NSF Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE)

WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF 08-530) Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) Program

WHO:  Texas A&M University faculty, including TAES, TEES and TTI personnel.

WHY:  The EESE Program anticipates making 6-12 awards with a maximum amount of $300,000, inclusive of indirect costs, for a maximum of 36 months.

WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of February 4, 2008.

HOW:  Faculty should submit internal proposal via email for review by the internal selection committee.   

THE FINE PRINT:

The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to one per institution. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission to the agency.                                                       

AGENCY:  National Science Foundation (NSF)

AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE:  NSF 08-530 Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) Program

BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:  The Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) Program is designed to improve ethics education for graduate students in all of the fields of science and engineering supported by NSF.  Proposals must focus on improving ethics education for graduate students in those fields, and on ethical issues that arise in research or graduate research education in those fields, particularly in interdisciplinary or inter-institutional contexts.  The EESE Program is particularly interested in proposals addressing issues of cultural relativity in research that is conducted in an international context and those addressing intellectual property issues.  Further, the program also encourages proposals addressing intellectual property rights including scientific publishing, appropriate attribution, access to scientific data and university-industry collaborations.

Two possible themes on which to focus include privacy and new developments in science and engineering.  The EESE Program will consider proposals for research projects, education projects and combinations of the two.

Education projects must be based on research findings that indicate successful ways to enhance ethics education for graduate students.  A common and often effective approach in educational projects is to develop graduate student programs.  Further, education projects should test the feasibility and effectiveness of their activities or programs in more than one institution.

Research projects should build on earlier research and add to the research base.  Projects can include qualitative and/or quantitative approaches.  Research projects may also include a focus on ethical issues arising in educational research or in ethics education for graduate students.

Proposals combining research and education components might involve ethics education for graduate students in a scientific or engineering field in the first year, and implementing what was learned in that first year on several campuses during the second year of the project.  Repetition and modification, evaluation and diffusion might occur during the third year.

In addition, all projects must have a dissemination plan to deliver findings to professional peers and appropriate research and educational communities. 

NSF does not consider proposals for medical research.  The EESE Program will not consider proposals focused on ethics for medical students or in medical education.  Also, EESE will not consider proposals that will start or provide incremental improvements to formal or informal educational activities responsive to federal mandates for research integrity or human-subjects training requirements.

More information can be found here.        

AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT:  The Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) Program is open to U. S. colleges and universities, as well as U. S. professional associations.

AWARD INFORMATION:   The EESE Program anticipates making 5-12 awards with a maximum amount of $300,000, inclusive of indirect costs, for a maximum of 36 months.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS:   Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  NONE.

COST SHARING:  NONE.     

Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines

February 1, 2008:  Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project.  Send email of intent.  This will allow us time to identify internal review committee members, if necessary.     

February 4, 2008: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Office of Sponsored Projects for review by the internal selection committee. 

The internal proposal should include:

• An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the NSF program announcement;
• Summary budget;
• Project and Management Plans (including team members);

The form for completing the internal proposal is here.

This completed form should be submitted electronically for review by the internal selection committee.

Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program here.

Selection of a proposal will be based on NSF guidelines.  The needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account. 

During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and commitments.  They may also request additional information from PIs.

February 15, 2008: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.

April 3, 2008:  Deadline for full proposal: (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).