By Erin Moss, Co-Editor, DUE Point, Millersville University

This past March, the MAA held a virtual event in which prospective Principle Investigators each gave a five-minute Lightning Talk about a project idea they plan to submit for NSF funding. After each talk, two NSF program officers—Edgar Fuller and Mike Ferrara—provided fifteen minutes of feedback on the project and suggested steps for turning presenters’ ideas into successful grant proposals. Several participants joined the Zoom session to experience the feedback process, hopefully learning more about what others are working on and psych themselves up to consider a grant proposal themselves.

The Lightning Talks were given by prospective PIs representing three institutions and potentially three different NSF programs. First, Dr. Aparna of Columbia Teachers College spoke about The Treasure Box Study, the NSF S-STEM grant she is working on with Dr. Laura Hart to support parents to engage with their elementary-aged children around mathematics. Next, Dr. Ann Clifton from Louisiana Tech University shared her project, Cultivating Mathematical Communities in Small Departments with her co-PI Dr. Blake Farman in the audience. They intend to apply for an NSF IUSE grant. Drs. Carmen Wright and Deidre Wheaton then described the ECR grant proposal they are developing, The Elevating Mathematics Educational Research and Generating Expertise (EMERGE) Institute at Jackson State University. We followed up with prospective PIs Ann Clifton and Carmen Wright a few weeks after the Lightning Talks to learn about their experiences with the session.

How did you feel about presenting your lightning talk before and after the session?

Prospective PIs described an initial mix of emotions about the lightning talks. Unsurprisingly, there were some nerves, but the PIs wanted feedback and felt excited by the valuable opportunity to engage directly with NSF program officers. Afterwards, Ann said she was very happy to have participated and felt that the experience provided forward momentum for what will be her first NSF proposal. Both participants agreed that the format for receiving feedback was appreciated and valuable in moving forward with proposal development. Carmen noted that while she was apprehensive about how their core concept might be received, the session proceeded as expected and was in no way intimidating.

In what ways was the session helpful to you and other attendees?

Ann and Carmen described a myriad of benefits to participating in the lightning talks. Ann found the session to be extremely helpful in helping her team recognize ambiguity in their project description that should be addressed before grant submission. She highlighted that the biggest takeaway was recognizing “the importance of having narrow and specific research questions.”

Carmen and Deidre received validation that the motivation for their project was compelling, and their confidence in their work increased as a result of the positive and constructive feedback. Mike and Eddie even proposed additional NSF grant programs that might match well with their idea. Carmen says she is now comfortable independently seeking feedback from (the very friendly!) NSF program officers in the future.

Would you encourage other prospective PIs to give a lightning talk at an event like this, whether in person or virtually?

Ann: Absolutely. After the session, I feel more comfortable contacting Program Officers individually but having an event that has already been organized takes even more of the pressure off. It was also valuable to hear feedback not only on my proposal but others', as well.

Carmen: There is much to learn in getting external feedback from experienced evaluators as early as possible. One evaluator's opinion does not represent all evaluators’ opinions, but at least you gain an understanding of what type of questions other evaluators for your proposal may ask, what is clearly conveyed in your proposal, or what is not conveyed well enough.

Upcoming Opportunities for Prospective PIs of Mathematics-Focused Grants

At the 2026 MathFest, we are hosting two sessions related to NSF grants that you may want to attend. Thursday, August 6th is the Poster Session for Projects Supported by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education, where around 30 current PIs will showcase their NSF grant projects. Stop by and ask questions, make connections, or just read about the interesting work your colleagues are doing!

Tentatively scheduled for immediately after the MathFest poster session, there is a panel session on Developing Grant Proposals for NSF Division of Undergraduate Education. Recent PIs and an NSF program officer will discuss the grant-writing process, answer questions, and engage extensively with prospective PIs and co-PIs during small table talks.

Program officers at the NSF occasionally hold virtual office hours where prospective PIs are free to ask questions about their particular project, get advice about which grant programs might be best for seeking funding for their project, and demystify the application process. As shared by our Lightning Talk participants, NSF program officers are very welcoming. We suggest that you reach out to a program officer responsible for the grant program you are considering and set up an appointment to meet with them about your ideas!

Erin Moss is a Co-Editor of DUE Point and a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Millersville University