Update on changes to the R2K NSF proposal process
January 22, 2007
SUBJECT: Ridge 2000- new deadline/procedure for all R2K proposals; URGENT for PIs
This year all Ridge 2000 Marine Geology & Geophysics proposals should be submitted to a new 15 March R2K target date. Proposals with main emphasis on Biological Oceanography aspects of R2K goals should still be sent to that division; either Feb 15 or March 15 submittals will be accepted this year. March 15 will be the only Ridge 2000 target date for 2007, and there will be a single R2K proposal deadline for all subsequent years. All R2K proposals will be reviewed by a new dedicated panel. Very little flexibility is available for the March 15 target date, due to a tight Spring NSF schedule, so please treat it as essentially a deadline.
Proposals that involve work in the Ridge 2000 Integrated Studies Sites and/or that address areas of marine geology and geophysics research defined in the R2K science plan should not be submitted to either the Feb 15 or August 15, 2007, MG&G target dates.
From 2008 on, an annual 15 January Ridge 2000 deadline is planned. There will be an R2K panel convened by NSF to review all program proposals. The first dedicated R2K proposal review panel will meet this year in time for recommended seagoing projects to be included in ship scheduling arrangements for the following year's field season. Biological Oceanography proposals will be reviewed by the full Bio/OCE panel and will also be considered by the R2K panel.
It is important that you establish the relevance of your proposals to the Ridge 2000 Program goals and science plan. R2K relevance should be made clear to reviewers, as part of the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts components of your proposal. There will no longer be a Relevancy Review by a subset of the R2K Steering Committee. Instead, at each Spring StCom meeting, current R2K priorities will be discussed explicitly. A few weeks later, I will present a summary of recent progress and an updated account of program priorities to the independent R2K proposal review panel. You can help Steering Committee members represent your interests by getting in touch with them to discuss your science and relevant logistical aspects for the program.
In order to guide planning and set an appropriate scope for Collaborative Research proposals or other large projects that you are considering, please be sure to contact the cognizant NSF Program Officers, Adam Schultz (MG&G) or Phil Taylor (Bio), in advance of submission. The ability of the R2K Program to support a significant number of large proposals is limited, so take advantage of the insight available at NSF to target realizable project objectives. You can also contact me, or any R2K Steering Committee member, if you have questions about current priorities within the program. Ridge 2000 proposals submitted in error to the MG&G target date of 15 February 2007 will either be held for the 15 March 2007 Ridge target date and reviewed by the R2K Panel, or the PI will have the option of withdrawing and resubmitting for 15 March 2007. Similarly, Ridge 2000 proposals submitted erroneously to the 15 August 2007 MG&G target date will be held for the 2008 R2K proposal submission deadline. Proposals submitted for Ridge 2000 funding that do not fall within the scope of the R2K science plan will no longer be automatically transferred for consideration in the MG&G core program, so will not be reviewed.
Recall from my message dated January 4, 2007 that funds available in the FY08 budget are about half of the full R2K budget, due to prior mortgaging by ongoing projects. This can accommodate some field programs but fewer that have significant science support costs than when we are back to our full budget. Starting with the January 2009 deadline, essentially all of the R2K funds (~$4.3 M) will be available for new projects each year.
-Donna Blackman