Transcript NSF Research Opportunities For Social Scientists

NSF Research Opportunities
For Social Scientists
Harold Clarke
Ashbel Smith Professor
University of Texas at Dallas and
University of Essex
Former NSF Division Director,
Social and Economic Sciences
NSF in a Nutshell
• Independent Agency
• Supports basic
research
• Natural & Social
Sciences
• Uses grant mechanism
• Discipline-based
structure
• Cross-disciplinary
mechanisms
• Mix of Permanent &
Visiting Staff
Why You Might Want NSF Funding
• Funds basic research
• Funds both theory development & data
collection
• Funds infrastructure development –
everything from submarines to software
• Provides summer salary support
• Funds doctoral dissertation research
• Program Development Opportunities
Office of the Director
Directorate for Social,
Behavioral & Economic
Sciences
Social and Economic
Sciences
Behavioral and Cognitive
Sciences
Science Resources Statistics
Opportunities
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Unsolicited competitions
Special initiatives (e.g., Democratization)
Rapid response research (RAPID)
Early concept grants for exploratory
research (EAGER)
• CAREER grants
• Doctoral dissertation improvement grants
Social and Economic Sciences
FY09 Program Allocations (~millions of dollars)
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Cross-Directorate Activities
Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences
Economics
Innovation and Organizational Sciences
Law and Social Science
Methodology, Measurement & Statistics
Political Science
Science and Society
Sociology
$3.8
$7.5
$25.8
$3.4
$5.1
$4.0
$9.9
$8.9
$9.5
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
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
• Contact Program Officer once you have
formed and organized your ideas
SES Target Dates
January 15 & August 15
Law and Social Science
Political Science
Sociology
January 16 & August 16
Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics
January 18 & August 18
Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences
Economics
February 1 & August 1
Science and Society
February 2 & September 3
Innovation and Organizational Sciences
Faculty Early Career Development
(CAREER) Program
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Untenured faculty (or comparable)
Single scholar award
$400,000, 5-years minimum award
Three proposals lifetime limit
July 1 deadline
High expectations
Rapid Response Research
(RAPID)
• Research when data are ephemeral,
e.g. study impact of stimulus package
• $200,000 maximum; 1 year
• 5 page project description
• Internal review only
• Contact program officer first
Early Concept Grants for
Exploratory Research (EAGER)
• Exploratory work on untested,
potentially transformative ideas
• High-risk, high-potential payoff
• $300,000 maximum; 2 years
• Eight page description
• Internal review only
• Contact program officer first
Dear Colleague Letter
Example: Integrating HSD Goals
into Core SBE Programs
• Complexity Science
• Large-scale Interdisciplinary Research
• Infrastructure
Proposal Process
NSF
Proposal
Generating
Document
Returned as Inappropriate/Withdrawn
Award
via DGA
Organization
submits
via
FastLane
Proposal
Processing
Unit
Minimum
of 3
Reviews
Required
Ad hoc
NSF Program
Officer
Program
Officer
Analysis
&
Recommendation
Panel
Decline
Both
Organization
Research &
Education
Communities
Proposal received by NSF
Div. Dir. Concur
4 months
Proposal Preparation Time
Review of Proposal
Division
Director
Concur
P.O. Recommend
Award
30 days
DGA Review &
Processing of Award
Finding Reviewers
• Program Officer’s knowledge
• References listed in the proposal
• Google & online data bases
• 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 Decision Process
• Program Officer decision
• Feedback to PI
• If Your Proposal is Recommended…
• Scope of Work & Budget Discussions
• Division Director Concur (typically yes)
• Formal notification of Recommendation
Two Funding Criteria
• Intellectual merit
• Broader impacts
• Both are Important – intellectual
merit is necessary but not sufficient
Intellectual Merit
• NSF funds basic research
• NSF funds basic research
• Intellectual merit means increasing
knowledge through developing and
testing theories, gathering data relevant
to theory testing, developing methods
relevant to theory testing
• Leading-edge science
Broader Impacts
• Promote teaching, training and learning
• Broaden participation of underrepresented
groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability,
geography)
• Enhance infrastructure for research and
education, e.g., facilities, instrumentation
• Disseminate results broadly to bolster scientific
and technological understanding
• Benefit society
Budget Tips
• Amounts
– Reasonable for work – Realistic – Don’t be
greedy!
– Well Justified -- Need established (Do You
Really Need 9 Trips to Paris?)
– In-line with program guidelines
• Eligible costs
– Personnel
– Equipment
– Travel
– Other Direct Costs, Subawards
– Facilities & Administrative Costs
Some Urban Legends
about the 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”
• Only funds American topics
• Panels make funding decisions
Reasons for Declinations
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“Trust-me” proposal (I’m a bright person!)
Expertise gaps
Too Expensive (Program budgets are small!)
Incremental contribution
Competition, Competition….
Bad luck
Unhappy with Decision? You are not alone!
NSF and the ARRA (Stimulus Package)
• NSF - Total Stimulus Package ~$3 billion
• SES - Total Stimulus Package ~$41 million
• Very closely monitored (priorities CAREERS, 1st time investigators, review
very well)
• ARRA ONE-SHOT!
• Back to regular business in 2010
How SES Spent the ARRA $
• SES initially given $27 million
• Clarke-Scioli Experiment 8 + 1 shares (DD strategic reserve)
• Can Small Programs Do More 1st Rate
Science?
• Yes!
• Additional Competitions as $ became
available
• e.g., Political Science - $4.5 million
Advice
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Study Important Topics
Study Interesting Topics (Don't be boring!)
Team up with smart people
Team up with creative people
Being interdisciplinary helps
Critically review your own proposal – before
you hit the ‘send’ button!
Questions?
National Science Foundation
National Science
Board
Director
Deputy Director
Inspector
General
Biological
Sciences
Staff Offices
Computer &
Information
Science
& Engineering
Social, Behavioral
& Economic
Sciences
Engineering
Education
& Human
Resources
Geosciences
Budget,
Finance
& Award
Management
Mathematics
& Physical
Sciences
Information
Resource
Management
Restrictions, Monitoring
• In-House Proposals From Fall 2008 & Spring
2009 Rounds
• Priorities ->
• CAREERS
• First-Time Investigators
• RAPIDS & EAGERS
• Dissertations
• Closely Monitored