NSF Research Opportunities
For Social Scientists
Harold Clarke
Ashbel Smith Professor
University of Texas at Dallas and
University of Essex
Former NSF Division Director,
Social and Economic Sciences
NSF in a Nutshell
• Independent Agency
• Supports basic
research
• Natural & Social
Sciences
• Uses grant mechanism
• Discipline-based
structure
• Cross-disciplinary
mechanisms
• Mix of Permanent &
Visiting Staff
Why You Might Want NSF Funding
• Funds basic research
• Funds both theory development & data
collection
• Funds infrastructure development –
everything from submarines to software
• Provides summer salary support
• Funds doctoral dissertation research
• Program Development Opportunities
Office of the Director
Directorate for Social,
Behavioral & Economic
Sciences
Social and Economic
Sciences
Behavioral and Cognitive
Sciences
Science Resources Statistics
Opportunities
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Unsolicited competitions
Special initiatives (e.g., Democratization)
Rapid response research (RAPID)
Early concept grants for exploratory
research (EAGER)
• CAREER grants
• Doctoral dissertation improvement grants
Social and Economic Sciences
FY09 Program Allocations (~millions of dollars)
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Cross-Directorate Activities
Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences
Economics
Innovation and Organizational Sciences
Law and Social Science
Methodology, Measurement & Statistics
Political Science
Science and Society
Sociology
$3.8
$7.5
$25.8
$3.4
$5.1
$4.0
$9.9
$8.9
$9.5
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Where to Start?
• www.nsf.gov
• Check awards by program, keyword,
etc. www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
• Read solicitation carefully (if not
unsolicited competition)
• Download Grant Proposal Guide
• Contact Program Officer once you have
formed and organized your ideas
SES Target Dates
January 15 & August 15
Law and Social Science
Political Science
Sociology
January 16 & August 16
Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics
January 18 & August 18
Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences
Economics
February 1 & August 1
Science and Society
February 2 & September 3
Innovation and Organizational Sciences
Faculty Early Career Development
(CAREER) Program
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Untenured faculty (or comparable)
Single scholar award
$400,000, 5-years minimum award
Three proposals lifetime limit
July 1 deadline
High expectations
Rapid Response Research
(RAPID)
• Research when data are ephemeral,
e.g. study impact of stimulus package
• $200,000 maximum; 1 year
• 5 page project description
• Internal review only
• Contact program officer first
Early Concept Grants for
Exploratory Research (EAGER)
• Exploratory work on untested,
potentially transformative ideas
• High-risk, high-potential payoff
• $300,000 maximum; 2 years
• Eight page description
• Internal review only
• Contact program officer first
Dear Colleague Letter
Example: Integrating HSD Goals
into Core SBE Programs
• Complexity Science
• Large-scale Interdisciplinary Research
• Infrastructure
Proposal Process
NSF
Proposal
Generating
Document
Returned as Inappropriate/Withdrawn
Award
via DGA
Organization
submits
via
FastLane
Proposal
Processing
Unit
Minimum
of 3
Reviews
Required
Ad hoc
NSF Program
Officer
Program
Officer
Analysis
&
Recommendation
Panel
Decline
Both
Organization
Research &
Education
Communities
Proposal received by NSF
Div. Dir. Concur
4 months
Proposal Preparation Time
Review of Proposal
Division
Director
Concur
P.O. Recommend
Award
30 days
DGA Review &
Processing of Award
Finding Reviewers
• Program Officer’s knowledge
• References listed in the proposal
• Google & online data bases
• Reviewer’s recommendations
• Investigator’s suggestions
Human Subjects
• No award for a project involving human
subjects can be made without prior
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
approval of the research activity.
• IRB approval is not needed at the time
of proposal submission.
Funding Decision Process
• Program Officer decision
• Feedback to PI
• If Your Proposal is Recommended…
• Scope of Work & Budget Discussions
• Division Director Concur (typically yes)
• Formal notification of Recommendation
Two Funding Criteria
• Intellectual merit
• Broader impacts
• Both are Important – intellectual
merit is necessary but not sufficient
Intellectual Merit
• NSF funds basic research
• NSF funds basic research
• Intellectual merit means increasing
knowledge through developing and
testing theories, gathering data relevant
to theory testing, developing methods
relevant to theory testing
• Leading-edge science
Broader Impacts
• Promote teaching, training and learning
• Broaden participation of underrepresented
groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability,
geography)
• Enhance infrastructure for research and
education, e.g., facilities, instrumentation
• Disseminate results broadly to bolster scientific
and technological understanding
• Benefit society
Budget Tips
• Amounts
– Reasonable for work – Realistic – Don’t be
greedy!
– Well Justified -- Need established (Do You
Really Need 9 Trips to Paris?)
– In-line with program guidelines
• Eligible costs
– Personnel
– Equipment
– Travel
– Other Direct Costs, Subawards
– Facilities & Administrative Costs
Some Urban Legends
about the NSF
• Only funds scholars at elite graduate
institutions
• Only funds “famous” academics
• Once declined, you are likely always to be
declined
• Only funds “normal science”
• Only funds American topics
• Panels make funding decisions
Reasons for Declinations
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“Trust-me” proposal (I’m a bright person!)
Expertise gaps
Too Expensive (Program budgets are small!)
Incremental contribution
Competition, Competition….
Bad luck
Unhappy with Decision? You are not alone!
NSF and the ARRA (Stimulus Package)
• NSF - Total Stimulus Package ~$3 billion
• SES - Total Stimulus Package ~$41 million
• Very closely monitored (priorities CAREERS, 1st time investigators, review
very well)
• ARRA ONE-SHOT!
• Back to regular business in 2010
How SES Spent the ARRA $
• SES initially given $27 million
• Clarke-Scioli Experiment 8 + 1 shares (DD strategic reserve)
• Can Small Programs Do More 1st Rate
Science?
• Yes!
• Additional Competitions as $ became
available
• e.g., Political Science - $4.5 million
Advice
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Study Important Topics
Study Interesting Topics (Don't be boring!)
Team up with smart people
Team up with creative people
Being interdisciplinary helps
Critically review your own proposal – before
you hit the ‘send’ button!
Questions?
National Science Foundation
National Science
Board
Director
Deputy Director
Inspector
General
Biological
Sciences
Staff Offices
Computer &
Information
Science
& Engineering
Social, Behavioral
& Economic
Sciences
Engineering
Education
& Human
Resources
Geosciences
Budget,
Finance
& Award
Management
Mathematics
& Physical
Sciences
Information
Resource
Management
Restrictions, Monitoring
• In-House Proposals From Fall 2008 & Spring
2009 Rounds
• Priorities ->
• CAREERS
• First-Time Investigators
• RAPIDS & EAGERS
• Dissertations
• Closely Monitored