The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that was established in 1950 by Congress to support science and engineering efforts nationwide. NSF distributes federal funding among scientists to support their research and development initiatives promoting progress in science, advancing national health, prosperity and welfare and national defense. NSF Program Directors (PDs) ensure that proposals are reviewed in a fair, competitive, transparent, and thorough manner, supporting scientists and educators throughout the submission process. A common misconception is that it is difficult and inadvisable to contact NSF Program Directors during any stage of proposal submission, whether before or after submission. This misconception leads some faculty members to avoid discussing their ideas with Program Directors, thereby missing opportunities to advance their proposals effectively. As a former faculty member and now a Program Director, the presenter aims to clarify some of these common misconceptions or generate greater awareness by posing and answering a few not-so-frequently-asked-questions (FAQ)s for engaging with PDs. The session aims to empower educators to engage meaningfully with NSF Program Directors about funding ideas, bringing them one step closer to successful grant writing in support of their academic endeavors. This talk represents the personal view of the presenter.

Dr. Ambareen Siraj is serving as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF). She is the Founder of the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) conference and non-profit organization. She is an Emeritus Professor at Tennessee Tech Department of Computer Science, where she has served as the Founding Director of the Cybersecurity Education, Research, and Outreach Center (CEROC). Dr. Siraj’s research areas of interest include cyber-physical system security, sensor alert fusion with alert correlation and alert clustering, security metrics, security education and workforce development. She has led various National Science Foundation Projects, including “Tennessee Cybercorps: A Hybrid Program in Cybersecurity”, “Tennessee Tech Gen-Cyber Camps”, “Capacity Building in Cybersecurity: Broadening Participation of Women in Cybersecurity through Women in Cybersecurity Conference & Professional Development”, “CyberWorkshops: Resources and Strategies for Teaching Cybersecurity in Computer Science”, and “Security Knitting Kit: Integrating Security into Traditional CS Courses”. Siraj’s effort to educate students and enhance the cybersecurity field of study goes beyond classes, research and outreach projects, workshops and conferences. She has authored or co-authored more than fifty journal and conference articles while taking an active part in promoting cybersecurity training throughout the nation. She is also a frequent speaker in various cybersecurity conferences. She has received multiple awards including the Exceptional Leadership in Education Award from the National Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in 2018, Cybersecurity Person of The Year 2020 by Cybersecurity Ventures and the ABET Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion in 2020.