NSF

=**National Science Foundation Grants and Notes from NSF Grant Seminar 9/22/11**=

=Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12)=

[|Program Solicitation]
NSF 11-588 Replaces Document(s): NSF 10-610
 * [[image:http://www.nsf.gov/home/icons/nsflogo.gif width="60" height="60" align="right" caption="NSF Logo"]] ||  || **National Science Foundation**

Directorate for Education & Human Resources

Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings || > November 17, 2011 > October 04, 2012 > January 10, 2012 > December 06, 2012 The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. All DRK-12 projects should be framed around a research question or hypothesis that addresses an important need or topic in preK-12 STEM education. The emphasis in DRK-12 is on research projects that study the development, testing, deployment, effectiveness, and/or scale-up of innovative resources, models and tools.DRK-12 invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate a radically different structure and function of pre-K 12 teaching and learning. DRK-12 especially encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision the future needs of learners, and consider new and innovative ways to support student and teacher learning. DRK-12 is particularly interested in projects that hold promise for identifying and developing the next generation of STEM innovators (NSB, 2010). There are four strands described in detail in the solicitation: 1) Assessment; 2) Learning; 3) Teaching; 4) Scale-up. DRK-12 projects are based on theories of learning, prior research and development. Projects reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse population as well as national, state, or discipline priorities. Outcomes include usable and scalable resources, models, tools, and contributions to the knowledge about STEM teaching and learning. In addition, teachers and students who participate in DRK-12 studies are expected to enhance their understanding and use of STEM content, practices and skills. The DRK-12 program is primarily concerned with the goals and effectiveness of formal education, but recognizes that learning is not limited to formal school environments and times. The program encourages projects to draw from knowledge and practice of learning in out-of-school and informal settings. Most young people and STEM professionals today use powerful technologies in the activities of their everyday lives. New knowledge, new ways of thinking, and new ways of finding and processing information drive our society and economy. Many of the resources, models and tools researched and developed by DRK-12 will provide innovative ways to use current and emerging technologies to transform STEM education. DRK-12 recognizes that outstanding teaching is a critical and integral component of this improvement process. While Strand 3 has a specific focus on resources, models and tools for teacher education and the impact of those models on student learning, projects submitted to the other strands may also include teacher support materials or professional development components in support of student learning. Projects submitted to the Learning strand might also include the development of assessments related to the specific goals of the project. Some DRK-12 projects focus on a specific STEM discipline or concept, while others have cross-disciplinary, cross-grade level content, but all projects must demonstrate that the content is important from both a disciplinary and learning perspective. Full Research and Development projects are expected to lead to successful dissemination and adoption of findings or prod
 * Letter of Intent Due Date(s) //(required)//** (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
 * Full Proposal Deadline(s)** (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
 * Synopsis of Program:**

** Advanced Technological Education (ATE) **
@http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5464 @http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11692/nsf11692.htm

With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and employers to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways to two-year colleges from secondary schools and from two-year colleges to four-year institutions; and other activities. Another goal is articulation between two-year and four-year programs for K-12 prospective teachers that focus on technological education. The program also invites proposals focusing on research to advance the knowledge base related to technician education.
 * SYNOPSIS:** Full Proposal Deadline Date: October 20, 2011

The curricular focus and the activities of all projects should demonstrably contribute to the ATE program's central goals: **producing more qualified science and engineering technicians to meet workforce demands**, and improving the technical skills and the general science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) preparation of these technicians and the educators who prepare them.

This program provides educational opportunities for Undergraduate Students, K-12 Educators. This program supports institutions which may provide support to individuals at those institutions.
 * EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY**

=Informal Science Education (ISE)= The ISE program supports innovation in anywhere, anytime, lifelong learning, through investments in research, development, infrastructure, and capacity-building for STEM learning outside formal school settings.

except Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences (CRPA) proposals, where preliminary proposals do not apply except CRPA proposals (which do not have deadlines)
 * Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) //(optional)://** August 12, 2011
 * Full Proposal Deadline(s)** (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): **January 11, 2012**

@http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11546/nsf11546.htm

UB Sneel Hall September 22, 2011
 * NSF Funding Opportunities**

Notes:

Thomas J. Baerwald: Senior Science Advisor, SBR/Behavioral Cognitive Sciences tbaerwal@nsf.org 703-292-7301

Geographical ad Spatial Sciences Program NSF 4201 Wilson Blvd. Room 995 Arlington, VA 22230

45,000 annual proposals funding 12,000 new competitive awards plus another 10,000 award actions for $7.0 billion. Funding about 10% range. 5% of budget is overhead.

Social and Economic Sciences: à science, technology and society.

Can have a joint review of a proposal that spans more than one program. Program officers can help.

Most funding goes to “basic scientific research”.
 * Grounded in broad theoretical framework
 * One or more questions grounded in broad theoretical framework
 * Uses scientifically sound approaches to assess the viability of answers to those questions
 * Focused results contributes to broader theoretical knowledge: fill a gap in our knowledge
 * Results must serve a general understanding, utility and applicability

How do we Access NSF Funds:
 * ¾ proposals funded in the general category. The standing program competitions for “unsolicited proposals”
 * Special funding categories:
 * My NSF at the NSF website will send notifications on interested programs
 * SEES Goals: environment-energy-society nexus, especially regional

Best Program Identification:
 * Search the site [|www.nst.gov]
 * Read the program description, announcement or solicitation
 * Theory?
 * Who is going to read your data
 * And who will use it: journals to disseminate and who reads those journals
 * One page prospectus
 * Look at past awards
 * Regular proposal submission 1/15 and 8/15
 * Understand the due dates, call and see about any flexibility: (max 2 weeks leeway past target date)
 * Must have data management plan: confidentiality issues, privacy, data stored, come available to public, etc.
 * New cost sharing policies stipulate: if no funds are requested, no time should be specified.
 * Explicitly identify text in the project summary for intellectual merit and broad social impact.

Q&A


 * 1) Pre-proposal process and one proposal date a year for one proposal due date per year. The passed pre-proposal will be invited to submit in the winter. Other programs are being affected this way.
 * 2) Bio: what is and isn’t funded: no clinical on human health or disease. Ecological or social factor science on the study of the effect of a disease.
 * 3) If a proposal goes unfunded, need to wait a year before you can submit the revised proposal.
 * 4) More team research over single investigator? Yes.
 * 5) Small business innovative research SBIR.
 * 6) Reviewer experience is valuable to those who will apply.
 * 7) CNH: []


 * Proposal Writing Strategies:**

Learn:
 * Rules of the competition
 * Which entries receive the highest marks
 * How the competition is organized
 * Hone your skills and correct your defects
 * Take care to do your best: underdeveloped, have enough time to write the proposal.
 * Realize that how you place will also depend on how well other competitors do.

Rules:
 * Grant proposal guide
 * Follow specific instructions
 * Contact relevant program officers

Use MyNSF: [] to have of interest NSF alerts sent as they arise.

Who got highest marks? Try to think like a program officer. Agencies think in different ways. Listening to clues on what they like and what they want. Don’t over-schmooze.

Reverse alchemy: invest in basic research. Broker analogy, invest in a range of projects that will maximize the return the community we’re here to serve. Bang for the buck. How much is the program allocated can determine how tight the proposal has to be to specific guidelines (TAH Tech!)

Bang for Bucks: Most funding goes to “basic scientific research”.
 * Grounded in broad theoretical framework
 * One or more questions grounded in broad theoretical framework
 * Uses scientifically sound approaches to assess the viability of answers to those questions
 * Focused results contributes to broader theoretical knowledge: fill a gap in our knowledge
 * Results must serve a general understanding, utility and applicability
 * Disseminate results to the community of peers and colleagues.

Proposals need:
 * Likelihood that the Significant Contributions to General Understanding as well as Broader Impacts.
 * Peer Review: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
 * Intellectual Merit:
 * Likelihood to advance knowledge
 * Potentially transformative concepts
 * How well if the proposer is qualified to do the work?
 * How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity
 * Potentially Transformative Research
 * Explore ideas that potential risk is going to pay off
 * Transformative research driven by ideas that will radically change understanding and important existing issue
 * How can a new idea grow to make a larger impact over time.
 * Broader Impacts:
 * Teaching training and learning as well as basic discovery
 * Broaden involvement of underrepresented groups
 * Enhance infrastructure, data, methods,
 * Benefits to society
 * Enhance science and technical understanding
 * Evaluation:
 * Single expert reviewer: specialists
 * Advisory panel members: generalists looking for broad discipline impact
 * Program officers: Bang for buck. Generalists as well.
 * Competitive Proposal:
 * Broad theoretical framework which the research question is set
 * Specification of the methods to be used to answer the question
 * How it will enhance broad theoretical framework and positive impact
 * Biographical info in investigators
 * Budget with justifications
 * Other components like data management plan, post doc mentoring plans.
 * Try to answer reasonable questions that reviewers might ask about the plans
 * Proposal is technically correct
 * Coney the enthusiasm in the writing
 * Comply completely with the guidelines
 * Use FastLane [] FastLane is the National Science Foundation (NSF) online website through which we conduct our relationship to researchers and potential researchers, reviewers, and research administrators and their organizations.
 * Don’t use Grants.gov.
 * Expenses for budget: ratio to do the most possible for the fewest dollars. All expenditures necessary to complete the project.
 * Would the research be diminished significantly if the expendture is not made then include it. If no, don’t.
 * Be cognizant of the overall funding limits for awards for a program or competition as a whole.
 * If Funded:
 * Work with program officer during pre-award negotiations. Could be less funding.
 * Might be changes in the conduct of the project from what was originally intended.
 * Conduct research properly and disseminate the results properly
 * Regularly report findings, products and contributions. Journals and past reporting failures will be noted.
 * Declined:
 * Wait a few day before and let the pain subside
 * Evaluate the reviews to correct criticisms, to revise and resubmit and if general criticisms consider other funding sources.
 * If you have questions call program officer
 * Good idea well expressed clear methods and dissemination
 * Write for the write audience
 * Bad proposals and don’ts
 * Don’t irritate reviewers with small type, fonts, dense type and excessive jargon.
 * Proposal not funded that do not establish a sound theoretical framework and poor relationship with relevant literature.
 * Fails to specify research methods plan
 * Theory doesn’t line p with research plan.
 * Get copies of successful proposals. PIs directly or NSF. “Would you be kind enough to share it with me?”
 * Timeline:
 * 3 months minimum for prospectus
 * 1 month first draft done for readers and evaluation
 * 2 weeks use comments to revise
 * 1 week forward to projects office
 * 2 days before deadline submit on FastLane.
 * 5 months afterward ask managing program officer when the decision wil be made.

“Big shots are just little shots who keep shooting.” Christopher Morely.

Q&A

Citizen science and public participation, results have mobile applicability. Need to have journalized as well.