NSF
REQUEST FOR INPUT: Shaping NSF’s TIP Directorate
Dear Social Science Community, The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking public input into the development of a roadmap for the newly created Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). The roadmap will guide the TIP Directorate’s activities and directions for the next three years, and COSSA needs your input to help ensure that insights from social and behavioral science research are included—if not prioritized—in efforts to shape the future of U.S. technology development and deployment. COSSA will be submitting comments to NSF on behalf of the research community before the deadline. We want to hear from you. Comments and…
CNSF/CEF to Host Virtual Briefing on Investing in the Development of STEM Talent
The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) and the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) are co-hosting a virtual briefing titled “The National Imperative to Develop STEM Talent: Why the Investment in Education Matters.” The briefing will feature an expert panel focused on how the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation can support the STEM pipeline. Panelists include Dr. André M. Green, Chair of the Department of Leadership and Teacher Education at the University of South Alabama, and Mr. Billy Mawhiney, Executive Director of the South Dakota Afterschool Network. The virtual briefing will take place on June 21 at 1:00 pm ET. Participants can…
NSF Releases Dear Colleague Letter Opportunity for High School Students
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter focused on High School Student Research Assistantships in the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences. The opportunity invites SBE scientists, with existing NSF awards, to apply for additional funding to provide high school students with research experience in the field. NSF awardees may apply to support two students and are encouraged to support underrepresented groups and locations that may have less access to SBE research opportunities. A list of eligible NSF programs can be found here.
NSF Requests Information on Roadmap for new TIP Directorate
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a request for information (RFI) on developing a roadmap for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). NSF is seeking input to inform the TIP Directorate’s three-year roadmap, and is requesting comments on the following focus areas: artificial intelligence; computer hardware and software; quantum science and technology; robotics and advanced manufacturing; advanced communication technologies; biotechnology; data storage and cybersecurity; energy and industrial technologies; and advanced materials science. NSF is also requesting comments on the societal, national, and geostrategic challenges to be addressed through TIP-supported research, including United States national security and workforce…
NSF Seeks Input on New Research Security Effort, Webinars Scheduled
The Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeking input from the research community on the creation of a new Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization (RSI-ISAO). As previously reported, the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022 called for the establishment of a new research security and integrity entity to “safeguard the security and integrity of the U.S. research enterprise while simultaneously promoting the furtherance of human knowledge.” The new entity will be tasked with developing and sharing resources that…
NSF Accepting Proposals for New Language Science Research Initiative
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals that diversify and further deepen the study of language and communication. This is a collaborative initiative across several programs in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences with shared interests in the study of language. It is an effort to organize new relationships that integrate knowledge across disciplines and/or levels of analysis. The goal is to advance more universal and replicable theories in the language and communication sciences via diversified sampling practices, language(s) of study, methodologies, and theoretical perspectives. This is not a special competition or new program; instead investigators should submit…
NSB Requests Nominations to Fill Upcoming Vacancies
The National Science Board (NSB) is seeking nominations to fill eight upcoming vacancies for the 2024-2030 term. NSB is the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also serves as an independent advisor to the President and Congress on federal science policy. The board consists of 24 members who serve staggered six-year terms, with the NSF director serving as a 25th ex officio member. External nominations are considered by the NSB, which will then makes recommendations to the White House. New members are appointed by the President of the United States. More information can be found in NSB’s…
NSB to Revisit NSF’s Merit Review Process
The National Science Board (NSB), the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that also serves as an independent advisor to the President and Congress on federal science policy issues, met on May 9-10. Among the topics discussed was the establishment of a commission to review NSF’s merit review process and criteria. The NSB-NSF Commission on Merit Review (MRX) was formally created in February and is now getting started on its review and engagement with external stakeholders. The Commission was created in response to language included in the CHIPS and Science Act passed in 2022 that called on NSF…
Appropriators Hold Hearings on the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request for the NSF and NASA
Last month, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees held hearings to review the Biden Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 proposed budget for the National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition to the NSF budget, the Senate Appropriations Committee also reviewed the budget request for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Both hearings addressed the request of funding increases for the agencies while also highlighting the global competition challenges the US scientific enterprise is facing, specifically relating to China as they continue to heavily invest in research and development. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan was the sole witness at the House hearing and…
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on FY 2024 R&D Budget Request
On April 26, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request for research and development (see COSSA’s analysis of the President’s budget request). Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Dr. Dan Reed, the Chair of the National Science Board (NSB), testified before the Committee. Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) commended the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and its prioritizing of scientific innovation, while also acknowledging that innovation strives on predictable and stable…
Remembering Dr. Kellina Craig-Henderson
The social, behavioral, and economic sciences lost one of their own on April 21 with the passing of Dr. Kellina (Kelli) Craig-Henderson. Dr. Craig-Henderson most recently served as Assistant Director for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF), a post to which she was named in June 2022. Prior to that she served as Acting Assistant Director and Deputy Assistant Director in SBE, as well as various other roles during her 17 years at the agency. “Kelli will be remembered for her passionate promotion of the social and behavioral sciences and as a scholar and champion…
JASON Releases Report on NSF’s Pending Research on Research Security Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a report by JASON, the independent scientific and national security advisory body, on NSF’s proposed “Research on Research Security” program. This program has been in development as part of the push towards securing the U.S. research enterprise over the past few years, and is intended to provide funding to scientifically examine aspects of research security (see previous coverage). The JASON report aims to consider what this program might look like at NSF and how it would impact research security policy throughout the federal government. Notably, the JASON report states that the “social sciences…
NSF Accepting Proposals for New GRANTED Equity and Diversity Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals for the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) program, a new initiative within NSF’s Broadening Participation efforts aiming to provide funding for strategies to address inequalities and challenges within the research enterprise. The GRANTED program may support research and development on inequalities but may also support administrative and infrastructure needs to achieve equity in research. Proposals for the GRANTED program should center around at least one of the following main themes: The GRANTED Program holds weekly office hours every Wednesday to address questions and concerns. The program does…
NSF Introduces New Accelerating Research Translation Program
The Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has introduced a brand new research program called Accelerating Research Translation (ART), which aims to advance research capacity to translate academic findings into public impacts. Through the ART program, the NSF is seeking to enlarge the capacity and pace of translational research at U.S. institutions of higher education which will transform research discoveries into tangible solutions benefitting the public. Rather than supporting institutions whose translational research activity is already in full swing, the ART program is intended to fund research which would build infrastructure, provide training…
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Releases Biennial Diversity and STEM Report
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released the 2023 edition of the report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities. This biennial report provides data and insights into the demographics of the STEM workforce, including wage and STEM unemployment among underrepresented groups. With the report, NCSES seeks to understand how representation within STEM continues to change. The report found that women comprise 35 percent of the STEM workforce, underrepresented minorities comprise 24 percent, and persons with disabilities comprise 3 percent. The report also found that the number of…
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics to Release Biennial Diversity and STEM Report
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), within the National Science Foundation (NSF), will release its biennial report, Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities, on January 30. The report was last released in 2021 under the title, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (WMPD), and provides statistical information on women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. NCSES will host an informational webinar on the results of the Diversity and STEM report on January 31. Register for the event here.
Federal Statistical Agencies Launch Standard Application Process for Accessing Restricted Federal Data
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) have launched a Standard Application Process (SAP) to improve access to restricted federal data. As previously reported, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 called for the development of a process to provide streamlined access to confidential federal data. The recently announced SAP was developed in response to this directive. The agencies released an Applicant Instruction Manual for the process and are available for questions or comments at singleportal@nsf.gov.
NSF Announces Name Change of Education Directorate
On October 25, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) had been renamed to the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) in an effort to more accurately reflect the directorate’s portfolio and focus. In addition, the Division of Human Resource Development within the Directorate has been renamed the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES).The name changes were initially proposed in the President’s FY 2023 budget request to Congress. The newly named EDU Directorate, which funds education research grants and career development opportunities for scientists, reportedly will not have its portfolio or…
NSF to Consider Proposals on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science
On October 25, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a Dear Colleague Letter reaffirming the agency’s commitment to the findings of a 2019 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) titled Reproducibility and Replicability in Science. This report was aimed at providing clear research practices and guidelines to recreate scientific results through multiple research methods and to identify ways to improve public confidence in scientific findings (see previous COSSA coverage). In addition, the NSF letter notes that the agency may be interested in funding proposals for research addressing reproducibility and replicability in science. NSF is especially…
NSF Launches Workforce Development Program for Emerging Technologies
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced it is seeking applications for the new Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) Program. This program, which will be administered jointly by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), seeks to develop workforce opportunities for individuals interested in gaining career experience in emerging technology areas such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and more. The program offers three pathways for individuals at different career levels and STEM experience: Pivots: For current professionals in any field looking to pivot into a career in…