NSF: Form and Function

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Alexis Greer
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Vannevar Bush, Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, July 1945 NSF established 1950 1952 First grants awarded 97 awards totaling ~ $1 million The Endless Frontier

1 NSF: Form and Function C. Susan Weiler Office for Earth System Studies Whitman College DISCCRS VII Symposium, Colorado Springs, CO, October, 2012 Vannevar Bush and Science: The Endless Frontier A Report to the President by Vannevar Bush, Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, July 1945 NSF established First grants awarded 97 awards totaling ~ $1 million The Endless Frontier Recommendations Universities should be the nation s primary basic research infrastructure Federal funds should do double duty: Procure research results Educate the next generation National Science Foundation (NSF) The National Science Foundation (NSF) Act of 1950 (Public Law ) sets for its mission: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense. Award research grants based on merit Establish a national science foundation NSF Vision Advancing discovery, innovation, and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering. NSF Is a Science Management Agency 6,000 people in advisory groups Scientists and institutions respond to broad civilian scientific needs of the nation 45,000 Annual Competitive Proposals 1,200 full-time employees 250,000 reviews (50,000 reviewers) NSF-3 ~ 12,000 new competitive awards plus ~10,000 continuing award actions that obligate ~$7.0 billion/yr for academic, industrial, non-profit, governmental recipients. 1

Division BCS Anthropology Social, Behavioral, and Economic SBE Social and Economic Division SES National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Division NCSES Economics Decision, Risk, and

Organismal (IOS) Molecular & Cellular Biosciences (MCB) Human Ecosystem Science Behavioral Biomolecular Research Evolutionary Processes Developmental Cellular Population & Community Ecology Neural

2 NSF Homepage Get NSF Updates by Policies and ProceduresGuide (PAA) Directorates are divided into Divisions, which are further divided, ultimately into Programs Directorate Behavioral and Cognitive Division BCS Anthropology Social, Behavioral, and Economic SBE Social and Economic Division SES National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Division NCSES Economics Decision, Risk, and Management Geography & Environmental Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics Psychology and linguistics Sociology Science of Science Innovation Policy Science, Technology, and Society Integrative Organismal (IOS) Molecular & Cellular Biosciences (MCB) Human Ecosystem Science Behavioral Biomolecular Research Evolutionary Processes Developmental Cellular Population & Community Ecology Neural Genes & Genome Systematic Biology & Biodiversity Inventories Physiological & Structural Office Emerging Frontiers (EF) Clusters Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Divisions Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) Interdisciplinary Behavioral & Social Science Research SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Political Science Law and Social Science Directorate for Biological BIO SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities SMA Geosciences Directorate GEO Geosciences Directorate Divisions Atmospheric & Geospace AGS Atmosphere Sections Earth EAR Ocean OCE Deep Earth Processes Ocean Geospace NCAR/Facilities Polar??? * Marine Geosciences Surface Earth Processes Integrative Programs 2

Organizational Chart National Science Board (NSB) Director Deputy Director Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Office of the General Counsel Office of Integrative Activities Office of

Geosciences GEO Office of Legislative & Public Affairs [Office of] Polar Programs Mathematical & Physical MPS Social, Behavioral & Economic SBE Education & Human EHR Budget, Finance & Award

3 Organizational Chart National Science Board (NSB) Director Deputy Director Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Office of the General Counsel Office of Integrative Activities Office of Internat l Sci & Eng Organizational list Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Biological BIO Computer & Information Science & Engineering CISE [Office of] Cyberinfrastructure Engineering ENG Geosciences GEO Office of Legislative & Public Affairs [Office of] Polar Programs Mathematical & Physical MPS Social, Behavioral & Economic SBE Education & Human EHR Budget, Finance & Award Management (BFA) Information & Resource Management (IRM) Information about funded proposals 1. Go to Directorate website from 2. Find the Program of interest 3. Go to the bottom of the program s page and click on What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts) Exhibit III 1: NSF Proposal & Award Process & Timeline Compliance Check OR Search Create the necessary workforce to enable discoveries leading to environmental, energy, and societal sustainability Cross traditional disciplinary boundaries Go beyond applicant s current area of core expertise Address sustainability issues through a systems approach Build bridges between academic inquiry, economic growth, and societal needs Must develop a research partnership that will advance and broaden the impact/scope of the proposed research Must present a professional development plan NSF Due November 26,

NSF SEES Fellows Program Strong overlap of GEO, BIO, SBE disciplines with SEES Habitat wellness (atmosphere, oceans, land, climate, earth

$30K international; indirect to grantee institution Resilience to natural hazards (storms, droughts, Not have worked more than 36 months in Ph.

earthquakes, human dimension ) Interdisciplinary research Partnerships Workforce development 19 20 Rotators: NSF PROPOSAL STATISTICS (FY 2008)

Intergovernmental Personnel Act Visiting Scientists Temporary Federal u 44,199 proposal actions ~ 248,000 reviews ~ 45,000 reviewers 11,156

4 NSF SEES Fellows Program Strong overlap of GEO, BIO, SBE disciplines with SEES Habitat wellness (atmosphere, oceans, land, climate, earth systems ) Grant to host institution with Fellow as PI: 2-3 years of fellowship costs over 4 years Salary/benefits; $20K/yr research allowance; $30K international; indirect to grantee institution Resilience to natural hazards (storms, droughts, Not have worked more than 36 months in Ph.D. positions Not be employed in tenure-track or equivalent position Limited to 1 course/term and no more than 3 during award period earthquakes, human dimension ) Interdisciplinary research Partnerships Workforce development Rotators: NSF PROPOSAL STATISTICS (FY 2008) Share in the discovery! Intergovernmental Personnel Act Visiting Scientists Temporary Federal u 44,199 proposal actions ~ 248,000 reviews ~ 45,000 reviewers 11,156 awards u 21% funding rate for research (some for infrastructure, other) FY 2011 ALLOCATIONS BIO CISE ENG GEO MPS SBE OCI OISE OPP EHR $712 MILLION $635 $763 $885 $1,308 $247 $49 $50 $493 $

5 NSF RESEARCH GRANT PROFILE (FY 2008) FY2010 Budget Request to Congress Competitive awards (Research): 7,022 Average annual award: $143,212 Median annual award: $110,000 Average duration (research): 3.0 years Source: NSF FY2010 Budget Request to Congress 5

Funding opportunities available at the NSF

Funding opportunities available at the NSF By Robert Makowsky Strongly encouraged by Kelly Vaughan NSF Grant Awards Turnaround within 6 months Only 4.5% of budget goes to agency operation At NSF: 1200