Transcript Strategic Research Development

NSF CAREER
TTVN Seminar
February 3, 2009
VPR Office of Proposal
Development
Lucy Deckard
[email protected]
458-4290
TEES Office of
Strategic Research
Development
Laurie Garton
[email protected]
845-9775
For More Info
• Go to
– http://opd.tamu.edu, click “Seminar Materials”, then
“Seminars by Date” and look for this seminar (first link)
– Faculty in Engineering: go to
http://teesresearch.tamu.edu/mission.htm and click on
“Workshops“
• For an electronic version of this presentation
• For additional resource materials
CAREER Seminar Schedule
• Presentations (50 min.):
– NSF and CAREER overview – Lucy Deckard
– Preparing a competitive CAREER proposal – Laurie
Garton
• Eugene Billiot (Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi)
CAREER and PECASE Awardee and Reviewer
– discussion and Q&A (45 min)
• Q&A
NSF Strategic Goals, 2006 - 2011
• Discovery
– Advance frontiers of knowledge
– Emphasize areas of greatest opportunity and
potential benefit
– Establish nation as global leader in transforming
science and education
• Learning
– Cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive S&E
workforce
– Expand scientific literacy of all citizens
NSF Strategic Goals (cont’d)
• Research Infrastructure
– Build nation’s research capability through
investments in advanced instrumentation,
facilities, cyberinfrastructure and experimental
tools
• Stewardship
– Support excellence in science and engineering
research and education through a capable and
responsive organization
NSF Structure
• Divided into directorates:
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–
–
–
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Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer and Information Science and Eng (CISE)
Education and Human Resources (EHR)
Engineering (ENG)
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
• Each directorate divided into divisions and
programs
– See http://www.nsf.gov/funding/browse_all_funding.jsp for description of
programs
NSF Culture
• Each directorate has its own culture and
priorities
• Get to know the directorates and divisions that
could fund your work
– Read web site – goals, priorities of directorate,
division, programs
– Get to know program directors
– Use funded programs data base to find out what has
been funded recently http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/index.jsp
– Volunteer to serve as reviewer
NSF CAREER Program
• Duration: 5 years
• Funding level: “minimum” $400K total (except min.
$500K total for BIO directorate)
• Eligibility:
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Have a PhD
Untenured, holding tenure-track Asst. Prof. position or equivalent
Have not competed in CAREER more than two times previously
Have not won a CAREER award
• Due: July 21 – 23 depending on directorate
• NSF CAREER page:
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214&org=NSF&sel
_org=NSF&from=fund
• Solicitation: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08557/nsf08557.htm
Submit CAREER
• Submit CAREER to specific disciplinary
program
– Except for special interdisciplinary proposals
• Be sure you’re submitting to the right
program!
NSF CAREER Statistics
• In 2007
– ~2600 proposals submitted
– 458 awards made (18%)
• Success rate NSF-wide typically 15% - 23%;
varies by directorate
• But remember you have three tries
• About 20% of awards go to non-researchintensive institutions (“judge research in context
of organization”)
Success Rates for CAREERs 2006
Directorate Submitted
ENG
636
MPS
461
CISE
417
BIO
346
GEO
65
EHR
36
SBE
91
Awarded
121
118
128
42
21
5
13
%
19%
26%
31%
12%
32%
14%
14%
Success Rate for New Investigators:
CAREER Compared to Other Awards
(From presentation at Fall 2007 NSF Regional Grants
Conference; Year not Specified)
25
20
15
CAREER
New PI
10
5
0
MPS
SBE
CSE
GEO ENG
BIO
EHR
Key Points for CAREER
• Career Development Plan to “build a firm
foundation for a lifetime of integrated
contributions to research and education”
– Where is your field going over the next 20
years?
– What will help you become established at
national level?
– Establish that you have the experience and
resources to accomplish what you propose
Key Points for CAREER
• Career development plan must
have two major components:
–Research plan
–Integrated education plan
• Plus
– Description of how research and
education are integrated with each other
– Results of Previous NSF support, if
applicable
Review Criteria
• Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts weighted
equally
• Must show you have the skills to carry out the
project
• Support from your department is critical
• State benefits of your research clearly
• Be sure to emphasize integration of education
and research
“Strengths of Successful Proposals
• Novel or high-impact research focus
• Innovative research plan
• Education plan is well-developed, integrated
with research and includes some consideration
of evaluating its success
• Education plan goes beyond routine course
development expected of all assistant
professors”
Quoted from J. Tornow presentation at QEM Workshop
“Weaknesses of Unsuccessful CAREER
Proposals
• Research is either too ambitious or too narrowly
focused
• Proposed methods do not address the stated
research goals
• Educational component is either limited to routine
courses or is unrealistically overambitious
• Integration of research and education is weak or
uninspired”
Quoted from J. Tornow presentation at QEM Workshop
Planning and preparing a
CAREER proposal
Step by Step
Coming up with a Research Idea
• What do you want to do?
• Does it address important questions in your
field?
• Is it novel and cutting-edge?
• Do you have the background and resources to
accomplish your goals?
– If you are moving into a new but related area, be sure
you discuss collaborations with researchers who will
fill any gaps
• Will it contribute to your career goals?
• Will it contribute to your department’s goals?
– Important: Talk to your department head and
research departmental goals!
Next Step – Strategic Info Gathering
Determine which NSF program to submit your
proposal to.
• Extremely important! Submitting to wrong
program can doom good proposal.
• Do this by e-mailing or calling program director.
– Have a paragraph summary of your proposed
research prepared.
• Use NSF web site
– Search awarded CAREER projects in directorate
– Check program goals
• Talk to senior researchers in the area: where are
they funded?