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Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (NSF 05-532)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a limit to the amount of funds I can request for my proposal?

A: There is no official limit. The budget for this initial round is $1.5 million, and the program expects to make around 5-12 awards, with amounts not exceeding $300,000. Investigators should be aware that if they submit proposals with requests that far exceed that amount, reviewers and NSF program officials may question the feasibility of their doing the project with much less funding.

Q: Can funds be used for graduate stipends or tuition waivers?

A: Yes, EESE proposals may request support in all the usual NSF budget categories.

Q: What organizations are eligible to apply?

A: Accredited U.S. colleges or universities and U.S. professional associations are eligible. Trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not professional associations, and are not eligible to apply. Trade associations and NGOs may be involved as sub-awardees or in consultant or advisory roles in proposals.

Q: Will proposals addressing medical or biomedical ethics be considered?

A: No, the EESE program will not consider proposals focused on ethics for medical students or in medical education. EESE will not consider proposals that will start or provide incremental improvements to formal or informal educational activities responsive to Federal mandates for research integrity or human-subjects training requirements.

Q: Can a project propose to develop a Website (or to augment an existing one)?

A: Yes, provided that the work performed is in line with the objectives set out in the announcement. Competitive proposals are likely to incorporate Website development (if that is an aspect in their plans) with other outreach and dissemination activities.

Q: Can a project propose to create an ethics training program that leads to a graduate degree?

A: Yes, provided that there is a clearly stated plan to test the program’s feasibility at more than one institution.