Ethical and Responsible Research | 22 526

NSF Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) Grant (Funding Opportunity Number 22-526): FAQs

1) What is the NSF ER2 grant opportunity (22-526)?

NSF Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity that supports fundamental research on research ethics and responsible conduct in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The program is aimed at building practical, evidence-based, and generalizable knowledge about what drives responsible versus irresponsible research behavior, why those drivers matter, and how ethical and responsible research practices can be taught, reinforced, and sustained across career stages.

2) What kinds of outcomes is ER2 trying to achieve?

ER2 is intended to generate rigorous, evidence-based understanding of the factors and mechanisms that shape responsible research conduct. In addition to producing new knowledge, some projects may also design and test interventions or applied tools intended to improve ethical decision-making and responsible research practices in real-world settings.

3) Is ER2 mainly an ethics education or training program?

No. The solicitation emphasizes that ER2 is not simply looking for ethics education activities. It prioritizes rigorous research that produces generalizable insights into what changes behavior and norms, under what conditions, and with what tradeoffs or limitations. Proposals are expected to address why and how approaches work, not only whether they appear associated with improved outcomes.

4) What is the central research focus of ER2?

The central aim is to understand what drives responsible versus irresponsible research behavior, why those drivers matter, and how that knowledge can be effectively taught, reinforced, and sustained across the full range of career stages, including students, trainees, established researchers, practitioners, and educators.

5) What are the three connected research targets ER2 focuses on?

ER2 is focused on three connected targets:

• Identifying key factors that shape the development of ethical STEM researchers, including individual, social, institutional, cultural, and structural influences.
• Studying approaches that build or strengthen those factors across the many STEM fields NSF funds, recognizing that approaches may not transfer across settings without careful adaptation.
• Explaining mechanisms by addressing why and how factors and approaches lead to more responsible research conduct, not merely whether a training or policy is linked to improved outcomes.

6) What does ER2 mean by studying "mechanisms"?

The program expects proposals to go beyond measuring whether an intervention, training, or policy correlates with improved outcomes. Instead, proposals should explain why and how the identified drivers and approaches produce changes in responsible conduct. This includes understanding conditions where they work, where they do not, and any tradeoffs or limitations.

7) What kinds of factors can ER2-funded research examine?

ER2 explicitly notes that relevant factors may include individual, social, institutional, cultural, and structural influences that shape the development of ethical STEM researchers.

8) Does ER2 support work across all STEM disciplines?

The solicitation indicates ER2 supports research across the many STEM fields that NSF funds. It also recognizes that what works in one environment or discipline may not automatically transfer to another without careful adaptation.

9) Can ER2 proposals include interventions or tools?

Yes. While ER2 emphasizes fundamental research, it also notes that some projects may design and test interventions or applied tools intended to improve ethical decision-making and responsible research practices in real-world settings.

10) Does ER2 encourage partnerships and broad participation?

Yes. The solicitation encourages broad participation and partnerships that expand the reach and relevance of ER2 work, particularly across diverse institutional contexts and lived experiences.

11) Are proposals involving minority-serving institutions (MSIs) encouraged?

Yes. Proposals from, or involving substantial collaboration with, minority-serving institutions are explicitly encouraged.

12) Are collaborations with women’s colleges encouraged?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly encourages proposals from, or involving substantial collaboration with, women’s colleges.

13) Are collaborations with organizations that primarily serve persons with disabilities encouraged?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly encourages proposals from, or involving substantial collaboration with, organizations that primarily serve persons with disabilities.

14) Are international collaborations allowed under ER2?

Yes. International collaborations are encouraged when an international partner offers unique expertise, facilities, resources, or locations that meaningfully strengthen the project.

15) Does NSF fund the international partners in ER2 collaborations?

The solicitation indicates NSF expects international partners to secure their own non-NSF funding. Proposers are directed to follow NSF guidance in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) regarding how international collaborations should be structured and documented.

16) What agency runs this opportunity and what type of program is it?

The program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a discretionary grant program, listed in the broad category of science and technology and other research and development.

17) When was this funding opportunity created and what was the original closing date?

The opportunity was created on November 21, 2021, and the original closing date was February 17, 2022.

18) How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this opportunity?

NSF anticipated making about 15 awards.

19) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for ER2?

The summary record lists the award ceiling as 0, which typically indicates that a fixed maximum is not specified in the summary record. Applicants are expected to rely on the full solicitation and NSF program guidance for budget expectations and constraints.

20) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as "Others" with additional details referenced in the full announcement. Prospective applicants should confirm organizational eligibility by consulting the solicitation text and relevant NSF policy requirements.

21) Where should applicants look for rules on collaboration structure and documentation?

For international collaborations specifically, the solicitation points applicants to NSF guidance in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for how collaborations should be structured and documented.

22) What is the practical difference between "identifying factors" and "testing approaches" in ER2?

ER2 distinguishes between (1) researching the factors that shape ethical research development (the drivers and influences), and (2) researching approaches intended to build or strengthen those factors across NSF-funded STEM fields. In both cases, ER2 emphasizes explaining the mechanisms that connect drivers and approaches to responsible research conduct.

23) Does ER2 emphasize generalizable knowledge?

Yes. The solicitation highlights the goal of producing rigorous research and generalizable insights into what changes behavior and norms, under what conditions, and with what tradeoffs or limitations.