Dynamics in Many Dimensions - GT IGERT '04 Proposal

CNS Proposal Internal Due Date

    October 15, 2004
        current version of budget
editing notes, other budget examples
FastLane PI, CoPI and staff editing login
      LaTeX                 Last modified      Compiled  Description


[   ] project.zip             10-Sep-2004           --  (SIMPLEST: download all source files)
[   ] project.tex             10-Sep-2004      pdf  ps  LaTeX this one to compile the preproposal
 							    

[   ] resources.tex           10-Sep-2004           --  (PC)
[   ] support.tex             10-Sep-2004           --  (RS)
[   ] budget.tex              10-Sep-2004           --  (RS)

budgetjust pdf         	    04-Oct-2004           --  (MS)

NSF budget excel            04-Oct-2004           --   budget (MS)
[   ] NSF budget pdf        04-Oct-2004           --   budget (MS)

Synopsis of Program

The IGERT program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers who will pursue careers in research and education, with the interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills to become, in their own careers, leaders and creative agents for change. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce.

Award Information

  • Anticipated Funding Amount: $30,800,000 Up to $3.0 M per award over 5 years, plus, for new awards, up to $200K additional in the first year for appropriate purposes, and up to $200K total per award for projects that include strongly integrated international research activities in years 2 - 5.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

IGERT projects are expected to incorporate and integrate the following features:

A comprehensive interdisciplinary theme, appropriate for doctoral-level research, that serves as the foundation for traineeship activities;

Integration of the interdisciplinary research with innovative graduate education and training mechanisms, curricula enhancement, and other educational features that foster strong interactions among participating students and faculty;

An environment that exposes students to a broad base of state-of-the-art research instruments and equipment and educational tools and methodologies;

Career development opportunities, provision for developing professional and personal skills, fostering an international perspective, and instruction in ethics and the responsible conduct of research;

Program strategy and plan for recruitment, mentoring, retention, and graduation of U.S. graduate students, including efforts aimed at members of groups underrepresented in science and engineering;

Strategy and methodology for formative assessments of the project’s effectiveness by individuals internal and external to the institution and program improvements based on these assessments;

Administrative plan and organizational structure that ensures effective management of the project resources;

Plan for dissemination of innovative graduate education activities both within and outside the institution; and

Institutional commitment to facilitating and furthering the plans and goals of the IGERT project, to creating a supportive environment for integrative research and education, and to institutionalizing the successful elements of the project after NSF funding ends.

FULL PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

No additional information may be provided by links to web pages.

(F) Budget and Allowable Costs: Provide a FastLane budget for each year of support requested, not to exceed  $600,000 per year for 5 years, with the following two exceptions:  (1) for new awards, the first-year budget may include up to an additional $200,000 as a special allocation for purposes discussed below, and (2) if proposed for either new or renewal awards, proposers may incorporate in Years 2 through 5 a budget for international collaborative activities not to exceed a total of $200,000 per award.  The FastLane system will automatically fill out the cumulative 5-year budget for the proposal.  Awarded funds not expended in the specific year requested may be carried over ONLY with appropriate justification provided in the annual report to NSF and with the approval of the cognizant program officer. The major portion of funds must be used for doctoral student stipends and educational and training activities.  A limited amount of funds may be budgeted for necessary administrative support, support of short-term visitors, and to partially defray the costs of research and publication by students. No funds for faculty research or salaries will be provided, with the following exceptions: (a) one month per year of salary support for the Principal Investigator for management purposes; (b) up to 4 months total of faculty salary support for development of IGERT curricula. The faculty salary support for development of curricula should be requested from within the first-year special allocation; however, its expenditure may be extended over the first two years of IGERT project activity.

Additional funds requested for international activities should be appropriate to enable the unique benefits expected for the IGERT graduate students and the IGERT project. The primary support is intended for graduate students through internships (university, government, industry), collaborative research and/or fieldwork with foreign collaborators, or in other settings abroad appropriate to the research area. The stays should be of sufficient duration to acculturate the student and provide a meaningful research and education experience. Limited funds may also be used for student preparation, administration of the international activities, and faculty visits to foreign sites for research coordination and developing communication linkages between institutions. Requests for travel funds for the sole purpose of attending international conferences or workshops are not appropriate. Reciprocal visits by foreign researchers and students to the U.S. institutions are encouraged, although NSF funds will normally not be used for such visits. Proposers should consult the Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences/Office of International Science and Engineering member of the IGERT Coordinating Committee, listed in Section VIII, CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

The NSF contribution to graduate student stipends is currently $30,000 per year per IGERT trainee for a 12 month appointment, and budgeting for stipends should be made on this basis for each year of the award.  All IGERT-supported students are expected to be full-time IGERT trainees.  IGERT support for 2 years (24 months per student) is strongly recommended.  Alternative plans for graduate student support must be justified in the proposal. NSF also provides a cost-of-education allowance for tuition, health insurance, and normal fees of $10,500 per year per student (for 12 months.)  If this allowance is not fully required, then it may be used to support other IGERT student-related activities. Funds requested for graduate student trainees should be entered in line F: Participant Support, as stipends (F.1), travel (F.2), and cost of education (F.4). The number of trainees anticipated, along with the duration of the appointment, should be listed and consistent with the requested stipend funds. Undergraduate student stipends should be consistent with those of the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, and postdoctoral stipends may be determined by the institution. If applicable, these costs should be listed separately on line G.6. (Other) and described in the budget justification. At most two half-time postdoctoral positions may be supported with IGERT funds. All stipend recipients must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., its territories or its possessions. (NOTE:  Entering stipends on Line G6 on the proposal budget is in variance with Chapter II.C.2.g.v. of the Grant Proposal Guide. It states that Line F on the proposal budget should be used for costs of transportation, per diem, stipends and other related costs for participants or trainees.)

Purchase of shared research equipment, special-purpose research materials, software and databases that cost $5,000 or more per item may be requested within the first-year special allocation, and should be listed under Equipment on line D. Any of those items that cost less than $5,000 per item should be listed under Materials and Supplies on line G1.  Personnel and shop costs for developing and constructing special instruments may be requested within the regular yearly budget. Funds for facility renovation or for equipment installation or maintenance are not allowed. Awards will carry an 8% allowance for indirect costs based on the total direct cost, excluding equipment and cost-of-education allowances, but not excluding participant support.   This is in variance with Chapter II.C.2.g.v. of the Grant Proposal Guide.

For multi-institution projects, the lead institution shall submit the proposal, with other participating institutions included under subawards. Budgets shall be provided for the overall project as well as individually for the lead institution and for each participating institution/organization that receives a subaward.

Budget Justification (3-page limit): Provide a justification for the funds requested for the overall project in each budget category of Section (F) and line G.6.  Describe the proposed allocation of funds in the major budget categories with sufficient clarity to show how resources will be utilized in carrying out the planned IGERT project activities. Indicate the total number of graduate students to be supported and the staging and duration and FTE level of their support on IGERT funds. If the first-year special allocation of funds for new awards is requested, describe in a separate table how the funds are to be used. If additional funds are requested for international activities, describe in a separate table the requested amount and allocations over the project duration, beginning with Year 2 of the award. Provide details of anticipated resource commitments of any other organizations expected to participate in the IGERT project, such as government, industry, non-U.S. institutions, or private foundations. Appropriate letters of commitment from participating organizations should be included in Supplementary Documentation (below).  Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation. Any information provided here and in similar places in this solicitation will not be auditable as cost sharing.

(G) Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources (1-page limit): Provide a description of facilities and major instruments that are available to the project and require no additional support from NSF.

(H) Supplementary Documentation: Up to eight supporting letters, including one that must be from the senior administration of the submitting institution, may be provided as part of the proposal, with up to four additional letters when international activities are proposed. Letters of endorsement from foreign counterparts should discuss the benefits and foreign commitment to the project.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

8% of total direct cost, excluding equipment and cost-of-education allowances, but not excluding participant support.  This is in variance with Chapter II.C.2.g.v. of the Grant Proposal Guide.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

The NSF contribution to graduate student stipends is currently $30,000 per year per IGERT trainee for a 12 month appointment and budgeting for stipends should be made on this basis for each year of the award.  All IGERT-supported students are expected to be full-time IGERT trainees.  IGERT support for 2 years (24 months per student) is strongly recommended.  Alternative plans for graduate student support must be justified in the proposal.  If there is an increase in the approved stipend amount beyond $30,000, requests for additional project funding during the five-year period may be granted, depending on funds available. All graduate and other stipend recipients must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., its territories or possessions.

NSF PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS

NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.

    What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
    How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
    What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
    How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:

    Integration of Research and Education
    One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.
    Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
    Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -- is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.
    Additional Review Criteria:

    In responding to the standard NSF review criteria, reviewers will be asked to place emphasis on the following additional criteria in furthering IGERT program objectives:

    Integration and coherence of the interdisciplinary theme in its effectiveness as an intellectual focus for all participating scientists, engineers, and educators;

    Quality of the proposed research efforts, and their appropriateness to the interdisciplinary theme;

    Quality and innovation in the planned graduate education and training mechanisms, and in their integration with the research;

    Quality of outcomes of prior IGERT project, value-added aspects of new IGERT project, and potential for adding to the knowledge base in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduate education, if applicable;

    Effectiveness of career development opportunities, provision for developing professional and personal skills, fostering an international perspective and ability to work in diverse teams, and instruction in ethics and the responsible conduct of research;

    Effectiveness of the strategy for recruitment, mentoring, retention, degree completion, and career progression of U.S. graduate students, including those from groups underrepresented in science and engineering;

    Quality of the international collaborative activities and benefits to the U.S. participants, if proposed;

    Appropriateness of the plans for assessment of project performance in meeting objectives and expanding the knowledge base in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduate education and disseminating results to appropriate professional communities;

    Appropriateness of the administrative plan and organizational structure in assuring effective allocation of project resources and participation by project members;

    Appropriateness of the budget; and

    Commitment of the institution to facilitating and furthering the plans and goals of the IGERT project, to creating a supportive environment for integrative research and education, and to sustaining the successful elements of the project after NSF funding ceases.



updated:Aug 21 2004 - Predrag Cvitanovic