Proposal

1
Proposal NSF Proposal Template

• Cover Sheet (Sec. II.C.2.a)
• Project Summary (Sec. II.C.2.b)
• Project Description (Sec. II.C.2.d)
• References (Sec. II.C.2.e)
• Biographical Sketch (Sec. II.C.2.f)
• Budget and Justification (Sec. II.C.2.g)
• Current and Pending Support (Sec. II.C.2.h)
• Facilities/Equipment/Other Resources (Sec.
  II.C.2.i)
• Supplementary Documentation (Sec. II.C.2.j)
• Departmental Support Letter
• Collaboration Letters
• See GPG, NSF 09-1, effective January 5, 2009
  http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09
  _1/nsf091.pdf

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Cover Sheet

• Solicitation Number NSF 08-557
• Unit of consideration disciplinary program
• Contacts http//www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/career/conta
  cts.jsp
• Title CAREER
• Co-PIs none!
• PI Eligibility Certification required
• List Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers not to
  include (optional)

3
Formatting applies to all sections

• Font
• Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype 10pt or
  larger
• Times New Roman, Computer Modern family 11pt or
  larger
• Vertical Spacing
• no more than 6 lines of text per vertical inch
• Page Formatting
• at least 1 inch margins on all sides
• no double columns
• Pages Numbers
• You must do this, it will not be done
  automatically
• Number each section or number entire proposal
  consecutively

4
Project Summary

• 1 page
• this may be the only page a reviewer reads if it
  is not impeccable
• Self-contained description of resulting
  integrated research and education activities if
  funded (not an abstract of the proposal)
• Include statement of objectives and methods
• Written in 3rd person avoid use of I or we
• MUST address in separate statements
• Intellectual Merit
• Broader Impacts

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Project Summary - beginning

• Paragraph 1, sentence 1
• The research goal of this proposal is
  (25 words or less, include research and
  education)
• Then
• The research approach is
  (2 or 3 sentence outline)
• Then use the headings
• Intellectual Merit
• Broader Impacts

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Research Objective

• This is what directs your proposal to the
  appropriate program.
• Do not use words that mean not research, such
  as Develop, Design, Optimize, Control, Manage
• Clearly state the new
• what problem are you trying to solve or
• what question are you answering or
• what hypothesis are you proving

Source Hazelrigg et al., 2007 CAREER Proposal
Writing Workshop, Univ. Hawaii
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Research Objective

• Four Acceptable ways to do it right
• The research objective of this proposal is to
  test the hypothesis H.
• The research objective of this proposal is to
  measure parameter P with accuracy A.
• The research objective of this proposal is to
  prove conjecture C.
• The research objective of this proposal is to
  apply method M from field Q to problem X in field
  R.

Source Hazelrigg et al., 2007 CAREER Proposal
Writing Workshop, Univ. Hawaii
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Intellectual Merit

• What is the scientific research contribution you
  will make to the knowledge base in your field?
• Supported by
• Qualifications of PI(s)
• Quality of prior work
• Extent of creative, original, or potentially
  transformative concepts suggested and explored
• Level of organization and development
• Sufficient access to resources

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Broader Impacts

• What are the broad reaching impacts of this
  research if successful?
• Why should the general public care about this
  project?
• Could include
• Teaching, training, and learning
• Broadening participation
• Infrastructure impact
• Broad dissemination
• Benefits to society
• Specific examples
• http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf

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Project Description

• Proposed research project
• Preliminary supporting data
• Specific objectives
• Methods and procedures
• Expected significance of results
• Proposed educational activities and plans to
  evaluate their impact
• How research and educational activities are
  integrated
• Results for Prior NSF support
• 15 pages

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Project Description

• Firm foundation for lifetime of contributions to
  integrated research and educational activities
• All in the context of your organization
• In consultation with department head
• Research and Education Plan (5 years)
• Well-argued and specific proposal activities
• Creative, effective and integrated plan
• Research and education plan can be presented
  together or separately
• Activity of an intensity that leads to a
  Reasonable workload is expected.

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Project Description

• Typical Sections
• Results from Prior NSF Support if any
• Significance and Objectives (½ -1 page)
• Background/Statement of Need (2 -
  3 pages)
• Research and Education Plan (6-10 pages)
• Management Plan (½ - 2 pages)
• Evaluation/Assessment (1 page)
• Dissemination (½ page)
• Summary (½ -1 page)

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Results from Prior NSF Support

• Describe RESULTS from these projects
• Up to 5 pages of 15 total allowed
• Conference proceedings
• Published papers
• Number/demographics students supported
• Patents
• Relate to current proposal -- how will this
  previous work support proposed work?

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Significance and Objectives

• Goals big picture, long-term
• Objectives measurable outcomes for this project
  (research and education)
• Tasks (if needed) how the objectives will be
  accomplished
• ½-1 page

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Background/Statement of Need

• Why should the agency fund?
• Global or national needs
• Local needs
• Literature Review
• What is currently being done?
• Where are the needs?
• What are the missing pieces?
• Why will your solution work?
• 2-3 pages

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Research/Education Plan

• Visualize what it will look like when you get the
  money
• What will be different?
• Who will be involved?
• What will they do?
• What happens first
• What happens next
• What is needed to get the job done?

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Research/Education Plan

• Step-by-step details
• Be as specific as possible
• Methodology section
• Data collection
• Procedures
• Timeline
• 6-10 pages

18
Research/Education Plan

• Ability to Perform
• Experience of proposer
• Preliminary results
• Capacity of institution
• Ability to conduct selected methodologies

19
Research/Education Plan

• Education Plan
• Either as a separate section or fully integrated
  into Research Plan
• Broader Impacts discussion
• NSF examples of broader impact activities
• http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf
• Do literature review on educational research,
  too!
• Teaching and learning in your field of study
• Include plans to evaluate impact of
  proposed educational activities

20
Management Plan

• For multiple PIs and Institutions
• Needed if you have multiple collaborators
• Who will make decisions?
• Who is responsible for each objective?
• Advisory/visiting committees
• ½-2 pages

21
Evaluation/Assessment

• How will you know you have accomplished goals and
  objectives?
• Design a plan to evaluate education activities
• Discuss data collection and analysis
• Show anticipated outcomes
• 1 page or less

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Summary

• Re-cap
• Broader impact
• Intellectual merit
• Integration of research and education
• Use this as a way to highlight the integration of
  research and education the mission of the
  CAREER program, dont leave the reviewers
  wondering
• ½ - 1 page

23
References

• Be complete, include state-of-the-art in your
  field (research and education!)
• Cite any references in the rfp
• Use a consistent style of citation

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Biographical Sketch

• 2 pages only
• See guidelines (Sec. II.C.2.f)
• Professional Preparation
• Appointments
• Publications only 10 allowed
• 5 closely related to proposal
• 5 other significant
• Synergistic Activities broader impacts
• Collaborators and Other Affiliations
• To help in selecting/eliminating reviewers
• This will be reviewed, too! It must support your
  proposed research
• Shows your capacity to do the work

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Budget and Justification

• Start with a rough draft
• Roughly 80K per year
• 1-2 months your salary
• 1-2 graduate students
• No major equipment
• Contact your pre-award administrator
• http//rf-web.tamu.edu/preaward/proposaladm.html
• http//tees.tamu.edu/index.jsp?pagetrs_people
• Justification 3 pages, explain your budget in
  words, provide complete unambiguous information
• Budget should align with and support research and
  education plans

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Supplementary Documentation

• Departmental Letter
• Collaborator Letters
• No reference letters allowed
• These will need to be scanned and uploaded to the
  Supplementary Documents section, not the Single
  Copy Documents Section.
• DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS TO NSF!

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Departmental Letter

• Purpose
• Verify PI eligibility
• Demonstrate level of commitment of the department
  to the career plan of junior faculty member
  (e.g., value of and reward for integrating
  research and education)
• Potential sustainability of CAREER awardees
  efforts in the department

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Departmental Letter

• Talk to your department head NOW!
• Discuss your research and education plan
• Usually about 1 page

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Letter of Collaboration

• Short letters
• Commitment from collaborators
• Support activities described in proposal
• No recommendation or reference letters allowed!

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NSF General Review Criteria

• What is the INTELLECTUAL MERIT of the proposed
  activity?
• What are the BROADER IMPACTS of the proposed
  activity?

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Intellectual Merit

• Importance of the proposed activity to advancing
  knowledge and understanding in its field
• Qualifications of PI
• Quality of prior work
• Extent of creative, original, and transformative
  concepts suggested and explored
• Level of organization and development
• Sufficient access to resources

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Broader Impacts

• Advancing discovery and understanding while
  promoting teaching, training, and learning
• Broadening the participation of under-represented
  groups (gender, ethnicity, disability,
  geographic, etc.)
• Potential impact on infrastructure for research
  and education (facilities, instrumentation,
  networks, partnerships, etc.)
• Plans for broad dissemination
• Benefits to society
• See http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf
  

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Other Review Considerations

• Integration of Research and Education
• Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs,
  Projects, and Activities

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Other Young Investigator Programs

• ONR Young Investigators Program (YIP)
• http//www.onr.navy.mil/02/baa/docs/BAA2008-002_F
  INAL-YIP-BAA.pdf
• Last Due January 12, 2009
• 170K/year, 3 years
• Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
• http//www.orau.org/consortium/programs/powe/powe-
  awards.htm
• Due February 6, 2009
• 5K/1 year
• Texas Space Grants Consortium New Investigations
  Program
• http//www.tsgc.utexas.edu/nip/index.html
• Last Due February 8, 2008 (Look for it this
  month)
• 10K/2 years

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More Young Investigator Programs

• Health Effects Institute, Walter A. Rosenblith
  New Investigator Award
• http//www.healtheffects.org/funding.htm
• Due February 10, 2009
• 300K/3 yr.
• Broadening Participation Research Initiation
  Grants in Engineering (BRIGE)
• http//www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08606/nsf08606.htm
  
• Due February 13, 2009
• 175K/2 years
• AFOSR YIP
• http//www.wpafb.af.mil/library/factsheets/factshe
  et.asp?id9332
• Last Due July 22, 2008 (Look for it in Spring
  2009)
• 300K/3 years

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More Young Investigator Programs

• Beckman Young Investigator Program
• http//www.beckman-foundation.com/byi.html
• Last Due October 1, 2008 (Look for this again
  Summer 2009)
• 300K/3 years
• NIH Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award
  (ONES)
• http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-E
  S-08-003.html
• Last Due October 31, 2008 (Look for it in
  September 2009)
• 1.625M/5 years
• ACS Petroleum Research Fund Grant Programs
  Doctoral New Investigator Grants (DNI)
• http//portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/funding
  /grants/prf/programs/dni/index.htm
• Due November 21, 2008 (Look for it again in Fall
  2009)
• 100K/2 years
• Within 3 years of Ph.D.

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More Young Investigator Programs

• OPD has a comprehensive list of opportunities
  targeting new investigators
• http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opportunities/funding
  -opportunities-by-category/junior-faculty-programs
  .html

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Other Opportunities

• NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop sponsored
  by NSF
• http//www.k-state.edu/career/2009/09_CAREER.htm
• Competitive acceptance
• you submit your proposal and serve as a mock
  reviewer
• November 10 deadline for March sessions
• Look for this again next fall if you are
  interested

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Resources

• Some successful CAREER proposals on-line
• 2007 proposal (GEO ATM) http//serc.carleton.edu
  /NAGTWorkshops/earlycareer/research/NSFgrants.html
  
• 2003 education plan (MPS - DMS)
  http//www.math.uic.edu/bshipley/career.education
  .pdf
• 2002 proposal (CISE - CCF)
• http//valis.cs.uiuc.edu/sariel/papers/01/career/
  career.pdf