Request for Feedback on Submission Process for the NSF Convergence Accelerator Pilot Program

Questions for RCO submitters and those receiving invitations to submit Phase 1 proposals

Question: To which track did you submit a Research Concept Outline (RCO)?

Response Options:

• A1: OPEN KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

• B1: AI AND FUTURE JOBS

• B2: NATIONAL TALENT ECOSYSTEM

Question: At what type of institution is the PI in your RCO?

Response Options:

• Educational institution

• Business/Industry

• Nonprofit organization (including private foundation)

• State or local government (other than educational institution)

• Federal government

• Other (Specify):

Question: How did you hear about the C-Accel program?

Responses (Check all the apply):

• Mailing list for NSF funding announcements

• Presentations by NSF staff

• Referred by NSF program officer

• Referred by colleague

• News media

• Social media posts (e.g. Twitter)

• Other (Specify):

Team Formation

In the next series of questions, we’d like to know more about the formation of the team you described in your RCO. This “team” includes all the collaborators and partners described in your RCO.

Question: Your RCO proposal contained team members from which institution types? Include the PI’s institution.

Response Options (check all that apply):

• An educational institution

• Business/Industry

• A Nonprofit organization (including private foundation)

• State or local government (other than educational institution)

• Federal government

• Other (Specify):

Question: Prior to the announcement of the DCL (March 15, 2019), was the team proposed in the DCL a team that already existed?

Response Options:

• Yes

• No

Question (if the team includes an educational institution): How many distinct academic departments, schools, or colleges (psychology, computer science, etc) are represented in your team?

Response Options:

• One distinct department, school, or college

• Two distinct departments, schools, or colleges

• Three distinct departments, schools, or colleges

• Four or more distinct departments, schools, or colleges

Question (Invitees only): During the preparation of your Phase 1 proposal, did you make any changes to the composition of your team in response to feedback you received from NSF?

Response Options:

• Yes

• No

Question (If Yes): What changes did you make?

Response Options (check all): that apply):

• Added team members from additional institutions

• Added team members from additional scientific fields

• Added team members from different industry sectors

• Redefined roles of current team members

• Removed team members

Webinars and FAQs

The NSF C-Accel program has used webinars to help the community understand and prepare for the RCO and other phases of the pilot program. NSF also provided recordings and transcripts of the webinars as well as frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the C-Accel website.

Question: Did you attend any of the C-Accel webinars?

Response Options:

• Yes

• No

Question: Did you view recordings or read transcripts from the C-Accel webinars?

Response Options:

• Yes

• No

Question: Did you read the FAQs on the C-Accel website?

Response Options:

• Yes

• No

Question (if yes to webinar or transcript or read FAQs): What kind(s) of information were you seeking from the webinar?

Response Options (check all that apply):

• Requirements for team composition

• Requirements for tracks (A1, B1, B2)

• The RCO submission process

• Phase I proposal process

• Other (Specify):

Reference Materials in the DCL

In the DCL, several sources were included to provide context and background for the C-Accel program and the tracks selected for the pilot (A1, B1, B2).

Question: Which of the following, if any, were most important to your preparation for an RCO submission?

Responses (check all that apply – order randomized):

• NSF’s 10 Big Ideas

• Harnessing the Data Revolution

• Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier

• FY 2020 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities

• Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goals and the President’s Management Agenda (PMA)

• U.S. 5-Year STEM Education Strategic Plan

• The Open Knowledge Network workshop report

• Information Technology and the U.S. Workforce: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine)

• Addressing America’s Reskilling Challenge (White House Council of Economic Advisors)

• The Quant Crunch: How the Demand for Data Science Skills is Disrupting the Job Market (The Business-Higher Education Forum)

• Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine)

Research Concept Outline Process

Question: What was your most recent submission to an NSF program?

Responses:

• The C-Accel RCO

• Another NSF program (Research, Conferences, Equipment, Travel, Facility/Center, etc)

Question (if C-Accel RCO): Was the C-Accel RCO your first submission to an NSF program?

Responses:

• Yes

• No

Question (if Another NSF program or not your first submission): For your most recent submission to NSF was there a target or recommended date, a fixed deadline, or no deadline for submission?

Responses:

• Target date, after which submissions were still reviewed

• Fixed deadline, after which submissions were NOT reviewed

• No deadline

The C-Accel RCO submission had a target date, after which RCO’s were still reviewed. Based on your RCO experience and previous NSF experience…

Question: If NSF provided a formatted template for the RCO, would you use it?

Responses:

• Yes

• No

Question: Would you recommend a deadline that is:

Responses:

• Target date, after which submissions are still reviewed

• Fixed deadline, after which submissions are NOT reviewed

• Other (Specify):

Question: How much time between the DCL announcement and the target date would you recommend?

Responses:

• 30 days

• 30-60 days

• More than 60 days

• Other (Specify):

(invitees only) The current Phase I submission had a fixed deadline date, after which Phase I proposals were NOT reviewed. Based on your Phase I submission experience and previous NSF experience…

Question: Would you recommend a proposal format that is a

Responses:

• Separate RCO and Phase 1 proposal

• Single combined proposal

• Other (Specify):

Question: How much time between the RCO target date and the Phase 1 proposal date would you recommend?

Responses:

• 30 days

• 30-60 days

• More than 60 days

• Other (Specify):

Question: Are you inclined to submit an RCO to future topic areas in the C-Accel program?

Responses:

• Yes

• No

Additional Comments

Question: If there were anything you could change about the submission process to improve the experience, or in your view improve the quality of proposals submitted, what would it be?

Response: Open Text (1/4 to 1/2 page)