GOVERNMENT & POLICY
FUSING PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND CHEMISTRY NSF's Discovery Corps Fellowships provide alternative to traditional grants
T
HE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDA-
tion's Division of Chemistry has developed a new program that combines two seemingly unrelated objectives: professional service and research expertise. The result is the Discovery Corps Fellowships—a novel pilot program designed to allow individuals with doctoral training in the chemical sciences or related interdisciplinaryfieldsto use their research experiences to address areas of U.S. national need. The goal of the project is to enhance research capabilities and infrastructure as well as to create new jobs and help develop the workforce. Examples ofpossible focuses are the establishment of undergraduate research centers, public education initiatives, and international partnerships. But the service-based fellowships have many researchers wondering just what the Chemistry Division has in mind. According to Katharine J. Covert, program director ofChemistry Collaboratives & Special Projects for NSF's Chemistry Division, the general reaction to the program announcement has been, "Sounds interesting, but what is it?" Her answer: "We are looking to the community to help us define the program." After all, she points out, the Discovery Corps is a pilot program and "we are trying to leave it open so applicants can create their own projects based on their strengths and interests." The program targets two groups of scientists: freshly minted Ph.D.s and seasoned professionals. The first group includes individuals who have completed their doctoral degree within the past two years. Those interested in applying for a Discovery Corps Postdoctoral Fellowship are encouraged to establish an affiliation with an NSF awardee that will lend support to their project. For example, if an individual is interested in developing an interactive muse-
um exhibit on forensic chemistry he or she could search NSF's awards database to find an appropriate awardee to partner with. This process is an important part of the project development, Covert says. The Discovery Corps Postdoctoral Fellowships are geared toward a small clientele,
Ellis
those who are coming into postdoctoral positions wanting to do something other than traditional laboratory research, explains Robert L. Kuczkowski, program officer in NSF's Chemistry Division. "We wanted to give them another option," he adds. These postdoc fellowships are akin to the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships sponsored by American Association for the Advancement of Science, Kuczkowski says. He hopes that postdocs, like the AAAS fellows, can build on their experiences. 'We want these to be a career-enhancing experience," he adds. An important point about this program is that these new postdoctoral fellowships will not replace the division's current support for postdoctoral researchers, Kuczkowski explains. The Chemistry Division currently funds more than 500 postdoctoral researchers, he says, and that won't change. Discovery Corps Fellowships are also
Fellows have
new opportunities for professional development, and their partnering organization and institutions have opportunities to move in new directions/'
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available to professionals in chemical and relatedfieldswith at least 10 years of experience beyond graduate and postdoctoral training. These Discovery Corps Senior Fellowships provide an opportunity for individuals from academia, government, and the private sector to serve the profession. For example, a scientist who is currently working in industry may want to reconnect with undergraduate education, Covert explains. In this case, he or she could apply for a senior fellowship to develop an entrepreneurial program and bring private-sector perspectives to undergraduate education. The fellowship can also include an in-
Kuczkowski
ternational component, Covert says. For someone at an academic institution, a senior fellowship could be used to set up an international Research Experiences for Undergraduates program for U.S. students. Or a fellowship—either postdoctoral or senior—could be used to support professional service-based research in a developing country that builds the nation's research capacity and encourages international collaboration, she says. "This program has the potential to benefit all participants," NSF Chemistry Division Director Arthur B. Ellis says. "Fellows have new opportunities for professional development, and their partnering organization and institutions have opportunities to move in new directions." Funding for the program is expected to be $2 million in 2004, which will be split between the two types of awards. In the first year, the division expects to award 10 two-year Discovery Corps Postdoctoral Fellowships andfiveof the one-year Discovery Corps Senior Fellowships. For more details about the program, visit the Chemistry Division website at http://wwwnsfgov/chem.The deadline for both postdoctoral and senior fellowship applications is Dec. 15.-SUSAN M0RRISSEY HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
