NSF International Funding Opportunities
Compiled by Jim Foley
November 2005
This material is abstracted from the NSF Office of International
Science and Engineering web site, http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?org=OISE. My
goal is to give a fast-to-read overview of funding opportunities. If a program looks interesting, please take a
look at the full description on the nsf web site.
I have added italics and bold
italics to highlight points of particular import, my comments start
with JDF
Note.
Excerpts: “Dear Colleague” letter from
Director of NSF Office of International Science and Engineering
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04034/nsf04034.htm
Dear Colleague:
OISE’s portfolio of activities will employ three approaches to enable
international collaboration: supporting planning
visits and workshops that are likely to be catalytic and lead to innovative
international projects; providing international
research opportunities for U.S. students and early-career scientists and
engineers; and supporting
international partnerships with larger, longer-term awards in which research
and educational activities build on institutional strengths to provide an
international collaborative experience that can involve U.S. researchers at all
career levels.
The new portfolio of OISE activities will include the following:
1 Planning Visits and Workshops: A new
solicitation, International Research and Education: Planning Visits and
Workshops (NSF 04-035), invites proposals for
workshops and planning visits that are catalytic and may lead to innovative
international partnerships, training activities or collaborative research
that could be funded by OISE and/or by NSF research directorates.
2 Global Scientists and Engineers: OISE
supports a set of activities designed to provide international research and
education experience for U.S. students and early-career scientists and
engineers. They include:
a Developing
Global Scientists and Engineers (NSF 04-036), invites proposals to provide international research experiences for
small groups of undergraduates and/or
graduate students and for enhancement
of doctoral dissertation research.
b Research
Experience for Undergraduates (REU) (NSF 04-584), an NSF-wide activity, which can support international REU Sites or
add international dimensions to domestic activities.
c East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for
U.S. Graduate Students (NSF 03-608), an 8-week program that introduces students to East Asia and Pacific
science and engineering within a research context and provides personal
contacts on which to build future collaborations.
d Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes (NSF 03-506), 2-4 week courses that disseminate advanced knowledge and stimulate
cooperation among researchers of the Americas in engineering and in the
mathematical, physical, and biological sciences.
e International
Research Postdoctoral Fellowships (NSF 02-149), which provide support for post-doctoral
researchers or young faculty to conduct international research in any
discipline that NSF funds.
3
Partnerships for International Research and
Education: This new program,
planned to begin in FY2005 and subject to availability of funds, will invite
proposals in which long-term
international research and educational activities build on institutional
strengths to provide an international collaborative experience that can
involve U.S. researchers at all levels. JDF Note – I am told by those who
should know that this program WILL be continued.
OISE, in partnership with NSF’s research directorates, will also
continue to support international collaboration across the full range of NSF’s
disciplinary programs and priority areas. Researchers may either include an
international dimension in their proposals to these programs, or request
supplementary funding to active awards for international activities by
contacting the managing program officer for their award.
Kerri-Ann Jones, Ph.D.
Director, Office of International Science and Engineering
JDF Note
CISE regularly supports international collaboration add-ons to new
proposals and to currently-funded projects. Ask you program director!!
1. Planning Visits and Workshops
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12815
SYNOPSIS
This solicitation describes International Planning Visit/Workshop
awards to support the early phases of developing and coordinating a research and
education activity with a foreign partner(s).
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
This program provides educational opportunities for Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows. This program provides indirect
funding for students at this level or focuses on educational developments for
this group such as curricula development, training or retention.
JDF Note
Awards typically 50K.
2a. Developing Global Scientists and
Engineers
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12831&org=OISE&from=home
DUE DATES
Full Proposal Target Date: February 15, 2006
International Research Experiences for Students (IRES)
Full Proposal Target Date: September 15, 2006
International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) activities for
the subsequent summer
No deadlines apply for Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects
(DDEP); such proposals can be submitted at any time.
JDF Note
International
Research Experiences for Students (IRES): $800,000
to fund up to 10 awards;
Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects (DDEP): $100,000 to fund up to 10 awards.
SYNOPSIS
One of the focal areas of OISE activity will be providing international
research and education experiences for U.S.
students and junior researchers. This solicitation addresses opportunities
for international research and education for early career stages of scientists
and engineers, i.e., as undergraduates and graduate students.
This solicitation describes support for International Research
Experiences for Students (IRES) at the undergraduate and graduate level and
support for Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects (DDEP). The goal of
these activities, and the related activities described below, is to build a
more inclusive and globally-engaged workforce that fully reflects the strength
of our diverse population.
2c. East Asia and Pacific Summer
Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5284&org=OISE&from=home
DUE DATES
Full Proposal Deadline Date: December 13, 2005
SYNOPSIS
The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) provide U.S. graduate students in science and
engineering 1) first-hand research experience in Australia, China, Japan,
Korea, or Taiwan; 2) an introduction to the science and science policy
infrastructure of the respective location; and 3) orientation to the society,
culture and language. The primary goals of EAPSI are to introduce students to
East Asia and Pacific science and engineering in the context of a research
laboratory, and to initiate personal relationships that will better enable them
to collaborate with foreign counterparts in the future. The institutes last
approximately eight weeks from June to
August. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) co-sponsor the Summer
Institute in Japan.
JDF Note
Five CoC students have done this in 2003-05: Justin Jang, Julie Kientz, Shwetak Patel,
Quan Tran, and Mike Terry.
2e. International Research Postdoctoral
Fellowship Program (IRFP)
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5179
DUE DATES
Full Proposal Deadline Date: September 12, 2006, annually
thereafter
SYNOPSIS
The objective of the International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP)
is to introduce scientists and engineers
in the early stages of their careers to research opportunities abroad,
thereby furthering NSF's goal of creating a diverse, competitive, and
globally-engaged U.S. workforce of scientists, engineers, technologists and
well-prepared citizens. These awards are available in any field of science and
engineering research and education supported by NSF.
IRFP aims to provide an international experience to those individuals
who have never had one previously. Consequently, those applicants who already
have international research experience and/or are currently working at the
foreign host institution must justify why they should receive fellowship
consideration. Applicants who received their Ph.D. at a foreign institution
will be given lower priority. Also, priority
will be given to those applicants who are not currently in a tenure-track
position. Therefore, where reviews and ranking are equal, those with no
previous international experience and/or those who have not yet secured a
tenure-track position, will take precedence.
JDF Note
This is a good program for your students who are just graduating before
they settle into a faculty or research job.
Encourage them to apply to go to a place where you are collaborating or
want to collaborate.
3. Partnerships
for International Research and Education
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12819
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
In 2005, PIRE was run as a one-time, pilot competition. The abstracts
for PIRE awards made thus far are available below.
OISE hopes to run the program again in the near future.
JDF Note
Funding was about 500K per
award, 10 awards. I am told that this program WILL be continued.
DUE DATES
Currently Funded, but No Longer
Receiving Proposals.
SYNOPSIS
Partnerships for International Research and Education will enable U.S.
institutions to establish collaborative relationships with foreign groups or
institutions in order to advance specific research and education objectives and
to make possible a research effort that neither side could accomplish on its
own. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in U.S.
institutions by establishing innovative new models for international
collaborative research and education. It is also intended to facilitate greater
variety in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the
development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering
workforce.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
This program provides educational opportunities for Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows. This program supports institutions which may provide support to individuals at those institutions. To inquire about opportunities in this program, contact one of the awarded institutions, available by clicking on the Awards link.