STEM Update #14: A New Biosketch Format

Thursday, April 12, 2024


Context: In my role as division director of IIS, I’m sending out a short message to the IIS mailing list on the Second Tuesday Every Month (STEM).This is the installment for April 2024. Alas, I missed my Tuesday target, but since Thursday also starts with “T”, I’m considering it close enough.

 

Hi all,

I’m still on my home department’s faculty mailing list, so I saw a message in January 2023 from one of the department administrative staff members announcing that NSF was requiring a new format for biosketches (those mini CVs you need to include with your proposals). PIs submitting proposals would have to learn about the new format and update their biosketches appropriately. One smart aleck faculty member replied, “Ug, NSF is such a pain. Didn't they just change the format two years ago?”

Ouch. I take these kinds of complaints seriously, because (1) I feel some responsibility for the red tape and want to protect NSF’s reputation, and (2) I was the one who wrote it. In my defense, I was really proud of my prior biosketch, for which I had learned several new LaTeX packages so that I could swap in and out references to any of my papers depending on the ones I thought would be most impactful. I was still sore from the earlier change and felt a little resentful that I’d have to learn yet another new system. The staff member replied, “Yes, hopefully we will have this version for a while.”

Well, I’m happy (?) to report that the format is being updated yet again, for proposals due on or after May 20, 2024. Jean Feldman, Head of the Policy Office in the Division of Institution and Award Support (within NSF’s Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management) recorded an overview of the changes to the PAPPG (something I mentioned in STEM Update #12), including a segment on the biosketch modifications. (She also talked about NSF’s policy on the use of generative AI in the merit review process, something I covered in STEM Update #11.) Here’s the recording:

https://nsfpolicyoutreach.com/resources/nsf-proposal-award-policy-updates/

I’d summarize the changes as follows:

I hope that provides a useful heads up and some context so you know what’s coming and why.

Until next time!

 

 -Michael

 

P.S. Please consult the new PAPPG for the official policy: https://new.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/24-1 .