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How to Get NSF to Fund Your Social Science Research Robert E. O’Connor, Director Program in Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Division of Social and Economic Sciences Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences National Science Foundation Penn State 2013. Workshop Outline. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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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 2013Penn State 2013
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 request: $7.626 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., SEES-related)• 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 2014 budget request: $102.5 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 2014 budget request: $97.4 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/2011/nsf11023/nsf11023.jsp
• Submit to relevant SBE program• Front office to pay half of award
Science, Engineering, and Science, Engineering, and Education for Education for SustainabilitySustainability
• http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504707
• Social science friendly solicitations:– Water sustainability and climate
(9/10/13 deadline)– SEES fellows (11/21/13 deadline)– Hazards SEES
• FY2014 request: $223 million
Research Coordination Research Coordination NetworksNetworks
• http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11531/nsf11531.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
• 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
INSPIREINSPIRE
Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504852
• Requires authorization from two “intellectually distinct programs” to apply
• $1M or $3 awards• Bold interdisciplinary projects • FY2014 request: $63 million
IGERTIGERT
Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Traineeship Program
• Penn State is a past recipient of IGERT funding• Focused training in specific topical areas for
graduate students—pre- and post-doctoral• Big changes coming?
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?
• FY2014 budget request is an 8.4% increase over 2012 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
• 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