Transcript Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation Sally O’Connor NSF BIO/DBI GCAT Workshop July 2009 Morehouse College Claudia Rankins NSF EHR/HRD.

Funding Opportunities at the
National Science Foundation
Sally O’Connor
NSF BIO/DBI
GCAT Workshop
July 2009
Morehouse College
Claudia Rankins
NSF EHR/HRD
Presentation
 Overview
of NSF and BIO
 Some Programs of Interest
 The Review Process
 Preparing Competitive
Proposals
NSF in a Nutshell
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Established as an independent agency (NSF Act of
1950), governed by the National Science Board
Organized into discipline-based Directorates and
Offices; Special responsibilities: Antarctic Program,
Science and Engineering Indicators, International
Science
Budget: 6.065 billion (FY08)
Makes ~11,000 new awards from >40,000
submissions with ~ 20-25% success rate
Supports ~200,000 faculty, researchers,
fellows, students
Uses rotators, visiting scientists, IPAs
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
Mathematical
& Physical
Sciences
Information
Resource
Management
Directorate for Biological Sciences
(BIO)
Dr. James Collins, Asst. Director
Information and Automation
Resources Unit
(IAR)
Division of
Biological
Infrastructure
(DBI)
Division of
Environmental
Biology
(DEB)
Human
Resources
Ecological Biology
Behavioral
Systems
Biomolecular
Systems
Research
Resources
Ecosystem
Science
Developmental
Systems
Cellular Systems
Population &
Evolutionary Processes
Environmental &
Structural Systems
Genes and Genome
Systems
Systematic Biology &
Biodiversity Inventories
Functional &
Regulatory Systems
Plant Genome
Research Program
National Ecological
Observatory Network
Division of
Integrative
Organismal
Systems
(IOS)
Division of
Molecular and
Cellular
Biosciences
(MCB)
Emerging Frontiers (EF)
Types of Proposal Submission
Solicited vs. Unsolicited
•Solicited proposals have a published Program
Solicitation / Program Announcement
•Unsolicited proposals are associated with regular
research programs (check websites and GTP)
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No deadlines
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Target dates
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Submission windows
(e.g. workshops, SGERs)
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Deadlines
 Solicited: Preliminary proposals or Letters of Intent
Where do you submit
your ideas?
http://www.nsf.gov
Directorate  Division  Programs 
Information on NSF contacts, award
abstract, program description, deadlines
Guide to Programs (GTP)
Grant Proposal Guide (GPG, Jan 2009)
Sign up for “My NSF” (now “NSF Updates”)
Keeping Abreast of
NSF Opportunities
“My NSF” Custom News
(set your own profile – weekly email update)
http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/
Programs of Interest
o Education
and training
o Infrastructure
o Research
Example Training Programs
Research
Experiences for Undergraduates
(REU Sites)
Undergraduate
Research and Mentoring in the Biological
Sciences (URM)
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Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in
Biological and Mathematical Sciences (UBM)
Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate
Program (HBCU UP)
Centers
of Research Excellence in Science and Technology
(CREST)
Some Infrastructure
Programs
Course,
Curriculum and Laboratory
Improvement
(CCLI)
Advanced
Major
Research Instrumentation (MRI)
Biological
(BDI)
Field
Technological Education (ATE)
Databases and Informatics
Stations and Marine Labs (FSML)
Research Programs
o
Special Programs for
broadening participation
o Special
faculty
opportunities
Research Opportunity Awards
(ROA)
Funded
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as supplements to active NSF grants
Salary or stipend for undergraduate faculty
Travel to host lab and/or to attend a meeting
Research supplies
Provide
support for faculty from PUIs to participate in
ongoing, NSF-funded research projects for
limited periods, usually a summer
Goal -- Provide research experience for faculty to
enhance research at home institution and host lab,
improve research & teaching
Making
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connections with an NSF grantee:
Network at scientific meetings
Consult NSF FastLane list of awards in relevant program
Contact NSF Program Director in your area of interest
(Consult the NSF web site for contact information)
Research Initiation Grants
(RIG)
 Broaden the participation of scientists
from under-represented groups
 Assist faculty to become actively
engaged in research as independent
investigators
 Targets scientists who are Beginning
Investigators to jumpstart their career
 Improve competitiveness for research
funds; Acquire new skills/tools for
contemporary research
 Estimated Awards: 15 – 25, about
$3 Million annually
Solicitation 09-501
Target Date: 2nd Monday in Jan
Research at Undergraduate Institutions
(RUI)
 Designed to support Research in Predominantly
Undergraduate Institutions (PUI)
 RUI is a mechanism, not a separate funding stream
 ~ 10% of proposals submitted to BIO research programs
are RUIs
 “RUI” should be designated in the title of the proposal
 Five page (max) “RUI impact statement” must accompany
proposal
 Check http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm for
announcement (NSF-wide)
Opportunities for Supplementing
Ongoing Awards
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
supports undergraduate researchers
Research Opportunity Award (ROA)
for faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions to
participate in NSF-supported projects
Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
builds long term collaborative relationships between K-12
teachers of science and mathematics and the NSF research
community
Research Apprenticeship for High School (RAHSS)
supports HS student training in research
Where within NSF is research
in my discipline supported?
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www.nsf.gov
Enter keywords
“crop soil”
NSF Funding Opportunities
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
NEW Solicitation:
 Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI)
 Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
 Science Masters Program
Major Research
Instrumentation (MRI)
 Available funds: $2 million
 Funding rate: approx 59%
 No minimum for PUI
 PhD granting: no cost share except for
100 top-funded schools
Keeping Abreast of NSF
Opportunities
“NSF Updates” Custom News
Set your own profile
http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/