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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is this NSF funding opportunity about?

This opportunity, offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), supports research in the Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP). The focus is on building rigorous evidence, theories, methods, models, and data that help explain, measure, and predict how investments in science and engineering research translate into real-world outcomes (economic, social, and other tangible or intangible returns).

What is SciSIP (Science of Science and Innovation Policy)?

SciSIP is a field of research aimed at understanding how scientific discovery and technological innovation happen, how research systems function, and how research and development (R and D) investments produce outcomes. The program emphasizes moving beyond anecdotal claims by supporting validated approaches that can inform decision-making in both public and private sectors.

What kinds of outcomes or "returns" does the program care about?

The solicitation highlights outcomes that can include economic benefits, social impacts, and other tangible and intangible returns from science and engineering research investments. It is concerned with both understanding past returns (retrospective analysis) and developing approaches that can forecast likely future returns (prospective analysis).

Does the program support retrospective evaluation, prospective forecasting, or both?

Both. NSF explicitly emphasizes retrospective analysis (evaluating what payoffs past investments produced) and prospective analysis (developing approaches that can reasonably forecast likely returns of future investments within acceptable margins of error), including consideration of unintended consequences as well as benefits.

What research topics fit within the scope of this opportunity?

The scope is broad and can include research on micro-level mechanisms (such as processes influencing idea formation) and macro-level influences (such as institutional design, funding structures, collaboration networks, and national or international policy contexts). The common thread is improving understanding of environments and processes that shape scientific discovery and technological innovation.

What are the main activity aims NSF describes for this program?

NSF frames the work around four broad aims: (1) building usable theories and knowledge about creative processes and how they translate into social and economic outcomes, (2) developing and improving models and analytical tools that decision-makers can apply in science policy settings, (3) advancing science metrics, datasets, and associated analytic methods, and (4) growing a cross-disciplinary community of experts who can sustain this line of research.

What does NSF mean by "science metrics" in this solicitation?

In this solicitation, "science metrics" are quantitative indicators that summarize the size, scope, quality, and impact of science and engineering activities, with particular attention to inputs and outputs of the broader science, technology, and innovation system.

Why does this program emphasize metrics and data?

The solicitation notes a practical need for stronger measures to evaluate performance, compare approaches, understand innovation pathways, and design better workforce training and education aligned with how discovery and innovation happen. Data, metrics, and analytic methods are positioned as core infrastructure for credible evaluation and forecasting.

What were the FY 2009 emphasis areas?

For the FY 2009 competition, NSF highlighted three emphasis areas: Analytical Tools, Model Building, and Data Development and Augmentation.

What types of projects fall under the "Analytical Tools" emphasis area?

Analytical Tools projects would typically develop or refine methods for analyzing complex science and innovation systems. Examples mentioned include tools for assessing impacts, mapping collaboration networks, and visualizing large datasets about research activities and knowledge flows.

What types of projects fall under the "Model Building" emphasis area?

Model Building projects focus on creating or improving explanatory and predictive models of how research investments lead to outcomes. The solicitation notes potential attention to feedback loops, time lags, uncertainty, spillovers, and differences across fields or sectors.

What types of projects fall under "Data Development and Augmentation"?

Data Development and Augmentation projects emphasize creating new datasets, enhancing existing data resources, improving data linkages, or developing better measurement approaches that support more credible evaluation and forecasting.

What kinds of systems or relationships does NSF want projects to be able to handle?

NSF signals interest in approaches that can handle complex relationships and networks, and in work that clarifies how ideas propagate across levels ranging from individuals and organizations to regions and nations.

What are the solicitation's "demonstration projects" and what are they focused on?

The solicitation specially encourages demonstration projects focused on collecting and analyzing data about knowledge generation and innovation inside organizations. These projects are expected to propose creative, scientifically grounded approaches to observing and measuring innovation processes within organizations, while also addressing practical implementation issues.

What requirements did NSF call out for demonstration-oriented organizational data efforts?

NSF highlights three specific requirements: (1) scalability and sustainability (whether the approach can grow and be maintained over time), (2) protection of confidentiality (particularly important when building computerized databases that may be widely accessible), and (3) clear evaluation and assessment plans to track progress toward the project’s scientific objectives.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this program?

The program is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 08-586 and is associated with CFDA 47.075 (Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences).

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

NSF anticipated making about 20 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $8,000,000.

What is the expected award size range?

Individual awards were expected to range from $50,000 (floor) up to $750,000 (ceiling).

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The solicitation states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Who is eligible to apply as the lead applicant?

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based, accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities (including community colleges) and U.S. nonprofit organizations applying on behalf of their faculty or staff.

Are individuals allowed to apply directly?

No. Proposals from individuals were not accepted as lead applications under this solicitation.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply as the lead applicant?

No. For-profit organizations were not accepted as lead applicants. However, the solicitation allows participation by private sector research firms through subawards or consultant arrangements under an eligible lead organization.

Are foreign organizations eligible to apply as the lead applicant?

No. Foreign organizations were not accepted as lead applicants. The solicitation notes, however, that researchers from foreign universities may participate through subawards or as consultants under an eligible U.S. lead organization.

Can national laboratories, consultants, or private research firms participate in a project?

Yes, they may participate if included through subawards or as consultants under an eligible lead organization. The solicitation explicitly notes participation can include otherwise ineligible entities such as foreign universities, private sector research firms, consultants, and national laboratories in those roles.

How does the solicitation define "senior personnel" for proposal purposes?

"Senior personnel" includes the PI, co-PIs, and others who have active scientific or technical management roles. It excludes students, postdoctoral researchers, and limited-scope consultants.

When was the solicitation posted and what deadlines are mentioned?

The solicitation was posted March 4, 2009. It lists deadlines as December 16, 2008 and December 16 annually thereafter, but the record also indicates the opportunity was later archived and replaced.

Was this solicitation archived or replaced?

Yes. The record indicates it was archived and replaced (noted as replaced by PD 09-7626), with an archive date of July 15, 2009.

What is the overall purpose or long-term intent of this program?

The opportunity is designed to strengthen and professionalize the evidence base behind science and innovation policy by funding theory development, metrics, data infrastructure, and analytic capabilities needed to understand and forecast returns on research investments, while building a durable cross-disciplinary research community.