National Science Foundation Support for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences: Funding Opportunities and Tips Amber Story, Ph.D. Deputy Division Director Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division 2010 Maine EPSCoR State Conference
National Science Foundation Biology Computer & Information Science & Engineering Engineering g Education & Human Resources Geosciences Mathematics and Physical Sciences Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences Office of the Director Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences Social & Economic Sciences Science Resources Statistics
Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division supports research to develop and advance scientific knowledge about humans spanning areas of inquiry including brain and behavior, language and culture, origins and evolution, and geography and the environment. Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences Cognitive Neuroscience Developmental & Learning Sciences Perception, Action & Cognition Linguistics Documenting Endangered Languages Archaeology Cultural Anthropology Physical Anthropology Social Psychology Geography & Spatial Sciences
Social and Economic Sciences Division seeks to enhance our understanding di of human, social and organizational behavior by building social science infrastructure, by developing social disciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects that advance knowledge in the social and economic sciences. Social and Economic Sciences Decision, Risk, & Management Science Law and Social Science Economics Methodology, Measurement & Statistics Innovation and Organizational Change Political Science Sociology
Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences Programs Disciplinary Inter-Disciplinary Cultural Anthropology Physical Anthropology Archaeology Linguistics Social Psychology Economics Sociology Political Science Cognitive Neuroscience Developmental & Learning Sciences Documenting Endangered Languages Perception, Action & Cognition Geography & Spatial Sciences Environmental, Social & Behavioral Science Decision, Risk & Management Sciences Science of Science & Innovation Policy Innovation & Organizational Sciences Methodology, Measurement & Statistics Science & Society Law & Social Sciences Paths to SBE Support Standing Research Programs Division for Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences FY10 Program Allocations (millions of dollars) Archaeology & Archaeometry $6.9 Cultural Anthropology $3.7 Cognitive Neuroscience $7.6 Developmental & Learning Sciences $6.6 Geography & Spatial Sciences $7.0 Linguistics $5.9 Documenting Endangered Languages $2.1 Perception, Action, & Cognition $7.0 Physical Anthropology $4.1 Social Psychology $6.4
Paths to SBE Support Standing Research Programs Division for Social & Economic Sciences FY10 Program Allocations (millions of dollars) Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences $7.2 Economics $25.8 Innovation and Organizational Sciences $3.3 Law and Social Science $5.0 Methodology, Measurement & Statistics $3.9 Political l Science $9.99 Science and Society $9.0 Sociology $9.5 Paths to SBE Support Standing Research Programs Division Funding Rates (FY10) Competitive Proposal Actions Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences Competitive Awards Funding Rate 2,847 580 20% Social & Economic Sciences Competitive Proposal Actions Competitive Awards Funding Rate 2,501 556 22%
Paths to SBE Support Standing Program Senior Proposals CAREER Proposals EAGER RAPID Dear Colleague Letters Special Solicitations Paths to SBE Support CAREER Proposals CAREER Solicitation (NSF 08-557) Available in all NSF programs Untenured faculty (or comparable) Single scholar award $400,000, 5-years minimum award Three proposals lifetime limit Mid to late July deadline (varies by discipline and year) High Prestige/High Expectations Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
Paths to SBE Support Internal Merit Review Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Exploratory work on untested, potentially transformative ideas High-risk, high-potential payoff $300,000 maximum; 2 years Eight page description Internal review required/ external optional Contact program officer first Paths to SBE Support Internal Merit Review Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) Research when data are ephemeral $200,000 maximum; 1 year 5 page project description Internal review required; external optional Available in all programs Contact program officer first
Program Announcements/ Solicitations Read Carefully Program Goal(s) Eligibility Requirements Special Requirements Deadline/Target Date Cognizant Program Director Search previous award abstracts Contact your PO Do your homework. Have a fairly clear notion of your research question, how you will propose to answer it, and be able to describe it clearly and succinctly Know what has been done previously on the topic
Don t forget: Talk to your sponsored research office EARLY (they submit parts or all of the grant proposal) Up-to-date IRB or IACUC approval with the same title as the grant proposal. As you think and write: Remember Two Merit Review Criteria Intellectual Merit Broader Impacts
Official review criteria Intellectual Merit Importance Qualifications Creativity & originality Transformational? Conception and organization Access to resources Broader Impacts Training Diversity Infrastructure Dissemination/ Public Awareness Societal Benefits Overarching Theory Hypothesis/ Rationale Experimental Design Expected Results Alternative Hypotheses Implications Intellectual Merit Unique Training/Post-doc Assessment Tools Data Management Dissemination/Outreach Societal Benefits Broader Impacts
Budget Amounts Reasonable for work -- Realistic Well Justified -- Need established In-line with program guidelines Eligible costs Personnel Equipment Travel Other Direct Costs, Subawards Facilities & Administrative Costs WARNING!!! Data Management age e Plan All proposals must describe plans for data management and sharing Fastlane will not allow submission of a proposal missing a plan. Plan is reviewed as part of the intellectual merit or broader impacts Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan If request money for a postdoc, must have plan as supplementary doc (1 page)
Proposal Process & Timeline NSF Proposal Generating Document Organization submits via FastLane Proposal Processing Unit Minimum of three reviews required Ad hoc Panel Both Program Officer Analysis & Recommendation Award via DGA Division Director Concur Decline Research & Education Communities NSF Program Officer Returned as Inappropriate/ Withdrawn Organization Proposal received by NSF Div. Dir. Concur Award 90 Days 6 months 30 days Proposal Preparation Time Review of Proposal PO Recommend DGA Review & Processing of Award Features of Competitive Proposals Compelling rationale, guiding theoretical framework Theory-based, not purely descriptive Preliminary data, proof of concept Experiments relate to the theory Alternative explanations for results considered Sufficiently ambitious Sufficient detail Strong potential to advance science Feasible (expertise, funding, resources)
Useful to submit a credible proposal, even if ultimately declined Revise and resubmit Discover other funding sources Forces thinking Build relationships Receive reviews from experts More Tips Give yourself plenty of time Don't expect to be successful by "throwing something together at the last minute. Read Solicitations, GPG etc. Learn how proposals will be evaluated; Think like those who will review and make decisions Talk to Program Officers
Thank you Amber Story s contact information 703-292-7249 astory@nsf.gov