Broadening Participation: 2021 MPS Workshop for Young Investigators

该项目旨在为NSF数学和物理科学理事会（MPS）新的和未来的首席研究员（pi）举办一个虚拟研讨会。由于新冠肺炎限制措施的意外性质，为期两天的研讨会计划于2021年10月11日至12日在网上举行。自2014年第一次研讨会以来，研讨会的主要目标有两个：(1)为刚刚获得第一个奖项或试图从MPS项目中获得资金的pi提供有关NSF政策、程序和机会的宝贵信息和建议，重点是从代表性不足的少数群体中招募与会者；(2)在指定的群体中培养未来的NSF审稿人。研讨会的目标是让各种新的和潜在的MPS pi参与进来，以加强他们与国家科学基金会的成功互动。技术描述该项目是为NSF数学和物理科学理事会（MPS）的新和未来首席研究员（pi）提供的一个讲习班。研讨会将通过在线平台进行。研讨会计划由两个主要部分组成：NSF项目主任的信息介绍和邀请演讲者以及模拟小组审查活动。演讲的主题旨在为新的和未来的研究者提供有关NSF过程的信息。具体主题将包括绩效审查过程，MPS和NSF政策和程序中的资助机会。在两天的时间里，参与者将在项目主管的指导下，在分组会议中模拟小组审查的整个过程。该项目使用计划的评估来跟踪参与者，并通过获得资金和参与参与者审查过程的成功率来评价讲习班培训的效果。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-Technical DescriptionThis project is aimed at hosting a virtual workshop for new and future principal investigators (PIs) in the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). Due to the unexpected nature of the COVID-19 restrictions, the two full-day workshop is planned as an online event on October 11 – 12, 2021. Since the first workshop in 2014, the main goal of the workshop has been in two-fold: (1) to provide PIs’ who have just received their first awards or who are attempting to obtain funding from the MPS programs with valuable information and advice on the policies, procedures, and opportunities available at NSF, with an emphasis on recruiting attendees from underrepresented minority groups, and (2) to train a pool of future reviewers for NSF in the designated group. The workshop targets involvement of a diverse pool of new and potential MPS PIs to enhance their successful interactions with NSF.Technical DescriptionThis project is for a workshop for a diverse pool of new and future principal investigators (PIs) in the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The Workshop will be conducted through an online platform. The workshop program is composed of two main parts: informational presentations by NSF Program Directors and invited speakers and mock panel review activities. The topics of presentations are designed to provide the new and future investigators with information about the NSF process. Specific topics will include merit review process, funding opportunities in MPS and NSF policies and procedures. Over two days, the participants will be engaged in the activities emulating the full processes of panel review in breakout sessions guided by Program Directors. The project uses an assessment planned to track the participants and to evaluate the efficacy of the workshop training through the success rate in securing funding and participation in the review process of the participants.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.