Dear Colleagues:
Please take the time (< 2 min) to fill out an important survey to
"take the pulse" of the ecological and environmental science
community regarding the new proposal submission and review process in
the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB).
The context for this survey derives from our recent open letter to
NSF that was signed by >550 scientists in one week,
<http://www.cbs.umn.edu/labs/shobbie/EcologistsLetter-NSF.pdf>http://www.cbs.umn.edu/labs/shobbie/EcologistsLetter-NSF.pdf.
This letter concerned changes made in 2012 by NSF to the proposal
submission process within the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO)
to address the increasing workload faced by NSF program staff and the
community. Several of us were fortunate to have a productive meeting
with the BIO leadership at the LTER All Scientists Meeting on Sept.
10 when we discussed these issues and alternate solutions.
Discussions with the community and NSF indicate that the three most
important issues concerning the new process are (1) the restriction
on the number of proposal submissions per investigator per year, (2)
the move to a single submission deadline per year, and (3) the
willingness of the community to step up and participate more fully in
the ad hoc review and panel processes. We are confident after our
conversations with NSF that #1, the restriction on the number of
proposal submissions per investigator, will be rescinded. To provide
NSF Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) with feedback from the
community regarding issues #2 and #3, the number of deadlines per
year and the community's willingness to help ease the burdens faced
by NSF, respectively, we ask you to fill out a two-question survey.
<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MZPTBDB>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MZPTBDB
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS SURVEY WIDELY TO YOUR COLLEAGUES IN ECOLOGY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY. Time is very short if we are to have an
opportunity to influence the process in 2013, so please respond by
5pm CST on Sept. 18, 2012.
Best regards,
Sarah Hobbie
Peter Reich
Whendee Silver
Diana Wall
