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SEES Fellows (NSF 12-601) FAQs

What is the NSF SEES Fellows opportunity (NSF 12-601)?

The NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) Fellows opportunity (NSF 12-601) was a discretionary National Science Foundation grant program designed to support early-career researchers. Its purpose was to advance research that helps society make better environmental and economic sustainability decisions while also strengthening the workforce needed to address sustainability challenges.

What was the main goal of the SEES Fellows program?

The program aimed to fund fellows whose work connects science and engineering advances to real-world sustainability outcomes, including human well-being. NSF emphasized producing knowledge and tools useful beyond the laboratory and building bridges between academic research, economic growth, and broader societal needs.

What kind of research did SEES Fellows prioritize?

SEES Fellows prioritized interdisciplinary, systems-oriented research on sustainability challenges. Proposals were expected to treat sustainability problems as complex systems involving interacting environmental, technological, economic, and social factors.

Does the program require interdisciplinary work?

Yes. A defining feature of SEES Fellows was its insistence on crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries. The fellow was expected to stretch beyond their existing core expertise and use the fellowship to gain new research experience in additional fields or methods.

Could an applicant propose work that is simply an extension of their dissertation?

The opportunity indicated that the proposed project could not simply be an extension of the applicant's dissertation topic within the same discipline. Instead, it needed to show a credible expansion into new intellectual territory and explain how that expansion improves the ability to address sustainability problems at a systems level.

What did NSF mean by "systems-oriented" sustainability research?

Based on the program description, systems-oriented research meant addressing sustainability challenges in a way that accounts for multiple interacting dimensions (environmental, technological, economic, and social) rather than treating the problem as a narrow, single-discipline question.

Were research partnerships part of the program expectations?

Yes. Fellows were required to build research partnerships intended to broaden the reach and impact of the work. These partnerships were meant to strengthen the proposed research, expand its scope, and help translate findings into settings where they can matter.

What types of partnerships were encouraged?

The opportunity described partnerships that could involve collaboration across departments, institutions, or sectors, including stakeholder-facing organizations. The core idea was to broaden scope and improve the ability to translate research into real-world contexts.

Was a professional development plan required?

Yes. Alongside the research plan, applicants had to provide a professional development plan focused on sustainability science and engineering. NSF looked for a clear roadmap for how the fellow would grow into an interdisciplinary sustainability researcher, including training, mentoring, and/or experiential opportunities.

How many awards did NSF anticipate making and what was the total funding level?

NSF anticipated making about 20 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $7,000,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

What was the funding activity category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category was listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Was the program limited to one NSF discipline or directorate?

No. The opportunity was described as relevant across a wide set of NSF disciplines. The CFDA listings referenced directorates and offices including Engineering; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Geosciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Biological Sciences; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences; Education and Human Resources; Polar Programs; and several NSF-wide offices (including international science, cyberinfrastructure, and EPSCoR).

Who was eligible to apply as the fellow?

Eligibility was centered on the individual fellow. The prospective fellow had to be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident, and must have earned a doctoral degree (or expect to have earned it) by the award start date.

Could the fellow have co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs)?

No. The fellow had to serve as the sole Principal Investigator; no co-PIs were allowed.

What career stage did the program target?

The program targeted researchers in the earliest post-PhD stage. Applicants could not have worked more than 36 full-time-equivalent months in positions requiring the doctoral degree.

How did the 36-month postdoctoral work limit apply?

The opportunity stated that applicants could not have worked more than 36 full-time-equivalent months in positions requiring the doctoral degree. If more than 36 months had elapsed since the PhD conferral date, the applicant had to include specific affirming language in the biographical sketch to demonstrate the 36-month postdoctoral work limit was still met.

Were tenure-track faculty eligible?

No. Applicants could not be employed in a tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position at an academic institution.

Were tenure-track-equivalent roles at non-profit, non-degree-granting organizations allowed?

No. The opportunity also excluded applicants in a tenure-track-equivalent role at a non-profit, non-degree-granting organization such as a museum, observatory, or research lab.

What kinds of organizations could submit proposals?

Proposals could be submitted by U.S. universities and accredited two- or four-year colleges (including community colleges) acting on behalf of their faculty members. Eligible non-profit, non-academic organizations could also submit, including independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies tied to research or education activities.

Could unaffiliated individuals submit an application?

Yes. The program allowed submissions by individuals who were unaffiliated (and also noted individuals affiliated with for-profit organizations, state or local governments, or federal agencies). If applying as an independent/unaffiliated individual, the fellow had to register in NSF FastLane before submission.

If an unaffiliated individual was selected, how would the award be administered?

If selected for funding, an independent/unaffiliated fellow would need to affiliate with an eligible U.S. university, college, or qualifying non-profit non-academic organization to administer the award.

When was the opportunity originally posted and what were the deadlines?

The opportunity was originally posted on August 28, 2012, with an original closing date of November 26, 2012. A subsequent deadline was listed as November 21, 2013, and the program indicated a recurring deadline pattern of the third Thursday in November annually thereafter.

Is NSF 12-601 still an active funding opportunity?

No. The opportunity is archived and was replaced by NSF 13-595. The archive date was September 19, 2013.

Where did NSF direct applicants to find full announcement details?

NSF directed applicants to NSF Publication 12-601 for the full announcement details.

What support was mentioned for access or submission issues?

The opportunity referenced grants.gov support contact pathways for access issues.

What was NSF looking for in a strong SEES Fellows application?

SEES Fellows was positioned as a high-impact early-career fellowship mechanism for researchers who could demonstrate: (1) a compelling sustainability-focused research question, (2) a credible interdisciplinary plan that expands expertise beyond a single discipline, and (3) intentional partnerships and professional development activities that increase the likelihood the work will influence real-world sustainability outcomes.