1. 2017 NSF DMR Young Investigator Workshop June 8-9, 2017
Funding Mechanisms
2017 NSF DMR Young Investigator Workshop
June 8-9, 2017 1

2. NSF The NSF Mission is The NSF strategic goals are related to:
To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense (NSF Act of 1950)
The NSF strategic goals are related to:
Discovery – advance frontiers of knowledge
Learning – cultivate an inclusive S&E workforce
Research infrastructure – investment in advanced instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, tools, etc.
Stewardship – support excellence in S&E research and education
NSF funds fundamental research and education in most areas of science, mathematics and engineering 2

3. NSF We look for research proposals that
Are innovative and push the frontiers of knowledge
Contribute to national needs and priorities
Go beyond marginalia
Integrate well with educational goals
Involve research
We do not support (except as incidental to the research goals of the research)
Developmental efforts
Computer programming
Design of…
Commercialization 2

4. Types of Proposals IIA and supplements Exploratory Research
EAGER, RAPID
Initiatives (Solicitations)
CAREER, SUSCHEM, DMREF
Equipment
MRI’s
Centers and Institutes
MRSEC, STC, PREM
Facilities
NHMFL, CHESS, NIST, ...

5. Individual Investigator Programs
and
Supplements

6. Individual Investigator Programs
Funding for individual research projects
DMR invests heavily in these activities
~$150M/yr (half the DMR funding)
Funding administered by programs
Discipline Specific Programs
Condensed Matter Physics, Condensed Matter and Materials Theory, Solid State and Materials Chemistry
Materials Specific Programs
Electronic and Photonic Materials, Metals and Metalic Nanostructures, Ceramics, Polymers and Biomaterials

7. Individual Investigator Programs
Single investigator awards are the norm
>95% of awards are single PI
Funding level $80-200K/yr
Check with individual programs for values
Typical Budget
1 month Summer Salary (2 for PUI’s)
1-2 grad students (depending on tuition)
Travel to meetings
Equipment ($10-20K typical, ~$100K max)
M&S (gases, samples, LHe and LN2, …)
Tuition
Indirect costs (~50-60%)
Funding rate ~15-25% (depending on program)

8. Individual Investigator Programs
Programs also support small (2-3 PI’s) group projects
Faculty can be at same/different institutions
Subcontracts or collaborative grants
Funding level depends on project
Typically less per PI than single investigator awards
Funding rate ~5-10%
Program must demonstrate synergy.
Packing more science into same 15 pages
1/2 to 1/4 of space per PI
Need to justify why collaboration is a benefit
Many good single-PI efforts fail as collaborative proposals

9. Supplements Once you have funding you can apply for supplements
Standard supplement – provides help in dealing with unexpected occurrences
Broken equipment, hike in LHe costs, …
Not for expanding scope of project.
Typically no more than 20% of award
REU Supplement
Support for UG’s participating in research
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
AGEP Supplement
Research Opportunity Awards (ROA’s)
focused activities (i.e. research in UG inst.)
Unexpected doesn’t mean “I didn’t expect to run out of money so fast” or “I didn’t expect samples to cost so much”.

10. Other Methods

11. Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)
RAPID is for proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters, or similar unanticipated events.
Budget consistent with project scope and existing programmatic activities (up to $200K)
Require internal review with optional external input
Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID): Rapid release of funds and expedited merit review
Replace part of SGER: having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events - Deepwater horizon
Budget consistent with project scope and existing programmatic activities (up to $200K)
Require internal review with optional external input

12. EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
Exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches.
Work may be considered “high-risk, high payoff” in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise or engages in novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives
Budget consistent with project scope and existing programmatic activities (up to $300K for 2 years)
Program Officer approval needed
Requires internal review with optional external input
EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER): Exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. 
Replace part of SGER - “High Risk-High Payoff“: Radically different approaches, new expertise, or novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives
Budget consistent with project scope and existing programmatic activities (up to $300K for 2 years)
Program Officer approval needed:
PI needs to convince appropriateness for EAGER submission Vs “regular” NSF proposals
Requires internal review with optional external input

13. EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
The EAGER mechanism should not be used for projects that are appropriate for submission as “regular” (i.e., non-EAGER) NSF proposals.
PI needs to convince appropriateness for EAGER submission vs “regular” NSF proposals
Important Note
You can simply submit an EAGER
You shouldn’t do this
Contact the program officer first
It will save them and you a lot of time

14. Initiatives

15. Initiatives Foundation wide priorities
Faculty Early Carrer Development Program (CAREER/PECASE)
Sustainable Chemistry, Engineering and Materials (SusChEM)
Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer the Future (DMREF)
Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)

16. CAREER Program
“A Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.”

17. CAREER Award
Funds the academic career development of new faculty (it is not a research award)
Is based on a development plan –”well argued specific proposal for activities that will build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education”
Duration: 5 years
CMP $400,000-$720,000 Average ~$610K
Deadline: July each year

18. Equipment Equipment up to $100K can be requested on IIA proposals
Typically $10-30K
Larger equipment can be requested through the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program.
Equipment in the range $100K-$4M
Two types of grants
Acquisition (multi-user instrumentation)
Development
More on this in the afternoon

19. Center and Institutes
Large (~$3-5M) multi-investigator interdisciplinary grants
Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
Partnership for Research and Education in Materials
Science and Technology Centers
More on these in the afternoon
For new faculty
Source of Seed funding
Extensive facilities

20. Facilities NSF supports several user facilities
National High Magnetic Field Lab
Cornell High Energy Synchrotron
Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering at NIST
ChemMat CARS at the Advanced Photon Source
Access to advanced characterization facilities
Open to all
Simple proposal process
More on this in the afternoon.

21. Questions?

22. Initiatives Foundation wide priorities
Faculty Early Carrer Development Program (CAREER/PECASE)
Sustainable Chemistry, Engineering and Materials (SusChEM)
Provides partial funding for IIA proposals that address sustainability.
Proposals are evaluated in IIA programs
Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer the Future (DMREF)
Supports collaborative proposals addressing the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI).