NSF Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) Survey

SURVEY

Subject Line | NSF is Asking for Your Feedback on the SaTC Submission Process
Dear ,
The Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program invites you to provide feedback on
your experience submitting grants to our team at The National Science Foundation. Our goal
is to use your feedback and that of your peers to learn how we can improve our program’s
submission process and provide greater research opportunities for experts in the
cybersecurity space.
To ensure confidentiality for your responses, we are partnering with a third party, Savan Group,
to administer the survey and analyze responses. Survey data will be reviewed in aggregate by
NSF and with no identifying demographics (e.g., university name or submission information).
This will ensure all results reviewed by NSF are anonymous, and no results can be traced to an
individual.
Survey Overview
• The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete
• The survey will be emailed by [email protected] on April # (Title Please Take
the NSF PI Survey Today!)
• All survey results reviewed by NSF will be aggregated and anonymous
If you have any questions regarding the purpose or confidentiality of the survey, please reach out
to .
We look forward to reviewing both your feedback and that of other experts in cybersecurity.
Sincerely,

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NSF SaTC Community Survey
Thank you for previously submitting to the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC)
program. We are always eager to improve SaTC. We request feedback on your experience with
the program. Your individual responses to the following questions will be kept confidential.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
1. Did you submit a grant proposal to the SaTC program at any point during the period 101-18 through the present (FY19 and/or FY20)?
- Yes (if yes, complete 2 and skip to 4)
- No (program this to skip to 3 and continue)
2. What were your main reasons for submitting to SaTC in FY19/FY20? (check all that
apply):
1. To initiate a new project or collaboration
2. To maintain funding
3. To support an additional graduate student in a new area
4. To grow an existing project with additional personnel
5. To show my administration that I am research-active
6. Some other reason: _________
3. What were the reasons(s) you did not submit to SaTC in FY19/FY20, as of yet? (check
all that apply)
1. I have adequate funding
2. I meant to submit but other higher priority tasks took precedence
3. I did not have a suitable topic
4. I submitted to a different NSF program or other source of funding
5. I had difficulty putting together a team to write the proposal
6. I am on leave or sabbatical
7. Family or other responsibilities prevented me from writing a quality proposal
8. Some other reason: _________
NO PROPOSAL DEADLINES
4. In FY19/FY20, the SaTC program moved to have no deadlines for submission. Was this
change…
Positive
Somewhat positive
Neither positive nor negative
Somewhat negative
Negative
5. Has the lack of submission deadlines had an effect on your proposal writing process?
Yes
No

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6. How has the lack of submission deadlines affected your proposal writing process, if at all?

1. It was harder to motivate myself to write without a deadline.
2. It was harder to work with my collaborators without a deadline.
3. It was easier since I could work on the proposal without the pressure of a
deadline.
4. It was easier since the previous deadlines conflicted with other activities
(teaching, other program and conferences deadlines, etc.)
5. Some other effect (specify):
NUMBER of PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS
7. Were you aware of the reduction in the number of proposals you could submit to the SaTC
program in FY 19?
Yes (ask 8, 9, 10)
No (skip to 11)
8. Did the reduction in the number of proposals in FY 19 affect your proposal writing process?
Yes
No
9. Was the reduction in the number of proposals in FY19 for SaTC overall a positive or
negative change?
Positive
Somewhat positive
Neither positive nor negative
Somewhat negative
Negative
10. How did the reduction in the number of proposals that a PI could submit to SaTC in FY 19
impact the proposal writing process, if at all?
1. My collaborators were committed to other proposals
2. I had to choose between multiple proposal ideas
3. I was more cautious in my approach
4. I spent more time refining and polishing the proposal
5. Some other effect (specify):
11. Since October 1, 2018, have you submitted a proposal to any other NSF program?
Yes (ask 12)
No (skip to text that precedes 13)
12. Which other NSF programs did you submit to? (check all that apply)
1. CISE CORE programs (AF, CIF, CHS, CSR, III, NeTS, RI, SHF)
2. CISE cross-programs (CICI, CPS, CRII, NRI, S&CC, etc.)
3. NSF-wide programs (CAREER, ERC, STC, etc.)
4. Another NSF program (specify):
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BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING (BPC)
13. Are you aware of the pilot requirement (as of Fall 2018) that BPC plans be approved at
the time of award for selected CISE projects (includes SaTC)?
Yes
No
Please provide your input on the following three questions about the BPC pilot.
14. The BPC plan requirement is long overdue.
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Agree
5.
Strongly agree
15. The BPC plan requirement is a deterrent to submitting.
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Agree
5.
Strongly agree
16. The BPC plan requirement should target the department, not the PIs.
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree nor disagree
4. Agree
5.
Strongly agree
17. Please share any feedback you might have about the NSF SaTC program.
Comments _______
Thank you for your time and valuable input!

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