<http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13109/nsf13109.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click>http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13109/nsf13109.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
Date: July 2, 2013
BACKGROUND
Instituted in 2012, NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative is an
ambitious, ten-year initiative that will build on the best of
family-friendly practices among individual NSF programs to expand
them to activities NSF-wide. This agency-level approach will help
attract, retain, and advance graduate students, postdoctoral
students, and early-career researchers in STEM fields. This effort is
designed to help reduce the rate at which women depart from the STEM
workforce. Further information on the CLB initiative may be found on
the Foundation's website.
The primary emphasis of NSF's CLB initiative in FY 2012 was focused
on opportunities such as dependent-care issues (child birth/adoption
and elder care). These issues initially were addressed through NSF's
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program, where career-life
balance opportunities can help retain a significant fraction of early
career STEM talent. In FY 2013, the Foundation intends to further
integrate CLB opportunities through other programs such as the
Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) and postdoctoral
fellowship programs, as well as expand opportunities such as dual
career-hiring through the Increasing the Participation and
Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers
(ADVANCE) program. Each of these opportunities will be described and
implemented separately.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this DCL is to announce a gender neutral supplemental
funding opportunity for NSF research awardees that support
postdoctoral investigators. NSF recognizes that dependent care
responsibilities and other family considerations pose unique
challenges for postdoctoral researchers.
Principal Investigators (PIs) of research awards are invited to
submit supplemental funding requests to support additional personnel
(e.g., research technicians or equivalent) to sustain research while
the postdoctoral researcher is on family leave. These requests may
include funding for up to 3 months of salary support, for a maximum
of $12,000 in salary compensation. The fringe benefits and associated
indirect costs may be in addition to the salary payment and
therefore, the total supplemental funding request may exceed $12,000.
Special instructions for use by PIs and Sponsored Projects Offices in
preparation and submission of postdoctoral investigators-Life Balance
Supplemental Funding Requests are included as an attachment (see
below) to this DCL.
Additional questions should be directed to the cognizant NSF program
director identified in the award notice.
Sincerely,
Wanda E. Ward
Office Head
Office of International & Integrative Activities
