Download Support for research in environmental biology by NSF

Support for research in environmental
biology by NSF, and other sabbatical
musings…
Henry Gholz
Program Director
BIO/Division of Environmental Biology
(LTER, NCEAS, Ecosystem Studies)
[email protected], www.nsf.gov
INSTAAR
CU Boulder
Feb. 1, 2010
TOPICS
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NSF in the context of Federal R&D support
NSF as an agency
Proposals and panels
Looking ahead: The expanding scope of science
(examples)
New and developing initiatives
How to think, prepare and respond
Some nitty gritty
Discussion, Q/A
NSF is an independent
government agency, with 1700
total employees (ca 1/3
“rotators”) and a $7B annual
budget
President
Office of
Management
and Budget
Science Advisor
Other boards,
councils, etc.
OSTP
Science Advisor
Major Departments
Agriculture
Health and
Human Services
Interior
Transportation
Defense
Energy
Commerce
Independent Agencies
NASA
EPA
Smithsonian
Institution
Nuclear
Regulatory
Commission
NIST, etc.
NSF, NASA, NIST, OSTP Appropriations sub-Committees – House: Science, State, Justice
and Commerce; Senate: Commerce, Justice and Science [HR3288]
NSF is…
- unique among Federal agencies in supporting research not
necessarily tied to resolving specific societal issues or
restricted to falling within the purview of agency-specific
missions.
- the primary sponsor of competitively awarded “basic
research” in the U.S.*
* FY10 budget is 6.7% > FY09 base, second year of authorized doubling
* FY 11 Budget rollout today; August 09 WH memo omits any mention of
“basic research” and emphasizes linking research to “practical challenges”
NSF is small, in terms of R&D budgets across Federal agencies
** NSF funds no in-house research
However, NSF…
- supplies most of the Federal support for basic
research in "non-medical and non-defence biological
sciences" at U.S. academic institutions (same for
"environmental biology")
NSF
65%
Other
federal
spending
35%
Typical NSF Funding Profile
($6.9B in FY 10)
Research Projects
58% (grants)
Administration
& Management
5%
Education
& Training
18%
MRE/FC - 19%
(ships, accelerators, telescopes,
NEON, OOI)
National Science Board
National Science Foundation
Arden Bement, Director
Research Directorates
Offices
• Integrative Activities (STCs)
• Polar Programs (ARC/ANT)
• International Science and
Engineering
• CyberInfrastructure
• Biological Sciences
• Computer & Info. Science & Eng.
• Education & Human Resources
• Engineering
• Geosciences
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences
• Social, Behaviorial & Econ. Sciences
*** All now have some role in supporting “environment/global
change research”
Annual NSF-level proposal statistics
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44,000
200,000
50,000
10,400
21%
• 2.9
Proposals processed
Reviews
Reviewers (incl. panelists)
Awards
Average funding rate (30% in
’99; incl. all actions; see example)
Average duration (yr; LTER are
longest grants at 6 yrs)
Typical Core Panel Math
(e.g., Ecosystem Studies Program)
• 135 projects/panel x 2 panels/yr
[We ask 1620 people for 810 reviews
each year, or 3/proposal]
• Average request = $650,000/3 yrs (wide range)
• Panel recommendation = “fund 25%”
• Funding available = $7 M/panel
• Fraction funded = ca 10% (by $ or #)
additional considerations enable a greater rate: buy-ins (cofunding
from other core or special programs, EPSCoR, etc.); year-end $;
mortgage manipulations = 15% perhaps?
FY 09 – ARRA (“Stimulus $”)
• 50% one-time increase in budget for NSF ($3B) and most core
programs (e.g., Ecosystem Studies +15 projects = 30% rate)
• Enabled $6M/5 yr grant to LTER Network Office (NIS)
• Provided funds for NEON airborne platform
• Supported MRI, minority fellowships
• Supported 3 new CZOs
• Used only for proposals considered by FY09 panels (except for MRI
and fellowships)
• Non-recurring
• No more left (legacy effect?)
• Didn’t make up for all the cuts elsewhere in research support
• Contributed to 30% increase in first term FY 10 proposals submitted
and extra panels (a one-time event?)
The expanding scope of “ecological
science”
• Integrating ecology and social sciences
– LTER ISSE
– ULTRA-Ex (Urban)
– New “Climate Change” initiatives
• Synthesis: NCEAS and new ESC AO
• How to think, prepare and respond
LTER at 30
• Since 1980
• 26 sites
• 5 core research areas
• Network Office
• NSF, external partners
• 6 NEON core sites
• ILTER
• $30M budget in FY10
www.lternet.edu
“ISSE” (LTER
2007), product of
decadal strategic
planning process:
• Integrating social and
ecological sciences
• Integrating education
and research
• Multi-site science
• Synthesis
Integrative Science for Society and the Environment
External drivers
Human
Cognition,
Behavior,
and
Institutions
Q5
Biotic structure
Q6
Long-term press
Short-term pulse
Q1
Q2
Ecosystem
functioning
Human
Outcomes
[LTER historic]
Q4
Ecosystem services
Q3
ISSE: LTER 2007
Integrative Science for Society and the Environment
External drivers
Human
Cognition,
Behavior,
and
Institutions
Q5
Biotic structure
Q6
Long-term press
Short-term pulse
Q1
Q2
Ecosystem
functioning
Human
Outcomes
[LTER current]
Q4
Ecosystem services
Q3
ISSE: LTER 2007
Integrative Science for Society and the Environment
External drivers
Human
Cognition,
Behavior,
and
Institutions
Q5
Biotic structure
Q6
Long-term press
Short-term pulse
Q1
Q2
Ecosystem
functioning
Human
Outcomes
[LTER future?]
Q4
Ecosystem services
Q3
ISSE: LTER 2007
e.g., Opportunities to synthesize the effects of
relative sea level rise on coastal zones across sites
2.6 mm y-1
PIE
3.9 mm y-1
VCR
2.9 mm y-1
GCE
2.2 mm y-1
FCE
M. Alber, Ecotrends
Lagoons at VCR are similar to the
Venice lagoon, with identical
distributions of barrier islands, tidal
flats, and salt marshes, but 2000
yrs of human history
(K. McGlathery, VCR)
50 km
Eastern Shore, Virginia
Venice lagoon, Italy
Also provides opportunities for
data & model intercomparisons
and expanded assessment of
human impacts through
international collaborations
[also GLEON]
50 km
Expanding urban focus: Urban Long-Term Research
Areas – Exploratory Awards (ULTRA-Ex, FY09-10)
GOAL: To develop and test theory and conduct fundamental
research on human-natural interactions in an urban
context, and to generate excitement and raise general
levels of awareness, interest and experience across U.S.
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Not pre-proposals
Not ULTRA
No connection to any eventual ULTRA
But conceived as precursor to an ULTRA competition for
4-6 new urban LTERs in FY11/12
• 73 proposals submitted
• 18 awards, $300,000/2 yrs (split USFS, NSF/BIO-SBE)
A vision for LTER at 40?
LTER80-04
[Site-based]
Decadal
Strategic Plan
(04-07)
ISSE
Multi-site
(07)
(08-09)
• 4 prospecti09*
• NISARRA 09
Agency
response11+
LTER20+?
ULTRA-Ex
*4 prospecti for synthesis and integration:
• Coastal Zone and Climate Change
• The Disappearing Cryosphere
• Future Scenarios
• Inland Climate Change
[ISSE:
Multi-site,
integrated,
expanded]
Synthesis – support by NSF
• National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
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(NCEAS, UCSB)
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent,
Duke)
Center for Plant CyberInfrastructure (“iPlant”, U AZ)
NIMBioS - Math-Bio Synthesis Center (U TN)
Individual Awards (OPUS, DEB only)
• Other NSF centers (SBE? GEO?)
• Other agencies (USGS Powell Center)
New AO (2011):
Environmental
Knowledge
“Environmental
Synthesis Center” expanding the scope
of NCEAS?
Realm of NCEAS
(thru 2011)
Engineering
Ecology
Data
Geological
Sciences
Social
Sciences
Models
Computational
Sciences
Theory
after Carpenter et al. (2009)
Should NSF support “boundary activities”? If so, how? Or is this
“Mission Drift”?
Decision support for
management,
policy?
[some in SBE, but still
“research” and not
integrated across NSF]
Stakeholder
feedback
Environmental
knowledge
Synthesis
Stakeholder
Input?
[NSF mission now]
Research
New “Climate Change” Initiatives
• Water, Sustainability and Climate (WSC) - AO just released
(annual, 5 yrs)
• Ocean Acidification - AO just released
• Biodiversity - ?
• Macroecology at Regional to Continental Scales (MERCS) - ?
• Modeling - ? (MSM [DCL] “will be folded into a new multi-scale modeling
effort focusing on climate issues. We anticipate the related solicitation
will be available on the NSF website in early 2010.”)
A shifting and complex context for
“ecological” research…
• LTER/ISSE (plus CNH, etc.) - integrating disciplines
• Environmental observatories - a new paradigm
• Synthesis centers and informatics
• Changes in core programs - depend on proposals
• New initiatives - larger scale, increasing complexity
• Many players, agencies
• Applying results of science - leave to other agencies?
Assembling the pieces…
LTER80-04
Strategic Plan
(04-07)
ISSE
Synthesis
(07)
(08-09)
• 4 prospecti09
• NISARRA 09
ULTRA-EX09
(USFS)
Agency
response11
LTER20-?
ULTRA11?
NEON10
OOI10
AON09
MERCS10?
NCEAS95-11
ESC11
NESCent
iPlant
NIMBS
Ecosystems70-,
CNH08-, other core
programs
BIOD10?
DCLs09
Synthesis
(and
application?)
Climate
change10
Powell Ctr (USGS)
other agencies? USGCRP
other NSF centers &
programs (soc, inf)?
How to think, prepare and respond
(institutionally)
Actively seek opportunities
Teach more “synthetic thinking”
Define “interdisciplinary”
Optimize individuals vs teams
Group PhDs?
More data-based degrees
Adapting reward structures
Be proactive; things to watch for at NSF (PIs, students)
• Use website, including award search engine, and explore
• Program announcements change:
– CNH became a core program; HSD ended
– MO/MIP disappeared, so where did microbe $ go?
• DCLs appear (or disappear):
– MSM
– ETBC , Life in Transition (LiT), MSB, ESE, etc. – same fate?
• Special/new competitions:
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Ultra-Ex (and LTAP/USDA)
Environmental Synthesis Center
Climate change
Biodiversity?
• Special reports (e.g., AC-ERE “greenbook”, GEO-AC)
• Important new reviews, workshop reports, or society
position papers (e.g., Carpenter 2009)
The nitty gritty: tips for a better NSF proposal
 Lead with ideas (not location, ecosystem, species, tools, policy
context, methods, or end application)
 Generate excitement
 NOTE SWITCH FROM TARGET DATES TO DEADLINES (DEB)
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Address AO, but don’t limit yourself by it (co-reviews are common)
Know and express the context of your work (literature, other grants)
Respond explicitly, but concisely, to previous reviews
Emphasize readability and completeness; but avoid verbiage
Browse new PAPPG; use it
Address both review criteria
Follow formatting requirements carefully (font, margins, cpi)
Compliance check before submitting
Suggest reviewers
Include all conflicts of interest in CV; keep updated
Be available by email to fix compliance problems (test your spam filters)
Talk to your program officer
And remember: NSF Needs You!
• 44,000 proposals
• 10,000 awards
• 200,000 reviews
• 50,000 reviewers
Fun!
High impact!
Rewarding!
Well paying!
Great city!
www.nsf.gov
Thank
you
Questions?
Discussion?
Thank you!
Questions?
Discussion?
Questions for universities?
• How can “synthetic thinking” be best taught?
• Are reward structures adequate and appropriate?
• credit for group, interdisciplinary projects
• credit for facilitating advances (e.g., LTER PIs)
• Can a PhD be a group project/degree?
• Conversely, is disciplinarity being diluted or subverted by “big science”
• How do you strike a balance between individual efforts and more complex
project structures, or is balance needed?
• How can you avoid the “NIH effect”?
• How can you be more involved in the funding process?
Reminder: Criterion 1:
Intellectual Merit
• Potential to advance knowledge and
understanding within and across fields
• Qualifications of investigators
• Creativity and originality
• Conceptualization and organization
• Access to resources
Reminder: Criterion 2:
Broader Impacts
• Advance science, while promoting teaching, training and
learning
• Target under-represented groups
• Enhance infrastructure for R & E
• Disseminate results to enhance public understanding
• Provide other benefits to society (e.g., in management,
policy)
• No formula or template
proposals that do NOT address Broader Impacts in the
Project Summary are RWR
LTER at 40?
LTER is central to an international environmental science and education network,
with results informing critical societal decision making
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Led by today’s graduate students
Still focused on the 5 common core research areas
LTER NIS integral to the data system
socio-ecological science is the norm (with SBE)
Geosciences and engineering are full partners
major urban focus (via ULTRA competition with USFS; other agencies)
geographic holes filled (N. Rockies, S. Central, Gulf coast)
agricultural/energy focus expanded (with USDA, DOE)
functionally linked with NEON, AON, OOI
International component to every project in context of ILTER
predictive modeling is a central tool, validated with increasing long-term data
first set of integrated synthesis projects completed; second generation themes
underway
<“DO NOT QUOTE”, “NOT ENDORSED BY NSF”, etc. etc.>
BIO: 5 Divisions with Clusters & Programs
Emerging Frontiers: NEON; CNH; Ecology of Infectious Diseases; RCN; AToL; Life in Transition;
Biodiversity Initiative; Multi-Scale Modeling; ETBC; Advancing Theory in Biology
Biological
Infrastructure
Environmental
Biology
Research Resources
FS/ML, ABI
Systematic Biol. &
Biodiversity
Inventory
Human
Resources/Training
Evolutionary
Processes
Plant Genome
BIO Centers (coming)
Population and
Community Ecology
Ecosystem Science,
(Ecos. Studies, LTER)
Integrative
Organismal
Systems
Molecular and
Cellular
Biosciences
Neural Systems
Biomolecular
Systems
Developmental
Systems
Cellular
Systems
Behavioral
Systems
Genes and
Genome
Systems
Physiological
and Structural
Systems
Note:
microbes
spread around
Alternate proposal paths at NSF
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Submitted to a core program, reviewed by that program: ad hoc, panel, program
officer – or some combination of these review approaches
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Submitted to a core program, transferred with agreement to another program – see
above [or RWR as “unresponsive to the solicitation]
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Submitted to a core program, co-reviewed with agreement by another program
(ranges from ad hoc suggestions, to formal full panel co-review)
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Submitted to two programs: governed by the identified lead program
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Submitted to a special competition with multiple programs and/or directorates
with formal inter-program review (e.g., ETBC, IGERT, IPY)
* Talk with Program Director, if confused…
Examples of education and early career
programs
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) - supplements for
undergrads (note ESA/SEEDS involvement)
• Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants (DDIG)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in BioInformatics
• CAREER - Res & Educ integration; $500,000 for 5 years in BIO;
pre-tenure PIs
• Research Opportunity Award (ROA) – supplements for faculty from
undergrad institutions
• Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) – supplements for high
school teachers
• IGERT – PhD Fellowships