By limiting salary reimbursement to 2 mo in any given year, they are significantly biasing the ability of researchers at smaller schools to get funding. I can't imagine this would stay in effect too long because the same rationale caused the match on equipment grants to be removed. Essentially, it was determined that requiring a match caused small schools to be unable to compete. Small schools also have significantly higher teaching requirements making competition for funds even harder at these smaller institutions.
On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 1:03 PM, David Inouye <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The new version of the Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 09-1 January 2009) is > available on the NSF web site: > <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_index.jsp>http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_index.jsp > > One change may affect a number of ecologists on soft-money positions or > those seeking sabbatical salary. > > Scroll down about half way to g. Budget, (i) Salaries and Wages, (a) Senior > Project Personnel Salaries and Wages Policy. The second paragraph is what's > new. > > This is also in the summary of significant changes: > > Chapter II – Section C.2g(i), Salaries and Wages, has undergone a major > revision of NSF's salary reimbursement policy. In general, the Foundation > will now limit salary compensation for senior project personnel to no more > than two months of their regular salary in any one year. This limit includes > salary compensation received from all NSF-funded grants. This change moves > away from the concept of summer salary and allows for reimbursement of two > months of salary per year whenever appropriate during the year. > > A second issue that will affect lots of PIs is a new requirement to specify > how postocs will be mentored: (note that without this, a proposal is > returned without review!) > > Chapter II – Section C.2d(i), Project Description, has had entirely new > guidance added regarding mentoring activities. This was done to address the > mentoring requirement of the America COMPETES Act. Each proposal that > requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a > separate section within the 15-page project description, a description of > the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. > Examples of such activities are provided and the mentoring plan will be > evaluated during the merit review process, under the Broader Impacts > criterion. Proposals that do not include a separate section on mentoring > activities within the Project Description will be returned without review. > The Proposal Preparation Checklist (Exhibit II-1) and Chapter IV.B. on > Return without Review have been updated to reflect that. > > > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Associate Professor of Biology Texas A&M University-Texarkana Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology http://www.herpconbio.org Summer Teaching Schedule & Office Hours: Ecology: M,W 1-2:40 pm Cell Biology: M 6-9:40 pm (don't ask!) Forensic Science: T,R 10-11:40am Office Hours: MW 12-1, 5-6, TR 11:40-12:30, "Every once in a while, there's an aberration, a crack in the pavement..., because it's just so good, that it slides in between all of the meaningless, tasteless, cardboard cut-out crap." -David Crosby (of the Byrds, Crosby Stills, Nash [& Young], etc.)
