Women's International Science Collaboration (WISC) Program 2001-2003
The AAAS Directorate for International Programs, supported by the National Science Foundation, is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity for U.S. Women Scientists.

OVERVIEW

The Women's International Science Collaboration (WISC) Program is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and administered by the Directorate for International Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Because the application rate of women scientists and engineers to work with colleagues overseas to the NSF Division of International Programs has been disproportionately low, the goal of this Program is to increase the participation of women as PIs and co-PIs in international research projects. This program provides grants to individual US scientists who plan to establish new research partnerships with their colleagues in Central/Eastern Europe, the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union, Near East, Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Pacific, and Asia.

Each grant, up to $4,000 or $5,000 (depending on region), will provide travel and living support for a US scientist to visit a partner country in order to establish a new research partnership. When appropriate, an additional grant of up to $4,000 or $5,000 may be made to an American co-PI for the same purpose. The grant does not cover salary or institutional expenses (e.g., overhead). US scientists can spend up to four weeks in the partner country to plan and design a research project (it is expected that project investigators will eventually submit a formal grant proposal for such research project to NSF and/or other appropriate institutions). Grant funds can also be used to cover material and supplies needed during the stay. With the approval of AAAS administrators, grants funds can be used to support a second visit to the partner country or for a foreign partner to travel to the US when such a visit is deemed necessary. The grants are not to be used for the sole purpose of attending conferences or workshops or teaching or training. The program will be administered by AAAS. The grantee's home institution will be responsible for overseeing the grantee's adherence to NSF and federal guidelines regarding administration of the grant.

ELIGIBILITY

Men and women scientists who have their Ph.D.s or equivalent research experience are eligible to apply. Applications from male co-PIs must be accompanied by an application from a female co-PI as part of a US research team, except as noted below for the Americas. They must be US citizens or permanent residents of the US. Male and female graduate students (Ph.D. candidates) are also eligible to apply, if they will be conducting research in an established Ph.D. program in the US and will be traveling with their Ph.D. advisor and will serve as co-PI on future proposals. In addition, male graduate students still need a female co-PI. Government employees can only apply if they also are affiliated with another institution eligible to receive NSF grants (e.g., an adjunct professorship at a university).

Scientists who have received their doctoral degrees within the past six years will receive special consideration, as will scientists applying to work with colleagues in less frequently represented countries and regions.

Scientists and engineers who have an existing NSF grant and are eligible for a NSF international supplement should not apply to this program. Please contact NSF's International Programs staff, who can advise regarding applications for NSF international supplements.

ELIGIBLE RESEARCH FIELDS

Only fields funded by the National Science Foundation and interdisciplinary research cutting across these fields are eligible, including archaeology and anthropology; astronomy; biochemistry, biophysics and genetics; biological sciences; chemistry; computer science; earth sciences; economics; engineering; environmental sciences; geography; history and philosophy of science; linguistics; mathematics; physics; political science; non-clinically oriented psychology; science and technology policy; and sociology. For further information on fields and interdisciplinary research, please visit NSF's website at http://www.nsf.gov.

No proposals involving agricultural production; drug testing or development; research on the diagnosis, etiology or treatment of physical or mental diseases or disorders; or the use of animal models of human diseases or conditions will be accepted. Proposals outside the scope of the program will not be considered.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

Please contact the appropriate AAAS contact (see below) for eligible countries, and for current US Government advisories or restrictions.

SELECTION

AAAS will collect and review applications for completeness. They will then send them to the members of a five-person review panel who will rank their appropriateness, keeping in mind NSF review requirements - scientific relevance and impact.

The evaluation of each proposal will take into account:

applicant's technical abilities (scientific accomplishments to date, including significance of publications in peer-reviewed journals and independent research);
quality of the proposed project (specificity and significance of the project's objectives, including expected contributions to the specific discipline and to the greater scientific community);
feasibility of carrying out the proposed project (capabilities of proposed hosts in the research area, including availability of required facilities; ability of visitor to work in a non-Western environment; and ability of visitor to communicate effectively with colleagues); and
prospects for long-term collaboration following the completion of the current project.
These issues should be addressed in the five-page description of the project (see below).

Applicants proposing partnerships involving Africa, Near East, Middle East, or South Asia, should note the following additional guidelines:

Where feasible, applications are encouraged with foreign partners who are women and/or early in their professional careers (within six years of receiving their Ph.D.).
Applicants are encouraged, as part of their long-term research partnerships, to give attention to activities that enable knowledge transfer and/or capacity building (e.g., through short-term training in specific skills or techniques) for their foreign partners.
In addition to support for an U.S. scientist to visit a partner country, applicants may propose travel by a foreign partner to the U.S. Justification for such travel must be provided and it must be included within the $5,000 award limit.
As a result of determinations by the U.S. Government, we are not permitted to award grants to support visits to or the hosting of researchers from certain countries and/or institutions. Please contact the appropriate AAAS administrator for a current list.
Applicants proposing partnerships with scientists and engineers in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean should take note of the following:

Where feasible, applications are encouraged with foreign partners who are women and/or early in their professional careers (within six years of receiving their Ph.D.).
Applications from male PIs must EITHER be accompanied by an application from a female co-PI as part of a US research team OR propose a partnership with a female researcher in the partner country.
In addition to support for a U.S. scientist to visit a partner country, applicants may propose travel by a foreign partner to the U.S. Justification for such travel must be provided and it must be included within the $4,000 award limit.
CONTACT INFORMATION BY REGION

For Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union:
Karen Grill
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: (202) 326-6650

For East Asia and Pacific:
Michael Snyder or Suteera Nagavajara
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Tel: (202) 326-6441 or (202) 326-6496

For Africa, Near East, Middle East, and South Asia:
Alan Bornbusch
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: (202) 326-6651

For Americas:
Marina Ratchford
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: (202) 326-6490

TO APPLY

The application should include the following:

Grant application form (form provided)
Short (maximum of five pages) description of the project;
Curriculum Vitae of the U.S. PI, including a list of publications or other relevant activities;
Description of the foreign institution that will be collaborating;
CV of the collaborating foreign partner; and
Correspondence from foreign colleague indicating a willingness to cooperate, to assist with obtaining a visa and housing, and to assure a safe and secure working environment.
Proposed Budget (form provided)
Please mail original plus seven copies of the entire application package to:

APPLICATION FORMS

The application forms are in both Word and PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed). To access the Word files, you may need to right-click (PCs) or click-and-hold (Macs) and choose "save as" to save the file on your computer. A simple click should start the process for PDF files automatically. If you are unable to download these forms, please contact the appropriate AAAS staff person for your region.
Grant Application Form
Word
pdf
Proposed Budget Form
Word
pdf
DEADLINES

January 15, 2002 (notification by April 15)
July 15, 2002 (notification by October 15)
(Please list AAAS contact)
WISC Travel Grant
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Directorate for International Programs
1200 New York Avenue, NW, 7th floor
Washington, DC 20005

GRANT CONDITIONS

All grants will be administered by and disbursed through the grant recipient÷s institution. This includes visa, travel, and other arrangements in compliance with NSF and other federal regulations.

AAAS grants will not cover any overhead or other indirect charges assessed by universities (or by other institutional organizations). The American specialist who is applying through her institution must certify in writing that such charges will be waived. AAAS grants do not provide for salary replacement.

The AAAS shall have no responsibility for costs incurred beyond those covered in the grant as itemized in fellowship application and which are reasonable, allowable and allocable to the effort undertaken. Expenses are not to exceed $4,000 (for Central/Eastern Europe, the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union, the Americas) or $5,000 (for Near East, Middle East, Africa, Pacific, and Asia).

Any unspent funds remaining at the conclusion of the visit shall be returned to AAAS. In addition, should the actual duration of the visit(s) be less than the proposed duration, the grant recipient will return to the AAAS a proportional amount of the total grant.

If transoceanic airfare costs are to be covered by the grant, AAAS policy and the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 (49 U.S.C. 1517) (Fly America Act) require the use of U.S. Flag carriers for international air travel to the extent these carriers are available. Business or First Class travel is not permitted. In preparing their application budgets, grantees should obtain fare quotations so as to ensure that their requests are reasonable. AAAS staff will review air travel expense requests to ensure reasonableness. Proof of these arrangements (ticket stub or receipt coupon) must be submitted. If other funds are used for travel, documentation supporting this action must be provided.

The budget will also be evaluated by AAAS staff and may be reduced if they exceed reasonable costs.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Within three months of the trip, the grantee will be required to submit a trip report (according to the WISC trip report guidelines), which includes an evaluation of the trip, and a progress report on submitting a formal research proposal.

The grantee's institution will also be responsible for submitting an expense report of travel funds (form provided) with copies of original receipts within 60 days. Any excess funds will be returned to AAAS or plans to expend the excess funds (i.e. a second visit by the American to the foreign partners, a first visit by the partner to the US; equipment or supply purchases to enhance communications, etc.) will be outlined in the final report. Upon approval from AAAS, the grantee can use the excess funds. In this case, another report will be due within three months of the initial report.