Overview of the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)

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Overview of the NSF Directorate for Mathematical
and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Kelsey Cook Program Officer Division of
Chemistry kcook_at_nsf.gov
www.nsf.gov
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MPS Directorate
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Chemistry
Materials Research
Mathematical Sciences
Physics
Astronomy
Office of Multidisciplinary Activities
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NSF Vision
To enable Americas future through discovery,
learning and innovation
NSF Mission

• Promote the progress of science
• Advance the national health, prosperity, and
  welfare
• Secure the national defense.

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NSFs Strategic Goals

• Discovery Foster research that will advance the
  frontiers of knowledge, emphasizing areas of
  greatest opportunity and potential benefit and
  establishing the Nation as a global leader in
  fundamental and transformational science and
  engineering
• Learning Cultivate a world-class, broadly
  inclusive science and engineering workforce, and
  expand the scientific literacy of all citizens
• Research Infrastructure Build the Nations
  research capability through critical investments
  in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber
  infrastructure, and experimental tools
• Stewardship Support excellence in science and
  engineering research and education through a
  capable and responsive organization

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Call for Reinvestment in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

• Increase US talent pool
• Strengthen basic research
• Develop, recruit, and retain the best/brightest
• Ensure innovation in America

• From fundamental discoveries to marketable
  technologies
• Facilities and instrumentation
• World class science and engineering workforce
• Focus on physical sciences and engineering
• Doubles NSF, DOE, NIST budget over 10 years

America Creating Opportunities To Meaningfully
Promote Excellence In Technology, Education, And
Science (COMPETES) Act (S.761, H.H.2272, Public
Law 110-69, 8/9/07)
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Impact of Federal Investment in Basic Research
Macroeconomic Implications
http//www.ccrhq.org/Measure_for_Measure_Presentat
ion_04-26-062.ppt
We need to turn the crank faster and be higher
profile
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NSF Budget by Directorate


FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress FY 2009 Budget Request to Congress
(Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions)
NSF by Account NSF by Account FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Estimate FY 2009 Request FY 2009 Request change over FY 2009 Request change over FY 2009 Request change over FY 2009 Request change over
NSF by Account NSF by Account FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Estimate FY 2009 Request FY 2007 Actual FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Estimate FY 2008 Estimate
NSF by Account NSF by Account FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Estimate FY 2009 Request Amount Percent Amount Percent
  BIO 608.54 612.02 675.06 66.52 10.9 63.04 10.3
  CISE 526.68 534.53 638.76 112.08 21.3 104.23 19.5
  ENG (less SBIR/STTR) 521.33 527.50 632.33 111.00 21.3 104.83 19.9
  SBIR/STTR 108.67 109.37 127.00 18.33 16.9 17.63 16.1
  GEO 745.85 752.66 848.67 102.82 13.8 96.01 12.8
  MPS 1,150.73 1,167.31 1,402.67 251.94 21.9 235.36 20.2
  SBE 214.54 215.13 233.48 18.94 8.8 18.35 8.5
  OCI 182.42 185.33 220.08 37.66 20.6 34.75 18.8
  OISE 40.36 41.34 47.44 7.08 17.6 6.10 14.8
  OPP 438.43 442.54 490.97 52.54 12.0 48.43 10.9
  IA 219.45 232.27 276.00 56.55 25.8 43.73 18.8
  U.S. Arctic Research Commission 1.45 1.47 1.53 0.08 5.5 0.06 4.1
Research Related Activities Research Related Activities 4,758.44 4,821.47 5,593.99 835.55 17.6 772.52 16.0
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MPS by Division
(Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions) (Dollars in Millions)
FY 2007 Actual Change Over FY 2008 Estimate Change Over FY 2008 Estimate
  FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Estimate FY 2009 Request Amount Percent
Astronomical Sciences 215.39 217.86 250.01 32.15 14.8
Chemistry 191.22 194.22 244.67 50.45 26.0
Materials Research 257.27 260.22 324.59 64.37 24.7
Mathematical Sciences 205.74 211.79 245.70 33.91 16.0
Physics 248.47 250.52 297.70 47.18 18.8
Multidisciplinary Activities 32.64 32.70 40.00 7.30 22.3
Total, MPS 1,150.73 1,167.31 1,402.67 235.36 20.2
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Ten-Year Funding History
M
(Request)
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Budget
NSFC budget is increased at an annual rate of
over 20. The total budget for 2008 is 5.4
billion yuan.
?Unit 100 million yuan?
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Top 5 Things to Know About MPS

• Most extensive and diverse scientific portfolio
• Centered around the American Competitiveness
  Initiative (ACI) fundamental discovery to
  marketable technologies
• Largest budget 1.25B FY08
• Develops supports major facilities
• Diverse approaches smaller individual Principal
  Investigator (PI) grants to larger
  centers/institutes

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Number of People Involved in MPS Activities
FY 2007
FY 2008
FY 2009
Estimate
Estimate
Estimate
Senior Researchers
8,212
8,325
9,900
Other Professionals
2,000
2,025
2,400
Post-Doctorates
2,171
2,200
2,600
Graduate Students
7,720
7,800
9,300
Undergraduate Students
6,091
6,150
7,300
K - 12 Students
615
625
750
K - 12 Teachers
478
485
550
Total Number of People
27,287
27,610
32,800
MPS spends at least 300 million annually on
Graduate and Postdoctoral training!
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yrs
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Scientific Opportunities

• Physical sciences at the nanoscale
• Science beyond Moores Law
• Physics of the universe
• Complex systems (multi-scale, emergent phenomena)
• Fundamental mathematical and statistical science
• Sustainability (energy, environment, climate)
• Interface between the physical and life sciences
• Computational and Cyber-enabled Discovery and
  Innovation
• CHE-DMR-DMS Solar Energy Initiative (SOLAR)

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MPS Funding Rate for Competitive Awards -
Competitive Research Grants
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Distribution of Average Ratings (Individual
Investigator CHE Programs -- FY 2006)
Keep trying
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• Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST)
• Deep Underground Science and Engineering
  Laboratory (DUSEL)
• Coherent X-ray Light Source
• Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT)
• Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)
• Square Kilometer Array (SKA)

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Facilities in Development Under Construction

• Facilities under Construction
• ALMA Atacama Large Millimeter Array, site
  construction
• IceCube Neutrino telescope, operations initiated
• LIGO Laser-Interferometer Gravitational Wave
  Observatory
• LHC Large Hadron Collider, coming online soon
• Design and Development
• DUSEL will begin formally in FY 2008.
• GSMT 5M RD
• LSST 2-3M RD
• ATST In readiness stage
• Other Projects
• Light source planning to convene panel on NSF
  role.
• ILC International Linear Collider

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Making
Measuring/Modeling

• Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry
• Organic Dynamics
• Organic Synthesis

• Physical Chemistry
• Theoretical and Computational Chem.
• Experimental Physical Chemistry

Inorganic,
Analytical
Bioinorganic
Surface
Chemistry
Organometallic
Chemistry
Chemistry
Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic
Chemistry
Analytical and Surface Chemistry
Centers
Facilities and

• Integrated Chemical Activities
• Chemical Instrumentation Programs
• Research Experience for Undergraduates
• American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellows
• (Discovery Corp Fellows)
• (Undergraduate Research Centers)
• Centers for Chemical Innovation (formerly
  Chemical Bonding Centers)

Other
Education
Instrumentation
Collaboratives
Centers
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Frontier Programs
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American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellowship

• Two-year post-doctoral fellowship opportunity
  that seeks to build ties between academic,
  industrial, and/or national laboratory, and/or
  Chemistry Division-funded center researchers, and
  as a vehicle for broadening participation in
  chemistry.
• First four ACC-F grants were awarded August 2008
  to post-doctoral students from
• University of California-Irvine
• South Dakota State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Washington

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Centers for Chemical Innovation Grand Challenge
Research

• Phase 1 0.5M/y 3y
• Build top research and innovation team
• Achieve preliminary results
• Demonstrate effectiveness
• Develop public engagement plan
• Develop management strategies

• Phase 2 3-5M/y 5y, renewable to 10 y
• Focus on transformational research
• Increase public understanding of chemical
  research
• Management to promote agility

Karen Goldberg, U. Washington CENTC brings
together a group of sixteen investigators from
across the United States to work on the
development of efficient, inexpensive and
environmentally friendly methods of synthesizing
organic material by way of activation of strong
bonds. Projects focus on green chemical,
petroleum, pharmaceutical, and material
production and thus, have a significant potential
to increase US competitiveness.
Harry Gray, Cal. Tech The Powering the Planet
Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI Solar)
focuses on one of the outstanding problems in
21st Century science the efficient and
economical conversion of solar energy into stored
chemical fuels. Through this CCI, the NSF has
established a partnership with the scientific
community to develop the fundamental enabling
chemistry that will ultimately deliver clean
fuels produced from the sun.
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Undergraduate Research Collaboratives(URC)

• Three competitions (04,05, 06) resulted in 5
  full awards, each 2.7M/5 years.
• 2004- CASPiE (Center for Authentic Science
  Practice in Education)- centered at Purdue
  University (Gabriella Weaver) with a consortium
  of 2- and 4-year institutions in Indiana and
  Illinois. Includes remote instrumentation
  network.
• 2005- REEL (Research Experiences for Enhanced
  Learning)- centered at Ohio State University
  (Prabir Dutta) with a consortium of all (14) of
  the public universities in Ohio plus Columbus
  Community College. Impact 15,000 students.
• 2005- Northern Plains URC (NPURC, Mary Berry)-
  centered at South Dakota University- regional
  cluster incl. community and tribal colleges.
• 2006- University of Texas-URC (Mary Rankin)- A
  New Model for Teaching through Research.
  Integrates 1st and 2nd year laboratory program (
  25 of UT intro chemistry students/50 minority
  students) with ongoing chemistry and biochemistry
  research programs at UT, Austin- a vertical
  collaboration model within a large R1.
• 2006- Community Colleges of Chicago URC (Tom
  Higgins)- To determine factors that encourage 2YC
  students to continue in science via traditional
  student/mentor research, team research, and
  partnering with 4 y institutions for summer
  research.

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International Collaborations in Chemistry (ICC)

• ICC Features
• Joint review by NSF and the partner country
  agency of a single proposal, with a joint
  recommendation.
• Funding for U.S. researchers from NSF, funding
  for partners from appropriate country agency
  (similar level of activity).
• Encourages meaningful participation of graduate
  students, postdoctoral research associates and
  junior investigators to develop a diverse,
  globally-engaged, U.S. science and engineering
  workforce.

• FY 2006
• 60 inquiries submitted
• 30 proposals submitted
• 5 proposals funded
• FY 2007
• 105 inquiries submitted
• 65 proposals submitted
• 17 proposals funded
• FY 2008
• 130 pre-proposals submitted
• 60 proposals submitted
• 16 proposals funded (8 DFG, 5 EPSRC, 3 NSFC)

FY 2006 NSF Investment 2.1 M FY 2007 NSF
Investment 6.0 M FY 2008 NSF Investment
6.8 M
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Chemical Biology
Dr. Wilfredo (Freddy) Colon joined the Division
of Chemistry (CHE) and the Division of Molecular
and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) in the Directorate
for Biological Sciences as a shared program
officer in January 2008.

• Duties of his position include
• Shared program officer between CHE and MCB
• Facilitate the review of proposals at the
  interface
• Interact with the community
• Serve as a model for future positions between CHE
  and other divisions
• Workshop on chemical biology planned for 2009
  to discuss leading edge, future trends, proposal
  review mechanism, funding opportunities,
  potential new initiatives, and education

Chemical Biology at the U.S. National Science
Foundation to be published August 18, 2008, in
the journal of Nature Chemical Biology. Author
Wilfredo Colon
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Chemistry, Materials Research, Mathematical
Sciences Planned Solar Initiative

• The Divisions of Chemistry, Materials Research
  and Mathematical Sciences are planning a
  collaborative solar energy initiative
  solicitation.
• The purpose of the anticipated solar energy
  initiative is to support interdisciplinary
  efforts by groups of researchers to address the
  scientific challenges of highly efficient
  harvesting, conversion and storage of solar
  energy.

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Astronomical Sciences (AST)

• Astronomy and Astrophysics Grants
• Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology
• Galactic Astronomy
• Planetary Astronomy
• Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Education and Special Programs
• Electromagnetic Spectrum Management
• Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation
• Major Research Instrumentation
• University Radio Observatories
• Program for Research and Education with Small
  Telescopes
• Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral
  Fellowships

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AST Centers and Facilities

• Optical/Infrared Facilities
• Gemini Observatories
• National Optical Astronomy Observatory
• National Solar Observatory
• Radio Facilities
• National Radio Astronomy Observatory
• Very Large Array, New Mexico
• Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, West
  Virginia
• Very Long Baseline Array (U.S. Possessions)
• Atacama Large Millimeter Array (Chile)
• National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
• Arecibo Radio Telescope, Puerto Rico

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Materials Research (DMR)

• Advanced Materials and Processing Cluster
• Metals, Ceramics and Electronic Materials
• Base Science Cluster
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Solid-Sate Chemistry and Polymers
• Materials Research and Technology Enabling
  Cluster
• Materials Research Science and Engineering
  Centers
• Materials Theory
• National Facilities and Instrumentation
• Office of Special Programs

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Centers and Institutes

• Science and Technology Centers
• Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers
• Materials Research Science and Engineering
  Centers
• International Materials Institutes
• Partnerships for Research and Education in
  Materials

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DMR Facilities

• National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
• Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source
• Synchrotron Radiation Center
• Center for High-Resolution Neutron Scattering
• National Nanofrabrication Infrastructure Network

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Materials World Network

• Funds the US researchers in an International
  Collaboration
• Foreign researchers are funded by their
  respective agencies
• Countries and Agencies involved
• Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil,
  Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech
  Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Commission,
  European Science Foundation, Finland, France,
  Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland,
  Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg,
  Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway,
  Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Rwanda,
  Senegal, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South
  Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,
  Trinidad Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,
  United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe

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Mathematical Sciences (DMS)

• Core business single investigator and group
  proposals through targeted solicitations
• Covers the entire mathematical spectrum
• Institutes 5 NSF-initiated, support for 3 others
• Visitors to long term programs, workshops
• Workforce responding to a major challenge.
• Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce in
  the 21st Century (EMSW21) training grants
• Postdoctoral fellowships
• Research for Undergraduates

Workforce 16
Advancing the Frontier 74
Institutes/ Centers 10
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Mathematical Sciences

• Analysis
• Applied Mathematics
• Algebra, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and
  Foundations
• Computational Mathematics
• Geometric Analysis and Topology
• Statistics and Probability
• Infrastructure

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Mathematical Sciences Institutes

• Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI)
  Berkeley, CA
• Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications
  (IMA) U of Minnesota
• Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM)
  UCLA
• Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences
  Institute (SAMSI) Duke U, NC State U, U North
  Carolina, NISS
• Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) Ohio
  State U
• Partial support provided for
• American Institute of Mathematics (AIM)
• Institute for Advanced Study (IAS)

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Conferences, Workshops, and Special Meetings in
the Mathematical Sciences

• Support of regular conferences and workshops
• Support of special meetings
• Longer or larger-scale activities
• Examples Special research years or semesters,
  multi-institutional regional meetings, summer
  or winter schools
• Awards 50-150K per year up to 3 years
• Next Deadlines October 18, 2005, August 24, 2006
• Solicitation NSF 05-540

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Physics (PHY)

• Facilities
• LHC, LIGO, IceCube, NSCL, CESR
• Programs
• Atomic, Molecular, Optical, and Plasma Physics
• Biological Physics
• Elementary Particle Physics
• Gravitational Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Particle and Nuclear Astrophysics
• Physics at the Information Frontier
• Physics Frontiers Centers
• Theoretical Physics
• Education and Interdisciplinary Programs

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Physics Frontiers Centers
Kavli Center for Cosmological Physics Chicago -
Meyer
FOCUS Frontiers in Optical Coherent and
Ultrafast Science Michigan/Texas - Bucksbaum
Center for the Study of the Origin and Structure
of Matter Hampton - Baker
Center for Theoretical Biological Physics UCSD
- Onuchic
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Physics Frontiers Centers (contd)
Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics Notre
Dame - Wiescher
Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in
Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas
Wisconsin - Prager
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics UCSB -
Gross
Center for Ultracold Atoms MIT/Harvard -
Kleppner
JILA (Joint Institute for Laboratory
Astrophysics) Colorado/NIST - Wieman
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Physics Division Facilities
Major facilities ops 35 of budget

• LIGO (Caltech) gravity wave observatory
• NSCL (Michigan State) radioactive ion beams
• CESR ee- Collider (Cornell) phaseout path
• U.S. LHC ATLAS, CMS (CERN) 1st beam 2007,
  physics 2008
• Others in construction or planning stages
  IceCube, LIGO, ERL, DUSEL

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave
Observatory
Large Hadron Collider ATLAS Detector
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Office of Multidisciplinary Activities

• Roles
• Supports excellence and creativity of the MPS
  community more effectively
• Works as an investment capital resource and
  partner to MPS Divisions to support joint
  ventures across organizational boundaries
• Facilitates support of research and education
  projects not readily accommodated by existing MPS
  structures

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Office of Multidisciplinary Activities

• Characteristics
• Not a traditional program function
• Does not receive/evaluate external proposals
• Co-invests with MPS Divisions, other NSF
  Directorates, and external partners
• Advice/guidance from MPS Division Directors
• One year budget basis no continuing commitments

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NSF Merit Review Process

• By Mail and/or Panel
• Confidential
• Anonymous

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Intellectual Merit

• Designing experiments
• Conducting experiments
• Interpreting results
• Assessing value

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NSFs Review Criteria

• Intellectual Merit
• How important is the proposed activity to
  advancing knowledge and understanding within its
  own field or across different fields?
• How well qualified is the proposer (individual or
  team) to conduct the project?
• To what extent does the proposed activity suggest
  and explore creative and original concepts?
• How well conceived and organized is the proposed
  activity?
• Is there sufficient access to resources?

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Broader Impacts

• Communication
• Education
• Underrepresented Groups
• Industry
• Environment
• National security
• Health
• Quality of life

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NSFs Review Criteria

• Broader Impact
• How well does the activity advance discovery and
  understanding while promoting teaching, training,
  and learning?
• How well does the proposed activity broaden the
  participation of underrepresented groups?
• To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure
  for research and education, such as facilities,
  instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
• Will the results be disseminated broadly to
  enhance scientific and technological
  understanding?
• What may be the benefits of the proposed activity
  to society?
• http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pd
  f

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Secrets for Success

• New and original ideas
• Sound, succinct, detailed focused plan
• Preliminary data and/or feasibility calculation
• Relevant experience
• Clarity concerning future direction
• Well-articulated broader impacts

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Understanding Grantsmanship

• Locate appropriate Program Officer by searching
  Fastlane for similar awards note scope of work,
  range of funding, broader impacts
• Talk to Program Officer, send one paragraph on
  both review criteria (intellectual merit and
  broader impacts) and get feedback
• Read Grant Proposal Guide and abide by rules
• Read successful proposals
• Have others read your proposal, preferably others
  like the likely reviewers
• Suggest reviewers to use or not to use. OK to
  request a previous reviewer or ask to not use a
  previous reviewer.
• We strive to complete gt70 of the proposals in 6
  months
• Volunteer as a reviewer, panelist, program
  officer (www.nsf.gov/chem)
• Utilize Graduate Research Fellowship program
  (Div. Grad. Ed.)
• Pay attention to deadlines, windows
• New CHE windows July and November

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Understanding the Drivers

• Program Officers strive to balance their
  portfolios with respect to
• topical areas of research
• risk
• responsive to Presidents priorities (OSTP)
• responsive to current budget request and NSF
  strategic plan (OMB)
• supports the MPS initiatives
• geographic, demographic, institution-type
  diversity
• supports the Division Directors priorities

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NSF Proposals

• Get to know your program officer(s)
• Contact the program officer(s) to discuss your
  project, and learn of relevant, current
  opportunities
• Know and follow the current Grant Proposal
  Guide (GPG) - it changes!
• Know the audience for your proposals review -
  it is a competition!
• Explicitly address Intellectual Merit and
  Broader Impact in both the Project Summary and
  Project Description!

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NSF Proposals

• Match and justify the budget to the scope of the
  proposed work - ask for what you need!
• Be familiar with projects that have succeeded -
  Award Abstracts at
• http//www.nsf.gov/awardsearch
• Special programs exist which are of interest
  for Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs),
  e.g., Research at Undergraduate Institutions
  (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)

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Look Us Up

• For information on a particular division and
  program, go to the following web address and pick
  a Division
• http//www.nsf.gov/home/mps/
• See MPS Directory and Staff on MPS home page