April, 2007 presentation in the Rice University NSF Advance Conference entitled "Career Success Workshop for Faculty Women in Engineering and Natural Science". Judy M. Vance from the Engineering Design Program at the National Science Foundation gave this presentation on research proposals and grant applications.
Workshop Author: Judy M. Vance, Engineering Design Program at the National Science Foundation and Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University
Slide 1: steps to success
Understand the Organization
Contact the Program Director
Participate on a Review Panel
Follow the Solicitation Guidelines
Slide 2: nsf strategic outcome goals
Discovery - research
Advance frontiers of knowledge
Learning - education
Cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and
engineering workforce
Expand the scientific literacy of all citizens
Research Infrastructure - facilities
Build the nation’s research capability through investments in
advanced instrumentation
Stewardship - accountability
Support excellence in science and engineering research and
education through a capable and responsive organization
Slide 3: nsf budget 2001-2007
(dollars in millions)
Slide 4: nsf organization
Nsf organization
Slide 5: nsf directorates
BIO - Biological Sciences
CISE - Computing and Information Science and Engineering
ENG - Engineering
GEO - Geosciences
MPS - Mathematics and Physical Sciences
EHR - Education and Human Resources
Slide 6: nsf offices
OPP - Office of Polar Programs
OIA - Office of Integrative Activities
OISE - Office of International Science and Engineering
OCI - Office of Cyberinfrastructure
Slide 7: directorate for engineering
Directorate for engineering
FY 2007 budget is $628 Million (13% of NSF budget)
Slide 8: civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation
Civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation
Slide 9: civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation
Personnel
Slide 10: role of the program director
Assess proposals
Identify reviewers
Conduct reviews
Make recommendations for funding
Identify new research areas
Develop Solicitations
Slide 11:
eng research and education themes fy 2007 – fy 2008
Slide 12: what kind of funding is available?
Research projects
Typically 3 years, $100K per year
Workshops
To promote discussion about leading edge research opportunities
Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER)
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
Slide 13: engineering design program
Uncertainty
Topology optimization
Product Families
Negotiation for collaborative design
Life cycle / design for obsolescence
Kinematics and mechanisms
Human input to design
Geometric modeling
Design of experiments
Decision based design
Cyber infrastructure
Consumer preferences
Complex system / enterprise considerations / customer desires
Advanced manufacturing
Slide 14: engineering design program
Scan-and-Solve: Direct Analysis of Acquired Models
V. Shapiro, I. Tsukanov: Univ of Wisc
Computational Steering for Trade Space Exploration During Complex Systems Design
D. Spencer, T. Simpson, M. Yukish: Penn State
Innovations in Product Flexibility
K. Wood, C. Seepersad: Univ of Texas at Austin
M. Wortman: TAMU
A Biomimetic Approach to the Design of Shape-Controlled Systems
K. Maute: Univ of Colorado
Augmented Lagrangian Coordination for Decomposed Design Problems
V. Blouin, G. Fadel, M. Wiecek: Clemson Univ
Slide 15: proposal
Cover Page
Project Summary – 1 page
Project Description – 15 pages
References
Biosketch – 2 pages
Budget
Current and Pending Work
Facilities and Equipment
Slide 16: merit criteria
Intellectual Merit
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding?
How well qualified is the investigator?
To what extent is the proposed activity creative?
How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
Is there sufficient access to the necessary resources?
Broader Impacts
How well does the activity advance discovery while promoting teaching, training and learning?
How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups?
To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education?
Will the results be disseminated broadly?
What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
Slide 17: peer review process
Program director identifies reviewers
Reviewers perform 6-9 proposal reviews
Panelists come to NSF for 1-2 days to discuss and rank proposals
Program director recommends proposals for funding
Recommendation goes through the approval process
PIs are notified
Slide 18: how do i write a winning proposal?
Follow the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)
Follow the solicitation guidelines
Have a clear research objective
Have a strong research plan
Resources should match the plan of work
Avoid jargon
Make every word mean something
Pay attention to broader impacts
Align with NSF goals/initiatives
Slide 19: transformative research
Research driven by ideas that have the potential to radically change our understanding of an important existing scientific or engineering concept or leading to the creation of a new paradigm or field of science or engineering. Such research also is characterized by its challenge to current understanding or its pathway to new frontiers. ---NSB Report, March 2007
Slide 20: how do i find out about new solicitations?
