具体内容链接至 http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/public_access/查看。 美国国家科学基金会（ National Science Foundation ，简称 NSF ）于 2015 年 3 月 18 日发布了名为“今日的数据，明日的发现”公共获取计划，该计划概述了一系列的活动，以增强源自 NSF 资助研究的科学出版物和数字化科研数据的公共获取。 该计划对版本记录、同行评议学术期刊中已经接受的最终版手稿、评审过的会议论文集或汇报中的文章、数据管理计划等作出了要求。 为实现白宫科技政策办公室（ White House Office of Science and Technology Policy ，简称 OSTP ）备忘录中的目标， NSF 计划将通过一种开放、灵活和循序渐进的方式实现： w 将 NSF 资助的出版物、数据和其它产出整合进一个唯一的管理系统； w 在当前政策和实践的基础上创建； w 利用其它联邦机构、大学和科研机构以及私营部门的资源； w 提供一个创新平台； w 在必要和适当的保护措施下广泛获取 NSF 资助的研究成果。 该计划为持续获取 NSF 资助的研究成果提出了一个框架并遵循数据共享、数据管理计划、评价、监测和监督的 NSF 政策。 NSF 将继续鉴别其他的方式（包括公共和私营部门机构），并将努力改善公众对科研数据的访问。 NSF 将与其他机构开展合作，共同探寻改善公共获取的最佳实现方式，包括数据存储和保存、可发现性以及经过同行评议的科学出版物中结论背后的数据的重用。
U.S. Political Scientists Relieved That Coburn Language Is Gone 23 January 2014 3:30 pm 2 Comments The 2014 spending bill that the U.S. Congress passed last week renders moot part of Justin Esarey’s recent grant application to the National Science Foundation (NSF). But Esarey, an assistant professor of political science at Rice University in Houston, Texas, couldn’t be happier. Esarey was one of hundreds of researchers who tweaked their pending proposals to accommodate a directive from Congress that any awards made by NSF’s division of political science must foster national security or economic development. The language, crafted by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), was adopted last March as an amendment to a bill setting out NSF’s 2013 budget. (Like most policy “riders” to appropriations bills, it applied only to that fiscal year.) In response, NSF canceled a grants competition planned for last summer, delayed making any new awards, and in November notified researchers that anyone seeking funding in the next competition should explain “ he relationship of the proposed research to these goals.” The letter said NSF would also continue to apply its two traditional criteria—intellectual merit and broader impacts. Esarey heeded NSF’s advice in his proposal, which describes a weekly online “international methods colloquium” on applying quantitative analysis to political science. Instead of simply talking about the value of the webinar series to other researchers, Esarey added two paragraphs that explained how the information, archived and publicly available, might also attract people into the burgeoning field of “big data,” which labor analysts say is looking for workers. “It really wasn’t much of a stretch to make the case that it could be a public good,” Esarey says. That claim may still be true. But it’s probably not going to affect how Esarey’s proposal will be judged at NSF. The deadline for grant applications was 15 January, one day before Congress completed action on a 2014 spending bill covering the entire federal government. That bill, which President Barack Obama signed into law on 17 January, didn’t include the Coburn amendment. “We’re all delighted that this is no longer a special burden for political scientists,” Esarey says. NSF plans to handle the new round of applications as if the Coburn amendment never existed. “Panelists will be asked to review the proposals against NSF’s two merit review criteria, intellectual merit and broader impacts,” explains Debbie Wing of NSF’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. Asked whether the agency will take into account the additional material from researchers that address Coburn’s two criteria, Wing says that “NSF program officers will consider information provided by project investigators about all potential broader impacts of their research, including potential impacts on national security and the economic interests of the United States.” That approach makes sense to Esarey. “ was a legal requirement as of 15 January, so all of us are on equal grounds,” he says. Referring to the portion of his application that addresses how his grant would bolster the economy by strengthening the U.S. technical workforce, he adds, “I have a hard time believing that it will count against us. My guess is that it will neither help nor hurt.” What hurts Esarey and other political scientists is how legislators decided to add their voice to what they believe should be a discussion among scientific peers. “It’s valid for Congress to say it wants to favor one area of research,” Esarey says. “But this is not the right way to do that.” Aaron Fobes, a spokesman for Coburn, says his boss “is troubled that Congress again allowed scarce scientific research funding to go to lower-priority political science studies.” But Fobes declined to say whether Coburn, who announced last week that he is giving up his Senate seat in December, will try to reintroduce his restrictions when Congress takes up a 2015 spending bill later this year. A colleague, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), proposed similar language several years ago while a member of the House of Representatives. Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA), who chairs the House spending panel that oversees NSF’s budget, told Science Insider last week that “I’m comfortable with where we are now. But we’re going to watch it.” Wolf, who is also retiring from Congress at the end of the year, added that he’s “a big supporter of NSF and that I don’t want to do anything to harm NSF.” Rick Wilson, a colleague of Esarey’s at Rice, applauds NSF for its response to the Coburn amendment. “I think NSF was smart in backing off, and the eventual outcome was good,” says Wilson, who did not submit a proposal in the latest round. “Even if you have a sharp stick, you shouldn’t poke the hornet’s nest. But it’s a shame that had to be sacrificed for a year.” Photo caption: Unhappy. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is “troubled” that Congress omitted his restrictions on NSF in the 2014 spending bill. (Credit: U.S. Congress/Senator Tom Coburn) 科伯恩修正案取消 美政治学家如释重负 图片来源：《科学》 近日，美国2014财年预算出炉。增加的预算经费使得很多科研机构和研究人员欢欣鼓舞。但莱斯大学政治学助理教授Justin Esarey并不开心。 Esarey是数百位为自己悬而未决的建议而焦急的研究人员之一，他们建议调整国会要求国家科学基金会（NSF）政治科学部门的经费必须用于改善国家安全或经济发展的指令。参议员汤姆·科伯恩精心炮制的这些语言于去年3月被采纳，作为法律修正案被置于NSF的2013年预算案中。 作为回应，NSF取消了去年夏天的经费竞争计划，延迟了新拨款计划的出台。11月NSF通知研究人员申请下一轮经费需要解释 “申请研究计划与这两个目标的关系。”不过，NSF仍需要继续应用其两条传统标准：学术价值和广泛影响。 与简单讨论网络研讨会对其他研究人员的价值不同，Esarey在他的申请中增加了两个段落，用于解释归档和公开信息如何将人们吸引到不断发展的“大数据”领域。“这无法拉伸到那些目标，它将是一个公益事业。”Esarey说。 但是，相关建议可能不会影响NSF对Esarey申请的裁决。经费申请的截止日期是1月15日——2014财年预算生效的前一天。总统奥巴马于17日签署生效的预算法案中并不包括科伯恩修正案。“我们很高兴，政治学家不再有特殊的负担。” Esarey说。 如果科伯恩修正案被取消，NSF计划着手进行新一轮经费申请。“专门小组成员将被要求回顾那些违背NSF两条价值标准的申请。”NSF立法和公共事务办公室的Debbie Wing解释道。 当被问及该机构是否将考虑增加解释科伯恩标准的额外资料时，Wing表示：“NSF项目官员将考虑项目申请者提交的有关该研究所有潜在影响的信息，其中包括对国家安全和经济发展的可能影响。” （张章） 《中国科学报》 (2014-01-28 第3版 国际) 更多阅读 《科学》相关报道（英文）
博主按：NSF Director宣布NSF预算将减少，竞争将更激烈 NSF Director Suresh issued the following notice today “National Science Foundation Office of the Director Arlington, VA 22230 “Notice No. 133 February 27, 2013 “IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PRESIDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND HEADS OF OTHER NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AWARDEE ORGANIZATIONS “Subject: Impact of FY 2013 Sequestration Order on NSF Awards “As you may know, since passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the President has been working with Congress to reach agreement on a balanced deficit reduction plan. If an agreement is not reached by the end of this month, the President will be required to issue an order on March 1, 2013 that will implement across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration. As a result of this expected sequestration order, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 appropriations of the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be reduced by 5 percent. “We intend to make the necessary FY 2013 reductions with as little disruption as possible to established commitments, and are using the following set of core principles to guide our sequestration planning activities: • Protect commitments to NSF’s core mission and maintain existing awards; • Protect the NSF workforce; and • Protect STEM human capital development programs. “By adhering to these core principles and the government-wide guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Memorandum 13-03, Planning for Uncertainty with Respect to Fiscal Year 2013 Budgetary Resources, we expect to be able to accommodate the sequestration reductions in ways that minimize, to the extent possible, the impact on our mission, both short- and long-term. “Because the sequestration order takes effect at mid-year, its impact is somewhat greater than might otherwise be the case. At NSF, the major impact of sequestration will be seen in reductions to the number of new research grants and cooperative agreements awarded in FY 2013. We anticipate that the total number of new research grants will be reduced by approximately 1,000. “In keeping with the first core principle listed above, and to assure continuity and minimize disruption of scientific research, all continuing grant increments in FY 2013 will be awarded, as scheduled, and there will be no impact on existing NSF standard grants. The same intent applies to annual increments for cooperative agreements, though overall funding constraints may require reductions to certain major investments. These will be handled on a case-by-case basis. “It is also important to advise you that the Foundation is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) that will expire on March 27, 2013. Once NSF has appropriations in place beyond March 27th, we will revise this notice as necessary. “Subra Suresh Director” Richard M. Jones Government Relations Division American Institute of Physics rjones@aip.org 301-209-3095
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_buzzwords plus one for my NSF proposal: Detection and attribution No, I didn't want to add such words. I like plain but clear writing, using solid scientific evidence. However, my colleague asked me to trust him, that is, let him re-write what I wrote. OMG! I wonder how he is going to ruin my writing...
My proposal partner said he wrote his first NSF proposal in two weeks, and got funded. Well, I was going to spend 4-5 weeks on this one, but we actually only have three weeks due to travels in summer. Let's hope that he is as lucky the second time as he was the first time.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a vision and strategic plan for Advanced Computing Infrastructure (ACI) seeking “ to position and support the entire spectrum of NSF-funded communities at the cutting edge ofadvanced computing technologies, hardware, and software .” The report “also aimsto promote a more complementary, comprehensive, andbalanced portfolio of advanced computing infrastructure and programs for research and education to supportmultidisciplinary computational and data-enabled scienceand engineering that in turn support the entire scientific,engineering, and education community.” ACI is a key component of the Foundation’s Cyberinfrastructure for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21) framework. Here’s the vision articulated in the report: NSF will be a leader in creating and deploying a comprehensive portfolio of advanced computing infrastructure, programs, and other resources to facilitate cutting-edge foundational research in computational and data-enabled science and engineering (CDSE) and their application toall disciplines. NSF will also build on its leadership role to promote human capital development and education in CDSE to beneit all ields of science and engineering. And the five strategies for achieving this vision (following the link): 1. Foundational research to fully exploit parallelism and concurrency through innovations in computational models and languages, mathematics and statistics, algorithms, compilers, operating and run-time systems, middleware, software tools, application frameworks, virtual machines, and advanced hardware. 2. Applications research and development in use of highend computing resources in partnerships with scientificdomains, including new computational, mathematical and statistical modeling, simulation, visualization and analytic tools, aggressive domain-centric applications development, and deployment of scalable data management systems. 3. Building, testing, and deploying both sustainable and innovative resources into a collaborative ecosystem that encompasses integration/coordination withcampus and regional systems, networks, cloud services, and/or data centers in partnerships with scientificdomains. 4. Development of comprehensive education and workforce programs, from deep expertise in computational,mathematical and statistical simulation, modeling,and CDSE to developing a technical workforce andenabling career paths in science, academia, government, and industry. 5. Development and evaluation of transformational andgrand challenge community programs that supportcontemporary complex problem solving by engaginga comprehensive and integrated approach to science,utilizing high-end computing, data, networking, facilities, software, and multidisciplinary expertise acrosscommunities, other government agencies, and international partnerships. For much more detail, check out the full report here . (Contributed by Erwin Gianchandani , CCC Director) 资料来源:http://www.cccblog.org/2012/02/23/nsf-issues-advanced-computing-infrastructure-plan/ Related posts: CISE AD Issues Letter to Community on FY 13 Budget Rollout CISE AD Issues Letter to the Community on Robotics Initiative A Federal Health IT Strategic Plan Robotics Research a Pillar of New $500M Advanced Manufacturing Partnership DARPA Issues PERFECT Solicitation
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC SUMMER INSTITUTES FOR U.S. GRADUATE STUDENTS - 2011 APPLICATION NOW OPEN (Link: www.nsfsi.org ) The National Science Foundation (NSF) East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI) is a flagship international fellowship program for developing the next generation of globally engaged U.S. scientists and engineers knowledgeable about the Asian and Pacific regions. The Summer Institutes are hosted by foreign counterparts committed to increasing opportunities for young U.S. researchers to work in research facilities and with host mentors abroad. Fellows are supported to participate in eight-week research experiences at host laboratories in Australia, China, Japan (10 weeks), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from June to August. The program provides a $5,000 summer stipend, round-trip airfare to the host location, living expenses abroad, and an introduction to the society, culture, language, and research environment of the host location. The 2011 application is now open and will close at 5:00 pm local time on November 10, 2010. Application instructions are available online at www.nsfsi.org . For further information concerning benefits, eligibility, and tips on applying, applicants are encouraged to visit www.nsf.gov/eapsi or www.nsfsi.org . NSF recognizes the importance of enabling U.S. researchers and educators to advance their work through international collaborations and the value of ensuring that future generations of U.S. scientists and engineers gain professional experience beyond this nation's borders early in their careers. The program is intended for U.S. graduate students pursuing studies in fields supported by the National Science Foundation. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply for the EAPSI. Applicants must be enrolled in a research-oriented master's or PhD program and be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents by the application deadline date. Students in combined bachelor/master degree programs must have matriculated from the undergraduate degree program by the application deadline date. The first Summer Institutes began in Japan in 1990, and to date over 2,000 U.S. graduate students have participated in the program. Should you have any questions, please contact the EAPSI Help Desk by email at eapsi@nsfsi.org or by phone at 1-866-501-2922.
It's official. As first reported in March by Science Insider, President Barack Obama has chosen Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering (MIT) Dean Subra Suresh to be the next director of the National Science Foundation. Suresh, 53, would replace Arden Bement, who stepped down last week 6 months before the end of his 6-year term. A member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Suresh has made significant contributions to the emerging field of nanobiomechanics. Since becoming dean in July 2007 he's been a vocal advocate for greater interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering and with MIT's other schools and programs. A 1977 graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, he earned his doctoral degree from MIT in 1981 and taught at Brown University before joining the MIT faculty as professor of mechanical engineering in 1993. His nomination must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Cora Marrett is currently acting NSF director. *This article has been corrected. Suresh joined MIT in 1993, not 1994 as originally reported. link web: http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/06/obama-nominates-suresh-to-lead-n.html
上个月去参加了一次NSF的基金评审。我们这个panel比较小，一共只有四位评审者 panelist。每个人需要review 10 proposals，到panel meeting 时，program director 汇总所有人的意见，评分排序，决定要资助的项目。对于新人来说，参加NSF的review panel提供了一个很好的学习机会来提高自己proposal的写作水平。同时这也是一个认识同行与同行交流的机会。可惜的是，这次的panel很小，只有四个人。其中一个是我的Ph.D.的同学，另一个是与我不同学校但是同一年毕业的，也很熟悉。最后一位是位senior professor，开会也见过几次。所以都是熟人。 为提高效率，在开会之前，每个人将评审意见上载到NSF网站。开会那天，每个proposal 按顺序讨论15到20分钟。一人主持讨论，一人记录。根据讨论结果，各位评审者还可以修改评分和意见。因为每个panel覆盖的面仍然很广，不见得每个人都是这方面的专家。上午讨论完所有proposal之后，大家结伴去NSF门口的小饭馆快速地吃个午饭，下午开始写汇总意见。 NSF的评审标准。这个要先从NSF的vision and mission谈起来。用NSF自己的话来说，NSF的目标是 Advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering. 总结起来就是知识创新和为将来培养人才。一个成功的proposal，research idea当然是是最重要的，但是如何教育部分也是不可缺少的。尤其近年来，NSF对于教育更加重视。一个NSF proposal summary 中要清楚地阐明两部分：merit review and broader impact。Broader impact 侧重于教育以及对社会的影响。没有清楚写明这两点的，会被NSF退回不予评审。虽然这个要求很清楚地写在NSF的要求中，还有有申请者没有严格遵循。这个我们这个panel中就有一个新fauclty没有清楚地写明这两点。我们仍然还是给出了review意见，但是严格来说program director 可以直接退回的。 从美国NSF的长远目标来看，教育在其中占据了很重要的地位，因为NSF的一个重要目标就是培养新的科技人才，保证人才的可持续性发展。这点从我们的panel组成也可以看出来。我们这个panel有三个年轻人，其中两个（包括我）是尚没有获得过NSF项目的。NSF希望通过这个机会让我们知道NSF的评审过程，从而提高NSF proposal的成功率。 写到这里，我又想到中国美国都在讨论的教学与科研的关系。至少从国家大的战略目标来看，是希望学校的教授们能将教育与科研统一起来。在现实实施过程中当然是有矛盾的，因为人的精力是有限的。特别对于新人，教学和科研来哪个方面的压力都很大。对于已经拿到tenure的人，教学已经轻车熟路，funding 的压力也不是像以前那么大，总的来说日子要好过一些。不管怎么说，研究型大学的教授们是必须要教书的，因为这是本职工作（不教书就没有工资了）；研究也是一定要做的，否则我们学校就不是研究型大学了。从另外一个角度来说，如果处理得好，教学和科研也应该是相辅相成的。我们系一位刚刚退休的著名教授（顺便说一句，我们系的著名教授实在太多了，院士的照片都挂了满满一墙），开了一门研究生的课。虽然早上8点钟上课，每次都是选课学生爆满。学期末，学生将这门课做的project的结果整理发表到本专业最好的一个期刊上。这是一个很好的教学和科研成功结合的例子。一个研究做得很好的教授，如果愿意花一点时间和精力在教学上，以其渊博的知识和深厚的功底，无论如何都不会太差的。任何一个拥有博士学位的人，教授本专业的大学生课程，应该是完全胜任的。 大学是教书育人的地方。如果教授们不教书，那么大学就是研究所，不是大学了。不好意思，写到这里发现我似乎跑题了。
标签: NSF
