Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 575
Apply for 11 575
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041 Engineering Grants 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47.050 Geosciences 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 47.078 Polar Programs 47.079 Office of International Science and Engineering 47.080 Office of Cyberinfrastructure 47.081 Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2012 and posted on Aug 25, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 29, 2012 Full Proposal Deadline(s) First Monday in December, Annually. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following Non profit, non academic organizations Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities. Universities and Colleges Universities and two and four year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. Proposals may also be submitted by individuals who are unaffiliated or who are affiliated with for profit organizations, state or local governments or federal agencies. When applying as independent/unaffiliated individuals, Fellow applicants must register with FastLane prior to submitting their proposals and, if recommended for an award, must affiliate with a US university, college, or non profit, non academic organization, which administers the award. PI Limit The PI on the NSF SEES Fellows proposal must be the prospective Fellow. No co PIs are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) Fellows program is a National Science Foundation fellowship-style grant opportunity designed to support early-career researchers pursuing sustainability-focused work that meaningfully crosses disciplinary lines. The central goal is to enable new discoveries that can guide real-world actions on environmental, energy, and societal sustainability, while also helping build a workforce capable of tackling complex sustainability challenges. A defining feature of the program is its expectation that the Fellow will move beyond their primary training and gain substantive research experience in at least one area outside their core discipline, using a systems approach that connects scientific and engineering inquiry with economic growth and societal needs.
Projects are expected to be strongly interdisciplinary and organized around sustainability questions that cannot be solved within a single field. The proposal should reflect the Fellow's own research agenda and professional trajectory, but it must clearly articulate broader impacts on sustainability science, engineering, and education. Because sustainability challenges vary widely and disciplinary norms differ, NSF allows flexibility in the types of research and professional activities Fellows may propose, as long as the work is ambitious, integrative, and positioned to create value beyond academia.
A required component is a formal research partnership intended to broaden the scope and/or impact of the Fellow's work. The partnership can take many forms, including collaboration with an NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN), an NSF center or facility, industry, a national laboratory, or a state, regional, or local resource management agency. International partnerships are also encouraged as a way to connect Fellows to the broader global science and engineering community and to reflect the international nature of sustainability problems. These partnerships are not treated as optional add-ons; they are part of the program's design to ensure that Fellows build bridges between disciplines and between research and practice.
The mentoring structure is also prescribed: each Fellow must have two mentors, one tied to the primary research at the host institution (the organization that will administer the award) and another tied to the research partnership. The mentors may be at the same institution, but they should not be from the same discipline, reinforcing the program's emphasis on cross-boundary training and guidance. The Fellow is the sole Principal Investigator (PI) on the proposal, and co-PIs are not permitted, emphasizing that the award is centered on the individual's development and leadership.
Beyond research, Fellows are expected to devote time to a professional development activity that advances sustainability-related capacity or engagement. Examples include activities that broaden participation of underrepresented groups in sustainability science, education-focused efforts, or public engagement projects. Fellows may also propose teaching experience, such as leading and teaching a course at the undergraduate or graduate level, but only if the teaching is financially supported by the teaching institution. Teaching is capped at one course per semester and no more than two courses over the entire award period, a limit meant to protect time for research, collaboration, and the required professional development work. If teaching is included, it is considered additional to (not a substitute for) the professional development activity, and in those cases awards can extend up to four years, though salary support from the SEES Fellows program is limited to a maximum total of three years.
In terms of scale and logistics, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11-575) was posted August 25, 2011, with an initial full proposal deadline of December 5, 2011, and subsequent deadlines set as the first Monday in December annually (the listing indicates a later closing date of August 29, 2012 and an archive date of October 19, 2012). NSF anticipated making around 20 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $6,000,000, and the program spans a wide range of NSF domains, reflected in the multiple CFDA listings across engineering, physical sciences, geosciences, computing, biology, social and economic sciences, education, polar programs, international activities, cyberinfrastructure, and EPSCoR. Cost sharing is not required.
Eligibility is broad and includes U.S.-based universities and colleges (including community colleges) accredited with a U.S. campus, and certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with research or education. Notably, proposals may also be submitted by individuals who are unaffiliated or affiliated with for-profit organizations, state or local governments, or federal agencies; however, if recommended for award, such individuals must affiliate with an eligible U.S. university, college, or non-profit non-academic organization to administer the grant. The opportunity also highlights NSF's family-friendly posture by encouraging Fellows who experience major life changes during the award (such as birth or adoption of a child or a death in the family) to discuss possible accommodations with the cognizant program officer.
Overall, SEES Fellows is structured as a career-development-plus-research award: it funds high-impact sustainability research that spans disciplines, requires a meaningful external partnership, provides dual-mentor support, and expects Fellows to contribute to education, inclusion, or public engagement, all while maintaining guardrails (like limits on teaching) to keep the Fellow's focus on research leadership and collaboration.
NSF SEES Fellows Program (NSF 11-575) FAQs
What is the NSF SEES Fellows program?
The Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) Fellows program is a National Science Foundation fellowship-style funding opportunity designed to support early-career researchers leading sustainability-focused work. It is structured as a career-development-plus-research award, emphasizing both high-impact research and professional growth.
What is the main goal of the program?
The central goal is to enable new discoveries that can guide real-world actions related to environmental, energy, and societal sustainability, while also helping build a workforce capable of addressing complex sustainability challenges.
What kinds of research does SEES Fellows support?
The program supports ambitious, integrative sustainability research that meaningfully crosses disciplinary lines and is organized around sustainability questions that cannot be solved within a single field. NSF indicates flexibility in the types of research and professional activities proposed, as long as the work is interdisciplinary, integrative, and positioned to create value beyond academia.
How interdisciplinary does the project need to be?
Interdisciplinarity is a defining expectation. The Fellow is expected to move beyond their primary training and gain substantive research experience in at least one area outside their core discipline, using a systems approach that connects scientific and engineering inquiry with economic growth and societal needs.
Does the proposal need to reflect the Fellow's own research agenda?
Yes. The proposal should reflect the Fellow's own research agenda and professional trajectory, while also clearly articulating broader impacts on sustainability science, engineering, and education.
What does NSF mean by a "systems approach" in this program?
Based on the program description, a systems approach is one that connects scientific and engineering inquiry with broader sustainability outcomes, including economic growth and societal needs, and helps link research to real-world actions.
Is a research partnership required?
Yes. A formal research partnership is a required component and is not treated as an optional add-on. The partnership is intended to broaden the scope and/or impact of the Fellow's work and to help build bridges between disciplines and between research and practice.
What types of organizations can serve as the research partnership?
The partnership can take many forms, including collaboration with an NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN), an NSF center or facility, industry, a national laboratory, or a state, regional, or local resource management agency.
Are international partnerships allowed or encouraged?
International partnerships are encouraged as a way to connect Fellows to the broader global science and engineering community and to reflect the international nature of sustainability problems.
How many mentors are required, and what are their roles?
Each Fellow must have two mentors: one tied to the primary research at the host institution (the organization that will administer the award) and another tied to the research partnership.
Can both mentors be at the same institution?
Yes. The mentors may be at the same institution, but they should not be from the same discipline. This reinforces the program's emphasis on cross-boundary training and guidance.
Who is listed as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the proposal?
The Fellow is the sole Principal Investigator (PI) on the proposal. Co-PIs are not permitted, emphasizing that the award is centered on the individual's development and leadership.
Are co-PIs allowed on SEES Fellows proposals?
No. The opportunity specifies that co-PIs are not permitted.
Is there a professional development requirement in addition to research?
Yes. Fellows are expected to devote time to a professional development activity that advances sustainability-related capacity or engagement.
What are examples of professional development activities?
Examples provided include activities that broaden participation of underrepresented groups in sustainability science, education-focused efforts, and public engagement projects.
Can a Fellow include teaching as part of the project?
Teaching experience may be proposed (for example, leading and teaching a course at the undergraduate or graduate level), but only if the teaching is financially supported by the teaching institution.
Are there limits on teaching during the award?
Yes. Teaching is capped at one course per semester and no more than two courses over the entire award period. This is intended to protect time for research, collaboration, and the required professional development work.
Can teaching replace the required professional development activity?
No. If teaching is included, it is considered additional to (not a substitute for) the professional development activity.
How long can a SEES Fellows award last?
The description indicates that if teaching is included, awards can extend up to four years, though salary support from the SEES Fellows program is limited to a maximum total of three years.
Is salary support available for the full award period?
Salary support from the SEES Fellows program is limited to a maximum total of three years, even in cases where the award period may extend up to four years when teaching is included.
Is cost sharing required?
No. The opportunity states that cost sharing is not required.
How many awards did NSF anticipate making, and what was the estimated total funding amount?
NSF anticipated making around 20 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $6,000,000.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 11-575.
When was this opportunity posted, and what were the deadlines mentioned?
The listing states it was posted on August 25, 2011, with an initial full proposal deadline of December 5, 2011. It also notes subsequent deadlines as the first Monday in December annually, and it lists a closing date of August 29, 2012 and an archive date of October 19, 2012.
What types of institutions are eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes U.S.-based universities and colleges (including community colleges) accredited with a U.S. campus. Certain non-profit, non-academic organizations are also eligible, such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with research or education.
Can individuals who are not currently at an eligible institution submit a proposal?
Yes. Proposals may be submitted by individuals who are unaffiliated or affiliated with for-profit organizations, state or local governments, or federal agencies. However, if recommended for award, such individuals must affiliate with an eligible U.S. university, college, or non-profit non-academic organization to administer the grant.
What is the "host institution" in this program?
The host institution is the organization that will administer the award. One of the two required mentors must be tied to the primary research at the host institution.
What NSF domains or fields does this program span?
The listing indicates the program spans a wide range of NSF domains, reflected in multiple CFDA listings across engineering, physical sciences, geosciences, computing, biology, social and economic sciences, education, polar programs, international activities, cyberinfrastructure, and EPSCoR.
How does the program emphasize broader impacts?
In addition to interdisciplinary sustainability research, the proposal must clearly articulate broader impacts on sustainability science, engineering, and education. The program also expects a professional development activity that advances sustainability-related capacity or engagement (such as education, broadening participation, or public engagement).
Does NSF mention any family-friendly accommodations?
Yes. The opportunity encourages Fellows who experience major life changes during the award (such as birth or adoption of a child or a death in the family) to discuss possible accommodations with the cognizant program officer.
Why does the program require both an external partnership and two mentors?
As described, these requirements are built into the program design to ensure Fellows build bridges between disciplines and between research and practice, and to provide cross-boundary training and guidance through mentors linked to both the host institution and the partnership.
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