Initial Publication Date: April 10, 2014

National Science Foundation

Early Career Geoscience Faculty Visit to the National Science Foundation

Friday, June 27, 2014

If you are planning to go (or are thinking about going) on the optional NSF visit on June 27, please browse the NSF web site, which provides information about all of their programs, including the Program Directors. Particular web pages that may be useful give information about the Geoscience Directorate (this includes links to the Divisions of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, Earth Sciences, Ocean Sciences, and Polar Programs), the Geoscience Staff, the Division of Undergraduate Education, and the Division of Human Resources.

When you have had a chance to review the program below, don't forget to choose your sessions.

Schedule

Travel to NSF on your own by Metrorail. The nearest station is College Park/U of MD Metro (Green and Yellow Lines). The University of Maryland Shuttle 104 will get you there from campus (bus stop is at the Regents Parking Garage; buses run every 9 minutes). Take the Green Line train in the direction of Branch Avenue or the Yellow Line train in the direction of Huntington to L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station and change for the Orange Line in the direction of Vienna. Get off at the Ballston-MU station. From the top of the station escalator, turn right to Stuart Street. Turn left on Stuart and walk one block. The north entrance to NSF is directly in front of you across 9th St. N. Travel time ~45 minutes.

8:30-9:00 Check in at security desk (get visitor badge). You must have a government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver's license).

9:00-9:20 Introduction to the National Science Foundation and Geoscience-Related Programs (Room 1235)

  • Welcome and Introduction to the Directorate for Geosciences - Margaret Cavanaugh, Deputy Assistant Director
  • "On the Cutting Edge" and Introduction to the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE/EHR) - Susan Singer, Division Director
National Science Foundation atrium

9:30-10:30 Small group meetings with core programs in Earth Sciences and selected other divisions.

The programs that have small group sessions will depend upon the interest of the workshop participants and the availability of program officers. For those whose research interests are different than the programs listed below, individual meetings with relevant program officers can be arranged.

  • Programs in the Division of Earth Sciences:
    • Geobiology & Low-Temperature Geochemistry
    • Geomorphology and Land-Use Dynamics
    • Hydrologic Sciences
    • Petrology and Geochemistry
    • Sedimentary Geology & Paleobiology
    • Tectonics
    • Geophysics
  • Other relevant programs:
    • Geography & Spatial Sciences
    • Programs in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
    • Programs in the Division of Ocean Sciences

10:40 - 11:20 Concurrent sessions concerning broader topics and special programs of interest to Geoscience faculty. Individual meetings with NSF Program Officers to discuss research projects and goals will also be arranged.

  • Opportunities for supporting undergraduate education in the Geosciences (Room 110) - Jill Karsten (GEO), Keith Sverdrup (EHR/DUE)
    • Programs for undergraduate education have changed significantly in recent years. This session will give an overview of the efforts within the Geosciences Directorate (GEO) and in in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE).
  • Earth Sciences (EAR) Instrumentation and Facilities (Acrobat (PDF) 2.5MB Jul2 14) (Room 770) - Jonathan Wynn (GEO/EAR)
    • The Instrumentation and Facilities Program has several components for obtaining equipment to be used for research supported by the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR).

11:30-12:30 Lunch on your own or with small groups

National Science Foundation atrium

12:45-1:25 Concurrent sessions

  • Interdisciplinary Opportunities within GEO-SEES (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 7.6MB Jul1 14) (Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability) (Room 110) - Sarah Ruth (GEO/AGS)
    • Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) is a portfolio of activities that highlights NSF's unique role in helping society address the challenge(s) of achieving sustainability. This session will provide an overview of the programs that involve the Geosciences.

  • GEO Innovation Initiative (Room 770) - Raffaella Montelli (GEO/EAR)
    • NSF has mechanisms for bringing industry partners into research activity. If you are interested in collaborating with industry, this session will provide helpful guidelines on making it work.

1:30-2:10 Concurrent sessions

  • Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change (P2C2) (Room 730)- Candace Major (GEO/OCE)
    • The P2C2 solicitation is an interdisciplinary effort to examine records of climate variability that will provide input into the mechanisms and rates of past climate change.

  • EarthCube and Data Management in Geosciences (Room 110) -Eva Zanzerkia (GEO)
    • EarthCube supports activities that develop cyberinfrastructure and protocols to facilitate access to data from research in Geosciences. This has become increasingly important as research projects grow larger and more complex.

2:15-2:55 Integrating Research and Education: NSF CAREER Program (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 916kB Jul2 14) (Room 110) - Sonia Esperanca (GEO/EAR)

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.

3:00-3:40 Concurrent sessions

  • Broader Impacts and Increasing Diversity in the Geosciences (Room 110) - Jill Karsten (GEO), Lina Patino (GEO/EAR), Justin Lawrence (GEO/EAR)
    • This session discusses effective strategies for meeting NSF goals for widening the application of supported research and including underrepresented groups in the pursuit of science.

  • Earthscope (Room 770) -- Margaret Benoit (GEO/EAR)
    • The EarthScope Program provides a framework for broad, integrated studies across the Earth sciences, including earthquake processes, magmatic and hydrous fluids in the crust and mantle, plate boundary processes, large-scale continental deformation, continental structure and evolution, and composition and structure of the deep Earth.

3:45 - 4:15 Debriefing session (Room 770) (Individual appointments with Program Officers will continue based upon need and availability).

Participants will depart on their own.

Don't forget to choose your sessions!