Penn Resources for Writing NSF Grants: Making the best of your Broader Impacts statement Graduate Student Center Grant Conference Day October 4, 2013 Kristen M. Coakley, Ph.D. Assistant Director Science Outreach Initiative
What is the Science Outreach Initiative? Society/Government:
Scientists: Understand technologies and practices Based on research and internal communications
Make decisions on policies/budgets
OUTREACH
Based on history/personal experience/public media
The Science Outreach Initiative serves faculty and other researchers in the School of Arts and Sciences by helping them develop outreach program ideas and proposals, locating potential partners, and promoting information and resource exchange among all of Penn’s STEM outreach programs.
NSF Proposals All NSF Proposals REQUIRE justification of “intellectual merit” and a “Broader Impacts Statement” All reviewers are supposed to comment on both the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts of a proposal during their review. Some pre-doctoral NSF Fellowships that may be available to you: NSF GRFP – various deadlines in early November NSF Dissertation Improvement grant – ?? Rumor has it that NIH may start switching to this format as well…
What is a Broader Impacts Statement? 1. Intellectual Merit 2. Broader Impacts ● How well does the activity: • advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning?
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enhance infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
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broaden the participation of underrepresented groups?
Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the activity to society?
Why, Oh Why, Do I have to Write One?? Two reasons. Take what motivates you: If you get funded, EVERYONE WINS! This is an opportunity to improve science education and the FUTURE of science funding simply by including an outreach effort in your science research grant
Funding is TIGHT! Given the choice between proposals with equally strong science, the one the with stronger Broader Impacts statement will probably be funded.
True Story. “I don’t know. I just talked about my research and made some vague statements about what what I might do with it in the future.” -Anonymous Student re: his NSF proposal
Don’t be this guy.
Fear not! The SOI is here to help! We offer the following: • Brainstorming sessions and outreach connections at Penn Come talk to us about your ideas and ask us for more ideas! • Reference materials and websites Why re-invent the wheel? Come ask us for the sources you need! • Proofreading/editing services Have us look things over before you hit “submit”! • Examples of successful Broader Impacts Statements (coming soon!)
We DO NOT write the grant/statement for you.
(sorry!)
Departments Covered by Science Outreach Initiative: Physics and Astronomy Chemistry Earth and Environment Linguistics Biology Psychology Mathematics
Contact: Jane Horwitz, Director janeh@sas.upenn.edu
Contact: Kristen Coakley, Asst. Director kcoakley@sas.upenn.edu
Other SAS? Come talk to us! Not part of SAS? We can probably point you in the right direction!
A Good Place to Start
Use the Matrix as a starting point‌
You can customize the search based on your own research!
What can I expect from my meetings with the SOI? Step 1: You email us at least ONE MONTH ahead of your deadline (please) Step 2: We send you a handy worksheet that can help you start Step 3: We have a meeting to discuss your ideas and offer others Step 4: You write up your initial draft using what YOU would like Step 5: We share thoughts on your draft as many times as you would like Step 6: Submit the best Broader Impacts statement that you can!
Step 7: I got funded! Can you help me?
YES! SOI Can Help You: • connect with your target audience • aid in development of specific activities/programs based on your proposal • perform and analyze evaluation of your outreach efforts
Thank You!
Now What? Come talk to me!
Kristen Coakley, Assistant Director Office: David Rittenhouse Laboratory (DRL) 2N14 Corner of 33rd Street and Walnut Street Email: kcoakley@sas.upenn.edu Phone: 8-4894 General Schedule: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm Friday by email/Skype And/or visit our website: www.sas.upenn.edu/STEMoutreach But really, you should come meet with me in person. It’ll be fun! There’s candy in my office.