1. Faculty Workshop Series: Preparing (for) an NSF CAREER
Resources and Strategies for NSF Broader Impacts and Educational Design for Impact
May 17, 2017

2. Faculty Workshop Series: Preparing (for) an NSF CAREER
June 14, 2017
Writing a NSF CAREER Summary: An Interactive Workshop for Writing a NSF CAREER Summary
909 Renaissance Park, 11:30 am – 1 pm
Learn how to respond to the NSF merit criteria in each section of the summary. Workshop your draft summary with your peers in a small group setting.
Lunch will be served.   RSVP:

3. FY17 NSF CAREER Proposal Deadlines
July 19, 2017: BIO, CISE, HER
July 20, 2017: ENG
July 21, 2017: GEO, MPS, SBE

4. Our Panelists:
Claire Duggan, STEM: Director of Programs and Operations
Over the past twenty+ years Claire Duggan has been involved in the design and implementation of multiple STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational outreach programs. She has worked extensively to bridge connections between higher education's research community and our educational partners from K-14. 
Carole McCauley, Marine Science Center: Outreach Program Coordinator
Carole oversees the Marine Science Center’s youth and community outreach programs, which aim to connect the resources of the MSC with the broader community. In this role, she oversees the design and delivery of a number of K12 programs, coordinates public events, and promotes the achievements of members of the Center’s community. She also serves as the Metro Boston Regional Coordinator for the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program, convening stakeholders to learn and share about research, management, outreach, and civic engagement related to metro Boston’s coastal ecosystems.
Dr. Kathy Takayama, CATLR: Director
Dr. Takayama received her B.S. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Rutgers Medical School.  Her work in the scholarship of teaching and learning extends across a broad spectrum, including visualizations in learning; STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education; ePortfolios and online learning; and mentorship. Prior to joining Northeastern, Dr. Takayama was Associate Provost and founding Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Columbia University.

5. NSF CAREER Proposal Broader Impacts
Claire Duggan
Director for Programs, The Center for STEM Education
Carole McCauley
Outreach Program Coordinator, Marine Science Center
, x321
Faculty Early Career Development Program
CAREER
May 17, 2017

6. CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development Program
NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty
Emphasizes outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research
Encourages submission especially from women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities
Departure from PhD work, No co-PIs are permitted
Can apply for up to $400K ($500K for BIO &OPP)
Full Proposal Deadlines:
July 19, 2017: BIO, CISE, HER
July 20, 2017: ENG
July 21, 2017: GEO, MPS, SBE
Claire

7. NSF Award Criteria Intellectual merit
Importance in advancing knowledge/understanding in a field
Creativity and novelty of approach
Qualification of investigator
Completeness of research plan
Access to resources
Broader impacts (take seriously and be innovative – equal weight with Intellectual Merit – not an afterthought)
Promotion of teaching and training
Inclusion of under-represented minorities
Enhancement of infrastructure and partnerships
Dissemination of results
Benefits to society, use of use of research results to inform science policy
Claire

8. (Based on language from the America COMPETES Act (2007, 2010, 2015)
Why does NSF require broader impacts?
Full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
Improved STEM education and educator development at any level
Increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology
Improved well-being of individuals in society
Development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce
Increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others
Improved national security
Increased economic competitiveness
Enhanced infrastructure for research and education
(Based on language from the America COMPETES Act (2007, 2010, 2015)
Claire

9. Five guiding questions
A National Organization
Five guiding questions
(see handout)
Claire Question 1 What is the potential for the proposed activity to benefit society and contribute to achievement of specific desired societal outcomes? Question 2 To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? Question 3 Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
Question 4 How well qualified is the individual, team, or institution to conduct the proposed activities?
Question 5 Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home institution or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities? Is the budget sufficient?

10. Potential partners/audiences
Undergraduate students
Curriculum (new course or new minor), research projects
Graduate students
Curriculum, conferences, national labs
K-14 audiences
Potential to partner with the Center for STEM Education, Marine Science Center, informal science education centers, school districts/schools, after-school providers, scouts
Stakeholders
Community organizations, local/state/federal government, science education centers
Industry
Trade associations, businesses
The public
Citizen scientists, families, general public
Claire
Reviewers are interested in the sustainability of your innovation. Don’t promise to do all this, pick 2-3 things and do them well.

11. Evaluation Plan
You need an evaluation plan including both formative (immediate) and summative (cumulative) assessment
A project evaluation plan outlines how you will systematically collect data from your audience to address questions such as:
Was this BI project successful? To what extent did the project meet stated goals and objectives?
Was this BI project valuable to your audience? Were your BI activities appropriate for them?
Did your audience change as a result of this BI project, and in what ways i.e. knowledge, skills, or behavior)?
Great resources from CAISE: 11 11

12. A tool to consider: The logic model
Carole

13. Beyond the award Beyond the award there are supplements
REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates): $6,000 per year per student, nominally one student per award (two, provided one is from an underrepresented group), does NOT include equipment
RET (Research Experience for Teachers): $10,000 to involve a K-12 teacher in your research
Initiating international collaborations (Office of International Science and Engineering)
Informal education (EHR)
Don’t include what you can take out in a supplement!

14. DOs and DON’Ts Do
Approach with the same detail as intellectual content
Articulate an identified need
Plan to include some costs in your budget for implementation and – possibly – assessment
Do your homework; review what is already being implemented by your institution and with the constituents you intend to serve
Describe the impact of the activities with some clear metrics and outputs
Review possible challenges you may have with implementation of your proposed education plan (space/staffing/additional costs, liability issues)
Don’t
Just have a list of activities with no mention of who will run them and at what cost
Provide a laundry list of achievements at your institution that don’t relate to your proposed activities
Do not leave your broader impacts plan as an afterthought

15. How can we help? Brainstorming re: possible educational outreach plans
Provide references/information re: recent reports and recommendations in STEM education
Facilitate partnerships with educators, school districts, community organizations, media practitioners who can collaborate and implement work with you
Write and/or secure letters of commitment
Provide opportunities for collaboration with existing programs
Assist with implementation of your education components
Provide STEM enrichment opportunities for K-12 students, especially those of currently underrepresented backgrounds in STEM fields
Provide opportunities for university students and faculty to lead and participate in Broader Impact efforts
Provide opportunities for the general public, K12 students, teachers and families to learn about the current and developing research, highlighting the work of NU faculty
Build and sustain a STEM learning community

16. K14 students
STEM Field Trips Series (Elementary/Middle School)
After-school programming (Elementary/Middle School)
Building Bridges (High School)
STEM Summer Programs (Middle/Early High School)
Research Experiences for High School students (Young Scholars)
Undergraduates (REU) (Community College/URM students)
Community College Faculty and K-12 Teachers
RET (Research Experiences for Teachers)
Content specific summer workshops

17. Center for STEM Education programs
All program offerings are available free of charge to accepted participants and offer continued interaction beyond the program experience and/or event.
We engage over 1,500 students annually in our STEM Field Trips and educational outreach events. Teachers and participants provide written feedback on these offerings to help inform and strengthen program content and delivery.
We have 60+ NU students each semester assisting with outreach efforts.
We have supported 500+ middle school students over the past 14 years in our summer STEM Program.
We have supported 485 high school students since the creation of the NU Young Scholars Program.
83% of alumni are enrolled and/or completed a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field.
Faculty perspective “I didn’t expect the students to be able to do anything like what they actually have done. They were driven, capable, and fun members of the lab. It was just such an amazing experience. I am also super impressed that two students were able to submit a published paper as authors, I did not dream that that would ever be possible.”

18. Youth and educators (over 5,500 youth reached in 2016)
Onsite, offsite, classroom programs, internships, high school symposium
In school, after-school, summer
Community (over 4,300 reached in 2016)
Public films, lectures, BioBlitz, Open House
Stakeholders
Boston Harbor Habitat Coalition (57 organizations representing local/state/federal gov’t, academia, community organizations, science education centers)

19. Resources
Center for STEM Education – Broader impact resources: support/
National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators 2016:
NSF resources
2017 NSF Faculty Career Development Program Summary:
Broader Impacts – FAQs:
What NSF is looking for:
Video – Dr. Wanda Ward, NSF:
Examples from NSF:
Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects (2009):
Changing the Equation:
Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education:
Evaluating your program – CAISE:
Broader Impacts 2.0 (2013) – developed by COSEE Florida:
Broader Impacts Wizard - COSEE:
Broader Impacts Evaluation - COSEE:

21. Center for Advancing Teaching & Learning through Research (CATLR)
Programs, services, and resources:
Personalized consultations: educational components of grants; curricular development; learning sciences; STEM education
Workshops and programs
Online course design
Print and electronic resources

22. CATLR Examples of support: CATLR’s programs and resources
Strategies for enhancing underrepresented student pathways & retention in STEM
Consultations on STEM education evaluation instruments that can be used to measure student outcomes.
Curricular transformation
Communicating Your Research in the Classroom Workshop Series
Implicit Bias workshops
TA training and PhD student professional development

24. Our Panelists: Penny Beuning, Associate Professor, Chemistry
 CAREER Award (BIO:MCB 2009) “CAREER: Biomolecular Interactions that Regulate the Cellular Response to DNA Damage”
Research Focus: The interests of Professor Beuning’s lab are to understand cellular responses to DNA damage.
Matthew Eckelman, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
CAREER Award (ENG:CBET 2015) “Building Chemical Synthesis Networks for Life Cycle Hazard Modeling”
Research Focus: Environmental engineering and sustainability; life cycle assessment; energy efficiency and emissions modeling; environmental assessment of bio and nanomaterials; material and energy use in urban buildings and infrastructure
Yongmin Liu, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
CAREER Award (MPS:DMR 2017) “Spin Plasmonics for Ultrafast All-Optical Manipulation of Magnetization in Hybrid Metal-Ferromagnet Structures”
Research Focus: Nano optics, nanoscale materials and engineering, nano devices, plasmonics, metamaterials, and applied physics

26. CAREER Workshop Yongmin Liu
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
May 17, 2017

27. My CAREER Experience
Submitted twice, and received CAREER early this year from Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) Program, Division of Materials Research (DMR).
The topic of my CAREER project is to use light only to control magnetic properties of engineered materials, with potential applications in high-rate and high-capacity data storage.
Submission timeline:
1st Year
2nd Year
3rd Year
4th Year
5th Year
6th Year x
Plan 3 submissions in the first 4 years

28. My CAREER Experience (cont’d)
My 1st submission focused on a topic that I have accumulated strong expertise and track record.
My 2nd submission involved magnetic materials, a completely new area to me.
Use sufficient preliminary data, and collaboration letters to convince the reviewers.

29. CAREER Proposal for Lifelong Development
CAREER proposal is “a well-argued and specific proposal for activities that will, over a 5-year period, build a firm foundation for a lifetime of contributions to research and education”.
It has a much broader perspective/scope than regular NSF research proposal.

30. Broader Impacts
My project focused mostly on optical/magnetic material properties, while I connected it to data storage, memory and computational devices for applications such as web search engines and online commerce.
I covered typical education and outreach activities, including Building Bridges program, new course developments, sharing results on website, etc., which are integrated with research.
One special component is SPIE Education Outreach Grant.

31. Some Advice to Share
Talk and meet with program directors, and identify your home program.
Addend workshop, including NSF-sponsored CAREER workshop.
Plan and start it early.
Ask feedback from your friends and colleagues, either in or out of your field.

33. Resources: RFP: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17537/nsf17537.htm
NSF Q&A:
CAREER Contacts:
NSF CAREER Program Webinar (May 22):