ISE Preliminary Proposal Virtual Panel

PANEL ORIENTATION

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Contents

Program OverviewMain Changes in the New SolicitationAudiences & DeliverablesReviewing Proposals (Confidentiality

& COIs)Preliminary ProposalsVirtual Panel ProcessPreparing Effective Written ReviewsNavigating FastLaneQuestions

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ISE Program Overview

ISE Program Overview

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ISE supports innovation in anywhere, anytime, lifelong learning through investments in research, development, infrastructure, and capacity-building for STEM learning outside formal school settings.

Main Changes in New Solicitation

Posing of 6 field-wide challengesCall for stronger infrastructureExpansion of professional

audience to include volunteers and care-givers

Some STEM topics emphasized Supplementary docs rules have

changed. But for prelims, no need to read supp docs (bio sketches, current & pending, letters of support). 5

Main Changes in New Solicitation

Softening of the formal/informal boundary ◦Issues of national importance in support of seamless STEM

learning.◦Proposals still need a significant

component of learning in an informal setting, but not necessarily a “primary” informal audience.

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Audiences & Deliverables

Who are ISE Audiences?

Public Audiences – People of all ages engaged in STEM learning in informal settings

Professional Audiences – Professionals, volunteers, and caregivers who support and mediate the learning of others.

Special Interest: Underserved and Nontraditional Audiences

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What are examples of ISE Deliverables?

Permanent and traveling exhibitsFilm, radio, and TVCyber-enabled learning, emerging technologies,

and educational gamesCitizen science projectsYouth and community projectsResearch and development in the fieldProfessional developmentConsortia and collaborationsVirtual networks

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What is not funded by ISE?

Capital or operating expenses Major or office equipment Vehicles Undergraduate tuition Paid advertising Admission fees Operating expenses for school field trips /

camps / competitions Projects that focus primarily on health or

medicine Publications and curricula as the primary

deliverable

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Reviewing Proposals: Confidentiality &

Conflicts of Interest

Confidentiality

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Very strict◦Share nothing (even with grad

student / close colleague)◦Ever…◦Shred / destroy paper and electronic

versions

Confidentiality Form◦Attached to your panel notification

letter◦Complete this as soon as possible ◦Send to cemorgan@nsf.gov OR fax to

(703) 292-9044.

What are Conflicts of Interest?

Affiliation with an Institution◦Employment (w/in last 12 mos.)◦Financial or other gain

Relationship with PI◦Joint publication (w/in last 48 mos.)◦Financial partnership ◦Close friendship ◦Family friend or member

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Handling Conflicts of Interest

Verify first with your Program Officer

If you do have a COI:◦Go to the FastLane proposal

review page◦Scroll to the bottom of the page◦In the COI box, write the reason◦Press “submit review” button

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ISE Preliminary Proposals

Purpose of Preliminary Proposals

To encourage or discourage full proposal submissions based on the likelihood it will be competitive in the full proposal round. Reviewers typically encourage about 40% (but panels vary).

Provide feedback to PI on the strength and weaknesses of the proposal. 16

Preliminary ProposalsAllowed 6 pages in length

Summary budget only

No supplementary documents

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Virtual Panel Process

ISE Panelist Responsibilities

Much of the time you work alone, writing and revising your reviews.

Each proposal has three reviewers who draft their own reviews, then talk about them and change them if they want to. Ideally, all proposals will be discussed, but this is up to your program officer. You can discuss your reviews via email or using your personal phones.

You should participate in conference call discussions with program officers, at specified times (usually twice per day). Let your program officer know if there are any times you will not be available.

Do rough drafts before the panel if you can. 19

Preparing Effective Written Reviews

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Who Reads Your Review?

Program OfficerPI/Co-PI

All reviews will be sent anonymously

to the PI/Co-PI.

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Overall Structure of a Review

Preparing Reviews for FastLane (See: Reviewer Guide)

Reviewers should address the proposal’s strengths & weaknesses

in each section.

Section 1: Intellectual Merit (~200 words)

• Significance of Issue

• Audience & Approach (strategic, appropriate)

• Project Design, Methods, & Deliverables (quality)

• Innovation (sources, degree)

• Qualifications (team, partners, and their collaborative process)

• Prior NSF Work (nature and quality, if applicable)22

Overall Structure of a Review

Preparing Reviews for FastLane (See: Reviewer Guide)

Reviewers should address the proposal’s strengths & weaknesses

in each section.

Section 2: Broader Impacts (~200 words)

• Advancement (research and/or practice) • Evaluation (learning impacts, thorough, realistic, and

appropriate to goals)• Dissemination (breadth, plausibility, specificity)• Participation (of underrepresented groups)• Capacity/Infrastructure (builds)• Other Benefits to Society (if applicable)• Post-doctoral Mentoring Plan (if applicable)

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Overall Structure of a Review

Preparing Reviews for FastLane (See: Reviewer Guide)

Reviewers should address the proposal’s strengths & weaknesses

in each section.

Section 3: Summary Statement (~100 words)

• Summarize the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of the proposal (not a place to introduce new material).

• Include the sentence “I encourage [or I discourage]” submission of a full proposal. “

• Focus on assessing the quality, not describing the proposal. Be explicit and constructive in your comments.

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Project Budget

Only a budget summary is submitted.

(Optional): Is the size and distribution of the budget summary aligned with the proposed project activities?

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Project-Specific Considerations

1) Research Projects

Is the research question clearly stated? 

Has related research, from any relevant field, been adequately reviewed?

Is the methodology appropriate, including analysis?

*Research projects can be funded for up to $1.5 million and five years in duration.

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2) Pathways Projects

• Is it clear that the proposal is for planning activities that will lead to a full scale proposal or project?

• Are the planning activities appropriate and are they likely to help answer critical questions before a major project proposal is submitted (Research, Full-Scale Development or Broad Implementation)?

*Pathways projects can be funded for up to $250,000 and two years in duration.

Project-Specific Considerations

3) Full Scale Development Projects

Is there evidence that sufficient planning has taken place already and a full scale project is ready for implementation?

Does the project team have prior experience in managing a full scale project with advisors, partners, collaborators, contractors and a large budget? If there are multiple deliverables (e.g. media, exhibits, programs), is there a clear rationale for how these will be integrated or used to achieve the desired impacts?

*Full Scale Development projects can be funded for up to $3 million and five years in duration.

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Project-Specific Considerations

4) Broad Implementation Projects

Is there substantial evidence that the prior work was successful with the targeted audience (including findings from the summative evaluation)?

Does the proposal make clear exactly how they are expanding the reach of the prior project (e.g. in terms of geography, age, socio-economic status, cultural/linguist group or gender)?

If new products are being developed to help with the expanded reach, do they complement and become integrated into the prior work?

*Broad Implementation projects can be funded for up to $3 million and five years in duration.

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Reviews and recommendations to “encourage or discourage” can be adjusted during the panel.

However…

All final reviews and proposal recommendations are due in FastLane by the end of the last day of the panel.

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Reviewer Deadlines

Preparing Your Review

Read all the proposalsSee how each proposal responds to NSF/ISE

criteriaPrepare reviews in Word; cut and paste into

FastLaneAvoid bullets, apostrophes, and quotations

(or turn off smart quotes)Use “spell check” prior to entering review in

FastLaneCheck review in FastLane to confirm it was

entered for the correct proposal and has no weird symbols introduced during pasting.

To modify a review, follow FastLane instructions for resubmitting it 30

Call Program Officer for Advice…

When you think you might have a conflict of interest after reading a proposal.

When you are not clear about some of the criteria and how to apply them.

When you aren’t sure if your comments are appropriate.

When you have questions and need guidance.

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Questions

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Navigating FastLane

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Getting Started in FastLane

Reviewer handbook Logging inChanging Your PasswordUpdating Personal InformationReimbursement/Banking informationAccessing Proposals & Requesting Copies

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Logging Into Fastlane

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Go to the FastLane website: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov.

Click on Panelist Functions

Logging Into Fastlane

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Use the Log In information provided below to log into Fastlane

Panel ID: P1022XXPassword: first letter of your first name + first five letters of your last name. You will be prompted to change your password. Trouble Logging in: Note that the ‘0’ is a number, not a letter. If you continue to have trouble logging in, please contact: Phyliss Minn at (703) 292-5087

Updating Reviewer Information

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• Logging-in will take you directly to the Panelist System Selection screen

• Click on Edit beside Reviewer Information to update your information. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the Reviewer Information screen and enter your banking information. This is very important for us to process and send your reimbursement for your time and efforts in a timely manner

1. Click on Edit beside Reviewer Information to update your information

2. Scroll to the bottom of the Reviewer Information screen and enter your banking information.

Reimbursement

Requirements◦ Enter bank information in FastLane for direct

deposit by the date specified in the Reviewer’s Guide.

◦ Contingent upon completion of all assigned reviews in FastLane on or before the last day of the panel meeting.

◦ Panelists will receive an IRS 1099 at the end of the year.

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Accessing Proposals

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• Scroll to the bottom of the Panelist System Selection screen and Click on the Panel Review System to access your proposals.

From the Panelist System Selection Screen, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Panel

Review System.

Accessing Proposals

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• To view proposals, click on the View/Download tab

• To prepare your review, click on the Prepare Review tab

Click on View/DownloadTab.

Click on Prepare ReviewTab.

Requesting Copies of Proposals

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3. Click on Print Proposal at NSF or Create CD at NSF

• Scroll down to the bottom of the Proposal Review page, select print proposal at NSF or create CD at NSF.

Click on Print Proposal at NSF or Create CD at NSF to receive a copy of the proposals you were assigned to review in the mail

1. Click on Proposal Print Request Tab

2. Highlight the desired proposals

Reviewer Recommendationsin FASTLANE

STEP #1 – In FastLane, click on the Prepare Review tab and select the radial button at the top that says “I am giving this proposal no rating.”

STEP #2 - Below the Rating Section, enter your review comments and suggestions in the appropriate intellectual merit, broader impacts, and summary text boxes in the Overall Rating Section

STEP #3 -Your review summary must include one of the following closing statements, followed by a brief statement of why you are making this recommendation:

“I encourage submission of a full proposal based on …”

OR “I discourage submission of a full proposal due to...”

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THANK YOU FOR

YOUR PARTICIPATION

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