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Division Director Update
March 2021
Welcome to our latest newsletter. Much has happened since the December issue that we want to share with you.
Last September, DMS hosted a Committee of Visitors (CoV) meeting. These comprehensive reviews of Divisional operations, which take place every 3-4 years, provide advice for continuous improvement of DMS performance and ensure openness to the research and education community served by the NSF. We'd like to thank the entire membership of the CoV for their outstanding work and service to DMS. The full report along with the DMS response is publicly available on the MPS Advisory Committee web page.
Shortly after our last newsletter came out in December, we were happy to hear not only that NSF’s budget had been approved, but that it had been increased by $300M for a total this fiscal year of $8.5B. This allows us to continue with operations as before and as we mentioned last time we continue to accept, review, and make awards.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one area that we have been watching carefully is its impact on our communities. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to many of you on how the pandemic has been affecting universities, departments, and individuals. I’d like to thank everybody who has written to us with news from your campuses, as well as those who have sent us suggestions on how DMS can help.
One direct response to the pandemic is our increased focus this year on support for early-career investigators through all the DMS Workforce programs, including MSPRF, REU sites, and Research Training Group (RTG) grants. In addition, you may have already heard about the AGEP Graduate Research Supplements opportunity, so if you’re eligible for this, you may want to consider submitting a request.
We also understand that the pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on some communities, and we’re working hard to address those issues as well. I hope to be able to say more about this in a later communication.
Finally, I want to remind everyone that we continue to host a monthly series of Virtual Office Hours, which we instituted last year. Each month, we select different topics from across the DMS portfolio to discuss along with a Q&A period. If you’d like to learn more about DMS and what’s new, please register for one of these sessions. If you have any ideas on topics, we would also love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you all. Stay well and stay safe.
Juan C. Meza
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