NSF Funding in the Obama Era: A Personal View

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NSF Funding in the Obama EraA Personal View
Haym Hirsh Department of Computer ScienceRutgers
University Division of Information and
Intelligent SystemsComputer and Information
Science and Engineering
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NSF Overview

• Created in 1950
• Only non-mission Federal funding agency
  supports all fields of science and engineering
  (except for research focused on disease-related
  outcomes)
• Proposal selection relying on peer review
• Management relies on rotators
• Current budget 6 billion

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National Science Foundation Organization
Office of the Director
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Geosciences (GEO)
Computer and Information Sciences Engineering
(CISE)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Education and Human Resources (EHR)
Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Engineering (ENG)
Offices (OCI, OIA, OISE, OPP)
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NSFs Academic Footprint

• 20 of all federally supported basic research
  conducted by America's colleges and universities

87
Percent Total Funding
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Recent Funding History

• Fall 2005 Rising Above the Gathering Storm
• Policy-makers should increase the national
  investment in basic research by 10 percent each
  year over the next seven years.
• January 2006 American Competitiveness Initiative
• Double funding for NSF, DOE Office of Science,
  and NIST over a ten-year window (7 per year)
• February 2006 NSF FY07 request 7.9 increase

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Civics 101
President
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Recent Funding History

• Fall 2005 Rising Above the Gathering Storm
• Policy-makers should increase the national
  investment in basic research by 10 percent each
  year over the next seven years.
• January 2006 American Competitiveness Initiative
• Double funding for NSF, DOE Office of Science,
  and NIST over a ten-year window (7 per year)
• February 2006 NSF FY07 request 7.9 increase
• February 2007 NSF FY08 request 6.8 increase
• March 2007 NSF FY07 appropriation 6.0
  increase
• August 2007 COMPETES Act
• Double funding for NSF over seven years
• January 2008 NSF FY08 appropriation 2.5
  increase

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NSF in the Obama Era

• February 2008
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden will double budgets
  of key science agencies such as the National
  Institutes of Health, the National Science
  Foundation, the Department of Energys Office of
  Science, and the National Institute of Standards
  and Technology over the next ten years.
• December 2008 Cabinet announcements
• Energy Steven Chu
• Defense Robert M. Gates

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Rising above the Gathering StormCommittee
Members

• Norman R. Augustine
• Craig Barrett
• Gail Cassell
• Steven Chu
• Robert M. Gates
• Nancy Grasmick
• Charles O. Holliday Jr.
• Shirley Jackson
• Anita Jones
• Joshua Lederberg

• Rick Levin
• Dan Mote
• Cherry Murray
• Peter ODonnell Jr
• Lee R. Raymond
• Robert C. Richardson
• P. Roy Vagelos
• Charles M. Vest
• George Whitesides
• Richard Zare

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Rising above the Gathering StormCommittee
Members

• Norman R. Augustine
• Craig Barrett
• Gail Cassell
• Steven Chu
• Robert M. Gates
• Nancy Grasmick
• Charles O. Holliday Jr.
• Shirley Jackson
• Anita Jones
• Joshua Lederberg

• Rick Levin
• Dan Mote
• Cherry Murray
• Peter ODonnell Jr
• Lee R. Raymond
• Robert C. Richardson
• P. Roy Vagelos
• Charles M. Vest
• George Whitesides
• Richard Zare

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NSF in the Obama Era

• February 2008
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden will double budgets
  of key science agencies such as the National
  Institutes of Health, the National Science
  Foundation, the Department of Energys Office of
  Science, and the National Institute of Standards
  and Technology over the next ten years.
• December 2008 Cabinet announcements
• Energy Steven Chu
• Defense Robert M. Gates
• February 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes
  3 billion for NSF
• February 2009 NSF FY10 request 16 over FY08
• March 2009 NSF FY09 appropriation 7 increase

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Science in the Obama Era

• Employ Science, Technology and Innovation to
  Solve Our Nation's Most Pressing
  Problems(www.ostp.gov)
• Education
• Energy and environment
• Healthcare Healthcare IT
• Public safety networks
• Agriculture
• Manufacturing
• Space
• Information technology
• National security
• 21st century government
• Stay tuned for the Presidents FY10 budget details

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• Stay tuned for the Presidents FY10 budget
  details

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NSF in the Obama Era

• February 2008
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden will double budgets
  of key science agencies such as the National
  Institutes of Health, the National Science
  Foundation, the Department of Energys Office of
  Science, and the National Institute of Standards
  and Technology over the next ten years.
• December 2008 Cabinet announcements
• Energy Steven Chu
• Defense Robert M. Gates
• February 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes
  3 billion for NSF
• February 2009 NSF FY10 request 16 over FY08
• March 2009 NSF FY09 appropriation 7 increase

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NSF in the Obama Era

• February 2008
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden will double budgets
  of key science agencies such as the National
  Institutes of Health, the National Science
  Foundation, the Department of Energys Office of
  Science, and the National Institute of Standards
  and Technology over the next ten years.
• December 2008 Cabinet announcements
• Energy Steven Chu
• Defense Robert M. Gates
• February 2009
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes
  3 billion for NSF
• February 2009 NSF FY10 request 16 over FY08
• March 2009 NSF FY09 appropriation 7 increase

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ARRA _at_ NSF

• 2B in Research and Related Activities
• Focus on FY09 decisions
• New PIs
• Jobs undergraduates, graduates, postdocs
• High risk/high return research
• Durations 3-5 years
• Spent in FY09
• There will be special reporting requirements on
  awards receiving ARRA funds

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ARRA _at_ NSF

• Major Research Instrumentation Program (300M)
• Funds state-of-the-art research instrumentation
• FY09 competition 3/institution, 4M max
• Academic Research Infrastructure Program (200M)
• laboratory construction grants modernizing
  infrastructure
• Major Research Equipment and Facilities
  Construction (400M)
• acquisition, construction, and commissioning of
  major research facilities and equipment that
  provide unique capabilities at the frontiers of
  science and engineering
• Science Masters Program (15M)

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Dos and Donts for NSF
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NSF Dos and Donts

• Be true to the science
• It wont be funded if it isnt an exciting
  project
• Submit your best ideas, not all your ideas
• Spend more time on key proposals
• Dont build a negative reputation
• Dont write a trust me proposal
• Ramp up your funding
• Propose a project that matches your proposed
  duration
• Dont propose a 1 year or 10 year project for a
  3-year program

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NSF Dos and Donts

• Think about the reviewers
• Its not for them to figure out your brilliant
  idea, it is for you to make it impossible to miss
  it
• Your reviewers may not all be in your narrow area
• You are not writing a paper
• Grab the reader within 3 pages or youre likely
  lost

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NSF Dos and Donts

• Proofread (and print a sample!) before final
  submission
• Reviewers HATE missing references, typos, etc.
  it reflects lack of appreciation of their time
• It is YOUR responsibility if the budget has an
  error that puts it over budget limits, uses the
  wrong font, goes over on pages, wont print, etc.
• Seek feedback from colleagues with NSF awards or
  who have spent time at NSF
• Work hard on your Project Summary
• Affects where it is reviewed, reviewers selected,
  etc.

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NSF Dos and Donts

• Do not submit multiple similar proposals to
  different programs at the same time
• Read the solicitation
• Dont ask for an extension
• Contact Program Directors
• To understand reviews and decision
• For help figuring out the home for an idea
• If unhappy with reviews, dont complain, explain
• Ask to serve on a panel
• Ask about EAGERs

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• A good proposal is a good idea, well
  expressed, with a clear indication of methods for
  pursuing the idea, evaluating the findings,
  making them known to all who need to know, and
  indicating the broader impacts of the activity.