Introduction to: NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Jack Lightbody, Deputy Assistant Director, MPS June 6, 2008

NSF in a Nutshell Mission: Promote Science, Advance national health, prosperity, welfare, defense. Independent agency Supports basic research and education Uses grant mechanism in two forms Unsolicited, curiosity driven Solicited, more focused Peer reviews: intellectual merit & broader impact No intramural laboratories Supports large facilities Discipline-based structure Supports all fields of Science/Engineering Cross-disciplinary mechanisms (e.g. Nano)

NSF Organization National Science Board Director Deputy Director Computer & Information Sci & Eng ($534M) Engineering ($683M) Geo- Sciences ($746M) Mathematical & Physical Sciences ($1,167B) Education & Human Resources ($726M) Office of Budget, Finance & Award Management Office of Information Resource Management Biological Sciences ($612M) Office of Cyber- infrastructure ($185M) Office of Polar Programs ($442M) Office of Internation’l Sci & Engr ($41M) Office of Integrated Activities ($219M) Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences ($215M) $’s are “FY08 estimates” from FY 2009 budget request

Top 5 Things to Know About MPS Most extensive & diverse scientific portfolio Largest budget: $1.167B FY08 Develops & supports major facilities Diverse support modalities: small single PI grants, group awards, centers/institutes, major facilities Internationally engaged

MPS Disciplines Astronomy Chemistry Materials Research Mathematical Sciences Physics Multidisciplinary Activities Facilities Centers, Institutes Single Investigators & Groups

Call for Reinvestment in STEM Increase US talent poolIncrease US talent pool Strengthen basic researchStrengthen basic research Develop, recruit & retain best/brightestDevelop, recruit & retain best/brightest Ensure innovation in AmericaEnsure innovation in America From fundamental discoveries to marketable technologies.From fundamental discoveries to marketable technologies. Facilities and instrumentationFacilities and instrumentation World class science and engineering workforceWorld class science and engineering workforce Focus on Phys Sci & EngineeringFocus on Phys Sci & Engineering Doubles NSF, DOE-OS, NIST over 10 yearsDoubles NSF, DOE-OS, NIST over 10 years

Innovation Resulting from US Federally-Funded Research Innovation The Internet Web Browser Bar Codes Fiber Optics Routers MRI Doppler Radar Speech Recognition Nanotechnology Computer Aided Design … Source: Losing the Competitive Advantage? American Electronics Association, Funder DARPA/NSF NSF NSF NSF NSF NIH/NSF NSF NSF/DARPA NSF NSF/DARPA OLPA-30 It’s up to you !

A Few Examples: Single molecule transistors (CHE) New, efficient catalysts for generating hydrogen (CHE) Invisibility ‘cloaking’ (DMS) Nano-surgery in a live cell using laser pulses (DMR) Mathematical solution for another dimension (DMS) Magnetic functional brain imaging (PHY) o o o (I left off discoveries w/large ‘facility-class’ instruments)

NSF Research & Related Activities FY 2007FY 2008FY 2009FY 2008 Est. ActualEst.Req.Amnt.% Biological Sciences$608.5$612.0$675.06$ % Computer and Information Science and Engineering % Engineering % Geosciences % Mathematical and Physical Sciences1,150.71,167.31, % Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences % Office of Cyberinfrastructure % Office of International Science and Engineering % Office of Polar Programs % Integrative Activities % U.S. Arctic Research Commission % Total, Research and Related Activities$4,758.4$4,821.5$5,594.0$ %

MPS by Division FY 2008FY 2009FY 2008 Estimate ($ millions) EstimateRequestAmountPercent Astronomical Sciences$215.39$217.86$250.01$ % Chemistry % Materials Research % Mathematical Sciences % Physics % Multidisciplinary Activities % Total, MPS$1,150.73$1,167.31$1,402.67$ % Strong support for MPS core, but respecting ACI emphasis

MPS Science Themes Charting the evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to habitable planets and Beyond Understanding the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space, and time Creating molecules and materials that are transforming the 21 st century Developing tools for discovery and innovation throughout science and engineering Understanding how microscopic processes enable and shape the complex behavior of the living world Discovering mathematical structures and promoting new connections between mathematics and the sciences Conducting basic research that provides the foundation for our national health, prosperity, and security

FY 2008 MPS Focus Areas Physical sciences at the nanoscale Science beyond “Moore’s Law” Physics of the universe Complex systems Fundamental mathematical and statistical science Sustainability Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation

FY 2009 MPS Focus Areas Quantum information sciences Life science interface Adaptive systems technology Science beyond “Moore’s Law” ACI Fellows Program Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation

Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) FY 2008 NSF-wide investment ($52M) MPS investment ($10M)  “Broaden the Nation’s capability for innovation by developing a new generation of computationally based discovery concepts and tools to deal with complex, data-rich, and interacting systems” Focus areas: From Data to Knowledge Understanding Complexity in Natural, Built and Social Systems Building Virtual organizations Solicitation went public in Sept Expected to increase by $50M per year for 5 yrs

Reasons for Funding a Competitive Proposal: Likely high impact PI Career Point (tenured?/“established”/ “young”) Balance in Program Portfolio Other Support for PI Impact on Institution/State Special Programmatic Considerations (CAREER/RUI/EPSCoR) Diversity Issues Educational Impact “Launching” versus “Maintaining”

Single PI and Group Awards DivisionBudget ($ million) Facilities** (%) Centers/Inst( (%) PIs/Groups (%) AST CHE DMR DMS PHY * (17.6) 65.1 (50) * Excludes PFCs (includes PFCs) ** Includes Instrumentation Prog. for CHE

Centers and Institutes Materials Research Sci & Eng Centers Science & Tech Centers Math Institutes (MSRI, IMA, IPAM, SAMSI, MBI, AIM, IAS) Physics Frontiers Centers (Kavli Inst. for Theoretical Physics, JILA, …) Chemical Bonding Centers/Centers for Chemical Innovation

ICECUBE IceCube ALMA

MPS Facilities FY 2007 Actual FY 2008 Est. FY 2009 Req. Change over FY2008 Est. FacilitiesAmnt.% Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) $14.71 $13.71 $ 8.50-$ % GEMINI Observatory % IceCube % Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Laser Interferometer Gravit. Wave Obs. (LIGO) % NSCL (MSU Cyclotron) % Nanofabrication (NNUN/NNIN) Nat'l High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) % Nat'l Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) % Nat'l Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) % Nat'l Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) % Nat'l Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) % Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) % Other MPS Facilities % Total, MPS$246.92$245.84$266.86$ % 1 The NOAO total for FY 2009 includes funding for the Telescope System Instrumentation Program at $5.0 million, level with the FY 2008 Request. 21% of total MPS budget

Facilities in Development & Under Construction Facilities under Construction:  ALMA: new baseline, early operations increases to $8.2M.  IceCube: operations initiated at $1.5M level  Advanced LIGO: construction begins FY  LHC: coming online soon, delay? Design and Development: DUSEL: will begin formally in FY 2008, $6.0M, building on previous Discovery Research. Just concluded S3 reverse site visit. GSMT (TMT + GMT): $5M R&D. ATST: In “readiness” stage. Cultural & EIS challenges. Other Projects: Light source: panel convene on NSF role.  ILC: Cost? When?

Preparing Workforce of 21 st Century Workforce and Learning: Alignment of ACI with NSF Strategic Goals MPS investments in Foundation, Directorate, and Division activities support workforce development throughout the educational continuum, Support for young investigators (e.g., CAREER), Enhancing educational and career opportunities for undergraduate students (e.g., REU), Enhancing professional development of K-12 science educators through research experiences (e.g., RET), Broadening Participation (e.g., Research Partnerships for Diversity: PREM, PAARE).

NSF-Wide Workforce Development Programs Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)  A prestigious award that supports the early career- development activities of promising future leaders among teacher-scholars at institutions of higher learning or research  Total awards in NSF ~400/year; 115 in MPS in FY 08 ADVANCE  A program with different options for increasing the participation of women in the scientific and engineering workforce  Total active awards in FY 2008: 18 Inst’l, 19 Dept’l for a total of $19M; MPS ~$4-5M Professor Fredrick A. Jenet (UTB), developed a program to involve students in astronomical research early in their careers as part of his NSF CAREER award. Here, high school researchers Samuel Rodarte, Jr. and Jessica Gutierrez present a poster paper at the January 2008 American Astronomical Society meeting.

NSF-Wide Workforce Development Programs Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)  A program that supports undergraduate students to do scientific research  Both Sites awards and individual supplements to existing NSF awards Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)  A supplement available to REU Sites and existing NSF research awards that supports primarily K-12 teachers to do scientific research and to take that experience back into their classrooms to educate and inspire young students REU Sites: CERN (other int’l), LIGO, small labs, astronomical observatories, centers.institutes … (hundreds)

NSF-Wide Workforce Development Programs Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)  A program, similar to the regular research grants, but supports faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions to undertake research projects Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)  A supplement available for active NSF research awards to involve faculty from non-research institutions in scientific research Dr. Frank Winkler (Middlebury College) and collaborators used more than 500 individual images from the Magellanic Clouds Emission Line Survey project to assembled this mosaic of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby satellite galaxy to our own Galaxy

The Face of American Science Is Not the Face of America The Greatest Threat to Science

Milestones in Higher Education First Time Freshman Interested in Science and Engineering Total: 726,000 First Time Freshman Total: 2,506,000 High School Graduates Total: 2,599,000 Advanced Degrees in Science and Engineering Total: 145,000 Bachelor Degrees in Science and Engineering Total: 452,000 53%4% 6% 37% 40% 34% 36% 35% 36% 40% 46% 43%10% 11%9% 15%10% 15%13% 7% Minority Men Minority Women Non-Minority Men Non-Minority Women NSF SRS Data: Better now, but not significantly

NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences Workforce Development Programs Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE)  Enhance diversity in astronomy and astrophysics research and education by stimulating the development long-term, collaborative research and education partnerships between minority serving institutions and AST-supported facilities, projects, or faculty members at research institutions, including private observatories  New program in AST for FY2008  Total awards made in AST in FY 2008: 4

Competitive awards to minority serving institutions  Partnership based on intellectual connections Competitions in 2004 and Awards of ~ 500k/year for 5 years Next competition planned for FY 2009 ….broaden participation in materials research and education by stimulating the development of long-term, collaborative partnerships between minority serving institutions and DMR-supported groups, centers and facilities Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials

MPS Recent Trends:FY FY # competitive proposals (5247) # competitive awards (957) funding rate34%30%29%30%32%(18%) mean award ($ thousand)

NSF Support as a Percentage of Total Federal Support of Academic Basic Research Percentage (excluding NIH) OLPA-29

NSF 1.4% Federal Basic Research Total Federal R&D Total U.S. R&D ~$300 Billion NSF $4.1 Billion 3% $132.2 Billion $26.9 Billion NSF $3.5 Billion 13% OLPA-20 NSF’s Role in... 13% NSF $4.1 Billion

Source: AAAS analyses of R&D in AAAS Reports I-XXXI. FY 2007 figures are President’s request. Basic research only. March ’06 © 2006 AAAS. Trends in Basic Research by Agency FY billions of constant FY 2006 dollars OLPA-26