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)

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 LetterCollaboration Letters*See GPG, NSF 09-1, effective January 5, 2009 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/nsf091.pdf

Cover Sheet

• Solicitation Number: NSF 08-557• Unit of consideration – disciplinary program

– Contacts: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/career/contacts.jsp

• Title – CAREER:…• Co-PIs – none!• PI Eligibility Certification –required• List Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers not to

include (optional)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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)

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?

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

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

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?

Research/Education Plan

• Step-by-step details• Be as specific as possible• Methodology section

– Data collection– Procedures– Timeline

• 6-10 pages

Research/Education Plan

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

methodologies

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

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

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

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, don’t leave the reviewers wondering

• ½ - 1 page

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

Biographical Sketch

• 2 pages only• See guidelines (Sec. II.C.2.f)

Professional PreparationAppointmentsPublications – only 10 allowed

• 5 closely related to proposal• 5 other significant

Synergistic Activities – broader impactsCollaborators 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

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?page=trs_people

– Justification – 3 pages, explain your budget in words, provide complete unambiguous information

• Budget should align with and support research and education plans

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!

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 awardee’s efforts in the department

Departmental Letter

• Talk to your department head NOW!

• Discuss your research and education plan

• Usually about 1 page

Letter of Collaboration

• Short letters

• Commitment from collaborators

• Support activities described in proposal

• No recommendation or reference letters allowed!

NSF General Review Criteria

• What is the INTELLECTUAL MERIT of the proposed activity?

• What are the BROADER IMPACTS of the proposed activity?

Intellectual Merit

• Importance of the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding in it’s 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

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 societySee http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf

Other Review Considerations

• Integration of Research and Education

• Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities

Other Young Investigator Programs

• ONR Young Investigator’s Program (YIP)– http://www.onr.navy.mil/02/baa/docs/BAA%2008-002_FINAL-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

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/factsheet.asp?id=9332– Last Due: July 22, 2008 (Look for it in Spring 2009)– $300K/3 years

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-ES-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.

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

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

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