By Professor Henry Foley

1
Directorate for Engineering Ad Com Meeting
Report on Breakout Discussion about the Awards
Solicitations Task Group (ASTG)May 11, 2005

• By Professor Henry Foley
• Department of Chemical Engineering
• Pennsylvania State University

2
Seven Study Topics with Recommendations

•         1. Engineering Investment Portfolio
• 2. Engineering Solicitation Portfolio
• 3. Review and Approval of Proposal-Generating
  Documents
• 4. Review and Approval of Interdivisional
  Grants
• 5. Use of Standard and Continuing Grants
• 6. The Control of Success Rates
• 7. Record Keeping

3
Global Comments of the Ad Com Group and Sub Group

• The Ad Com Sub Group was impressed by the
• thoroughness of the analysis done by the ASTG.
• Better management of these processes and the
  budget
• of the Directorate should lead to better
  coordination
• and synergies between the intellectual elements,
  and
• more effective innovation.
• Higher of percentages flexible funds and
  therefore
• more success for unsolicited proposals.

4
Among the Recommendations that Generated the
Most Discussion

• Expand EEC/Division interactions in
• managing centers
• Institution of an Annual Planning Retreat
• Limit the number of solicitations
• 5 6 new ENG led
•    2 4 inter-directorate/interagency, ENG
• participation
• Enforce 3,000,000 minimum for new solicitations
  the number of solicitations
•  

5
Among the Recommendations that Generated the
Most DiscussionCont.

• Use the annual planning retreat to establish
• priorities on proposal-generating documents
• Maintain the ENG policy limiting mortgage
• rates to 50
• Use discrete submission windows for unsolicited
• proposals
• Limit the number of proposals per PI or per
  institution
• in a given year or submission window

6
  Ad Com Reactions to Recommendations as to
Specifics

•         1.  As the Directorate moves toward
  implementation
• of the plan, we advocate that purposeful
  and directcommunication be made to the
  academic engineering research community.
• Visit institutions when possible
• Web-based
• Dear Colleague Letters

7
Ad Com Reactions to Recommendations as to
Specifics Cont.

• With regards to management and planning, the
  annual planning retreat should be done in the
  sunlight
•        Considerable thinking needs
• to be given as to how to access
• and pinch off so-called cold areas
• The community-at-large will need
• to be assured that the traditions of
• openness and scholarship will be
• maintained
• Bottom up versus top down leadership

8
Ad Com Reactions to Recommendations as to
Specifics Cont.

• 3.  Education of the community on the topics of
• fenced funds, and the extent of mortgaging is
  
• needed.
• Fenced What is this? How much? Why?
• Mortgage perception is that it is 80
• - 80 elsewhere in the FND
• - 50/65 limits are not widely known
• Should reduce angst about reducing mortgages
• Communication, communication, communication

9
Ad Com Reactions to Recommendations as to
Specifics Cont.

• Moving all the ENG Divisions to two submission
• windows per year for unsolicited proposals
  sounds like
• a good experiment for 3 years with revaluation
  then.
• Limiting the number of submissions from
• institutions is not recommended
• Limiting the number of submissions to one per
• PI per window sounds like a goodexperiment to
• try for 3 years with intern and final
  evaluation

10
Ad Com Reactions to Recommendations as to
Specifics Cont.

• Do not limit the number of submissions from
• PIs responding to solicitations in priority
• areas, especially career awards.
• Carefully evaluate the impact on young
• faculty i.e. pre-tenure
•     Exemption to limit pre-tenure may be
  
• considered?
•          Watch the effects carefully

11
Summary

• The plan looks logical and it is imperative to
  move
• forward in many of the recommended areas.
• However we urge communication to and with the
• community and that this be done sooner not
  later.
• It is hard for the Ad Com to parachute in and
• comment substantively on these since we do not
• have the full context or the full field of
  options and
• alternatives that were or could be considered