1. Federal Funding and STEM Trends
Webinar Presentation
David Parkes, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Kathryn McGirk, Director of Grants & Federal Affairs, McAllister & Quinn
March 27, 2019

2. Agenda: Goals for Today
TODAY’S PRESENTATION GOALS
Agenda: Goals for Today
STEM Funding Landscape
Trends and Innovation
How Institutions of Higher Education Can Secure STEM Funding
McAllister & Quinn Experience
Question & Answer

3. Overview of Funding Landscape
David Parkes, AAAS

4. NSF Funding Overall boosts past two years
National Science Foundation
NSF Funding
Overall boosts past two years
→ At all time high $8.1 billion
Education Directorate (EHR) – stable funding
- Robert Noyce; STEM+C
- Advancing Informal STEM Learning; HBCUs
- 2,000 new GRFP fellows annually since 2011
Targeted increases for select STEM programs:
- Cybercorps: Scholarship for Service
- Improving Undergraduate STEM Ed
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions
10 Big Ideas ramping up
- NSF INCLUDES

5. NIH Funding $2b (minimum) boosts past 4 cycles
National Institutes of Health
NIH Funding
$2b (minimum) boosts past 4 cycles
→ Driven by 21st Century Cures Act
Major initiatives: (FY19)
- Alzheimer’s………………….$2.3b
- Opioids Research…………$1.3b
- Antibiotic Resistance……$550m
- BRAIN Initiative…………...$429m
- Cancer Moonshot………..$400m
- Precision Medicine………$376m
Next Generation Researchers Initiative
Launched in 2017 to support early-career scientists
Examines workforce needs/diversity

6. Other STEM Agencies NASA – Office of Education (‘STEM Engagement’)
- Recent upticks for NASA Space Grant and EPSCoR Program
- Increase for Education/Public Outreach activities administered by Astrophysics Division
Dept. of Defense
- Recent boosts for National Defense Education Program: $54m (FY16) → $136m (FY19)
- New Manufacturing Engineering Education Program
Nat’l Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Moderate growth for Sea Grant College Program
- Sustained funding for Office of Education
Dept. of Energy
- Steady funding for Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists Program

7. FY20 Budget Request Proposes large cuts to science (again)
NSF grants drop by at least 11%
NIH grants drop by nearly a third
Nondefense R&D ↓$12.7b (16%)
Basic research ↓11.2%
Repeated calls to eliminate:
NASA’s Office of Education
NOAA Sea Grant
Bottom Line: President proposes, Congress disposes

8. Looking Ahead… Budget caps debates heating up in Congress
6/10/2019
Looking Ahead…
Budget caps debates heating up in Congress
Final two years sequestration
Discretionary spending↓10% in FY20
Debt ceiling deadline looming
New House leadership
Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY)
→ Principle of ‘parity’
Project coordinator – can be FT; can be paid by other sources for other .25
Other topics covered more depth later in webinar
Appropriations Subcommittee
House Chair
Senate Chair
Commerce, Justice, Science
José Serrano (D-NY)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Labor, Health, Human Services
Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)

9. Questions? David Parkes E: dparkes@aaas.org T: 202.326.6667W:

10. STEM Trends and Innovation
Kathryn McGirk, McAllister & Quinn

11. Innovation Identified at the Federal Level
STEM Trends and Innovation
6/10/2019
Innovation Identified at the Federal Level
White House report by National Science and Technology Council
Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy
Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM
Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future
NSF FY 2020 Budget Request to Congress
10 Big Ideas for Enabling Research
NIH FY 2020 Budget Request to Congress
Developing Transformative Tools and Technology
Basic Science to Clinical Breakthroughs
Exploring the Next Frontier in Biomedical Research
Encouraged to include other partners – will discuss later

12. Agency Level Priorities Carried Out
STEM Trends and Innovation
6/10/2019
Agency Level Priorities Carried Out
Program officers will look for alignment with federal, agency, and solicitation priorities
Proposals that address priorities tend to score better
Dear colleague letters for supplemental funding
Solicitations can be revised to reflect agency and federal priorities
Will discuss more about compensation in budget section

13. The National Science Foundation
Kathryn McGirk, McAllister & Quinn

14. NSF Funds STEM Projects
STEM Trends and Innovation
6/10/2019
NSF Funds STEM Projects
NSF is the #1 federal funder of STEM projects
Awardees range from R1 institutions to small 4-year colleges
Will offer tips for training later and discuss training and TA in budget

15. Official NSF Review Criteria
STEM Trends and Innovation
6/10/2019
Official NSF Review Criteria
Intellectual Merit:
Importance of topic
Qualifications
Creativity & originality
Transformative
Conception & organization
Access to resources
Broader Impacts:
Training
Mentoring
Diversity
Infrastructure
Dissemination/Public awareness
Societal Benefit
Knowledge Generation:
Research that generates feedback loop
Cross- cutting studies
Identifes needs for additional exploration
Will discuss more about compensation in budget section

16. STEM Trends and Innovation
NSF 10 Big Ideas
NSF continues to invest in its 10 Big Ideas. These efforts endeavor to break down the silos of conventional scientific research funded by NSF to embrace the cross-disciplinary and dynamic nature of the science of the future.
Harnessing the Data Revolution for 21st-Century Science and Engineering (HDR)
The Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier (FW- HTF)
Windows on the Universe (WoU): The Era of Multi-messenger Astrophysics
The Quantum Leap (QL): Leading the Next Quantum Revolution
Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL): Predicting Phenotype
Navigating the New Arctic (NNA)
NSF INCLUDES
Growing Convergence Research at NSF (GCR)
Mid-scale Research Infrastructure
NSF 2026 Fund

17. Tips for Institutions of Higher Education Pursuing STEM Funding
Kathryn McGirk, McAllister & Quinn

18. Resources Utilize internal resources for literature review
STEM Trends and Innovation
6/10/2019
Resources
Utilize internal resources for literature review
How to research funded projects
NSF award search
NIH REPORTER
USA Spending
Conferences or workshops for faculty
NCURA and NORDP
Serve as reviewer or panelist
Encouraged to include other partners – will discuss later

19. How Institutions of Higher Education Can Secure STEM Funding
Read the solicitation and research what has been previously funded
Talk to a program officer
Get feedback from colleagues or mentors
Establish feasibility (pilot studies)
Suggest reviewers or evaluators
Resubmit! Keep in mind that funding rates are ~ 20%
Remember the review criteria and process

20. McAllister & Quinn Experience
Kathryn McGirk, Director of Grants & Federal Affairs

21. McAllister & Quinn History: STEM Grants
Working with M&Q
McAllister & Quinn History: STEM Grants
McAllister & Quinn has been writing successful applications for Colleges and Universities and has:
Secured more than $450 million in federal and foundation funding
Created an archive of previously-funded proposals and templates
Expertise within our grant writer network to write highly-competitive STEM proposals
Expertise among our Directors and Managing Directors

22. Questions?