Being a National Science Foundation Program Officer, guest Mary Lee Ledbetter, Part 1
One of my long-time friends in science, Mary Lee Ledbetter, professor of cell biology at Holy Cross, has gone to the National Science Foundation and become a Program Officer there. I've been seeking someone who would post here about that position and answer some questions for those considering it, and she agreed to do it. I am going to post her contribution in two parts, one today and one later this week. Here are her thoughts on being a program officer:
Anyone who has held a grant from the National Science Foundation has encountered the Program Officer (or Program Director). Often faceless names who ask for periodic progress reports or approve changes in the budget or the duration of the grant (or who sometimes allow supplemental funding to pursue a special opportunity in the project), the job may not seem like a whole lot of fun. Appearances can be deceiving, however. Applicants (henceforth PIs) who have not contacted the PO of the program to which they are preparing an application may miss the chance to get helpful tips or feedback on the general idea of the proposal. In that way a program officer functions for a PI much like an academic advisor for an undergraduate student: if the student doesn't come to office hours, s/he misses out on the chance to benefit from the informal interaction.
What does a typical PO do on a daily basis?
Depending on the division of NSF, you may be assigned to a single program or multiple programs. Depending on the work load, you may be able to pursue special interests in science policy, e.g. international collaborations or cross-cutting programs such as climate change. For each program to which you are assigned, you screen proposals as they arrive, assign them to review panels, identify and invite appropriate reviewers/panelists, consider the reviews and the merits of the proposals along with any important criticisms, and make a recommendation as to whether the project should be funded. Other tasks include managing the portfolio of grants already funded (some of which may be inherited from a predecessor), updating the "solicitation" for the program, meeting with colleagues who may also be assigned to the program, and ensuring that your decisions and actions are consistent with NSF policy.
A word about the solicitation: Until I arrived at NSF, I had no idea how important that document is. It is the legally binding description of the program, ranging from the loftiest goals and hopes for successful projects down to the nitty-gritty of budget limitations, cost-sharing requirements, permissible expenditures, and details about the form of application. There may even be additional review criteria or areas of particular interest to NSF. Some colleagues are particularly distressed when a caller has not read the solicitation before asking questions. On the other hand, not all solicitations are easy reading, especially for the scientist choosing to prepare a proposal. In revising solicitations, usually every two or three years, we try to offer examples illustrating the intent of some of the rules, but those can sometimes be misunderstood as limiting the range of suitable projects.
In "spare time" program officers are expected to continue to read in their scientific field and in areas of interest to their program. The NSF has a well provided library and excellent service from a team of librarians, who can help not only find particular journal articles, but also search data bases and help find specialized reviewers. Some programs are managed cooperatively by several different units within NSF, so those require attention to communication and cooperation as well as paying close attention to the financial implications and responsibilities of the cooperating entities. And every week there are presentations ranging from public lectures by eminent visiting scientists, to town hall meetings about changes in policy, to brown bag gatherings on areas of mutual interest.
I had not realized how many opportunities there are for travel. Program officers are frequently invited to make presentations to regional gatherings of potential applicants or to meetings of professional societies, in order to encourage and prepare scientists to avail themselves of funding opportunities. Ordinarily the travel is domestic, but if an important scientific meeting is being held abroad and it is in NSF's interest to have a representative there, you could be given the opportunity to see the world. Some program officers have even visited the NSF installations in Antarctica!
Being a Program Officer at NSF sounds like a very rewarding experience. I have always loved working to promote STEM awareness among highschool and undergraduate students, especially women and minorities. I am planning to apply for my first Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science Technology, Engineering & Math (TUES) grants next year to enhance STEM awareness and technology at the institution where I currently teach.
Hi all,
Mary Lee had issues with posting here to answer your questions and our tech help could not overcome them all, so she emailed me a response. Please check it out, now posted under her Part 2, especially Kelly.
cheers,
Laura
Hi Mary Lee,
I have never had grants from the NSF, but I think this position would be really interesting. Would NSF consider bringing in a scientist who was funded by a few foundation grants and her own institution? My research is not very expensive and I haven't needed to get a government grant for it.
sincerely,
Kelly
Hi FBP and Emily,
I think you'll find information relating to your questions in the second half of Mary Lee's comments, which will post later this week. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Laura
Hi Laura and Mary Lee,
I might be interested at some point, probably a bit farther down the road. I appreciate the information about what a program officer would do. I would probably like to be in DUE rather than in the Biology Directorate. It sounds like you need to be a real multi-tasker to do well in this position, and I think I am. Whether or not I could come might depend on my partner's ability to find a position nearby. Does NSF ever help with that issue?
Cheers, Emily
I've often thought about coming to NSF for a while and then returning to my lab. I have a couple of worries about it, though. One is about how I could keep my lab going while I was away, although perhaps a very strong research associate along with visits and Skype would work. And the other one is money. I hate to sound mercenary, but would NSF pay enough to make it worthwhile, i.e. would they match the salary of someone who comes from academia a professor rank? And isn't it terribly expensive to live in Alexandria, VA where the NSF is located? And what about moving expenses to and from the NSF for someone who comes for a short period, say three years?
FBP
