April Heyward presented "National Science Foundation (NSF) 101" at the 2022 Academic Leadership and Career Development Workshop (ALCDW) at the University of South Carolina to Faculty from South Carolina Colleges and Universities.

1. National Science Foundation
(NSF) 101
April Heyward, MRA
SC EPSCoR Program Manager
april.heyward@scra.org
www.scepscor.org
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
2022 Academic Leadership and
Career Development Workshop

2. NSF Overview

3. NSF
Overview

4. NSF Directorates
Biological
Sciences
Computer
and
Information
Science and
Engineering
Education
and Human
Resources
Engineering
Geosciences Mathematical
and Physical
Sciences
Social,
Behavioral,
and Economic
Sciences
Technology,
Innovation,
and
Partnerships

5. NSF
Quantitative
Overview
• $8.8 billion budget enacted for FY
2022
• 93% funds research, education, and
related activities
• $1.5 billion for STEM education and
workforce development
• $181 million to seed public-private
partnerships
• 2,000 NSF funded institutions
• 43,617 competitive proposals
evaluated
• 11,349 competitive proposals awarded
in FY 2021
Data based on FY 2021 and FY 2022

6. NSF Competitive Proposals, New Awards, &
Funding Rates
FY
2017
FY
2018
FY
2019
FY
2020
FY
2021
Competitive
Proposals
49,425 48,336 41,033 42,726 43,617
Funding Rate 23% 24% 27% 28% 26%
New Awards 11,456 11,717 11,252 12,171 11,349

7. NSF FY 2023 Budget Request
FY 2021
Enacted
FY 2022
Enacted
FY 2023
Request
Research and Related Activities $6,767 $7,017 $8,426
STEM Education $1,111 $1,149 $1,377
Major Research Equipment and
Facilities Construction
$241 $249 $187
Agency Operations and Award
Management
$346 $400 $473
Office of Inspector General $18 $19 $23
Office of the National Science Board $5 $5 $5
Total $8,487 $8,838 $10,492
Totals Reflects Rounding Differences
Dollars in Millions

8. NSF Directorates

9. NSF Directorates
Biological
Sciences
Computer
and
Information
Science and
Engineering
Education
and Human
Resources
Engineering
Geosciences Mathematical
and Physical
Sciences
Social,
Behavioral,
and Economic
Sciences
Technology,
Innovation,
and
Partnerships

10. Biological Sciences Directorate
• Advances the frontiers of
biological knowledge.
• Increases understanding of
complex systems.
• Provides a theoretical basis for
original research in many other
scientific disciplines.

11. Biological
Sciences
Directorate
2022
Priorities
Emerging Infection Diseases
Life on a Warming Planet
Biotech to Advance the Bioeconomy
Integrate Across the Biological
Sciences
Broaden Participation

12. Biological
Sciences
Directorate
Divisions
Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)
Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
Division of Environmental Biology
(DEB)
Division of Biological Infrastructure
(DBI)

13. Molecular and Cellular Biosciences:
Core Programs
• Cellular Dynamics and
Function
• Genetic Mechanisms
• Molecular Biophysics
• Systems and Synthetic Biology

14. Molecular
and Cellular
Biosciences
(MCB):
Special
Programs
and Tracks
Transitions to Excellence in Molecular
and Cellular Biosciences Research
Designing Synthetic Cells Beyond the
Bounds of Evolution
Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for
Information Storage and Retrieval
Reproducible Cells and Organoids via
Directed-Differentiation Encoding

15. Integrative
Organismal
Systems
(IOS):
Core
Programs
Developmental Systems
Behavioral Systems
Neural Systems
Physiological and Structural Systems

16. Division of
Environmental
Biology (DEB):
Core Programs
Population and Community Ecology
Evolutionary Processes
Ecosystem Sciences
Systematic and Biodiversity Science

17. Division of
Biological
Infrastructure
(DBI): Core
Programs
Human Resources
Research Resources
Centers and Other Mid-to-Large-
Scale Infrastructure

18. Biological Sciences Directorate-Wide Programs
Biology Integration
Institutes (BII)
Integrative Research
in Biology
Postdoctoral
Fellowships in
Biology
Building Research
Capacity of New
Faculty in Biology
Research and
Mentoring for
Postbaccalaureates
in Biological Sciences
Leading Culture
Change Through
Professional
Societies

19. Biological
Sciences
Directorate
Virtual Office
Hours
• Held monthly per Division
• Monthly information sessions
• New and ongoing funding
opportunities
• Topics of general interest
• Open period for questions
• Program Directors from all clusters
available

20. Merit Review Process

21. NSF Program
Officer
Review

22. Reasons Why Proposals Are
Not Accepted or Returned
Without Review
Project Summary does not
include an Overview and
Separate Statements on
Intellectual Merit and
Broader Impacts.
Project Description does
not contain a separate
section within the
narrative titled “Broader
Impacts”.
Prior NSF support with an
end date in the past five
years not included.
Data Management Plan
not included as a
supplementary document.

23. Reasons Why Proposals Are
Returned Without Review
• Not a fit for NSF funding.
• Submitted with inadequate lead time
before the proposed activity is scheduled
to begin.
• Full proposal was submitted that received
a “not invited” response to a preliminary
proposal.
• Proposer submits an identical proposal of
another proposal submitted by the same
proposer that is already under
consideration by NSF.

24. Reasons Why Proposals Are
Returned Without Review
• Does not meet NSF proposal preparation
requirements.
• Not responsive to PAPPG, program
announcement, or program solicitation.
• Not substantially updated from the
previous review and declination.
• Replica of a funded proposal.

25. Merit Review
Criteria:
What
Reviewers
Should
Consider
What the proposers want
to do?
Why they want to do it?
How they plan to do it?
How will they know if they
succeed?
What benefits would accrue
if the project is successful?

26. Merit Review Criteria
Intellectual Merit – the
potential to advance
knowledge.
Broader Impacts – the
potential to benefit
society and contribute to
the achievement of
specific, desired societal
outcomes.

27. Five Review Elements
What is the potential for the proposed activity to advance knowledge
(Intellectual Merit) and benefit society (Broader Impacts)?
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative,
original, or potential transformative concepts?
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-
organized, and based on sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a
mechanism to assess success?
How well qualified is the individual, team, or institution to conduct the
proposed activities?
Are there adequate resources available to PI to carry out the proposed
activities?

28. Types of Reviews
Ad hoc
Reviews
Panel
Reviews
Combination
Reviews
Internal
Reviews

29. Ad hoc Reviews
Proposals are sent
out for review.
Ad hoc reviewers
have the required
expertise in the field
relating to the
proposal.
Some proposals may
undergo ad hoc
review only.

30. Panel Reviews
Face-to-face sessions (typically).
Panel reviewers have broad scientific
knowledge.
Proposals can be reviewed by one panel or
multiple panels depending on theme(s).

31. Combination
Reviews
Proposals can be sent for Ad hoc review
before or after a Panel review.

32. Internal Reviews
Proposals are
reviewed by Program
Officers only.
Rapid Response
Research (RAPID)
proposals
Early-concept Grants
for Exploratory
Research (EAGER)
proposals
Research Advanced by
Interdisciplinary
Science and
Engineering (RAISE)
proposals
Career-Life Balance
(CLB) Supplemental
Funding Requests
Conference proposals
under $50,000

33. Merit Review Feedback
Reviewer Ratings – Excellent, Very Good, Good,
Fair, Poor
Assessment of how well the proposal addresses
Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
Proposal strengths and weaknesses
Reasons for proposal declination (if applicable)

34. Funding
Decisions
Merit review panel
reviews proposals,
provides feedback to
proposers, and provide
recommendations on
funding.
NSF Program Officers
makes funding
recommendations.
NSF Division Directors can
agree or disagree with the
NSF Program Officer’s
funding recommendations.

35. Become an NSF
Reviewer

36. Become an NSF Reviewer
• Contact the NSF Program Officer(s) of NSF
program(s) that align with your research.
• Introduce yourself and your research (brief
narrative).
• Communicate that you want to become an
NSF Reviewer.
• Make available your current NSF formatted
CV to the NSF Program Officer(s).
• Follow-up with the NSF Program Officer(s)
if you do not hear back in a reasonable
amount of time.

37. Benefits of Becoming an
NSF Reviewer
• Gain insight on the merit review process.
• Learn about common issues with
proposals.
• Learn proposal strategies.
• Develop new relationships with fellow
reviewers and NSF Program Officers.

38. Questions

39. Thank You!