"Shaking the Money Tree - Funding at NSF"

Speakers
Dr. Suhada Jayasuriya, Program Director, Control Systems
Dr. Eduardo Misawa, Program Director, Dynamical Systems
Dr. Judy M. Vance, Program Director, Engineering Design

Abstract
The National Science Foundation supports research in science and engineering which encompasses a broad range of disciplines including biology; computing; geosciences; mathematics and physical sciences; social, behavioral and economic sciences; education and human resources; and engineering. The Engineering Directorate recently completed a reorganization of its divisions with the start of the 2007 fiscal year. Research faculty who were familiar with the previous divisions, such as the Civil and Mechanical Systems (CMS) and Design and Manufacturing Innovation Division (DMI), must now search for the appropriate program for their proposals in the new divisional structure. In addition, cross directorate and NSF-wide opportunities are becoming increasingly available which support research at the intersection of various disciplines. This presentation will explain the new directorate structure, present opportunities for funding in a variety of areas, including Engineering Design, Dynamical Systems, and Control Systems, as well as potential new priority areas, and describe the proposal evaluation process. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the NSF organization, funding opportunities and the proposal evaluation process.

Biographical Sketches

Dr. Suhada Jayasuriya, ASME Fellow, is Kotzebue Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He received his B. Sc. Degree from University of Sri Lanka, and M.S., Ph.D. degrees from Wayne State University all in Mechanical Engineering. He is the Editor of the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control and ASME Director on the AACC Board. He served as the chair of the Dynamic Systems and Control Division of ASME. Professor Jayasuriya's research focuses on cooperative and distributed control and uncertain nonlinear systems. Dr. Eduardo A. Misawa is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), and Ph.D. degrees from M.I.T., all in Mechanical Engineering. He is the chair of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division, past chair of the ASME System Theory Panel, General Chair of the 2006 American Control Conference and past Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control. Professor Misawa's research focuses on theory and application of nonlinear dynamics and control theory. Dr. Judy M. Vance, ASME Fellow, is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a faculty associate of the Virtual Reality Applications Center at Iowa State University. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University, all in Mechanical Engineering. She is the chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division, past chair of the ASME Design Automation Committee, and past Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design. Professor Vance's research focuses on exploring applications of virtual reality techniques to engineering design.