Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation

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Funding Opportunities at the National Science
Foundation
Sally OConnor Claudia Rankins NSF BIO/DBI
NSF EHR/HRD
GCAT Workshop July 2009 Morehouse College
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Presentation

• Overview of NSF and BIO
• Some Programs of Interest
• The Review Process
• Preparing Competitive Proposals

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NSF in a Nutshell

• 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 gt40,000
• submissions with 20-25 success rate
• Supports 200,000 faculty, researchers,
• fellows, students
• Uses rotators, visiting scientists, IPAs

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National Science Foundation
National Science Board
Director Deputy Director
Inspector General
Staff Offices
Computer Information Science Engineering
Mathematical Physical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Geosciences
Engineering
Social, Behavioral Economic Sciences
Budget, Finance Award Management
Information Resource Management
Education Human Resources
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Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Dr.
James Collins, Asst. Director
Information and Automation Resources Unit (IAR)
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
Division of Molecular and Cellular
Biosciences (MCB)
Ecological Biology
HumanResources
BehavioralSystems
Biomolecular Systems
Ecosystem Science
Developmental Systems
Research Resources
Cellular Systems
Population Evolutionary Processes
Genes and Genome Systems
Environmental Structural Systems
Plant Genome Research Program National
Ecological Observatory Network
Systematic Biology Biodiversity Inventories
Functional Regulatory Systems
Emerging Frontiers (EF)
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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
• (e.g. workshops, SGERs)
• Deadlines

• Target dates
• Submission windows

• Solicited Preliminary proposals or Letters of
  Intent

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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)
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Keeping Abreast of NSF Opportunities
My NSF Custom News (set your own profile
weekly email update)
http//www.nsf.gov/mynsf/
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Programs of Interest

• Education and training
• Infrastructure
• Research

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Example Training Programs

• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU
  Sites)
• Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the
  Biological Sciences (URM)
• 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)

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Some Infrastructure Programs

• Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement
  (CCLI)
• Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
• Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
• Biological Databases and Informatics (BDI)
• Field Stations and Marine Labs (FSML)

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Research Programs

• Special Programs for broadening participation
• Special faculty
• opportunities

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Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)

• Funded 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 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)

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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
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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)

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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

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Where within NSF is research in my discipline
supported?

• www.nsf.gov

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Enter keywords
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• crop soil

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NSF Funding OpportunitiesAmerican Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

• NEW Solicitation
• Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI)
• Major Research Instrumentation (MRI)
• Science Masters Program

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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

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Keeping Abreast of NSF Opportunities
NSF Updates Custom News
Set your own profile
http//www.nsf.gov/mynsf/