Intellectual Merit

– Potential to advance knowledge

• Broader Impacts

– Potential to benefit society and contribute to specific, desired societal outcomes

Be engaged with NSF

• Communicate with your program directors via

email

– Prior to submitting your proposal to make sure that the topic fits – Get their feedback about the fit between your proposed research with the program’s funding scope

• Consider serving as an ad hoc reviewer

– Contact the program director(s) with a list of keywords

• Sign up for NSF weekly digest

Research & Education Communities

NSF Proposal Generating Document

Program Officer Analysis & Recom- mendation

Life of a Proposal

Division Director Concur Organizatio n submits via FastLane Minimum

• f 3

Reviews Required

Ad hoc *Panel

Proposal Processing Unit

NSF Program Officer Returned as Inappropriate/Withdrawn Organization Award via DGA Decline 4-5 months 30 days Proposal Preparation Time Proposal received by NSF

• Div. Dir. Concur

Award Review of Proposal P.O. Recommend

DGA Review & Processing of Award *Co-reviews with

• ther panels

Beyond the Standard Research proposals

• Available in all NSF programs
• Untenured faculty (or comparable)
• Single scholar award
• ~ $400,000 - $450,000, 5-years minimum award
• Three CAREER proposal submissions lifetime limit
• Mid to late July deadline (varies by discipline and year)
• High Prestige/High Expectations
• Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and

Engineers (PECASE)

CAREER Solicitation (NSF 17-537)

Beyond the Standard Research proposals

• Rapid response research
• “…severe urgency with regard to availability of, or

access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events.”

• Can be initiated by the PI or by NSF (in the form of a

Dear Colleague Letter)

• Need to check in with the program directors to see if a

RAPID proposal is appropriate

• Budget is under $200K for one year

RAPID

Beyond the Standard Research proposals

• EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research
• “…exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but

potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches.”

• Can be initiated by the PI or by NSF (in the form of a

Dear Colleague Letter)

• Need to check in with the program directors to see if a

EAGER proposal is appropriate

• Budget is under $300K for two years

EAGER

Beyond the Standard Research proposals

• Designed to bring experts together to discuss recent

research or education findings or to expose other researchers or students to new research and education techniques

• A good mechanism to get a small pot of money to

support the initial establishment of a research network

• r collaboration
• PI needs to work with program director to refine the

workshop theme/invited experts

• Suggested budget is $50K

Workshop or conference grant

QUESTIONS?

Search the website, www.nsf.gov , then feel free to contact a program officer in a program that you feel you are interested in for further

• information. Email communication is generally

preferred.