Current Funding Opportunities

From SIResearchInnovationOffice

Revision as of 14:08, 8 September 2008

Thinking of applying to one of these opportunities? Please email si-ori@umich.edu.

NSF: CISE Coordinated Solicitation: Core Programs - Deadline: Varies

As part of NSF CISE Coordinated Solicitation as described in the June 27th Dear Colleague Letter. Each Core Program has announced their upcoming solicitation cycle. See below for more details.

CISE’s Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) announces its support for research and education projects that develop new knowledge in three core programs:

• The Human-Centered Computing program;
• The Information Integration and Informatics program; and
• The Robust Intelligence program.

A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description in the Program Solicitation

CISE’s Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in three core programs:

• The Algorithmic Foundations program;
• The Communications and Information Foundations program; and
• The Software and Hardware Foundations program.

A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description in the Program Solicitation

CISE’s Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS) announces its support for research and education projects that develop new knowledge in two core programs:

• The Computer Systems Research (CSR) program; and
• The Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) program.

A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description in the Program Solicitation

Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows:

• Small Projects: Deadline December 17, 2008: up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years; This budget is well suited for one or two investigators and one graduate student and/or postdoc.
• Medium Projects: Deadline October 31, 2008: award range of $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years; This budget is well suited for one or more investigators and a few graduate students and/or postdoc.
• Large Projects: Deadline November 28, 2008: award range - $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years. This budget is well suited for two or more investigators and a team of students and/or postdocs

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2 In any contiguous August through December period, an individual may participate as PI, Co-PI or Senior Personnel in no more than two proposals submitted in response to the coordinated solicitation (where coordinated solicitation is defined to include the Computer and Network Systems (CNS): Core Programs, the Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS): Core Programs and the Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF): Core Programs solicitations). These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently. No exceptions will be made.

NSF: CISE Cross-Cutting Programs - FY '09 - Deadline: Varies (POSTED: 7/2/08)

This solicitation seeks proposals in cross-cutting areas that are scientifically timely, and that benefit from the intellectual contributions of researchers with expertise in a number of computing fields and/or sub-fields. The cross-cutting programs for FY 2009 are:

• Data-intensive Computing
  • seeks to increase our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of data-intensive computing
  • The program will fund projects in all areas of computer and information science and engineering that increase our ability to build and use data-intensive computing systems and applications, help us understand their limitations, and create a knowledgeable workforce capable of operating and using these systems as they increasingly become a major force in our economy and society

• Network Science and Engineering
  • seeks proposals focused on developing new theoretical foundations, principles and methodologies to understand and reason about the dynamics and behavior of current and future large-scale networks, the interdependence among the physical, informational and social networks they embody, and the tradeoffs among communication, computation and storage
  • seeks broad, interdisciplinary advances in network science and engineering, and thus anticipates that successful projects with multiple investigators will typically need to bring together a team of people with different, complementary expertise, and single-investigator proposals will need to show that the investigator has expertise in two or more CISE-related areas, appropriate for the projects proposed

• Trustworthy Computing
  • program will support projects that strengthen the scientific foundations of trustworthiness, in order to inform the creation of new trustworthy technologies
  • especially seek new models, logics, algorithms, and theories for analyzing and reasoning about all aspects of trustworthiness-- reliability, security, privacy, and usability-- about all components and their composition
  • seeks proposals focused on usability

Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows:

• Small Projects - Deadline: December 1, 2008 - December 22, 2008
  • up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years
  • well suited to one or two investigators (PI and one co-PI or other Senior Personnel) and at least one student and/or postdoc
• Medium Projects - Deadline: October 1, 2008 - October 31, 2008
  • $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years
  • suited to one or more investigators (PI, co-PI and/or other Senior Personnel) and several students and/or postdocs
• Large Projects - November 1, 2008 - November 30, 2008
  • $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years
  • suited to two or more investigators (PI, co-PI(s), or other Senior Personnel), and a team of students and/or postdocs

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2

For additional information please see NSF Solicitation 08-578

Army Research Laboratory - Basic and Applied Research - Deadline: Open through FY11

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) solicits proposals for basic and scientific research in chemistry, electronics, environmental sciences, life sciences, materials science, mathematical and computer sciences, mechanical sciences, physics, computational and information sciences, sensors and electron devices, survivability/lethality analysis, and weapons and materials research.

In order to conserve valuable offeror and Government resources and to facilitate determining whether a proposed research idea meets the guidelines described herein, prospective offerors contemplating submission of a white paper or proposal are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate technical point of contact (TPOC) before submission. The TPOCs’ names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses are listed immediately after each research area of interest.

Some areas of Interest for SI (see the BAA for details, page numbers listed below):

1.2 Information Science and Technology (pages 7-8)

d. Information and data fusion/visualization

e. Data mining/Social network analysis

1.7 Database Technology (page 11)

Air Force Office of Scientific Research FY08 BAA - Deadline: Open through FY08

Some specific areas of interest to the school of information are found in section c of the BAA - Mathematics, Information and Life Sciences. See specifically section 2) Complex Networks, 4) Distributed Intelligence and Information Fusion, 6) Mathematical Modeling of Cognition and Decision, 9) Sensory Information Systems, and 10) Collective Behavior and Socio-Cultural Modeling.

For more information please go to AFOSR FY08 General BAA

New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan - Deadline: Open

New Economy Initiative grants support the efforts of nonprofit organizations, charities, and government agencies to transform the economy of southeast Michigan and return prosperity to the region. Grants are available for a variety of activities, but proposed activities must be focused on helping to achieve the goal of the New Economy Initiative and its objectives focused on talent, innovation and culture change.

For more information please go to New Economy Initiative Program Description

Google Research Awards - Deadline: Open

Awards through this program are typically either monetary awards (in the range from $5K-$150K) and/or potential access to anonymized data for research purposes. The awards are intended to help promote and support academic research aimed at improving information access defined broadly. Areas that are of particular interest are included in the RFP.

Participants in the award program are expected to have a primary contact at Google through which they can discuss research directions, provide updates on progress, engage in knowledge transfer, etc. Google maintains an academic environment that we would like award recipients to participate in by giving talks on their work and engaging in discussions with our research group.

By sharing new ideas and key insights, we hope that both Google and award recipients can mutually benefit from the program. Generally, we will invite the writers of promising award proposals to come to our Mountain View offices to discuss their research further with researchers here. After the research is completed, we will once again invite the award recipient to Google to discuss the results of their work. The purpose of this program is both to facilitate more interaction between Google and academia and also develop a strong relationship and partnership with universities.

For more information please see the RFP

NSF Expeditions in Computing - Deadline: September 10, 2008

• Preliminary Proposal Deadline (required): September 10, 2008

• Full Proposal Deadline: February 10, 2009

The Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) has created the Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions) program to provide the CISE research and education community with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information. In planning Expeditions, investigators are encouraged to come together within or across departments or institutions to combine their creative talents in the identification of compelling, transformative research agendas that promise disruptive innovations in computing and information for many years to come.

Funded at levels up to $2,000,000 per year for five years, Expeditions represent some of the largest single investments currently made by the directorate. Together with the Science and Technology Centers CISE supports, Expeditions form the centerpiece of the directorate’s award portfolio. With awards funded at levels that promote the formation of research teams, CISE recognizes that concurrent research advances in multiple fields or sub-fields are often necessary to stimulate deep and enduring outcomes.

CISE anticipates hosting an Expeditions competition annually, making three awards in each competition that over five years will result in steady-state support for fifteen projects. The awards made in this program will complement projects supported by other CISE programs, which target particular computing or information disciplines or fields.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-568

National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation - Deadline: September 12, 2008 (Posted 8/15/08)

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation (NACDS Foundation) seeks proposals from interested parties to create a searchable web-based database and grid focused on pharmacist-provided patient care in a community pharmacy setting. Materials used in the construction of the database and grid should be drawn from articles published in community pharmacy trade press, major consumer print media, and public policy journals, as well as scientific studies. This RFP solicits submission of proposals for conducting an on-going literature review, the creation and maintenance of a searchable web-based database, and the construction and maintenance if a pharmacy patient care grid, summarizing reported pharmacy services.

NACDS Foundation Home Page

For more information please see the RFP‎

ALISE/OCLC - Library and Information Science Research Grant Program - Deadline: September 17, 2008

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Incorporated, and OCLC Research in collaboration with the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) announce the Library and Information Science Research Grant (LISRG) program for 2009 and invite research proposals. In recognition of the importance of research to the advancement of librarianship and information science, OCLC and ALISE promote independent research that helps librarians integrate new technologies into areas of traditional competence and contributes to a better understanding of the library environment. To aid new researchers, priority will be given when possible to proposals from junior faculty and applicants who have not previously received LISRG fund.

For more information please go to ALISE/OCLC/LISRG Guidelines

NSF CISE Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI) - Deadline: September 22, 2008

The CISE Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI) program drives discovery and learning in the computing disciplines by supporting the creation, enhancement and operation of world-class computing research infrastructure. Further, through the CRI program CISE seeks to ensure that individuals from a diverse range of academic institutions, including minority-serving and predominantly undergraduate institutions, have access to such infrastructure.

The CRI program supports two classes of awards:

• Institutional Infrastructure awards support either the creation of new computing research infrastructure or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure to enable world-class research and education opportunities at the awardee and collaborating institutions.

• Community Infrastructure awards support the planning for computing research infrastructure, or the creation of new computing infrastructure, or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure to enable world-class research and education opportunities for broadly-based communities of researchers and educators that extend well beyond the awardee institutions. Furthermore, CI awards support the operation of such infrastructure, ensuring that awardee institutions are well-positioned to provide a high quality of service to community researchers and educators expected to use the infrastructure to realize their research and education goals.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-570

NSF Creative IT - Deadline: September 26, 2008

The CreativeIT Program solicits proposals for projects that explore synergistic cross disciplinary research in creativity and computer science and information technology. Information technology is playing an increasing role in extending the capability of human creative thinking and problem solving. The study of creativity and computing as a way to advance computer science and information technology, cognitive science, engineering, education, or science can lead to new models of creative computational processes, innovative approaches to education that encourage creativity, innovative modes of research that include creative professionals, and new technology to support human creativity.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-572

NSF Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) - Deadline: September 30, 2008 (POSTED: 6/16/08)

• Letter of Intent Due Date (optional): August 19, 2008

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) seeks to increase the number of students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Type 1 Deadline for the U of M Internal Competition was July 14, 2008 Type 2 proposals are solicited that support educational research projects on associate or baccalaureate degree attainment in STEM.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicication 08-569

The Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics - OVPR Internal Deadline: October 1, 2008 (Posted 8/18/08

The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics is a career development award that enables outstanding junior faculty members to carry out original research on policy and moral dilemmas at the intersection of ethics and the life sciences. To maximize Scholars' development, three years of support are provided, requiring a 50% time commitment (carefully monitored) in each of the three years.

Each year the Scholars participate in a learner-centered educational program that includes required attendance at two workshops (spring and fall). Continued involvement in this activity, after each scholar’s support period is over, provides Scholar-alumni/ae with ongoing professional development and engages them in the training of successor cohorts.

Faculty Scholars will be selected on the basis of their achievements, the strength of their research project, their commitment to the field of bioethics, and support from their home institution. While the amount of an applicant’s original work in bioethics will count favorably towards his/her application, outstanding candidates with less direct experience in bioethics will also be considered.

Applicants must be junior faculty members holding at least a 60% appointment. Priority will be given to applicants who are below the rank of Associate Professor, who have not received a comparable career development award, and whose work will have an impact on public policy or clinical practice.

UM has been invited to submit one proposal for the 2009 competition. The Office of the Vice President for Research will coordinate the internal review process. More information is available at the Foundation website. For consideration as the institutional nominee, submit the following electronically in a single file, PDF format by October 1, 2008:

• Two-page letter of intent responsive to the RFP, including:
  • Description of research proposal, its significance, how it will be carried out and how it is likely to have an impact on public policy or clinical practice.
• Personal statement describing goals in the field of bioethics
• NIH formatted biosketch
• Nominating letter from dean or department chair

Submit all internal applications electronically to:(OVPRlimitedsubmissions@umich.edu).

Direct any questions to Jane Ritter (ritterj@umich.edu); (734) 763-1290

NSF has modifed the Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships Program - Deadline: October 14, 2008 (Posted 9/8/08)

NSF ADVISORY

Please Note:

NSF has modifed the Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships Program Solicitation NSF 08-580 as follows:

The organizational restriction which specified:

"A single organization may also request funding via a subaward as a funded partner organization. In no case, may an organization request funds as a lead or funded partner organization on more than five preliminary proposals."

has been eliminated. The restriction on the number of preliminary proposals that an organization may submit as the lead organization remains unchanged at three. (The three LEAD Slots have already been selected by the OVPR review panel for submission to NSF.)

In consideration of this change, the deadline for submission of preliminary proposals has been extended to 5 p.m., proposer's local time, on October 14, 2008.

The Second HASTAC/MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition - Deadline: October 15, 2008 (Posted 8/19/08)

COMPETITION THEME: PARTICIPATORY LEARNING

Awards will be made in two categories:

• Innovation in Participatory Learning Awards $30,000-$250,000
• Young Innovator Awards (18-25 yrs) $5,000-$30,000

Drawing upon the innovative winning projects from the first Digital Media and Learning Competition, the theme for this year’s Competition is Participatory Learning. There are two award categories: Innovation in Participatory Learning and Young Innovators. All proposals submitted to the Digital Media and Learning Competition, in either category, should be for support of digital projects that engage participatory learning in an integral way.

The Digital Media and Learning Competition seeks to identify and promote individuals and institutions taking advantage of digital or new media and using these technologies as platforms for new kinds of participatory learning. Participatory learning should be the primary goal in all proposals; the technological approach should advance the learning objective. The most competitive proposals will enable participatory learning by promoting the possibility of scalable, many-to-many interactive learning activities. Awarded projects will be deeply collaborative in their structure, design, and motivation.

A total of $2 million will be awarded for the Digital Media and Learning Competition. Innovation and Participatory Learning awards will range from $30,000 to $250,000, with up to $1.8 million awarded in total. Young Innovator awards will range from $5,000 to $30,000, with up to $240,000 awarded in total.

Full information available at the Digital Media and Learning Competition website

NIH - Archiving and Developing of Socialbehavioral Datasets in Aging Related Studies - Deadline: October 16, 2008 (Posted 9/4/08)

The NIA has supported the development of major data collection efforts in areas such as the dynamics of health and disability in the very old, cognition, psychosocial and sociodemographic factors, genetics and biomarkers, long term care, caregiving, behavioral medicine, retirement and economic status. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages archiving and development of these data sources for secondary analysis. The data sets proposed for archiving and development should be of national significance and relate to the NIA/Division of Behavioral and Social Research (DBSR) priority areas of (1) Health Disparities; (2) Aging Minds; (3) Increasing Health Expectancy; (4) Health, Work, and Retirement; (5) Interventions and Behavior Change; (6) Genetics, Behavior, and the Social Environment; and (7) The Burden of Illness and the Efficiency of Health Systems. (See BSR Areas of Emphasis).

In February 2003 NIH reaffirmed its support for the concept of data sharing and encourages data be made as widely and freely available as possible while safeguarding the privacy of participants, and protecting confidential and proprietary data (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/index.htm). Many datasets were assembled prior to the implementation of this policy and they have not been made available to the research community in user-friendly formats. Longitudinal surveys often become more difficult to use over time due to increased complexity in the composition of the sample and/or the addition of new survey components. In addition, the formats of the data files and the documentation are not always consistent across the survey years. This FOA encourages archiving and development of sociobehavioral datasets that can be user friendly and easily accessible for public use.

Applicants can also request funds to create synthetic datasets that facilitate the use of data that would otherwise not be available for public use in their original form, because they include geographic information or sensitive administrative records. Synthetic datasets could be used by analysts for preliminary data analysis and model testing prior to application or acquisition of restricted data. Alternatively, constructing de-identified non-sensitive variables from restricted data for public use can be useful for the research community. The aforementioned applications for data development is encouraged under this FOA.

Applicants are encouraged to archive data from studies with rich phenotypic, environmental or biomarkers data and make them available through the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA) [1] or other archives for public use. Archiving may pertain to any type of data useful for secondary analysis including results of assays conducted on biospecimens, and the addition of geo-coded and community level variables for database expansion.

For complete information please see NIH Program Announcement PA-08-252

CCMB Pilot Research Grant Program - Deadline: October 20, 2008 (POSTED: 7/18/08)

The CCMB is committed to developing and applying computational and informatics approaches in biomedical research through faculty interactions, our academic program and seminars, major interdisciplinary research, and Pilot Projects. One of the key aims of this process is to stimulate new collaborations and bring resources of the CCMB to the attention of the University community. The CCMB announces its Pilot Research Grant Competition for 2008 (FY2009). The goal is to bring together research faculty in different fields computational/mathematical/statistical/informatics and biological/chemical/clinical/translational) in joint projects which will foster successful future proposals to NIH or other funding agencies.

Proposals for the Pilot Research Grant Program require a pairing of a computational/mathematical/statistical/informatics PI with a biological/chemical/clinical/translational PI. The two primary collaborators must be from the two different domains, and both must make substantive research contributions. At least one investigator must be on the roster of CCMB Affiliate Faculty. The compelling and feasible research aim should combine use of computational and informatics capabilities with an important biological or biomedical problem. Innovation on both computational and experimental sides is strongly encouraged. The plan must be persuasive that a grant of $50,000 to $70,000 total over a one-year time frame would make a significant difference in generating a strong research proposal for external funding.

complete application guidelines and instructions

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) - UM Internal Abstract Deadline: November 3, 2008 (Posted 8/18/08)

The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) is designed to increase access to scientific and engineering equipment for research and research training in our Nation's organizations of higher education, research museums, and non-profit research organizations. This program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, and to foster the integration of research and education by providing instrumentation for research-intensive learning environments. The MRI program encourages the development and acquisition of research instrumentation for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use and in concert with private sector partners.

The MRI program assists in the acquisition or development of major research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly for support through other NSF programs. For proposals over $2 million, requests must be for the acquisition of a single instrument. For proposals requesting $2 million or less, investigators may seek support for instrument development or for acquisition of a single instrument, a large system of instruments, or multiple instruments that share a common or specific research focus.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-503

For internal abstract instructions please e-mail jwebbe@umich.edu.

Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) - Deadline: November 3 or 5, 2008 (Posted 8/4/08)

Application Deadlines:

• November 03, 2008 - Interdisciplinary Fields of Study
• November 05, 2008 - Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering

The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 900-1,600 graduate fellowships in this competition pending availability of funds. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-593

NSF TeraGrid Phase III: eXtreme Digital Resources for Science and Engineering - Deadline: November 4, 2008 (POSTED: 6/30/08)

• (Required) Deadline for preliminary proposals for Integrating Services: November 04, 2008

• Deadline for full proposals for High-Performance Remote Visualization and Data Analysis Services: November 04, 2008

In many areas of research, a key to making advances is the ability of scientists and engineers to manipulate extremely large quantities of information. Examples include: numerical simulation and modeling; the analysis of very large datasets, whether generated by new generations of scientific instrumentation or by numerical models; and the mining of a wide range of collections of digital artifacts. At the largest scales, the resources needed to work with huge volumes of digital information are expensive and scarce. In recent years, the research community, with support from NSF, has developed the TeraGrid as a way of providing wide access to these scarce, expensive resources. The need for such widely shared, national resources continues to grow and as the currently funded phase of TeraGrid operations approaches its close, NSF is inviting innovative proposals for a new infrastructure to deliver the next generation of high-end digital services, as national resources, that will provide researchers and educators with the capability to work with extremely large amounts of digitally represented information.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-571

- - Please note the limit on number of proposals per organization - -

NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program (I/UCRC) - UM Internal Deadline: November 24, 2008 (Posted 8/18/08)

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The centers are catalyzed by a small investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in their development and evolution. Each center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry and the center. An I/UCRC not only contributes to the Nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education, but also encourages and fosters international cooperation and collaborative projects. Grantee institutions that have an active single university I/UCRC award are not eligible to apply for another single university center; however, they may apply for a multi-university center.

Any institution may submit multiple multi-university center proposals provided that the proposed research topics involve different disciplines and support different industries.

• PI Eligibility

The PI at each institution must be a tenured faculty member. The center or site director must be the PI.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

PIs with an active award for an NSF research center are not eligible to apply. An exception to this requirement is made for I/UCRC PIs who apply for their second phase of support covering years six to ten.

PIs can only submit one proposal per submission period. Co-PIs can only participate in one proposal per submission period.

• Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is required. See the section on Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: University recovery of indirect cost for F&A on the expenditure of industry center membership fees shall be limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the total costs.

For more information please see NSF Program Solicitation 08-591

NSF Science of Science and Innovation Policy(SciSIP)- Deadline: December 16, 2008 (POSTED 7/30/08)

The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) aims to foster the development of the knowledge, theories, data, tools, and human capital needed to cultivate a new Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP). The SciSIP program underwrites fundamental research that creates new explanatory models, analytic tools and datasets designed to inform the nation’s public and private sectors about the processes through which investments in science and engineering (S&E) research are transformed into social and economic outcomes. SciSIP’s goals are to understand the contexts, structures and processes of S&E research, to evaluate reliably the tangible and intangible returns from investments in research and development (R&D), and to predict the likely returns from future R&D investments within tolerable margins of error and with attention to the full spectrum of potential consequences. Specifically, the research, data collection and community development components of SciSIP’s activities will: (1) develop usable knowledge and theories of creative processes and their transformation into social and economic outcomes; (2) develop, improve and expand models and analytical tools that can be applied in the science policy decision making process; (3) improve and expand science metrics, datasets and analytical tools; and (4) develop a community of experts across academic institutions and disciplines focused on SciSIP. For purposes of this solicitation, the term “science metrics” refers to quantitative measures or indicators that provide summary information on the size, scope, quality, and impact of science and engineering activities, with particular focus on inputs and outputs of the science, technology and innovation system. Characterizing the dynamics of discovery and innovation is important for developing valid metrics, for predicting future returns on investments, for constructing fruitful policies, and for developing new forms of workforce education and training.

The FY 2009 competition includes three emphasis areas: Analytical Tools, Model Building, and Data Development and Augmentation. The emergent body of research will develop and utilize techniques for retrospective and prospective analyses. In addition, research will provide insight into factors that propagate new ideas at levels from the molecular functioning of the human brain to the organizational, state, national and international levels as well as advances the analysis and visualization of datasets describing complex social relationships and networks.

In addition to these three emphasis areas, the FY 2009 competition particularly encourages the submission of proposals that demonstrate the viability of collecting and analyzing data on knowledge generation and innovation in organizations. In addition to providing innovative and scientifically based ways of describing and analyzing knowledge generation and innovation in organizations, these demonstration projects should address three specific aspects of the data collection approach:

• scalability and sustainability;
• protection of the confidentiality of respondents in computerized, widely accessible databases
• evaluation and assessment of the project's progress towards its scientific goals

For more information please see NSF Solicitation 08-586