NTC FY2007
NOTICE:
If you are seeking funding for a project with 06 in its number, submit 2nd Year CONTINUING project - Click Here. If you are seeking funding for a project with 05 in its number, submit 3rd Year CONTINUING project - Click Here. Year 04 or earlier is not eligible for continuing funds, but you can submit a new proposal to extend the work. It will be given a new number and you should rename the project. |
Master Calendar
- Sept. 1, 2006. University Site Director submits proposals to Cindy Albright
- Oct. 31, 2006 Proposal feedback from SEA
- Dec. 1, 2006: University Site Director submits approved budgets to Director's Office
- Dec. 8, 2006: Approved proposals forwarded to Technical Advisory Committee
- Jan. 17, 2007: Technical Advisory Committee Completes Evaluation
- Mar. 1, 2007: Approved Projects submitted to Commerce Department
- May 1, 2007: Approved Project work commences
- April 30, 2008: First Year work completed.
General Instructions
QUICK INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS:
- Obtain a Proposal Number from your Site Director
- Download THREE Microsoft Word templates. NOTE. These templates are new. DO NOT USE A PREVIOUS VERSION. See FAQ for further details.
- Complete the proposal template. Your proposal portion can be no longer than 3 pages, including diagrams and pictures. WARNING: It will be automatically rejected if it is longer than three pages and does not contain the categories in the template.
- Complete the bibliography template. This document cannot be longer than ONE page.
- Complete the biography template. This document cannot be longer than two pages.
- Save the templates in PDF format. There is an Adobe PDF driver built into the MS Word under "File/Print" menu. Change the name of the printer to the Adobe PDF driver then name the file the same as the project number (e.g., C07-AE14.pdf.)
- Combine the three PDF files into one PDF document; the proposal first, the bibliography second and the biography third.
- E-mail the PDF file to your SITE DIRECTOR. The site director will confirm the Proposal Number and forward the proposal via email to Cindy Albright (cindy@albrightcomputing.com).
WHAT IS NEW THIS YEAR:
- The Systems Competency will again be split into two sub-competencies: 1) Product and Systems Engineering and 2) Social Science. Further details are given below under "How do I select a competency area for my project?"
- The biography section is limited to two pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the three sections be mixed?
A: NO!! The discussion section cannot extend to the bibliographic section, or vice-versa. The biography section also must be a stand-alone section. For example, if you write a two-page proposal, then there will still be a one-page bibliographic section. Violation of this rule will automatically cause the proposal to be rejected.
Q: How do I download the NTC Proposal Templates?
A: Click on the template file below. They are MS Word files. You may get a "Warning: There is a possible security hazard" dialog box. Be sure "Save it to disk" is selected. (If it opens in your browser, be sure to "File/Save As" from the browser menu bar.) Select desired folder for the save download and click on "Save."
Application Forms
Q: What is the Overall Proposal Procedure?
A: There is only ONE proposal per proposal number. It is to be submitted by Sept. 1, 2006. This single proposal is first evaluated by the SEA for scientific merit. If the proposal passes this hurdle, it is submitted to the TAC for industrial relevance. If your proposal does not pass the SEA, you may not re-submit this year. After SEA and TAC approval, proposals are chosen by each university to be forwarded to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce as part of the NTC application for funding approval. Your single write-up must meet the requirements of each of these groups. In addition, EACH INDIVIDUAL IS LIMITED TO TWO NEW PROPOSALS ON WHICH THEY MAY APPEAR AS PROJECT LEADER. Anyone submitting three or more new proposals as project leader will automatically have all but two proposals rejected, with no opportunity to select which two proposals will be submitted for evaluation. Note: The Project Leader is responsible for submitting and controlling the project budget, for preparing and submitting all required reports, and for maintaining the project web site.
Q: Who can submit Project Proposals to the NTC?
A: Anyone can submit a proposal to a site director. There is a site director at each NTC consortium university. The SITE DIRECTOR must assign the proposal number, so discussion with your site director early in the process is highly recommended. If you are not from one of the NTC universities, you MUST collaborate with a faculty member from an NTC university.
Q: What is the cost of submitting a Project Proposal?
A: There is no fee.
Q: Who are the Scientific Excellence Advisors?
A: The SEA reviewers are drawn from NTC universities, other universities, and occasionally from industry, but without any NTC affiliation. This panel is instructed not to consider such issues as relevance to industry or to NTC goals, but is only to judge the scientific/technical/scholarly quality of the proposals. The SEA-approved proposals will be forwarded to the TAC for their review. Each competency group will be treated separately.
Q: How are the Scientific Excellence Advisors selected?
A: The panel is composed of about 30 people, divided roughly equally among the four competency areas. The people are selected by the NTC Operating Board. Membership on the panel is determined by academic strength. No one may serve on the panel who is or has been involved in NTC projects or funding. The panel members' names will not be made public and their work will be conducted under a confidentiality agreement. Therefore your new proposal will NOT be made public unless it is funded.
Q: How will the SEA operate?
A: A secure website will be opened. Only the SEA will have access. Each member will be assigned responsibility to "manage" 5 to 10 of the proposals in their competency. They will collect input from other panel members. The panel will meet in mid-October to discuss the proposals. The purpose of this meeting is to rate the proposals to recommend which ones will go forward to the TAC.
Q: How will the SEA feedback be handled?
A: E-mail letters will be prepared containing the SEA critique of each proposal and the appropriate letter will be sent to the leader of every proposal. That letter will be sent on or about October 31, 2006. The letter will contain suggestions for future work as well as a critique. There will be no comparative information, such as ratings or rankings.
Q: How will SEA and TAC evaluate proposals?
A. In general, SEA will evaluate for scientific excellence, and TAC will appraise industry impact and relevance to NTC goals. The scorecards each group will use are shown at the end of the FAQ Section as “Appendix A” and “Appendix B.” DISCLAIMERS: 1) The scorecards may change slightly between now and when they are distributed to SEA and TAC, but no major changes will be made. 2) SEA and TAC are not obligated to follow the scorecards exactly. They will at least use the scorecards as guidelines but are free to use their own judgment. Reproducing them here is intended to give you an idea of the kind of criteria SEA and TAC will be using in their evaluations
Q: How much money will be available for FY2007?
A: Congress has not yet passed the budget bill containing our grant. While we expect Congress to continue to fund this program, there are no assurances we will have funding before we close the proposal process. We also will not know the amount of available funding until early 2007.
Q: Who assigns the project numbers?
A: The site directors assign the project numbers. They are:
| Auburn University - Textile Engineering |
Dr. Yasser Gowayed |
| Auburn University - Consumer Affairs |
Dr. Carol Warfield |
| Clemson University |
Dr. Gary Lickfield |
| Cornell University |
Dr. Anil Netravali |
| Georgia Tech |
Dr. Haskell Beckham |
| Philadelphia University |
Dr. Fernando Tovia |
| North Carolina State University |
Dr. Harold Freeman |
| University of California Davis |
Dr. Joan Chandler |
| University of Mass - Dartmouth |
Dr. Steve Warner |
Q: What is the project number system?
The system is: Competency; year of submission; a hyphen; the managing school; number. Example: S07-NS15 is interpreted as Systems submitted for 2007 funding from NCSU as its 15th project. The code is: C=Chemistry, F=Fabrication, M=Materials, S=Systems. The two-letter code for the schools is: AE=Auburn Engineering, AC=Auburn Consumer Affairs; CD=University of California, Davis; CL=Clemson; CR=Cornell; GT=Georgia Tech; MD=University of Mass, Dartmouth; NS= North Carolina State; PH=Philadelphia University. Both Systems sub-competencies will be designated by the letter "S". Distinction between the two will be made on the proposal template.
Q: Why must I submit the project in PDF format?
A: The information you submit is used in a number of reports. By standardizing on one system, we will be able to shorten the time to produce the final documents and maintain a higher quality document. You can include diagrams and tables and be certain how they will look. We have restricted the margins and headings to give a consistent look.
Q: What is a simple way to fill in the Word Template?
A: First, ask your site director to show you the Final Budget Book submitted to Commerce March 1, 2006. Your proposal will look something like the 06 proposals. Examine the template carefully. Please DO NOT change any of the Heading Styles or fonts. You will notice that the first few fields are in red font. Leave them in red. The instructions for each section are in the template. Please delete the instructions, replace with your own words, and convert the red text to black text. Do not use Word's automatic footnote feature, but you can type the number in manually. Do NOT use for shared editing!! DO NOT include Page Numbers.
Q: How do I select a "competency" area for my project?
A: It is your responsibility to decide which group best fits your project. Here are the group definitions:
| Competency |
Definition |
| Chemistry Competency (C) |
|
| Fabrication Competency (F) |
|
| Materials Competency (M) |
|
| Systems Competency (S) Research in the management of product design, sourcing, production, distribution and consumption systems.
|
|
If you have difficulty selecting the competency for a proposal, the following "key words" may help:
Chemistry
chemical modification
polymer formation
synthesis
incorporation
encapsulation
finishing
dyeing
color
printing
ink
coatings
surface modification
diffusion
wetting
sorption
wicking
waste reduction
Fabrication
Fabrication
production
manufacture
processing
weaving
knitting
fiber, yarn, fabric formation
spinning
winding/unwinding
automation
quality
testing
Materials
materials
composites
structure-properties
properties
performance
measurement
toughness
strength
Systems, Product and Systems Engineering
management of:
product
production
product design
environmental sustainability
sizing of apparel
textile care/wrinkling
body scanning
systems engineering
human body motion
human sensory and comfort issues
protective and other high-performance clothing systems
Systems, Social Science
management of:
sourcing
distribution
consumption
markets
brands
global competitiveness
consumer behavior/demand
buying
voice of consumer
analysis of sourcing, distribution, and consumption systems
changing consumer demand and behavior
forecasting and business modeling
product meaning and consumer perception: fashion, identity, branding
retail management systems
supply chain analysis
If you are still having difficulty selecting the competency for a proposal, please contact the Executive Director.
Q: Why include an investigator's "field of expertise"?
A: The intent is to record each person's expertise for this project. Examples would be: math modeling, micro-biologist, knitting, and fiber making. An individual's expertise can and probably should change from project to project. It is shown next to their name and will enable the TAC to quickly see the variety of talent brought to the subject.
Q: Why is it recommended that we list contact information for industrial supporters?
A: TAC in the past has often tried to locate contacts at companies listed in the “Outreach to Industry” section of proposals. If they were not successful, they would sometimes down-rate a project. By helping TAC reach your supporters, these contacts will have an opportunity to comment favorably on the industrial relevance of your project. Do not list a contact unless you have actually spoken to them. If you are having trouble locating industry supporters, please feel free to contact the Executive Director for assistance.
Q: What about the Budget?
A: No budget is required when the proposal is submitted. If the proposal is approved by SEA, a budget will be required. You will be notified by Oct. 31, 2006 if you will need a budget. Instructions for completing the budget will be distributed at that time. FYI, NTC projects historically have annual budgets from $50K to $300K with the average about $150K.
Q: What about Collaborators from other NTC universities?
A: Collaboration between and among NTC universities is strongly encouraged. List all collaborators on your proposal, and be sure to notify your Site Director well in advance of the December 1 budget submittal date that you intend to include budgets from one or more NTC universities with your budget. In addition, please make sure that your collaborators notify THEIR Site Directors that they will be submitting budgets as part of your proposal.
Q: Where do I get general help for the entire process?
A: Your site director is your best source of guidance. If you want additional information, please do not hesitate to email Marty Jacobs, NTC Director. Our objective is to put forward the very best projects. We want you to look good.
Appendix A
NTC FY2007 New Proposal
SEA Scoring Worksheet
This Excel worksheet is designed to assist your overall evaluation of each proposal. Insert a rating
for each category, as described in the footnote. Then enter an overall rating. It should reflect the
individual ratings, but it does not have to be an average. Please bring a copy of the completed
worksheet to Atlanta for use in discussions, and also enter your final rating in your on-line evaluation.
If you will not be attending the Atlanta meeting, please send copies of your completed worksheets to
Tom Doherty (tdoherty@magpage.com).
Proposal Number:
Proposal Title:
SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE
Rating*
Is there sufficient intellectual risk?
Does the project have significant scientific impact? Include both physical
& social sciences in your consideration.
Is the work at the cutting edge of its field?
Is the approach sound, innovative, and appropriate?
Is the team qualified to carry out the research? (Use their biographies as
a guide.)
Overall Rating
*A = excellent; B = good; C = average; D = poor
Enter the overall grade from above and your comments in your on-line evaluation.
Appendix B
NTC FY2007 New Proposal
TAC Scoring Worksheet
This Excel worksheet is designed to automatically calculate your overall evaluation of the proposal
when you enter a whole number rating for each category. If you do not agree with the calculated
rating, you may over-ride it in the space at the bottom of the "Score" column. Please complete this
worksheet and bring a printout to Atlanta for use in discussions. Please also enter final rating in the
Summary New Proposal Score Sheet and fax it to NTC at 215-689-4835 by January 9.
Note: Complete the worksheet in spreadsheet form before printing it so the automatic calculations will work.
Proposal Number:
Proposal Title:
Rating*
x
Weight
=
Score
INDUSTRY IMPACT
Potential long-term impact on industry**
2
0
(includes new start-up companies which
will take industry in new directions)
Objectives are clearly stated
1
0
Risks are identified
1
Probability project will succeed
1
0
Industry Impact Score (sum of individual scores divided by 5)
0.0
RELEVANCE TO NTC GOALS
Degree of innovation
1
0
Educational value of project (develops high quality
1
0
faculty & students); look for degree of participation of
undergraduate and graduate students.
Degree of collaboration (within university
1
0
and/or between universities)
Outreach to industry
2
0
Relevance Score (sum of individual scores divided by 5)
0.0
Overall Numeric Evaluation
1. Automatic calculation (average of Industry Impact & Relevance scores)
0
2. Your rating* (if you choose to over-ride the calculation)
*Insert your rating as a whole number, where 1-4 = low; 5-7 = medium; 8-10 = high
**"Industry" includes fibers, textiles, fabricated products, and retail.
Enter the value from either 1 or 2 above (your choice) in the Summary New
Proposal Score Sheet.
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