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Title: Broader Impacts Review Criterion  nsf07046
Date: 08/29/07



 Dear Colleague,

 The National Science Foundation employs two criteria in the merit
 review of proposals: What is the intellectual merit of the proposed
 activity? What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
 While most researchers know what is meant by Intellectual Merit,
 experience shows that many researchers have a less than clear
 understanding of the meaning of Broader Impacts.

 The NSF Grant Proposal Guide uses a series of questions to
 illustrate the Broader Impacts criterion: "How well does the
 activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting
 teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
 activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups
 (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what
 extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and
 education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and
 partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance
 scientific and technological understanding? What may be the
 benefits of the proposed activity to society? "

 These questions help to assess the potential of the proposed
 activity - beyond the research, per se - to benefit the Nation.
 Thus, the Broader Impacts criterion speaks directly to the mission
 of the National Science Foundation, "To promote the progress
 of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and
 welfare; and to secure the national defense." (NSF Act of
 1950).

 It may be helpful to illustrate the kinds of activity that are
 appropriate to each of the questions above. Caveat lector - the
 following list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and should
 not be read in ways that constrain the creativity of researchers in
 proposing activities with broader impact. However, in all instances
 a proposal must be specific in how it addresses the Broader Impacts
 criterion.

 Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching,
 training, and learning, for example, by training graduate students,
 mentoring postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty,  involving
 undergraduates in research experiences, and participating in the
 recruitment, training, and professional development of K-12
 mathematics and science teachers.

 Broaden participation of under-represented groups, for example, by
 establishing collaborations with students and faculty from
 institutions and organizations serving women, minorities, and other
 groups under-represented in the mathematical sciences.

 Enhance infrastructure for research and education, for example, by
 establishing collaborations with researchers in industry and
 government laboratories, developing partnerships with international
 academic institutions and organizations, and building networks of
 U.S. colleges and universities.

 Broaden dissemination to enhance scientific and technological
 understanding, for example, by presenting results of research and
 education projects in formats useful to students, scientists and
 engineers, members of Congress, teachers, and the general public.

 Benefits to society may occur, for example, when results of
 research and education projects are applied to other fields of
 science and technology to create startup companies, to improve
 commercial technology, to inform public policy, and to enhance
 national security.

 Further examples of broader impacts can be found in the NSF
 document Merit Review Broader Impacts Criterion: Representative
 Activities. Of course, not every proposal must demonstrate impact
 in each of these pre-defined areas. Rather, activities with
 significant broader impact will emerge from the nature of the
 proposal and the authentic interests of the proposer.

 Sincerely,

 Peter March
 Director, Division of Mathematical Sciences
 National Science Foundation