How to Get NSF to Fund How to Get NSF to Fund Your Social Science ResearchYour Social Science Research

Robert E. O’Connor, DirectorRobert E. O’Connor, DirectorProgram in Decision, Risk Program in Decision, Risk and Management Sciences and Management Sciences

Division of Social and Economic SciencesDivision of Social and Economic SciencesDirectorate for Social, Behavioral, and Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and

Economic SciencesEconomic SciencesNational Science FoundationNational Science Foundation

Penn State 2015Penn State 2015

Workshop OutlineWorkshop Outline

• Background on the National Science Foundation

• Social Science Research Opportunities

• Submission Procedures• Separating Awards from

Declinations

NSF in a NutshellNSF in a Nutshell

• Independent Agency

• Supports basic research

• Uses grant mechanism

• Low overhead; highly automated

• Discipline-based structure

• Cross-disciplinary mechanisms

• Use of Rotators/IPAs

• 2014 budget: $7.172 billion

National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation

Inspector General

National Science Board

Director Deputy Director

Staff Offices

Computer & Information

Science&

Engineering

Engineering Geosciences

Mathematics & Physical

Sciences

Social, Behavioral

& Economic Sciences

Education & Human Resources

Budget, Finance & Award

Management

Information Resource

Managemen

t

Biological

Sciences

Social and Economic Social and Economic SciencesSciences

Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral and Cognitive SciencesSciences

Office of the DirectorOffice of the Director

Science Resources StatisticsScience Resources Statistics

Directorate for Social, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Behavioral & Economic

SciencesSciences

Why Do You Want Why Do You Want NSF Funding?NSF Funding?

• Funds curiosity-driven research• Pays full overhead (no match)• Provides summer salary support• Uses the grant mechanism

OpportunitiesOpportunities

• Unsolicited competitions• Special solicitations (e.g., IBIS)• Rapid response research (RAPID)• Early-concept grants for exploratory

research (EAGER)• CAREER grants• Dear Colleague Letter• Doctoral dissertation improvement grants• Research Coordination Networks

Where to Start?Where to Start?

• www.nsf.gov• Check awards by program, keyword,

etc. (www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/)• Read solicitation carefully (if not

unsolicited competition)• Download Grant Proposal Guide

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

Social and Economic Sciences (SES)(SES)

FY 2015 budget: approximately $100 million

• Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences• Economics (Big Dog) • Science of Organizations • Law and Social Science• Methodology, Measurement & Statistics• Political Science • Science, Technology and Society• Sociology

Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences

SES Target DatesSES Target DatesJanuary 15 & August 15

Law and Social Science

Political Science

Sociology

January 16 & August 16Methods, Measures, and Statistics

January 18 & August 18Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences

Economics

February 1 & August 1Science and Society

February 2 & September 3Science of Organizations

Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)(BCS)

FY 2015 budget: $100 million• Archaeology & Archaeometry• Cultural Anthropology• Cognitive Neuroscience• Developmental & Learning Sciences• Geography & Regional Science• Linguistics• Perception, Action, & Cognition• Biological Anthropology• Social Psychology

January 14 & July 14Cognitive Neuroscience

January 15 & July 15Developmental & Learning SciencesLinguistics Social Psychology

January 15 & August 15Cultural AnthropologyGeography & Regional Science

January 20 & August 20Biological Anthropology

February 1 & August 1Perception, Cognition and Action

July 1 & December 1Archaeology

BCS Target Dates

Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Awards

• Archaeology• Cultural Anthropology• Decision, Risk, &

Management Science• Economics• Geography &

Regional Science

• Law and Social Science• Linguistics• Biological

Anthropology• Political Science • Science and Society• Sociology

Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences

Faculty Early Career Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) ProgramDevelopment (CAREER) Program

• Untenured faculty (or comparable)• Single scholar award• $400,000, 5-years minimum award• Three proposals lifetime limit• July 1 deadline• “Walk on Water” expectation

Rapid Response Research Rapid Response Research (RAPID)(RAPID)

• Research when data are ephemeral

• $200,000 maximum; 1 year• 5-page project description• Internal review only• Contact program officer first

Early-concept grants for Early-concept grants for exploratory research exploratory research

(EAGER)(EAGER)

• Exploratory work on untested, potentially transformative ideas

• High-risk, high-potential payoff• $300,000 maximum; 2 years• 8-page descriptive• Internal review only• Contact program officer first

Dear Colleague Letter Dear Colleague Letter

Example: Stimulating Research Example: Stimulating Research Related to the Science of Related to the Science of Broadening ParticipationBroadening Participation

• http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14038/nsf14038.jsp

• Submit to relevant SBE program• Front office to pay half of award

Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Behavioral and Social

Science ResearchScience Research• http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/

nsf12614/nsf12614.htm• December 2, 2014 Deadline• $1M awards for interdisciplinary

SBE science• Future uncertain

Research Coordination Research Coordination NetworksNetworks

• http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11691

• Support groups of scholars focused on a theme

• Submit to a program• Limited to 5-years, $500,000

Special Program: Special Program: Dynamics of Coupled Natural Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH)and Human Systems (CNH)

• Funds quantitative, interdisciplinary analyses of relevant human and natural system processes and complex interactions at diverse scales

• First permanent inter-directorate program• Now part of the SEES Investment

Program Officer: Tom Baerwald

Innovations at the Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, Nexus of Food, Energy,

and Waterand Water

• New program to replace Water Sustainability and Climate

• FY2016 budget request is $74,960,000• FY2015 DCL for supplements and workshops• March 30, 2015 deadline• http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15040/nsf15040.jsp

Critical Resilient Critical Resilient Interdependent Interdependent

Infrastructure Systems Infrastructure Systems and Processes and Processes • Integration of engineering,

computer science, and social science

• Three PIs• March 20, 2015 deadline• http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/

nsf15531/nsf15531.htm• Big Future

NRTNRT

National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program

• The new IGERT • http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp

?ods_key=nsf15542

• December 22, 2015 letters of intent• $3M for 5 years in for interdisciplinary

graduate education

STEMSTEM** Initiatives Initiatives

• NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education  (GK-12)

• National STEM Education Distributed Learning  (NSDL)

• Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP)

As three examples . . . .

* Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

NSF’s Future?NSF’s Future?

• FY2016 budget request is a significant increase over 2015 budget

• The eternal conflict: disciplinary v. inter-disciplinary priorities

• Threats to social science

Proposal Structure 1Proposal Structure 1

• Summary (1 page; overview, intellectual merit, broader impacts)

• Description (15 pages)• References (no limit, but….)• Biographical sketches (2 pages each)• Budget • Budget justification (3 pages)

Proposal Structure 2Proposal Structure 2

• Current and pending support• Data Management Plan• Post-Doc Mentoring Plan• Reviewing Suggestions (optional)

Research & Education Communities

NSF Proposal

GeneratingDocument

ProgramOfficer

Analysis&

Recom-mendation

Proposal Process

DivisionDirectorConcur

Organization submits

viaFastLane

Minimum of 3

ReviewsRequired

Ad hoc

Panel

Both

Proposal Processing

Unit

NSF Program Officer

Returned as Inappropriate/Withdrawn

Organization

Award via DGA

Decline

4 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

NSF NSF SourcesSources of Reviewers of Reviewers

• Program Officer’s knowledge

• References listed in the proposal

• Google

• Community of Science and other databases

• Reviewer’s recommendations

• Investigator’s suggestions

Human Subjects

• No award for a project involving human subjects can be made without prior Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the research activity.

• IRB approval is not needed at the time of proposal submission.

Funding DecisionsFunding Decisions

• Program Officer decision

• Feedback to PI

• Informal and formal notification

• Scope of work and budget discussions

Two Funding CriteriaTwo Funding Criteria

• Intellectual merit• Broader impacts

Intellectual Merit?Intellectual Merit?

• NSF funds basic research• NSF funds basic research• Intellectual merit means increasing

knowledge through developing and examining basic theories or methods

Broader ImpactsBroader Impacts

The Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed activities. Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to the achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

Budget Tips

• Amounts– Reasonable for work -- Realistic– Well justified -- Need established– In-line with program guidelines

• Eligible costs– Personnel– Equipment– Travel– Other Direct Costs, Subawards– Facilities & Administrative Costs

Myths about NSFMyths 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

Reasons for DeclinationsReasons for Declinations

• “Trust-me” proposal• Not feasible

– Expertise gaps– Insufficient funding– Too ambitious

• Incremental contribution• Bad luck

How to Put Together an How to Put Together an Interdisciplinary TeamInterdisciplinary Team

• Commit for the long haul– Be wary if untenured– Expect a long development period

• Find a wise and strong leader– Proposals need coherence– Leaders need to listen and then decide

• Meet for intellectual as well as task-related purposes

NSF vs. NIHNSF 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

AdviceAdvice

• Learn to love rejection• Team up• E-mail or call Program Officer with

specific questions• Encourage dissertation improvement

grant proposals (check program first)

Useful to submit Useful to submit even if declinedeven if declined

• Revise and resubmit• Discover other funding sources• Forces thinking• Build relationships• Receive reviews from experts

QUESTIONS??QUESTIONS??

Contact Bob O’Connor(703) 292-7263

roconnor@nsf.gov