Communication: Funding Opportunities Robert E' OConnor, Director Program in Decision, Risk and Manag

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CommunicationFunding OpportunitiesRobert E.
OConnor, DirectorProgram in Decision, Risk and
Management Sciences Division of Social and
Economic SciencesDirectorate for Social,
Behavioral, and Economic SciencesSan Diego CA,
November 2008
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National Science Foundation
Director Deputy Director
National Science Board
Inspector General
Staff Offices
Computer Information Science Engineering
Mathematical Physical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Engineering
Geosciences
Social, Behavioral Economic Sciences
Budget, Finance Award Management
Information Resource Management
Education Human Resources
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Communications at NSF Everywhere and Nowhere

• For organizational communications, IOS
• For risk communications, DRMS
• For disaster communications, IMEE
• For political communications, PLSC
• For learning communications, DLS
• Key question where is the theoretical
  contribution?

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Opportunities through standard programs

• Twice annually
• NSF funds basic research
• Identify intellectual merit (with a water
  testbed)
• Identify broader impacts
• Consider requesting co-reviews
• Check out awards

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Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems

• NSFs first permanent inter-directorate program
• Effects of natural systems on humans and humans
  on natural systems
• Limit of 1,500,000 for 3-year projects
• Check out awards

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Special Solicitations

• Human and Social Dynamics is over, but.
• New competitions cannot advance under a
  continuing resolution
• GEO, BIO, and SBE leaders are working together.

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The EPSCoR Advantage?

• Half funding from the EPSCoR office facilitates
  SBE positive funding decisions
• Only meritorious proposals benefit

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Two Criteria for Funding

• Intellectual merit
• Broader impacts

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Intellectual Merit?

• NSF funds basic research
• NSF funds basic research
• Intellectual merit means increasing knowledge
  through developing and examining basic theories
  or methods

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Broader Impacts

• Promote teaching, training and learning
• Broaden the participation of underrepresented
  groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability,
  geographic, etc.)
• Enhance the infrastructure for research and
  education, such as facilities, instrumentation,
  networks and partnerships
• Disseminate results broadly to enhance scientific
  and technological understanding
• Benefit society

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Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER)

• 200,000 maximum, 1-year awards
• Must be either
• Urgent as data are ephemeral, or
• Highly exploratory (high risk, high payoff)
• Quick turnaround review
• Contact Program Officer before submitting
• RAPID and EAGER on January 1

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Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Awards

• Archaeology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cultural Anthropology
• Decision, Risk Management Science
• Geography Regional Science
• Law and Social Science
• Linguistics
• Physical Anthropology
• Political Science

• Science and Technology Studies
• Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science, and
  Technology
• Sociology
• Economics
• Human Cognition and Perception
• Methodology, Measurement, Statistics

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Funding Decisions

• Program Officer decision
• Feedback to PI
• Informal and formal notification
• Scope of work and budget discussions

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Myths 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

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Reasons for Declinations

• Trust-me proposal
• Not feasible
• Expertise gaps
• Insufficient funding
• Too ambitious
• Incremental contribution
• Bad luck

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Advice

• Learn to love rejection
• Team up
• E-mail or call program officer with specific
  questions
• Encourage dissertation improvement grant
  proposals (check program first)

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Useful to submit even if declined

• Revise and resubmit
• Discover other funding sources
• Forces thinking
• Build relationships
• Receive reviews from experts

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QUESTIONS??

• Contact Bob OConnor
• [phone]
• roconnor_at_nsf.gov