APPLICATION OF REVIEW CRITERION 2
Division of Mathematical Sciences
The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating National Science
Foundation proposals in March of 1997. These criteria, which are designed to be relevant across
NSF’s many different programs, were implemented on October 1, 1997.
Criterion 1: What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?





How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding
within its own field or across different fields?
How well qualified is the proposer to conduct the project?
To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original
concepts?
How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
Is there sufficient access to resources?
Criterion 2: What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?





How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting
teaching, training and learning?
How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented
groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as
facilities, instrumentation, networks and partnerships?
Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological
understanding?
What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
In terms of general advice to proposal writers and reviewers, when several pending proposals of
equal scientific merit (with respect to Criterion 1) are compared in the NSF decision process,
then it is Criterion 2 that is often the determining factor between an award or a decline
recommendation. Criterion 2 has been described as the “added value” of the award investment.
Criterion 2, Example Activities.
The remainder of this document provides specific examples of activities appropriate for review
under Criterion 2, grouped according to the five bullets above. These examples are not meant to
be exhaustive or directive; the goal in providing them is to stimulate creativity on the part of the
proposal writing and reviewing communities. Not all suggestions apply to all proposals.
DRAFT April 2001
1
Advance Discovery and Understanding While Promoting Teaching, Training, and
Learning, Example Activities:











Integrate research activities into the teaching of graduate students, undergraduate science
majors, and general education students at all levels.
Integrate research activities into guest lectures and/or problem sets.
Help develop web-based learning.
Develop research-based educational materials and contribute to databases (e.g. K-16 digital
library) useful in teaching.
Partner with educators to explore effective means of incorporating research into learning and
education.
Establish or work with special mentoring programs for K-12, undergraduates, or graduate
students.
Involve graduate and post-doctoral researchers in formal or informal undergraduate teaching
activities.
Involve scholars at predominately undergraduate institutions in research through Research
Opportunity Awards (ROA).
Develop links to special programs such as Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
sites. REU is particularly relevant, providing a platform where promising undergraduates can
participate directly in cutting edge research projects.
Give science presentations to the broader community: e.g. at museums, formal and informal
gatherings, schools, and libraries, on radio shows and with other venues that reach broad
audiences.
Develop, adopt, adapt and implement effective models and pedagogic approaches.
Broaden Participation of Under-represented Groups, Example Activities:








Partner with members of under-represented groups at the researcher’s home institution in
research, education and outreach activities.
Partner with members of under-represented groups from other institutions — for example,
those serving minority groups or women.
Make campus visits and presentations at colleges and universities that serve underrepresented
groups.
Establish collaborations with underserved groups, institutions and geographic regions in
order to encourage new entrants into student and proposal applicant pools.
Establish research and education partnerships with faculty and students at undergraduate
institutions or institutions in designated EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research) states.
Develop partnerships with community colleges.
Mentor early-career scientists who are submitting NSF proposals for the first time.
Document the impact of proposed research in terms of relevance to under-represented
groups.
DRAFT April 2001
2


Participate in developing and implementing strategies that involve new approaches, such as
use of information technology and connectivity, to engage underserved individuals, groups,
and communities in science and engineering.
Participate in conferences, workshops and field activities where diversity is a priority.
Enhance Infrastructure for Research and Education, Example Activities:




Stimulate and support the development and dissemination of next-generation
instrumentation, multi-user facilities, and other shared research and education platforms.
Upgrade the computation and computing environments, including advanced computing
resources.
Develop/upgrade new types of professional tools, such as software, large databases, networks
and associated systems, and digital libraries.
Identify and establish collaborations between disciplines and institutions, among the U.S.
academe, industry and government, and with international partners.
Broad Dissemination to Enhance Scientific and Technological Understanding, Example
Activities:






Publish in the peer-reviewed scientific literature in a timely manner.
Make available data in a timely manner by means of databases, or other venues as CDROMS and provide data and other information for digital libraries.
Publish in diverse media (e.g. technical and non-literature, websites, CD-ROMS, presskits) to
reach broad audiences.
Identify venues for presenting research results in easy-to-use formats that are informative to
members of Congress, policy-makers, and broader audiences.
Participate in multi- and interdisciplinary conferences, workshops, and research activities.
Integrate research with education activities in order to communicate in a broader context and
cite examples of activities.
Benefits to Society, Example Activities:





Demonstrate the linkage between discovery and societal benefit by providing specific
examples and explanations regarding the potential application of research results.
Partner with other academic scientists or staff at federal agencies or laboratories to integrate
research into broader programs and activities of national interest.
Partner with the private sector (e.g., consulting firms) on both technological and scientific
projects to develop products that will benefit society.
Analyze, interpret, and synthesize research results in formats understandable and useful for
non-scientists.
Provide information for policy formulation by Federal, State or local agencies.
DRAFT April 2001
3