NSF 11-563: Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM)
Program Solicitation
Document Information
Document History
- Posted: July 22, 2011
- Replaces: NSF 10-520
Program Solicitation NSF 11-563
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National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
October 05, 2011
Application deadlines in future years will be the first Wednesday in June
Important Information And Revision Notes
- The PAESMEM program has changed from awarding grants for future efforts to awards bestowed for past work.
- Former recipients of the Individual PAESMEM award are not eligible. Former recipients of the Organizational PAESMEM award may apply 10 years or more after receiving the award.
- Eligibility has been expanded. Any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has done exemplary, measurable mentoring is eligible, including federal employees (see below) and individuals or organizations in the private sector.
Summary Of Paesmem Requirements
General Information
Synopsis:
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) Program seeks to identify outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance the participation and retention of individuals (including persons with disabilities, women and minorities) who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The awardees serve as leaders in the national effort to develop fully the nation's human resources in STEM.
Program Director(s):
Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See the PAESMEM program website for any updates to the points of contact.
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Richard A. Alό, Program Director, 835N, telephone: (703) 292-4634, email: ralo@nsf.gov
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Suzanne Westbrook, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4640, email: swestbro@nsf.gov
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Philis L. Hauser, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5104, email: phauser@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
- FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.
For questions related to the use of Grants.gov, contact:
- Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov.
Award Information
Estimated Number of Awards: Up to 16 awards will be made in each nomination round. These will be distributed among individuals and organizations as appropriate in a given competition.
Eligibility Information
An individual nominee must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Nominees may be federal government employees, with certain exceptions, as outlined in sections 4508 and 4509 of Chapter 45 of Title 5 of the United States Code. For further information about eligibility, Federal employees should consult
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/usc.cgi?ACTION=RETRIEVE&FILE
=$$xa$$busc5.wais&start=2374915&SIZE=1503&TYPE=PDF or their Office of the General Counsel.
An organizational nominee must be affiliated with a formal or informal U.S. educational institution, U.S. corporation or not-for-profit organization.
Individual and organizational nominees must have demonstrated outstanding mentoring and effective guidance to a significant number of persons who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in STEM (including persons with disabilities, women and minorities) and who are:
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Students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate education level, or
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Early career scientists, mathematicians or engineers who have completed their degree in the past three years (this includes post-doctoral fellows, assistant professors and individuals in the private sector).
Individual and organizational nominees must have demonstrated a sustained mentoring effort for a minimum of five years. Nominations for the individual award must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of the institution or organization.
Individuals and organizations may self-nominate.
Former recipients of the Individual PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Former recipients of the Organizational PAESMEM award may apply 10 years or more after receiving the award.
Multiple organizational programs or individuals from the same institution may be nominated. However, an organizational program or individual may be nominated only once per competition.
Table Of Contents
- Introduction
- Program Description
- Award Information
- Application Preparation and Submission Instructions
- NSF Application Processing and Review Procedures
- Notification of Award Administration Information
I. Introduction
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The White House established the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) program. The program, administered on behalf of the White House by the National Science Foundation, seeks to identify outstanding individual mentoring efforts or organizational programs designed to enhance the participation and retention of individuals (including persons with disabilities, women and minorities) who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The awardees serve as exemplars to their colleagues and are leaders in the national effort to develop more fully the nation's human resources in STEM. Nominations, including self-nominations, for individuals and organizations are invited for the competition for these annual awards.
The award recognizes and underscores the past mentoring achievements of the nominee. In addition to the award, each recipient will be invited to Washington, D.C. for an awards ceremony, recognition events, meetings with leaders in Federal sector education and research, and focused workshops addressing effective mentoring of persons from underrepresented groups. Traditionally, the awardees have been honored at a ceremony organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
II. Program Description
Only one award will be made to a single organization or an individual at that organization per annual competition. Nominations may only be considered for one of the two categories of award, either "individual" or "organizational," but not both. Nominations for an "individual award" must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of the organization; nominations for an "organizational award" must reflect the achievements of the organization as distinct from those of individuals. For this program, post-doctoral and early career mentoring goes beyond support for maximizing research skills and productivity to include critical professional guidance in preparing for success in whatever career path is chosen.
III. Award Information
The number of awards is subject to the availability of funds; however, up to 16 new awards in each fiscal year are expected. Each award is in the amount of $10,000 and will be accompanied by a commemorative Presidential certificate. The Office of Science and Technology Policy will contact nominees recommended for awards. The Program Director will contact all nominees recommended for declination.
IV. Application Preparation And Submission Instructions
Nominees are required to prepare and submit all applications in response to this Program Announcement through use of the NSF FastLane system or through Grants.gov. FastLane is the online system NSF uses to solicit funding applications. Grants.gov is the online system that encompasses all of the Federal grant-making agencies. Due to the unique nature of this program, nominees are strongly encouraged to use FastLane to prepare and submit applications.
Individuals and organizational representatives should become familiar with the use of the FastLane system and/or Grants.gov well in advance of the deadline.
FOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED VIA FASTLANE: Detailed instructions regarding the technical aspects of application preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system.
Before starting an application in FastLane, the applicant (the individual or organizational representative) must register as an Individual Researcher in FastLane. This means that the applicant functions as his or her own institutional representative and must submit the application. For most grant competitions at NSF, institutions of higher education have a Sponsored Research Office (SRO) that approves submissions. For this announcement the applicant serves as his or her own SRO for administrative functions.
To Register as an Individual/Independent Researcher
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Go to the FastLane Home Page (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp)
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Click Registration Information on the left
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Click New Organization and FastLane Contact Registration
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Type xxxx in the Organization Name search box and click Organization Search
- Click New Individual Registration. Complete all required information and click Submit.
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Print the form, sign and date, and click Continue.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to submit the completed form by fax or by email as an attachment.
FOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED VIA GRANTS.GOV: The Grants.gov Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov.
Specific questions related to this program announcement should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in this announcement.
Special instructions for Grants.gov users:
- At the beginning of the Grants.gov application package, before the "Application Filing Name" field, check the box "I will be submitting applications on my behalf, and not on behalf of a company, state, local or tribal government, academia, or other type of organization."
- Include the "NSF FastLane System Registration" form in your application.
- Complete ALL of Section 3. Most applicants for the PAESMEM program will, in fact, be "employed by or affiliated with, an organization"; but it is essential to complete the application as if this were not the case
Cover Sheet:
Determining who is the Principal Investigator (PI):
- For individual self-nominations, the nominee is the PI. No Co-PI is necessary.
- For individual nominations (of another person or organization), the nominee is the PI, the nominator (person making the nomination) is the Co-PI.
- For organizational nominations, the organizational program’s representative (the person who will represent the organization at the activities in Washington, DC) is the PI.
When filling out the cover sheet, it is important to indicate the program announcement number. Applicants should choose "DUE: Division of Undergraduate Education" from the list of divisions, and "PRES AWDS FOR EXCELL IN SCI" from the list of programs in the "NSF Unit Consideration" section.
Also, on the cover sheet in the "Title of Proposed Project" field, the submitter must indicate the submittal category, "INDIVIDUAL" or "ORGANIZATIONAL," as the first word in the application title followed by the name of the individual (i.e. INDIVIDUAL: John Smith) or organization (i.e. ORGANIZATIONAL: Mentoring Initiatives of Chicago).
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. Institutions of higher education have an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) who must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required certifications to FastLane. For this announcement the applicant serves as his or her own AOR for certification functions in FastLane.
Project Summary: A summary of the mentoring work describing the activity cited in support of the nomination. It should highlight the long term significance of the specific mentoring methods and actions performed and their outcomes.
Project Description: A clear statement of the work cited in support of the nomination, including the vision, objectives and philosophy of the mentoring program and its long-term significance, the specific mentoring methods and procedures (the actions performed),and documentation (quantitative and qualitative) not to exceed a maximum of 8 pages.
FOR INDIVIDUALS - The Project Description should include information on the following, as applicable to the nomination:
- The number and diversity of students, post-doctoral fellows or early career scientists or engineers personally mentored;
- Tracking data of those mentored, which may include success rates, graduation rates, percentage matriculating to the next educational level, papers published, retention, promotion, etc.
- The successes of mentees in pursuit of degrees or professional objectives and the quality of academic or job performance;
- Demonstrated achievement of the nominee in assisting persons to understand how the educational/corporate system works and promoting their advancement in the educational/corporate continuum in STEM;
- Affording mentees effective academic/research experiences, sustained academic support systems, and strategies leading to successful matriculation and degree completion, or promotion in science, mathematics and engineering fields;
- Substantive achievements of the nominee in changing the educational/corporate system to enable improved performance and advancement for underrepresented persons; and
- Demonstrated innovations that are replicable on a national level.
FOR ORGANIZATIONS - The Project Description should include information on the following as applicable to the nomination:
- The number and diversity of students, post-doctoral fellows or early career scientists or engineers mentored;
- Tracking data of those mentored, which may include success rates, graduation rates, percentage matriculating to the next educational level, papers published, retention, promotion, etc.
- The successes of mentees in pursuit of degrees or professional objectives and the quality of academic or job performance;
- Demonstrated organizational sustainability;
- Special elements of the organization that have increased retention and/or graduation rates;
- Demonstrated organizational successes in the advancement or promotion of the educational or career development of mentees in STEM; and
- Demonstrated innovation that is replicable on a national level.
Biographical Sketches: A biographical narrative of the individual nominee or of the organizational representative not to exceed 1 page. This is NOT a CV.
Include:
- Mentoring accomplishments
- Teaching accomplishments, if applicable
- List and brief description of awards received
- Personal mentoring history
Organizational nominees should include an additional biographical narrative for the person who would represent the organization in Washington DC.
Special Information and Supplementary Documentation: Only letters supporting the nomination (a maximum of 5) should be submitted as supplementary documentation.
Data Management Plan: Find the Supplementary Document titled Data Management Plan. Write "Not Applicable" and upload.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
This program provides an award of $10,000 to awardees. The following budget items should be included:
Line item A (FastLane) or Field A (Grants.gov):the nominee will appear as senior personnel on the line marked PI;
Line item G6 (FastLane) or Field F (Grants.gov): Other Direct Costs: record $10,000
For the budget justification, write "Funds are in recognition of past achievements."
V. NSF Application Processing And Review Procedures
Applications received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program staff. All applications are carefully reviewed usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in mentoring. These reviewers are selected by Program Directors charged with the oversight of the review process. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the application.
A. PAESMEM Review Criteria
- Were the mentoring activities innovative within the context of the institution or level of persons being mentored?
- Did the nominee provide assessment to prove the mentoring activities were successful?
- Were data included that tracked the mentees beyond the mentoring activities?
- Were the mentoring activities sustainable or institutionalized?
- How well-qualified is the nominee (individual or team)?
- To what extent does the mentoring activity suggest and explore creative, original or potentially transformative concepts in mentoring?
- How well did the mentoring activity broaden the participation and retention of individuals (including persons with disabilities, women and minorities) who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in STEM?
- Were the results disseminated broadly to enhance understanding of mentoring practices?
- How well-conceived and organized was the mentoring activity?
- What were the benefits of these mentoring activities to society?
Integrating Diversity into the STEM Workforce
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens is essential to the health and vitality of STEM disciplines.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications submitted in response to this announcement will be reviewed by Panel Review.
Reviewers will be asked to write a review giving strengths and weaknesses of the application. The Program Director assigned to manage the application's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the nominee by the Program Director. After review and consideration of appropriate factors, NSF provides advice to the President on recommendations for the awards.
VI. Notification Of Award Administration Information
The PAESMEM program is administered by NSF on behalf of the White House. NSF submits a list of recommended awardees to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). OSTP in turn contacts nominees regarding FBI clearance information. This contact is not a guarantee of an eventual award. OSTP will notify awardees when a final decision has been made.
The planning of the awards ceremony is independent of the awards notification. The timing of the ceremony must be carefully coordinated with the White House calendar and in the past there has not been a fixed annual date for the awards ceremony.
About The National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."
NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.
The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.
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The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov
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Privacy Act And Public Burden Statements
Privacy Act Statement
The information requested on the application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified applicants and may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process, and to government contractors as necessary to complete assigned work, and to a court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party.
Notice of the decision may be given to nominators, and disclosure may be made of awardees names, home institutions, and field of study for public information purposes including press releases. See Systems of Records, NSF-12, "Fellowships and Other Awards," 63 Federal Register 265 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary; however, failure to provide full and complete information may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
Public Burden Statement
Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5 (b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0035. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:
Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
