# Presentation: 513493

## Directorate Update

- David W. Lightfoot
- Assistant Director
- National Science Foundation

## Human & Social Dynamics

- Increase budgets of core programs
- Complexity science
- Infrastructure
- Large-scale interdisciplinary awards
- Decision Making Under Uncertainty
- Cross-Directorate Activities
- Human factors in environmental change

## Dear Colleague Letter

- Complexity science
- complex systems incorporating simpler systems
- dynamics of complex systems: tipping points and emergent phenomena of phase transitions
- Large-scale interdisciplinary research
- Infrastructure

## The IDEAS Factory

*A potentially transformational method to foster the process of discovery*

## The IDEAS Factory

- Program initiated in 2004 by UK EPSRC to explore mechanisms of generating innovative high risk research projects on selected topics (problem-based or paradigm-shift)
- Central feature: “Sandpit”
- Intensive, interactive, 5-day event involving a diverse group of 20-30 people in order to uncover innovative ideas

## Sandpit Concept

-    Inputs:  Grand Challenge Topic, Creative People, Money

- Creative Environment: “Sandpit”

- Outputs: Ideas, Research projects, Feasibility studies, Networking

## Who is Involved?

- Director and Mentors, focus on the topic
- Not eligible for funding
- Provide real-time peer review
- Facilitators, focus on the process
- Help design the sandpit
- Facilitate interactions to develop creative environment
- Participants
- Recruited through open call

## Sandpit Selection Process

- Sandpit Director selects 4-5 Mentors (similar to an NSF review panel or site-visit team)
- Open, widely-advertised, call for participants
- 2-page application (analogous to pre-proposal)
- Knowledge and expertise
- Personal attributes (communication skills, collaborative behavior, level of creativity)
- Review panel, with occupational psychologist, selects workshop participants
- Diversity is key:  Variety of disciplines, diverse backgrounds, mix of personal attributes increases group’s willingness to take risks and encourages creativity

**Notes:**
Ensuring that the participants are diverse and have a mix of personal attributes increases the group’s willingness to take risks, communicate clearly and openly, and encourages creativity. 

## Sandpit Process: What it is

- Intensive and interactive
- Interdisciplinary
- Facilitated to promote creative thinking
- Based on real-time peer review (analogous to MREFC PDR process)

## Sandpit Process: What it isn’t

- Technical presentations
- Committee-style meetings
- Limited to single disciplines
- Disconnected from funding plans

## Features and Outcomes

- Features:
- Real-time peer review
- Real-time decisions about projects and funding
- Outcomes:
- Complementary research projects that vary in scale and scope, provide a more holistic approach to addressing the grand challenge.

## What Happens After?

- Groups submit full proposals within eight weeks
- Reviewed by Director and mentors for intellectual merit and degree of novelty and complementarity to the other projects

## Proposed Joint NSF-EPSRC Sandpit 

**Topic**: Synthetic Biology
**Sandpit Director**: NSF Program Director
**Mentors**: Selected by NSF and EPSRC
- Open call for workshop participants issued by EPSRC, open to US and UK
- Applications reviewed by Sandpit Director and Mentors
- Sandpit to be held in US
- NSF proposed contribution of $4M

## Social and Behavioral Dimensions of National Security, Conflict, and Cooperation (NSCC)

## Goals

- NSF and DoD intend:
- to develop the DoD’s social and human science intellectual capital in order to enhance its ability to address future challenges;
- to enhance the DoD’s engagement with the social science community; and
- to deepen the understanding of the social and behavioral dimensions of national security issues.

## Four Topical Areas

- New Approaches to Understanding Dimensions of National Security, Conflict, and Cooperation
- Studies of Terrorist Organization and Ideologies
- Studies of the Strategic Impact of Religious and Cultural Change
- Studies of Political, Cultural, and Social Dynamics Under Authoritarian Regimes

## Types of Support

- Workshops: Up to an all inclusive total of $50,000 to $150,000
- Small Award Grants: Up to an all inclusive total of $500,000, over a duration of two to three years.
- Large Award Grants: Up to an all inclusive total of $2 million per year for a duration of three to five years.

## Response

- 169 projects representing 201 proposals:
- 24 workshop projects
- 119 small award projects
- 26 large award projects
- Six panels for topical areas plus 1 workshop panel.  Commence December 1.

## Science of Learning Centers

- LIFE Center:* Learning in Informal and Formal Environments - *PI Pat Kuhl, University of Washington.
- CELEST:* Center for Learning in Education, Science, and Technology- *PI Stephen Grossberg, Boston University.
- PSLC:* Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center – *PI Ken Koedinger, Carnegie Mellon University.

## SLC’s

- SILC:* Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center  - *PI Nora Newcombe, Temple University.
- VL2:* Visual Language and Visual Learning Center  – *PI Thomas Allen, Gallaudet University.
- TDLC:* Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center – *PI Garrison Cottrell, University of California-San Diego.