“After years of extensive research, I have conclusively concluded that I need more grants.”

NSF Support for nurturingACADEMIC INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Parag R ChitnisDirector

Division of Molecular and Cellular BiosciencesNational Science Foundation, USA

NSF Support for Nurturing Academic Innovation Ecosystem


Why?

“After years of extensive research, I have conclusively concluded that I need more grants.”


Why?

Interest in Education


Why?

Opportunities for entrepreneurship


Outline Innovation Ecosystem NSF Selected Programs Preparing NSF proposals

Cal State FullertonMarch 22, 2013


US is #10 in global innovation index!

http://www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/index.html


Innovation Ecosystem

The people, institutions, knowledge, policies, and resources that promote the translation of new ideas into products, processes and services• Disruptive innovations

• E.g. cellular phone• Sustaining innovations

• iPhone to iPhone 5


Innovation Ecosystem: Ideas to Products

People

Resources

Knowledge

Policies

Ideas Products/MarketsInstitutions


Innovation Pipeline at Universities

NSF has programs to support all these stages Need for integration across the scale

e.g. Molecules to Marketplace

Foundational Research

• Interdisciplinary• Transformative

Applied Research

• Use-inspired• Customer focused

Enterpreunership

• Training• Practice

Economic Development

• Small Business Incubator

• Technology Transfer





National Science Foundation

White HouseOSTP

NSF NASA Defense

DARPA, ONR, etc.

Health and Human Services

NIH, CDC, etc.

Energy

Office of Science, ARPA-E

Commerce

NIST, NOAA, etc

Agriculture

NIFA, ARS

An Independent Agency established in 1950 To promote scientific progress in the US by sponsoring scientific

research and education in basic sciences and engineering Current budget $7B Does not conduct research itself.



Outline Innovation Ecosystem NSF Selected Programs for

supporting innovation pipeline

Preparing NSF proposals



Innovation Pipeline at Universities

Foundational Research Applied Research Entrepreneurship Economic

Development

• Core Programs• Special Solicitations

• RUI• CAREER

• Innovation Corps

• SBIR• STTR• GOALI• IUCRC

• Educational Grants• REU and RET sites• Instrumentation

• Graduate training grants

• ROA



Applied Research

Enterpreunership Economic Development

Foundational & Use-inspired Research

Core Programs• Program announcements and solicitations

CAREER awards• CAREER solicitation with deadlines in late July

EAGERs and RAPIDs• Contact a program director before submitting

RUI proposals• Primarily undergraduate institutions



Applied Research


Entrepreneurship I-Corps Teams

• Teams of academic researchers, student entrepreneurs and business mentors--participate in the I Corps curriculum administered via online instruction and on-site activities

I-Corps Nodes• Administer I-Corps curriculum

I-Corps Sites• catalyze additional groups to explore potential I-Corps Team

projects and other entrepreneurial opportunities that build on basic research.



Applied Research


Opportunities for industry partnerships

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)• Proposals from the small business sector

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)• University researchers join forces with small

businesses to spin-off their promising ideas. Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with

Industry (GOALI)• For University-industry linkages





How to change odds in your favor?

By knowing the game well



Applied Research


The Game Plan Proposal Review

• Administrative review• Scientific review• Funding Decisions

Preparing winning NSF proposals• Strengths of highly

competitive proposals• Weaknesses observed in

declined proposals Concluding thoughts


Scientific Review

Research & Education Communities

Proposal Preparation and Submission

Organization submits

via:

FastLane

Or Grants.gov

NSFProgramDirector

ProgramDirectorAnalysis

& Recom.

DivisionDirectorConcur

ViaDGA

Organization

Minimum of 3

ReviewsRequired

DGA Review & Processing of Award

Proposal Review and Decisions

NSF Proposal

GeneratingDocument

Returned As Inappropriate/Withdrawn

Mail

Panel

Both

Award

NSF Proposal & Award Process & Timeline

Decline

90 Days 6 Months 30Days

Proposal Receiptat NSF DD Concur Award

Proposal Processing

Unit

NSF Administrative

Review


Two Merit Review Criteria What is the intellectual merit of the proposed

activity? • encompasses the potential to advance knowledge

What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?• encompasses the potential to benefit society and

contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.


Five Review Elements What is the potential for the proposed activity to:

a. Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and b. Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?

To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?

Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?

How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?

Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?


Intellectual Merit vs. Broader Impacts

• Evaluated using the same criteria (review elements) but not equally weighted

• Science comes first!• Relative weighting is very program-dependent


Scientific Review Mail Reviews

• Identifying reviewers:• Reviewer suggestions by the PI• References listed in proposal

Panel Reviews• At least two panelists provide written reviews• All are expected to contribute to the discussion of the

proposal and its panel rating


Basis for decisions Peer Review

• Content of the review is more important than the rating.• Program Director analyzes reviews.

• Fairness• Substance in the reviews• Technical problems raised in the reviews

– major vs. minor• Reasons for the reviewer concerns or enthusiasm• Impact of information not available to the reviewer (e.g. updates)

• Program Director sometimes obtains additional reviews or comments from the PI

Portfolio Balance


Ensuring a Balanced Portfolio Innovation and Creativity

• Potentially transformative projects Breadth of research areas Priority areas and systems Demographics and Diversity Broadening participation Institutional impact- PUI, EPSCOR, etc. CAREER

• Integration of research & education International collaborations


Strengths of Competitive Proposals

1. Idea: There is no substitute! • Have a cutting edge idea

2. Written for the right audience3. Written well


1. Based on a brilliant idea: research and education

Basic Questions1. What do you intend to do?2. Why is the work important?3. What has already been done?4. How are you going to do the work?

Make sure it is innovative and exciting• Survey the literature• Talk with others in the field

Can you convince people that you can do the project?• Obtain preliminary data• Develop arguments to support feasibility• Determine available facilities and resources


2. Submitted to the right program What to look for:

• Goal of program or solicitation• Eligibility• Special requirements• Deadlines

Where:• www.nsf.gov• Program Directors (phone, email)

NSF does not normally support research on human health and diseases

Read the program

description or solicitation carefully.

MyNSF http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/


3. Written well

Where to find information?• Grant Proposal Guide and CAREER Solicitation

• GPG is revised each October• Get it (www.nsf.gov)• Read it• Follow it

What is the aim? Parts of a Proposal Tips for writing an effective proposal


What is the aim? Getting funded Convince reviewers that your proposal is THE

one to support.


What is the aim? Comment you want to hear….

“The proposed activity is going to be transformational.”

“The broader impacts are exceptional.” “I wish I could be as productive and as creative as this PI”

“If you can fund only one proposal in this area, this is it!”

“Wow!”


What is your aim? Comments you do not want to see….

“Reading this proposal was a sheer torture.”

“This was a ludicrous proposal from a clueless PI.”

“This one put me to sleep every night!”

“My freshman students know better.” “This PI wants to mow an old lawn, without a problem, originality, or track record of winning races.”

”No way!”


Grantsmanship makes a difference Know your audience.

• The reviewer may not be an expert in your specific field.

Think about the reviewers. • Make the reviewer’s job easy.• Write accurately, concisely, logically, and clearly.


Tips for Writing Winning

Proposals


1. Get help with proposal writing

Read:• NSF publications• Successful proposals

Look before you leap:• Serve as a reviewer (ad hoc or on a panel)• Read successful proposals

Talk with people:• Program Directors- general advice• Former “rotators”


2. Start early and don’t be shy

Write• Rewrite

• rewrite again

Get critiques from:• Mentors• Previous members of

review panels


3. Be reasonable

Be aware of the scope: • “Too ambitious” vs. “Too narrow”

Be honest and up-front: • Address issues instead of trying to hide them• Acknowledge possible experimental problems and

have alternatives


4. Make it easy for the reviewers Make the best first impression.

• You never get a second chance to make a first impression. • Project Summary and the first page of Project Description are

critical. Simplify and streamline:

• Make sure you get your overall idea across!• Prepare clear photos, graphs, etc.

Pay attention to details:• Spill check and proof-read• Make the font size as big as you can


5. Broader Impacts should be as rigorous as the research plans

Innovative and creative Integration with research Thoughtful plans

• ‘Will teach a course’ is not enough.• Be careful about “will make it available on the web”• K-12 educational plans- who will use them?

Evaluation /Assessment• Critical component• Find a collaborator


6. If a proposal is declined

Stay calm!• Take ten… breaths, hours, days• Examine the criticisms carefully

Keep in touch: • E-mail, call, or visit your program director

Rapid resubmission does not help!• Take time to self-evaluate the proposal and the

project


How to get your proposal declined?

Problems with the Research Plan Weak Broader Impacts General Grantsmanship Problems


Ways to get your proposals declined

Poor Presentation • Less than rigorous• Unrealistic, sloppy or incomplete• Unclear • Incomplete expression of aims

Chair’s letter generic for CAREER proposals RUI plans not strategically written Unrealistic budget


What we covered so far

Review and funding decisions

Preparing proposals• Proposal writing tips

Concluding thoughts


Some insights What determines funding chances?

• Reviews• Panel discussion• NSF and Program Priorities• Program Portfolio

Contact your program director• Cultures, practices, and funding

priorities vary across NSF Solid science alone is not enough.

• Exciting, cutting edge science• Innovative Broader Impacts• Program priorities

Some luck and some planning.


Commandments for Writing Competitive NSF Proposals

“Thou shalt propose a brilliant idea.” “Thou shalt read Grant Proposal Guide and CAREER

Solicitation.” “Thou shalt strategize, network, and work from thy

strengths.” “Thou shalt address both review criteria!” “Thou shalt seek help with proposal writing.” “Thou shalt integrate education and research

activities.” “Thou shalt write for the right audience.” “Thou shalt not irritate the reviewers.” "Thou shalt not kill (with some exceptions).“ "Thou shalt not steal."


NSF on the web- An indispensable resource

www.nsf.gov

Documents

“After years of extensive research, I have conclusively concluded that I need more grants.”