Blog of the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) at the National Science Foundation
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, BIO used a variety of panel formats including in-person only, virtual only, and hybrid. There are potential benefits and tradeoffs for all these formats, such as travel time, cost, and the ability to step away from everyday duties to be primarily focused on the panel review process. The sole use …
Continue reading Virtual, in-person, and hybrid panel participation
If your proposal is recommended for an award, the initial “Intent to Recommend” email from the managing Program Director will inform you whether your award is being recommended as a Standard Grant or a Continuing Grant. What does this mean? Standard Grants The entire award amount is provided upfront to the Institution at the start …
Continue reading I3: What is the difference between a “Standard” and a “Continuing” Grant?
Geographic Diversity Through EPSCoR The National Science Foundation recognizes the inherent value of a truly national science and engineering (S&E) research enterprise that trains students and engages researchers throughout the country. The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was created to provide deliberate investments in S&E research and capacity-building in U.S. states and territories receiving …
Continue reading What is EPSCoR and how do I find out if I am located in an EPSCoR jurisdiction?
The U.S. National Science Foundation is committed to the inclusion of all people and institutions in the research enterprise. To help evaluate our progress in improving representation in the scientific enterprise, NSF asks applicants, reviewers, and participants to voluntarily provide academic, professional, and demographic information. These data enable us to gauge our progress on broadening …
Continue reading The Importance of Investigator Demographic Information and How It is Used at NSF
I’m marking the milestone of 6+ months since I started as the Division Director of Integrative Organismal Systems with a blog post. While there is much to write about, I’ve decided to focus on something I had not fully appreciated about IOS before joining NSF. It’s the people. When fully staffed there are a total …
This is a reminder to inform your Program Director about significant discoveries in your research or accomplishments in broader impacts in your annual reports. This type of information is often used by BIO in reporting program outcomes to NSF’s senior administration, the White House, and Congress. We would also appreciate advanced notification of any high-profile publications or other high-profile …
Preliminary data. There’s no doubt that it strengthens your proposal but how much is enough? Is there such a thing as too much preliminary data? Preliminary data can serve many purposes: as a basis for what you are proposing; to demonstrate that your hypothesis has merit; and, to show that the techniques work well in …
Hey, do you know that all four BIO divisions have Virtual Office Hours? And haven’t we all told students (or been told!) to make use of a professor’s office hours? So why aren’t you coming to office hours? We want to specifically highlight the Virtual Office Hours of DBI (Division of Biological Infrastructure) because of …
One of our frequently asked questions is about how much is too much (or too little!) when creating a proposal budget. You are an expert in this research area, and thus you are the most knowledgeable in determining how much the research you are proposing will cost to accomplish. Therefore, please ask for what you …
First an apology. If you have ever emailed someone at NSF and not gotten a reply, we apologize for that. We know how intimidating it can be to email someone you don’t know and then to not get a response is upsetting. Please know that it is always our goal to get timely responses back …
IOS in Focus 