Each year the National Science Foundation (NSF) prepares an analysis of the merit review process for the National Science Board (NSB). The recently released Digest shows that in 2019, 4,262 proposals (for $2.8 billion) that were rated “Very Good” or higher had to be declined. The digest also contains a description of the merit review process, funding rates, types of proposals, statistics of underrepresented groups with proposals, and award distribution.
NSF has also recently released the 2019 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) data. The goal of the survey is to monitor the number of degrees awarded, along with fields of study, paths to the doctorate, postgraduation trends, and demographic information. This data is key to making informed advancements in the U.S. doctoral education system and crucial for NSF’s commitment to broadening participation. Overall, the number of doctorate recipients across all fields of study increased 1.1 percent from 2018, totaling 55,703 degrees awarded in 2019. Degree participation by minority groups has stayed relatively the same, with the exception for people of Hispanic or Latinx descent which accounted for a 7 percent rise in 2019. Data tables, resources, and the 2019 report can all be accessed on the NSF interactive website.
On February 10, FABBS submitted comments (Found HERE) on the NSF strategic plan, underscoring the importance of the NSF mission to invest in fundamental science. On behalf of our 27 scientific societies, FABBS encouraged NSF to emphasize the importance and value of diversity in every aspect of NSF activities, to advance the progress of convergence science – identifying specific opportunities in brain research – and to support clinically relevant research. In addition, FABBS encouraged NSF to clarify the meaning of ‘broader impacts.’
