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Dear Colleague:

All proposals received by the National Science Foundation are evaluated
based on two criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts. In the fall
of 2002, the Division of Chemistry issued a Dear Colleague letter (NSF
02-161; http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02161/nsf02161.htm) that provided
many examples of broader impact activities and described their importance
in contributing to current and future strength in basic research and
education in the chemical sciences. The effect of this letter was recently
evaluated as part of a triennial review of the Division, conducted by a
distinguished Committee of Visitors (COV). The COV report, which is
available at http://www.nsf.gov/od/gpra/COV/MPS/CHE.htm#CHE2004, notes that
“the letter… has decreased …anxiety.” However,
the report also states, “More needs to be done to educate the
community.”

As a principal investigator (PI) who has successfully articulated the
broader impacts associated with your project, the Division of Chemistry
invites your assistance in communicating the nature of this criterion to
our community. Following consultation with chemists serving on the
Mathematical and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee (MPSAC),
http://www.nsf.gov/mps/mpsac/mpsac_welcome.cfm, we are inviting PIs to
provide brief descriptions of the broader impacts of their projects in the
form of “nuggets.” A general description of nuggets and some
examples are available at
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03016/nsf03016.html and
http://www.nsf.gov/mps/divisions/che/nuggets/nuggets.htm. Our intent is to
collect the submitted broader impact nuggets and post them on the Division
of Chemistry’s website. This collection will provide numerous
examples that can be used to assist individuals in preparing proposals to
be submitted to the Division of Chemistry, in evaluating proposals through
peer review, and in communicating widely the broader impacts of projects
supported by the Division.

To promote this effort, members of the MPSAC will select on the order of 50
of the submitted nuggets to be featured in a poster session at the Fall,
2005, ACS national meeting in Washington, D.C. Nuggets will be selected so
as to illustrate the breadth of activity occurring through the broader
impacts of projects supported by the Division. PIs whose nuggets have been
selected will receive partial travel support to the meeting from the
Division of Chemistry. To be eligible for consideration, PIs should submit
their nuggets to their program officer by November 1, 2004.

We hope that you will consider submitting one or more broader impact
nuggets. Please feel free to contact me, other Division of Chemistry staff
members, or members of the MPSAC if you have any questions regarding this
request.

Thank you for promoting this important objective.

Sincerely,

Arthur B. Ellis
Director, Division of Chemistry
aellis@nsf.gov
703-292-4960


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