In recent months the National Science FoundationŐs Science and Technology Studies Program (STS) has undergone some changes. That program has now merged with a separate, but closely related program, the Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science and Technology, to form a new program called Science and Society. The new program retains all components of the two previous programs, as well as the separate program officers and advisory panels. Ronald Rainger remains in charge of all proposals and the advisory panel for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Technology, while Priscilla Regan is in charge of all proposals and the advisory panel for Ethics and Values Studies and Science Policy. In addition, John Perhonis oversees doctoral dissertation improvement proposals for the entire program. The Science and Society Program retains the combined budgets of the two former programs and will have approximately a six-milllion dollar budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The program also provides greater visibility for historical, philosophical, and social studies of engineering, and the term engineering is now explicitly included in all components of the program.
One reason for developing the new program is to take advantage of many new initiatives that now exist at NSF. Above and beyond the individual programs, the agency has developed numerous interdisciplinary (what NSF calls cross-cutting) initiatives. Those initiatives, which include Human and Social Dynamics, Nanotechnology, and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Trainee Program (IGERT), are important priority areas that offer additional, exciting opportunities for the members of our community. Other program officers within NSF are generally in charge of those competitions, and I am not always aware when members of our community have submitted proposals. I encourage you to apply to those competitions, and I would also recommend that you inform me that you have applied, send me a copy of your proposal, and include a list of suggested reviewers. If I am aware that someone in our community has a pending application, I will do everything that I can to ensure that the proposal is evaluated by appropriate reviewers and panel members. I hope you will take advantage of these important opportunities. The Science and Society website includes links to a number of those programs, and I encourage you to contact me or other program officers with any questions or suggestions that you may have about NSF. The website address is
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5324&org=SES&from=homeOr you can access the website by going to the NSF homepage. On the first screen go to first drop down menu on the left, click on Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences. On the next screen click Social and Economic Sciences on the left side of the screen, and then on the next page scroll down to the Science and Society Program and click on that to open our webpage.
Sincerely,
Ronald Rainger
Program Officer
Science and Society Program
National Science Foundation
703 292-7283