NSF EPSCoR PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR MEETING

About NSF EPSCoR Project Administrator Meetings

Historically, the NSF held Project Director (PD)/Project Administrator (PA) meetings quarterly, inviting all of the NSF EPSCoR jurisdictions to Washington DC three times a year, and to the national meeting hosted by one of the member states for the fourth session. These meetings brought the national Director, program directors, administrative staff and various invited guests of NSF EPSCoR together for an informal "board of directors" approach to EPSCoR issues.

A typical meeting would begin with the Director's welcome and overview, followed by: budget information, NSF and state project management issues, RII competition and co-funding updates, special initiatives, national meeting information, and numerous other items for discussion. The breaks and lunch provided tremendous networking opportunities between states and their program directors or between PDs and/or PAs. In the afternoon the NSF staff would depart while the jurisdictions held a PD roundtable, to discuss the meeting's information and general agreement upon responses to the Director and staff. PA meetings were either held in the afternoon, while the PDs held their roundtable or they were held on the following day.

These PA meetings were invaluable. They were the nuts and bolts for effectively running the day-to-day operations of the EPSCoR projects. It was as if a mechanism for professional development were built in to the national program by virtue of having these inclusive meetings. Providing opportunities for in-depth networking and support enabled PAs to avoid the reinvention of the wheel at every turn. The meetings also gave the NSF staff more time to know these key people from across the country. Strong rapport through these professional contacts developed into lasting relationships. PAs were quite comfortable picking up the phone or emailing a colleague for support, information, ideas and advice.

On September 11, 2001 the NSF hosted what was to become its last Project Administrator meeting at the Foundation's Arlington, Virginia headquarters. Past Director, Jim Hoehn, with his staff—Karen Sandberg, Martha James, Fae Korsmo, Jane Harrington, and Pat Ferguson—along with a room full of PAs, were in attendance.

The agenda was set to cover FastLane: proposal preparation, login screen, printing award letters, revised budget submission, proposal status, supplemental funding requests, project reports, notifications and requests and organizational management. FastLane was still working out the bugs.

Just about an hour into the meeting Jim Hoehn announced that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers, but knew nothing more. He went upstairs to the 8th floor, where the NSF EPSCoR offices were housed, to get more information. He was back in minutes saying that a second plane had hit the other tower, and that he could see the Pentagon burning. It's only a few miles from the NSF building.

We were all offered the opportunity to call or email whomever we wished, informing them that we were safe. Security was locking down the building and everyone was to leave immediately. And, as they say, "The rest is history."

They also say, "It is time." It is time for the Project Administrator meetings to take up where they left off. This time together, now 27 jurisdictions, of which 5 have joined since 2001, is essential to the EPSCoR states' success. These meetings, as prior to 9/11, will continue to provide the much needed glue between NSF and the jurisdictions.

We all look forward to once again holding these critical meetings for the betterment of the EPSCoR projects within the jurisdictions, and of the program nationwide.

NSF EPSCoR PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR MEETING AGENDA

HANDOUTS (HOMEWORK) WILL BE AVAILABLE UPON CHECK-IN

Homework must be emailed to Gay Allison: gay.allison@umontana.edu NO LATER THAN Tuesday, June 20.

• PA biographical sketch with photo—1 page maximum (see PDF sample)
• Abstract of current proposal as originally submitted
• List of changes, if any, made to proposal after NSF review
• State committee role and membership
• Organizational structure of your universities and where EPSCoR resides
• EPSCoR administrative structure (who's who?)

HOTEL & TRAVEL INFO

Please address all questions to Gay Allison: gay.allison@umontana.edu

Guardians of Honor, LLC (GOH) has been contracted by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to provide conference support.  GOH is knowledgeable of the NSF and EPSCoR’s missions and goals. 

NSF EPSCoR has agreed to cover your lodging (room and taxes), two continental breakfasts, two lunches, and one reception during the EPSCoR Project Administrators Meeting.  GOH has reserved a block of sleeping rooms at the Sutton Place Hotel with an arrival date of July 23rd and a departure date of July 25th (unless alternate/additional days are approved in advance).  Please note that GOH is ONLY authorized to pay for the room and taxes for those days associated with the workshop.  The hotel will require a credit card to cover incidentals during your stay. 

Those attendees arriving earlier or departing later than the scheduled workshop days will do so at your own expense.  Each attendee is responsible for making his/her own travel arrangements (airfare and airport transfers).  A special hotel rate of $199 for July 21, 22, 25 and 26 only will be available for those interested in extending their stay in Chicago.  If you wish to take advantage of the rate for extra days, email Gay Allison: gay.allison@umontana.edu by Tuesday, June 13 10:00 A.M. (MST) with your dates.

Additionally, there are two options for transportation to and from the hotel:  1) taxi service from Chicago O’Hare or Chicago Midway airports will be approximately $35-$40; and 2) Continental Airport Express Shuttle (1-800-654-7871) is $25 each way.  Advance reservations are not required for the shuttle service. 

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT INFO

• City Pass
• Travel Info