Writing a Successful NSF Proposal November 4, 2003

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Writing a SuccessfulNSFProposalNovember 4,
2003

• Website nsf.gov

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National Science Foundation - Background

• Created in 1950
• Aim to promote and advance progress in science
  and engineering
• Responsible for overall health of science and
  engineering across all disciplines, ensuring
  supply of scientists, engineers, and educators

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NSF Background (continued)

• Responsible for 25 of Federal support to
  academic institutions for basic research
• Receives 30,000 proposals per year, funds about
  one-third
• Over 50,000 scientists and engineers used each
  year on formal committees or ad hoc reviewers
  producing 170,000 reviews

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Step by Step Guide

• Investigate funding opportunities
• Select the funding area - Directorate, Division,
  cross-cutting program. Visit web site for
  program announcements/solicitations and check for
  special programmatic requirements. Unsolicited
  proposals can always be submitted but usually
  will take up to twice as long to reach a decision
• Note target dates and deadlines for program
• Contact the relevant Program Officer with
  questions

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Tips

• Subscribe to custom news service and create a
  personal profile to inform you of new
  opportunities.
• Search Award Abstracts Database for similar
  projects to see what types of projects were
  funded.

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Review Process

• Panels of peer reviewers
• Each reviewer provides evaluation of merits and
  shortcomings, provides an overall rating
• Discussion
• Summary of discussion
• Grants based on merit

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Merit Review Criteria

• What is the intellectual merit of the proposed
  activity?
• Advance knowledge within field and across fields.
• How well qualified are proposers to conduct
  project?
• Creative and original concepts.
• Organization of proposed activity.
• Are there sufficient resources?

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Merit Review Criteria (continued)

• Broader Impacts
• Advanced discovery/understanding while promoting
  teaching, training, and learning.
• Broader participation of underrepresented groups
• Enhance infrastructure for research and education
• Broad dissemination
• Benefits to society

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What Makes a Good Proposal

• Best proposals are those to which reviewers
  respond -Of course, I wish I had thought of
  that.
• Proposal should answer
• Objectives and scientific significance of the
  proposed work
• Suitability of the methods to be employed
• Qualifications of the investigator
• Effect of the activity on the infrastructure of
  science

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Other Elements to Address

• Integration of Research and Education.
• Integrating Diversity into NSF programs

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Advice to Proposal Writers

• Step 1 - Before you write
• Getting started
• Generate a clear idea of the goals and objectives
  of the project.
• Why will it be a significant improvement over
  current practice
• Relationship of proposed project to work of
  others
• Look at Program Announcement
• Additional review criteria, format, deadlines
• Building Coalitions
• Intra-university, inter-university, industry

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Advice to Proposal Writers - continued

• Step 2
• Writing the Proposal Narrative
• Be explicit on how it will make an improvement
• Include details of experiments
• Be specific about proposed activities
• How does the work fit in with prior results
• Step 3
• Before Sending Proposal to NSF
• Learn about the review process - volunteer for
  panels
• Ask advice of others with experience