Engineering Advisory Committee
Meeting
National Science Foundation
October 24-25, 2007
National Science Foundation
Directorate for Engineering
Richard O. Buckius
Assistant Director
1
Engineering Advisory Committee
Agenda
Î National
Š
Š
America COMPETES
ACI
Î NSF
Š
Š
Š
Trends
and Engineering Trends
Proposal and award trends
ENG programs update
Solicitations
Î Broadening
Participation
Î Research Topics
Î Advisory Committee Discussion Topics
2
Engineering Advisory Committee
Role of Advisory Committees
Î
Î
Î
Î
Provide advice, recommendations, and
oversight of Directorate activities.
Assist in assessing the impact on the
Directorate’s community of NSF-funded
efforts.
Advise Directorate on program management,
overall program balance, and other aspects of
program performance.
Facilitate partnerships.
3
National Trends
4
America COMPETES
Î
America Creating Opportunities to
Meaningfully Promote Excellence in
Technology, Education and Science Act was
passed in August 2007 by Congress and
signed by President Bush.
Î
The Act states: “support and promote
innovation research in the United States
through high-risk, high-reward projects that
meet fundamental scientific and technological
challenges, involve multidisciplinary work,
and involve a high degree of novelty."
Outlines specific allocations for initiatives at
NASA, NIST, NOAA, DOE, and NSF, with an
emphasis on education.
Î
Education plays a
significant role in America
COMPETES. Pictured are
two students at the
University of Texas-El
Paso. Zubia, 0521650.
5
America COMPETES
Î
Authorizes funding that would increase the NSF
budget by 20 percent between FY 2007 and FY
2009.
Š
Authorizes $115M for Major Research
Instrumentation program in FY 2008 and
$123.1M for FY 2009.
Š
Calls on NSF to give priority in selecting
awards that meet “critical national needs” in
innovation, competitiveness, safety and
security, physical and natural sciences,
technology, engineering, social science and
mathematics.
6
American Competitiveness Initiative
Î
Î
Î
The centerpiece of American
Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) is to double
the federal investment in key agencies that
support basic research in physical sciences
and engineering.
Over the next 10 years, the Federal
agencies impacted are NSF, DOE Science,
and NIST.
ACI includes three broad components:
Š Research in physical sciences and engineering
(including 12 specific goals with 7 related to
NSF).
Š Research and Development tax incentives.
Š Education and workforce.
7
American Competitiveness Initiative
FY 2007–FY 2016
Source: OSTP, Feb. 2006
8
ACI-Driven NSF Budget Projections
$12.00
$11.00
$10.00
$9.00
Dollars in Billions
$8.00
$7.00
$6.00
$5.00
$4.00
$3.00
$2.00
$1.00
$0.00
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
NSF
NSF Projections
FY 2006 through FY 2016 budgets are estimates based on White House data.
9
NSF and ENG Trends
10
NSF Budget by Research Directorate
Dollars in Millions
FY 2008 Request
FY 2006
Actual
FY 2007
Plan
FY 2008
Request
BIO
$580.90
$607.85
CISE
$496.35
ENG (less SBIR/STTR)
Directorate
Change over
FY 2006 Actual
Change over
FY 2007 Request
Amt
%
Amt
%
$633.00
$52.10
9.0%
$25.15
4.1%
526.69
574.00
77.65
15.6%
47.31
9.0%
$486.01
519.67
566.89
80.50
16.6%
47.22
9.1%
$99.45
108.88
116.41
17.34
17.5%
7.53
6.9%
GEO
$703.95
744.85
792.00
88.05
12.5%
47.15
6.3%
MPS
$1,086.61
1,150.30
1,253.00
166.39
15.3%
102.70
8.9%
SBE
$201.23
213.76
222.00
20.78
10.3%
8.24
3.9%
OCI
$127.14
182.42
200.00
72.86
57.3%
17.58
9.6%
OISE
$42.61
40.61
45.00
2.39
5.6%
4.39
10.8%
OPP
$390.54
438.10
464.90
74.37
19.0%
26.80
6.1%
IA
$233.30
231.37
263.00
29.70
12.7%
31.63
13.7%
$1.17
$1.45
$1.49
0.32
27.4%
0.04
2.8%
$4,449.25
$4,765.95
$5,131.69
$682.44
15.3%
$365.74
7.7%
SBIR/STTR
U.S. Arctic Research
Commission
Research & Related Activities
11
PI and Co-PI Submissions
10000
1.5
9000
1.45
8000
1.4
7000
1.35
6000
1.3
5000
1.25
4000
1.2
3000
1.15
2000
1.1
1000
1.05
1
0
Average Number of Proposals per PI and Co-PI
Number of PIs and Co-PIs Submitting
ENG Research Grants
FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
Number of PIs and CoPIs
Average Number of Proposals per PI and CoPI
12
ENG and NSF Funding Rates
8000
40%
7000
35%
6000
30%
5000
25%
4000
20%
3000
15%
2000
10%
1000
5%
0
0%
FY 2000
FY 2001
FY 2002
ENG Proposals
FY 2003
ENG Awards
FY 2004
FY 2005
Funding Rate Percent
ENG Proposals and Awards
Research Grants
FY 2006
ENG Funding Rate
FY 2007 FY 2008
Plan Projection
NSF Funding Rate
13
Annual Award Size
Averages for ENG Research Grants
Average Annual Award Size
$150,000
$232,000 Ave +
• EFRI
• NIRT
• PFI
• NEES Research
• HSD
$100,000
$117,000 Ave +
• NER
• EXP
$50,000
$97,700 Ave
• Unsolicited
• CAREER
$0
FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
ENG
NSF
Award size data annualized.
14
Average Award Duration in Years
ENG Research Grants in Comparison to NSF
Average Duration in Years
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007
ENG
NSF
15
ENG Funding Analysis
Fenced vs. Constrained vs. Unfenced
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
FY 2005
FY 2006
Fenced
FY 2007
Constrained
FY 2008
Unfenced
16
ENG Research Collaborations
Percent of Single PI vs. Multiple Investigator Awards
100%
100%
90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
40%
40%
30%
30%
20%
20%
10%
10%
0%
19
84
19
85
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
0%
Multi % by $
Single % by $
Single % by #
Multi % by #
17
Cybersystems
ECCS
Î
Î
Î
Î
Supports fundamental research that
Cybersystems
integrates physical devices with
Scott Midkiff
distributed sensing and actuation,
communications, storage, computation and control of
complex systems that enables visualization, analysis
and reconfiguration for reliable and agile
infrastructures for domain-specific applications.
Two submission windows each year—October 7, 2007
and February 7, 2008.
63 proposals reviewed in FY 2007.
Areas supported include: Hybrid and integrative
networks, integrated signal processing for highperformance computing and networking, and new
algorithms and architectures for secure and robust
computing.
18
Environmental Sustainability
CBET
Î
Î
Î
Î
Environmental
Supports engineering research with the
Environmental
Sustainability
Sustainability
Bruce
goal of promoting sustainable engineered
Bruce Hamilton
Hamilton
systems that support human well-being
and that also are compatible with sustaining natural
(environmental) systems, which provide ecological
services vital for human survival.
Two submission windows each year—September 15,
2007 and March 1, 2008.
48 proposals received in one window in FY 2007.
Areas supported include:
Š Green Engineering
Š Ecological Engineering
Š Industrial Ecology
Š Earth Systems Engineering
Š Other
19
Energy for Sustainability
CBET
Î
Î
Î
Î
Supports fundamental research
Energy
and education in the areas of
Energy for
for
Sustainability
Sustainability
Š Energy production, conversion,
Trung
Trung Van
Van Nguyen
Nguyen
and storage, and
Š Energy sources that are environmentally friendly
and renewable.
Two submission windows each year—September 15,
2007 and March 1, 2008.
190 proposals reviewed from one window in FY 2007.
Areas supported include:
Š Fuel Cells
Š Hydrogen storage
Š Bio-related
Š Others – solar-related, renewable energy sources,
wind-related
20
Cyber-Enabled Discovery & Innovation (CDI)
Î
Î
Employ advances in computational concepts, methods,
models, algorithms, and tools (computational thinking) for
revolutionary science and for generating and applying
new knowledge.
CDI seeks ambitious, transformative, multidisciplinary
research proposals within or across the following three
thematic areas:
• From Data to Knowledge: enhancing human cognition
and generating new knowledge from a wealth of
heterogeneous digital data.
• Understanding Complexity in Natural, Built, and Social
Systems: deriving fundamental insights on systems
comprising multiple interacting elements.
• Building Virtual Organizations: enhancing discovery
and innovation by bringing people and resources
together across institutional, geographical and cultural
boundaries.
21
Cyber-Enabled Discovery & Innovation (CDI)
Î
Î
A competitive CDI proposal will:
• Describe an ambitious research and/or education
agenda that, through computational thinking, promises
paradigm-shifting advances in more than one field of
science or engineering;
• Provide a compelling rationale for how innovations in,
and/or innovative use of, computational thinking will
yield the desired project outcomes; and
• Draw on productive intellectual partnerships that
capitalize upon synergies of knowledge and expertise.
These partnerships will cross multiple fields or subfields of science or engineering, and/or multiple types
of organizations, including academic, for-profit, and
not-for-profit entities, both foreign and domestic.
Please note, CDI review criteria are fully compliant with
the updated NSF review criteria, which can be found on:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/in130/in130.jsp
22
National Nanotechnology Initiative
Funding Opportunities at NSF in FY 2008
www.nsf.gov/nano
Î
NSF supports nanoscale science and engineering in FY
2008 through:
‹ Competitive awards in existing (core) programs,
including interdisciplinary team research proposals.
‹ Competitive awards via the FY 2008 "Center for the
Environmental Implications of
Nanotechnology (CEIN)” solicitation (NSF 07-590).
‹ FY 2008 EPA-NSF-DOE research solicitation:
"Nanotechnology Research Grants Investigating
Fate, Transport, Transformation, and Exposure of
Engineered Nanomaterials.”
‹ FY 2008 “NSF-SIA/NRI Graduate Student and
Postdoctoral Fellow Supplements to NSF Centers in
Nanoelectronics” (NSF 07-051).
23
Recent Solicitations
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation of Women in Academic
Science and Engineering Careers—NSF 07-582, Jan. 7, 2008
ARI: Joint Domestic Nuclear Detection Office/National Science
Foundation: Academic Research Initiative— NSF 07-545, first
Wednesday in April, annually through 2011.
BRIGE: Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in
Engineering—NSF 07-589, Feb. 8, 2008.
CEIN: Center for the Environmental Implications of
Nanotechnology—NSF 07-590, Prelim. Proposals; March 17, 2008.
CDI: Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation—NSF 07-603,
Letter of Intent Oct. 30, 2007–Nov. 30, 2007.
GOALI: Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with
Industry—NSF 07-522.
RET and REU (Research Experiences for Teachers,
Undergraduates)—NSF 07-557, NSF 07-569, Nov. 19, 2007;
August 18, 2008.
24
ENG Broadening Participation
Activities
25
ENG Broadening Participation
ENG Diversity Working Group and Goals
Î
Î
Engineering Diversity Working Group (EDWG)
Š Representatives from all ENG divisions.
Š Developing a draft plan for broadening participation
in ENG.
Š These recommended initiatives and programs focus
on all members of the engineering academic
community, from K–20 to faculty.
Engineering Diversity Goals
Š Realize excellence through diversity.
Š Enable the integration and success of a diverse
engineering workforce, both inside and outside NSF.
Š Make the demographics of engineering disciplines
representative of the US census.
26
ENG Broadening Participation
Draft Recommendations – K through Postdoc
Î
Î
Î
Î
K–12:
Š Expand the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
program significantly and maintain overall success in
broadening participation.
Undergraduate:
Š Expand the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
program to include a broadening participation theme.
Š Initiate specific programs to address the needs of each
underrepresented group.
Graduate:
Š Develop a broadening participation graduate award that is
portable—similar to the Graduate Research Fellowship
Program—and encompasses all ENG divisions.
Post-doctoral research:
Š Develop a portable research initiation grant to broaden
participation of post-docs in ENG.
27
ENG Broadening Participation
BRIGE
Î
Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in
Engineering (BRIGE)
Š Research initiation grant funding opportunity
intended to increase the diversity of researchers
through research program support early in their
careers, including under-represented groups,
engineers at minority serving institutions, and
persons with disabilities.
Š Up to $175,000 over two years.
Š Early career faculty (fewer than three years).
Š Announced in September 2007 with a submission date
of February 8, 2008.
Š NSF 07-58 at
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07589/nsf07589.htm
28
ENG Broadening Participation
Draft Recommendations – Faculty
Î
Î
Î
Î
Implement the BRIGE (Broadening Participation Research
Initiation Grants in Engineering) program.
Š Expand the BRIGE to provide funding for a faculty mentor.
Š Initiate a career advancement award to broaden
participation of senior faculty and complement the BRIGE
program.
Hold broadening participation workshops for department
chairs from each of the major ENG disciplines, e.g., chemical,
mechanical, electrical, computer, civil, industrial, materials, ...
To promote technical collaboration with international
scholars, hold periodic international workshops for U.S.
women ENG faculty and grad students.
Promote collaboration between non-minority- and minorityserving institutions through expanded research-oriented
workshops at minority-serving institutions.
29
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
8000
35
7000
30
6000
25
5000
20
4000
15
3000
2000
10
1000
5
0
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
Percent
Funding rates for research proposals among all ENG,
women, and minorities
Number
Î
2007
A ctio ns fo r ENG
A ctio ns fo r Wo men
A ctio ns fo r M ino rities
ENG Funding Rate
Wo men Funding Rate
M ino rity Funding Rate
30
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
CAREER funding rates for women and all ENG
200
25%
20%
150
15%
100
10%
50
5%
0%
0
2003
Awards - Women
2004
2005
Actions - Women
2006
2007
% Women
% ENG
31
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
CAREER funding rates for minorities and all ENG
25%
80
70
20%
60
50
15%
40
10%
30
20
5%
10
0%
0
2003
Awards
2004
2005
Actions
2006
% Minority
2007
% ENG
32
2003
2004
2005
2006
2000-2007ytd
1990-1999
1980-1989
1970-1979
< 1970
2000-2007ytd
1990-1999
1980-1989
1970-1979
< 1970
2000-2007ytd
1990-1999
1980-1989
1970-1979
< 1970
2000-2007ytd
1990-1999
1980-1989
1970-1979
< 1970
2000-2007ytd
1990-1999
1980-1989
500
1970-1979
600
< 1970
Number of Proposals
ENG Broadening Participation
ENG Proposals from Women and Undeclared Gender
Number of Proposals
Undeclared
Women
400
300
200
100
0
2007
FY/Year of PI Degree
33
2003
2004
2005
2006
2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 7 y td
1 9 9 0 -1 9 9 9
1 9 8 0 -1 9 8 9
1 9 7 0 -1 9 7 9
< 1970
2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 7 y td
1 9 9 0 -1 9 9 9
1 9 8 0 -1 9 8 9
1 9 7 0 -1 9 7 9
< 1970
2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 7 y td
1 9 9 0 -1 9 9 9
1 9 8 0 -1 9 8 9
1 9 7 0 -1 9 7 9
< 1970
2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 7 y td
1 9 9 0 -1 9 9 9
1 9 8 0 -1 9 8 9
1 9 7 0 -1 9 7 9
< 1970
2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 7 y td
1 9 9 0 -1 9 9 9
1 9 8 0 -1 9 8 9
400
1 9 7 0 -1 9 7 9
< 1970
Number of Proposals
ENG Broadening Participation
ENG Proposals from Minorities and Undeclared Ethnicity
450
Number of Proposals
Minority
Undeclared
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2007
FY/Year of PI Degree
34
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)
Š Includes both sites and supplements.
Š Two supplements per grant allowed if one teacher
is disabled, or a minority or a woman.
Hispanic
African American
non-Hispanic white
RET teachers 2001–2003
Hispanic
African American
non-Hispanic white
National Average
2% Asian
<1% American Indian
46% women
54% men
Source: Evaluation of the Research Experiences for Teachers Program Final Report, SRI
International, NSF Contract Number EEC-9815426, Sept. 30, 2005
35
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
Î
Î
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
supplements to research awards include
underrepresented groups.
Tribal College activities
Š Initial award at Oglala Lakota College, South
Dakota.
Š Several ENG awardees include local tribal
colleges and reservations in outreach.
Graduate Research Supplements (GRS)
Š Supported by all ENG divisions.
Š Provides stipend for an additional Ph.D. student
to broaden participation.
36
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
Engineering Research Centers (ERCs)
Š Each ERC is required to craft a diversity plan that
includes underrepresented groups.
Š Each ERC is required to collaborate with at least
one of the minority-focused programs in the
Directorate for Education and Human Resources.
Š Each ERC is required to engage in K–12
outreach.
37
ENG Broadening Participation
Current ENG Activities
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î
Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants
in Engineering (BRIGE).
Research-oriented workshops at minority-serving
institutions to promote collaboration with other
institutions.
Numerous divisional workshops and sessions at
grantees meetings to explain and promote
broadening participation.
Proposal-writing workshops for faculty from
underrepresented groups.
Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) CAREER
Faculty Workshop.
38
Research Topics
39
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Engineering research spans the frontiers
Î
Î
Î
To more effectively support
fundamental research and education,
ENG identifies research and education
topics.
The topics represent a convergence of
fields, disciplines, and frontier
opportunities that crosscut divisions,
Engineering contributes at all scales.
and give general guidance on the
Examples are nanotechnology,
potential future directions of
computational simulation, health, and
alternative energy.
engineering research.
Topic designations will evolve over time, reflecting the
maturation of certain fields, the emergence of new fields, and
the shift in demand from society for significant progress on
grand challenges.
40
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Cognitive Engineering: Intersection of
Engineering and Cognitive Sciences
Î
Î
Î
Supports engineering methods and
systems for improving understanding of
brain and nervous system.
Enables research on how to mimic
nervous system processes to engineer
better systems, machines and
technologies.
Provides a foundation for competitive
innovations—such as intelligent
machines that analyze and adapt—called
for in ACI.
Combining EEG with functional MRI
data (left image is EEG, right image
shows both) enables precise mapping
of brain activity. He, 0411898.
41
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Competitive Manufacturing
and Service Enterprises
Î
Î
Î
Research supports innovation for
understanding and thus
specifying how materials are
made at many scales.
Development of efficient systems
provides foundation for better
delivery of services, such as
making health care and health
information more accessible.
ACI goal for advances in materials
science and engineering; and to
create world-class capacity in
nanomanufacturing.
Groza, 0523063.
Nanoparticles compose a
lightweight biocompatible
material for bone implants
(left); or they enhance the
efficiency of a flexible
solar cell (middle).
Nanorods can be layered
as a coating (bottom) that
reflects almost no light
and could potentially
increase solar cell
efficiency.
Konarka Technologies
Inc., 0450532.
Schubert, 0725615.
42
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Complexity in Engineered
and Natural Systems
Addresses unifying principles that
enable modeling, prediction, and
control of emergent behavior in
complex systems.
Î Impacts specific national research
goals, including materials for
improving structural performances
during natural disasters,
Combining maps (gray square) and density of
overcoming barriers to quantum
cell-phone usage (shown as red and yellow 3peaks) can yield complex system response
information processing, and world- Dunplanned
events. Dahleh, 0735956 .
leading automation and control
technologies.
Î This research enhances our ability to understanding of natural
systems, engineered systems, and interface of natural and
engineered systems.
Î
43
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Energy, Water and the
Environment
Î
Î
Î
Î
Enables breakthroughs essential to
harness, efficiently store, and
economically distribute energy from
alternative sources.
Fosters research on materials and
methods for assuring a supply of clean
water.
Develops new technologies needed to
make energy use more efficient and
thus to lessen energy demand.
Meets the ACI goal of efficient,
economic and sustainable use of
energy.
Advanced water purification and
desalinization begins with a
detailed understanding of how ions
in water interact with purification
membranes. This dynamic
computer simulation shows sodium
(pink) and chlorine (green) ions
inside a polyamide membrane.
Shannon, 0120978.
44
Directorate for Engineering
Research and Education Topics
Systems Nanotechnology
Î
Î
Î
Next frontier: create controllable systems
built from nanoscale components.
Wide application: new materials, petascale
computing, organ regeneration, biological
sensors for health monitoring, highspecificity sensors for national security.
Meets the ACI goal for
nanomanufacturing, as well as for
developing high-end computing capability;
overcoming technological barriers to
efficient and economic use of energy; and
improvement of sensor detection
capabilities.
Integrated circuits that are
smaller and faster are
possible with
microfluidics systems
built from or incorporating
nanocomponents.
Ferreira, 0328162.
45
Advisory Committee Discussion
46
Advisory Committee Discussion
Questions
Î
EFRI Processes
Š
Should EFRI repeat topics for more than years (e.g., two
consecutive years)? What are pros and cons?
Š Should ERFI have an "open” category where the topic is not
pre-specified? What are pros and cons?
Š Do you have any suggestions on improving this mechanism
particularly in terms of receiving more EFRI-inspired input
from the broader Engineering community?
Î
IPAMM
Š
For ENG, what are the appropriate funding rates and award
sizes? What is an appropriate balance?
Š What are the appropriate uses of and approaches to limiting
proposal submissions? – by PI, Institution, other… range of
limitations based upon institution size, type, ..?
47
Advisory Committee Discussion
Questions
Î
Î
Î
Future Engineering Topics
Š Recognizing the scope of programs in the Directorate for
Engineering, are there other frontier topics and/or focused
subtopics of these areas that should be emphasized? Are
there topics that should not be considered?
University-Industry Partnerships
Š Are there other themes that the subcommittee should
include?
Broadening Participation
Š How can we encourage reviewers to provide demographic
data?
Š Please provide feedback on how you think the community
could most effectively receive information about broadening
participation.
48
Engineering Advisory Committee
Future Meeting Dates
Spring 2008
April 24-25, 2008
Fall 2008
October 15-16, 2008
Spring 2009
April 22-23, 2009
Fall 2009
October 14-15, 2009
49
Thank you
50