The National Science Foundation provides about one-fourth of federal research support to academic institutions. NSF awarded $1.9 million to NIU in fiscal 2009, accounting for around 4.5 percent of the $43 million we received in external funding.
However, as NSF continues to receive ever more proposals each year, it becomes more and more difficult to craft competitive proposals. Program staff are clamping down and enforcing the rules, and several new policies have recently been implemented or will be effective next January.
To help faculty members compete for NSF funding, Michael Spires, research development specialist for the mathematical and physical sciences, presented information on NSF, its 2010 budget outlook, new policies, and some grant-writing basics Thursday, November 5, at 1 p.m. in Faraday Hall West 300. Slides from that presentation are now available.