Proposal Development Unit n Created June ‘04 n Mission: To increase research funding through support for faculty producing proposals for graduate fellowships and multidisciplinary research.

Proposal Development Unit Services n Criteria: u Multidisciplinary research >$1M u Graduate fellowships > $500K n Level of support from PDU depends on amount of advance notice.

Since the last retreat… n Hired 2 new proposal developers n Moved to offices in Venture II n Brochure mailed to all faculty n Website: ncsu.edu/research/pdu n Training program in development with URC. n Began Mid-Atlantic Systems Biology Initiative

PDU Proposals Submitted n 8 preproposals ($161M) n 7 full proposals ($18.1M) n 5 full proposals ($36.2M) in progress. n Only one decision so far. n Awaiting invitations resulting from 7 preproposals/ n Most announcements expected in Feb/Mar 05.

Agency Requests n 11 NSF ($70.2) n 5 NIH ($32.1M) n 1 DOED ($5M) n 1 EPA ($5M) n 1 DOD ($3M) n 1 Alfred Mann Foundation ($100M)

Provost’s Office Partnership Diversity-Related:Completed: 8 proposals $55.7M In progress: 6 proposals $28.85 International Programs: Completed: 3 proposals $9.2M In progress: 3 proposals $4.15M

Tough Odds n High risk/high reward when seeking awards over $3M. n Programs making awards over $15M typically make only 1-2 awards nationally/year. n Goal: Awards of 10% of dollars proposed (~$20M)

…And Getting Tougher Limited Submission Programs and their increasing demands on our research infrastructure

Limited Submission Programs n Between 35 and 40 yearly n National Science Foundation sponsors about 50% of them n Private foundations sponsor about 45% n National Institutes of Health, ORNL and 1 commercial sponsor support the rest.

Two Portals for Limited Submission Programs Website n PDU: Click on Limited Submission Programs Click on Limited Submission Programs n SPARCS:

Increasing Restrictions on Limited Submission Programs n Website is one tool in dealing with new restrictions n Most new restrictions coming from NSF n What new restrictions mean to NC State University n Website is one tool in dealing with new restrictions n Most new restrictions coming from NSF n What new restrictions mean to NC State University

New NSF Restrictions n NSF Partnerships for International Research & Education n Both lead-partner and non-lead partner proposals are limited per institution n Result: All partners must select that proposal in their internal reviews before it can be submitted to NSF

NSF Restrictions, continued n Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (Informal Science Education component) n One lead OR one non-lead proposal allowed per institution n Result: Both the lead the non-lead partner must select the same proposal in their internal reviews before it can be submitted to NSF. (Lead-partner institution with a second lead-partner proposal to review would have to prefer a non-lead proposal over its own lead- partner proposal.)

NSF restrictions, third example n Major Research Instrumentation n Previous limit: 3 lead-partner proposals + 1 consortium proposal = 4 n New limit: 3 lead-partner proposals n Result: One less proposal allowed from NC State

Other NSF changes n The end of cost-sharing requirements n Result: Risk that Deans, Associate Deans and research personnel may not be aware that a limited submission proposal is going forward from their colleges

n Risk that a “guerilla proposal” may be submitted to NSF, causing all NC State proposals, lead or non-lead, to be rejected without review n Potential for causing rejection of a partner institution’s proposals as well Impact on NC State University

To Keep Moving Up, We Need: n To read NSF program announcements very carefully and analytically n To be sure to notify Carol Ashcraft about any NC State co-PIs on another institution’s proposal, lead AND non-lead n To ask questions about limited submission program requirements and ask for help in coordinating with partner institutions, lead or non-lead. n To remind faculty that a multi-inst. proposal must be chosen in each U.S. partner institution’s internal review

To Help Us, We Have: n A website listing current limited submission programs, including: n A link to internal deadlines, the sponsors’ program deadlines, internal specifications and the sponsor’s full program announcement n A list of all NC State limited submission programs n A description of the internal review process

Additional helpful resources n Highly professional, aware and experienced research staff members n Open and effective communication to and from research staff about limited submission programs n Deans, Associate Deans and faculty dedicated to a rigorous and fair selection process