SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS PROGRAM

The NSF Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science, and Technology (SDEST) program is encouraging proposals for the upcoming February 1, 2001 target date . The Societal Dimensions program includes Ethics and Values Studies (EVS) and Research on Science and Technology (RST). EVS focuses on improving knowledge of ethical and value dimensions in science, engineering, and technology. RST focuses on improving approaches and information for decision making about investment in science, engineering, and technology. SDEST considers proposals that examine the full range of questions that arise in the interactions of science, technology, and society. It provides a home at NSF for research on the ethical, legal, economic, and political contexts for knowledge production and innovation. EVS is particularly interested in analysis of ethical questions surrounding new developments in biotechnology and information technology and of the value issues associated with social and individual choices concerning them. RST is particularly interested in projects that examine the implications of strategies for research support, and the outcomes of those strategies. Both program components are interested in the area of research ethics. For EVS, this is a core concern. For RST, issues of research ethics that have implications for research productivity and outcomes are important.

The SDEST announcement (NSF99-82) can be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov:80/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf9982;

suggestions for applicants and information about prior awards are available at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/ses/sdest/start.htm.

On October 1, 2000 the National Science Foundation began to REQUIRE (with some minor exceptions) ALL proposals prepared for NSF consideration to be submitted via FastLane. Investigators planning to submit proposals to SDEST should take steps to comply with this requirement by making contact with their institution's Sponsored Programs Offices WELL IN ADVANCE of the program's next target date. ALL researchers with institutional affiliations should use FastLane. Individual applicants should contact FastLane well in advance also, to determine precise mechanisms for applying without institutional affiliation.

The NSF electronic application system, FastLane, lists the program under EVS and RST, not SDEST. On the cover page, you should select the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), and then one or the other program component - EVS or RST - to apply. If your proposal has relevance to both, choose the one that predominates. Following these procedures is important so that the application does not go astray.

For further information about FastLane and this requirement, please consult the FastLane Website, http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov; or Gail Williams of NSF's Division of Information Services (gwilliam@nsf.gov); or Philip Johnson, SBE Computer Specialist pxjohnso@nsf.gov). For information about the SDEST program, contact Program Director Rachelle Hollander, rholland@nsf.gov. For information about SDEST dissertation awards, contact Program Director John Perhonis, jperhoni@nsf.gov.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
As you may be aware, new funding opportunities at NSF are often through special initiatives, such as the Information Technology Research initiative. If you haven't seen it already, this initiative published its new announcement earlier this fall, with a complicated set of deadlines depending on the size of proposal, the first of which is pre-proposal deadlines for group proposals, November 27-29. ITR also just published its first set of awards, which includes a few awards to researchers in social and behavioral sciences fields. The current announcement is formulated very broadly and includes these five major categories: (1) systems design and implementation (ITR/SY); (2) people and social groups interacting with computers and infrastructure (ITR/PE); (3) information management (ITR/IM); (4) applications in science and engineering (ITR/AP); and (5) scalable information infrastructure for pervasive computing and access (ITR/SI). See http://www.itr.nsf.gov/ for more details.

The National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency sponsor a joint program in areas of environmental research. The announcement for "Decision Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy," can be found in the NSF/EPA page: http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/epa/start.htm You can go directly to the various announcement formats at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf00152

Please send queries to the contacts named on the pages and in the announcements. Message posted by: Rachelle D. Hollander Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science, and Technology Program - Ethics and Values Studies, Research on Science and Technology NSF Room 995, Arlington, VA 22230 703-292-7272, fax -9068
***NOTE!!! NEW NUMBERS!!!*** rholland@nsf.gov www.nsf.gov/sbe/ses/sdest

Reminder: FastLane proposals now required; select 99-82 and either EVS or RST on the program dropdown menu!!!