National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Boulevard

**Arlington, Virginia 22230**

Dear Colleague,

The National Science Foundation is announcing a new emphasis on
proposals in the area of Cognitive Neuroscience. The Directorate for
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) at the National Science
Foundation has a history of supporting basic research in cognitive,
perceptual, linguistic, developmental, affective, and social
neuroscience, primarily through the Programs of the Division of
Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS). This support has come
predominantly from the Programs in Human Cognition and Perception,
Linguistics, Social Psychology, Child Learning and Development, and
Physical Anthropology. Additional support has been provided through
Programs in the Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences
and Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Engineering, and
Education. The purpose of this letter is to inform the research
community that support for neuroscientific approaches will now receive
added emphasis via additional funding to many of these existing
programs.

Until recently, our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying
cognitive, affective, and social behaviors had been inferred primarily
by examination of behavioral data such as the accuracy of performance,
response latencies, and subjective reports that participants provide in
experimental situations. These approaches have produced many important
empirical observations and substantial knowledge of these processes.
Technologies to study the living human brain now add a new dimension to
the study of cognitive, affective, and social behaviors, a dimension
that is complemented by studies of regional brain damage. The
neuroscientific approach contributes to scientific understanding of
human behavior in several ways:

-   It provides data on the separability of cognitive, affective, and
    social processes at the level of the brain, thereby allowing us to
    test theories of the modularity of processing derived from
    behavioral observations.

-   It offers an opportunity to assess the behavioral consequences of
    damage to a hypothesized component of a neural pathway as a way of
    gaining insight into normal processing.

-   It allows us to see the overlap in structures that are recruited for
    one or another cognitive, affective, or social function that
    promotes further development of theories of these functions.

-   Knowledge of the neural basis of these psychological processes can
    make important contributions to the study of the development of
    these processes and to the study of the effects of experiential and
    maturational factors on development.

-   This approach leads to an increasing understanding of the nature of
    cognitive, affective and social functions.

-   By comparison with the wealth of data obtained from invasive studies
    of laboratory animals, this approach allows us to assess the
    validity of comparative animal models for human behaviors and to
    understand the neural bases of these behaviors in an evolutionary
    context.

These developments have come about in large part because of new imaging
technologies, renewed and elaborated uses of existing technologies, and
an increasing sophistication in the analysis of individuals who have
brain lesions, with the aim of understanding normal function.

The goals of introducing new funding for neuroscientific approaches
within the core programs of the NSF Division of Behavioral and Cognitive
Sciences are to:

1.  Enhance support of research on the basic mechanisms of cognition and
    perception by fostering a neuroscientific approach that is grounded
    in current theory and that will yield data which will inform future
    theories;

2.  Provide substantially larger and longer grants for such work in
    recognition of the higher cost of conducting such studies;

3.  Foster collaborations among investigators from different fields who
    would benefit by working together on cognitive, affective and social
    neuroscience research;

4.  Foster the extension of this neuroscientific approach to studies of
    language, social and affective processes, developmental studies of
    cognition, memory, perception, higher cognitive processes, and
    sensory and attentional processes;

5.  Support basic developmental cognitive neuroscience studies of the
    brain mechanisms that help explain when and how children learn new
    knowledge and skills.[^1]

Funding for neuroscientific approaches will be available in several
forms. Regular, multi-year research proposals will continue to be
reviewed and funded by the existing disciplinary programs in Human
Cognition and Perception, Linguistics, Social Psychology, Child Learning
and Development, and Physical Anthropology. Each of these programs has
target dates of January 15 and July 15 each year (for an exception, see
the web page for the Physical Anthropology Program). **For the January
2001 target date only, investigators needing an extension beyond the
target date are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate Program
Director listed at the end of this letter.** Examples of appropriate
grant proposals include, but are not limited to, the following:

a.  Studies of cognitive, perceptual, linguistic, developmental,
    affective and social processes using techniques such as fMRI, PET,
    MEG, ERP, or single-unit recording with the aim of developing
    theories about these processes.

b.  Joint use of more than one tool or technology to understand the
    spatial and temporal localization of cognitive, affective, or social
    processes.

c.  Neuroscientific studies of the relation between brain development
    and cognitive, linguistic, social, and affective behaviors.

d.  Development and implementation of computational models of neural
    processes underlying these behaviors.

e.  Projects focused on behavior and brain activation in individuals
    with adventitious lesions in order to elucidate the neural
    mechanisms underlying specific cognitive, affective or social
    behaviors.

f.  Studies exploring the evolution of cognitive, affective or social
    behaviors.

In addition to regular, multi-year research proposals submitted to the
disciplinary programs as described above, several additional funding
mechanisms will be used with the goal of building research capacity in
cognitive neuroscience. These include small grants for pilot projects
and planning activities, workshops, and doctoral dissertation research.
Proposals for these activities must be submitted no later than April 16,
2001, and must focus on one of the following four areas:

> **Small grants for pilot projects**. To encourage the application of
> neuroscientific approaches to novel and groundbreaking problems, small
> grants will be made for pilot research efforts. These awards will give
> investigators the opportunity to perform a small number of innovative
> experiments, ideally with the aim of gathering preliminary data to
> justify or motivate a larger, multi-year research grant. These small
> grants may be especially useful for new investigators (including
> postdoctoral trainees in collaboration with a faculty sponsor) and
> more-established individuals who are using these approaches for the
> first time. Requests should normally not exceed \$50,000 for 12
> months, including indirect costs.

**Planning grants**. Recognizing that the creation of collaborations in
the emerging field of cognitive neuroscience takes some time,
investigators may apply for small planning grants. The goal of these
grants is to seed a new collaboration that may lead to the development
of a team of scientists from several disciplines. These planning grants
should be used in the service of performing pilot research on a new
problem to develop empirical or theoretical understanding that might
lead to further research by the collaborative team. Requests should
normally not exceed \$75,000 for 12 months, including indirect costs.

> **Workshops**. To further develop the interdisciplinary work that will
> be necessary for successful research in cognitive neuroscience,
> workshops will be supported that bring together diverse scientific
> partners around specific topics. These workshops should be targeted to
> topics that could benefit from a small group conferring about the
> latest results and theoretical developments. The maximum request can
> be \$30,000 for 12 months, including indirect costs.
>
> **Doctoral dissertation improvement grants**. To improve training in
> neuroscientific approaches to cognitive, affective, perceptual,
> social, and developmental research problems, programmatic support will
> be provided to graduate students in the form of doctoral dissertation
> improvement grants. These awards can provide funds for items not
> normally available through the student's university, for significant
> data-gathering projects, and to conduct research away from the
> student's home campus. The maximum request can be \$18,000 for 12
> months, with no indirect costs, stipend, or tuition expenses allowed.

Specific guidelines for the submission of proposals can be found on the
following page.

We view these grant opportunities as providing an initial investment in
a rapidly growing area of emphasis at the National Science Foundation.
We anticipate that a major new program announcement will be released
during the summer or fall of 2001, calling for new proposals in the area
of Cognitive Neuroscience. Whether you decide to submit a proposal now
or later, watch for news of this exciting initiative on the NSF website.

Sincerely,

Philip Rubin, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Science

Proposal Submission Guidelines

Proposals submitted in response to this Dear Colleague letter should be
prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 01-2. The complete text
of the GPG (including electronic forms) is available electronically on
the NSF Web site at
[www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg](http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg).
Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications
Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
NSF FastLane requirements apply to all proposals submitted in response
to this Dear Colleague letter. Proposers are reminded to select the
announcement number of this letter (01-41) in the program
announcement/solicitation block on the FastLane Proposal Cover Sheet.
Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant
proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may
delay processing.

Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact one or more of the
following program officers to determine if their proposed ideas fall
within the goals of this emphasis:

Human Cognition and Perception Program
([www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/hcp](http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/hcp))

Joseph L. Young, Ph.D. [jyoung@nsf.gov](mailto:jyoung@nsf.gov)) (703)
292-8732

Linguistics Program
([www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/ling](http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/ling))

Catherine Ball, Ph.D. [cball@nsf.gov](mailto:cball@nsf.gov)) (703)
292-8731

Social Psychology Program
([www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/socpsy](http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/socpsy))

Steven J. Breckler, Ph.D. <sbreckle@nsf.gov> (703) 292-8728

Child Learning and Development Program
([www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/cld](http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/cld))

Rodney R. Cocking, Ph.D. <rcocking@nsf.gov> (703) 292-8732

Physical Anthropology
([www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/physical](http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/physical))

Mark L. Weiss, Ph.D. <mweiss@nsf.gov> (703) 292-7321

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance CFDA Number 47.075

OMB# 3145-0058

NSF Publication Number: 01-41

[^1]: See the National Science and Technology Council's 1997 report:
    *Investing in our Future: A National Research Initiative for
    America's Children in the 21^st^ Century.*