1 / 23

National Science Foundation Overview

National Science Foundation Overview. Agenda. Our Legacy: About NSF Our Work: Programs & The Merit Review Process Our Opportunities: Working at the NSF. Our Legacy: About NSF. NSF Vision (2011). NSF Mission (1950).

alamea
Download Presentation

National Science Foundation Overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. NationalScienceFoundationOverview

  2. Agenda • Our Legacy: About NSF • Our Work: Programs & The Merit Review Process • Our Opportunities: Working at the NSF

  3. Our Legacy: About NSF

  4. NSF Vision (2011) NSF Mission (1950) To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the national defense. NSF envisions a nation that capitalizes on new concepts in science and engineering and provides global leadership in advancing research and education. NSF-3

  5. NSF Support for Basic Research at Academic Institutions: Share of Total Federal Support With an annual budget of about $7 billion, NSF funds approximately 25 % of all federally supported basic research conducted by U.S. colleges and universities.

  6. NSF’s Strategic Goals Transform the Frontiers, seamlessly integrating research and education, coupling research infrastructure and discovery. Innovate for Society, linking with societal needs, and impacting economic and societal welfare. Perform as a Model Organization, attaining excellence and inclusion in all operational aspects.

  7. NSF Organizational Chart Office of Cyberinfrastructure Office of Diversity & Inclusion National Science Board (NSB) Director Deputy Director Office of the General Counsel Office of Integrative Activities Office of International Science & Engineering Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Office of Legislative & Public Affairs Office of Polar Programs Biological Sciences (BIO) Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Engineering (ENG) Geosciences (GEO) Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE) Education & Human Resources (EHR) Budget, Finance & Award Management (BFA) Information & Resource Management (IRM)

  8. NSF Workforce • Consists of approximately • 1,450 Federal employees (includes staff of the National Science Board Office and the Office of the Inspector General); • 200 Non-Federal Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignees coming from research institutions; • 450 contract workers. • Unlike other science agencies, NSF does not maintain its own research laboratories.

  9. Our Work: Programs & The Merit Review Process

  10. What is a Program? A well-defined grant-giving function, usually with a well-defined budget Usually means an individual investigator grant program, but could also refer to a facilities program (e.g., National Radio Astronomy Observatory), a center program or fellowship program for students. Programs are the implementation arm of NSF. 13

  11. What is NSF’s Merit Review Process? • The review process ensures that proposals submitted to NSF are reviewed in a fair, transparent, and in-depth manner • NSF proposals receive an external review by experts; • Program Officers make funding recommendations based on the input received from reviewers. NSF receives approximately 42,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 10,000 are funded.

  12. What do Program Directors do? Program directors have the opportunity to be involved with a broad spectrum of national scientific programs and initiatives that ultimately increase intellectual awareness and enhance professional growth. • Program Directors oversee the National Science Foundation’s “gold standard” merit review process.

  13. NSF Merit Review Process

  14. Proposal Review Criterion:Intellectual Merit • Advance knowledge & understanding • Well thought-out • Principal Investigator qualifications • Access to resources • Creative or original • Potentially transformative

  15. Proposal Review Criterion:Broader Impacts • Advancement of discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning • Broaden participation of underrepresented groups • Enhancement of infrastructure for research and education • Dissemination of results to enhance scientific and technological understanding • Benefits to society • Mentoring Activities for Postdoctoral Researchers

  16. Additional ConsiderationsThat Apply to All Proposals ! • Integration of Research and Education • Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities • Postdoc Mentoring Plan • Data Management Plan

  17. NSB Task Force on Merit Review • Established Spring 2010, charged with “examining the two Merit Review Criteria and their effectiveness in achieving the goals for NSF support for science and engineering research and education” • Focusing on: • How criteria are being interpreted and used by PIs, reviewers, and NSF staff • Strengths and weaknesses of criteria • Impact of criteria on how PIs develop projects • Role of the institution

  18. NSB Report on Merit Review Criteria: Overall Findings The Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts review criteria together capture the important elements that should guide the evaluation of NSF proposals. Revisions to the descriptions of the Broader Impacts criterion and how it is implemented are needed. Use of the review criteria should be informed by a guiding set of core principles.

  19. Implementation and Next Steps NSB approved report in December 2011 and published in January 2012: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2011/meritreviewcriteria.pdf NSF Working Group is developing policies and internal and external implementation plans Revised criteria and principles will be published in the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

  20. Working at NSF

  21. Program Appointment Types • Excepted Service (Temporary or Permanent) • Intergovernmental Personnel Act Assignments (IPAs) • Visiting Scientists, Engineers and Educators (VSEEs)

  22. Science and Engineering Onboard Counts

  23. To apply for scientific and professional positions at NSF • Go to http://www.nsf.gov/about/ • Click on “Career Opportunities” • Scroll down to “Current Vacancies” and click on “Scientific and Professional” • Select your Directorate of Choice from the dropdown menu and open your desired position. • Program Directors may be appointed on a Federal Permanent or Federal Temporary basis, through the Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) program or under the provisions of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). • Contact the relevant NSF program office • Contact the Division of Human Resource Management • Check http://www.usajobs.gov • For more information about rotator opportunities at NSF, please visithttp://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/

More Related