Senior women leaders can bring a wealth of experience from academia to funding agencies

Xiaobo ‘Sharon’ Hu, a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, shares observations and advice based on her service as an IPA program director ‘rotator’ at the U.S. National Science Foundation

By Xiaobo Sharon Hu, Patricia A. Maurice, and Janet G. Hering

11 June 2024, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11365675.

Dr. Sharon Hu is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame (IN, USA) [1, 2]. Her research interests span several areas including energy and reliability aware system design, circuit and architecture design with emerging technologies, resource management for real-time embedded systems, and hardware-software co-design. She is a fellow of IEEE and of the Association for Computing Machinery. Recently, she has been serving in an IPA (often referred to as a ‘rotator’) assignment as a program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) [3]. She offers her personal thoughts [4] on fulfilling this important service role as a senior woman leader in STEMM.

While this post focuses on the U.S. National Science Foundation, we believe that it is relevant to funding agencies more generally. In particular, we expect that the observation that agency staff are dedicated to helping researchers and educators succeed would be applicable worldwide.

What exactly is an IPA position as a program director at the NSF?

IPA stands for Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). A program director on an IPA assignment (often called a rotator) at NSF continues to be an employee of the home institution. That is, their salary and benefits continue to be administered by the home institution. However, IPA assignees are subject to provisions of law governing the ethics and conduct of federal employees.

How did you come to take on an IPA program director position at the NSF?

I have regularly received grants from the NSF and served on numerous NSF proposal review panels. Because of these activities, some NSF program directors are aware of my contributions to the community. Though I was approached by NSF several times in the past to work as a program director, I was not able to consider the opportunity due to various personal constraints. About 18 months ago, I was encouraged again by an NSF program director to apply for a program director position created in response to the increased activities associated with the Chips and Science Act. This timing was good for me so I decided to take this opportunity.

What were your main duties in this position?

I work in the hardware cluster of the Software and Hardware Foundations (SHF) cluster, Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Directorate of Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). My main duties include (i) organizing review of research proposals submitted to our cluster, (ii) making funding recommendations and administering awards, (iii) communicating with my research and education community regarding NSF’s mission and various programs, and (iv) understanding the needs of the community and the nation to facilitation creation of new research and education solicitations. 

What was your day-to-day work like at the NSF?

As in many offices, I attend various meetings related to the programs that I manage.  I also manage proposal review and award administration processes, and meet with researchers and educators in my community upon request. I participate in community events such as conferences, workshops, and PI meetings. In addition, I try to find time to visit some universities upon their request.

What did you learn from your time as a program director at the NSF?

One important thing I learned is that the program directors are deeply committed to their work and always strive to support researchers and educators in building successful careers. This commitment is particularly strong when it comes to junior researchers and educators. I feel that NSF is understaffed; some program directors must manage so many different programs that they can be overwhelmed at times. NSF as an organization is quite “flat” and it is easy for program directors to interact closely with program directors from different divisions and directorates at the grassroot level, and to work on multi-division and multi-directorate programs. I was fortunate to have very supportive managers who gave me a lot of guidance and encouragement when I first started at NSF. I heard that many others feel the same way. However, NSF, as a federal government agency, does have more regulations and forms that one needs to pay attention to compared with academic institutions (especially private institutions like the one where I work).   

What advice do you have for other senior women who might consider pursuing a position at the NSF?

I strongly encourage anyone interested in such a position to explore potential openings by speaking with division directors and current program directors in their relevant research field. It is also important to determine the appropriate time to pursue a program director position at the NSF based on personal constraints and other commitments. 

While the start of a program director job may seem daunting due to the many forms to fill out and training classes to attend, it is just like any new job with an initial start-up overhead. Once this start-up period is over, there are ample opportunities to contribute to the advancement of relevant scientific and engineering programs. 

The NSF allows program directors to dedicate 20% of their time to their own research projects, enabling them to maintain an active research program at their home institution and participate in key community services. However, I would advise reducing the amount of volunteer services (such as conference program committees) and only taking on those that are truly important.

Upon taking on the job, it is beneficial to join cross-division and cross-directorate programs to expand your network and explore interdisciplinary opportunities. This can lead to new collaborations and projects that may not have been initially apparent. Additionally, it is important to communicate your interests to your managers to ensure alignment with potential opportunities.

Did your time at the NSF provide insight that might help other women to write more successful grants?

One insight, as mentioned earlier, is that most NSF program directors are committed to helping researchers and educators succeed in their careers. Therefore, don't hesitate to reach out to program directors for feedback on your proposals. If you don't receive a reply to your initial email, wait a week or two, and then contact them again, as your original email may have been overlooked due to their busy schedules with travel and panel commitments.

Why is it important for senior women to take on roles at the NSF?

The NSF is constantly seeking capable and dedicated program directors, and I believe many senior women are well suited for this role. With their established careers, senior women can bring a wealth of experience to guiding the proposal review process, supporting junior researchers (especially women and other underrepresented minorities), and contributing to the development of important research and education programs. Serving as a program director can also provide them with unique experiences that may be beneficial if they are interested in transitioning to management positions.  

Where does your career go from here? What are your plans for the next 5 to 10 years?

I enjoy doing research and mentoring students in the field of computing hardware design. With the current level of excitement and support at the national level for this field, I am inclined to continue working as a researcher in the coming years. I hope to be able to secure more grants to further my research agenda. Five years seems like a rather long time to me at this point and I am uncertain about my plans beyond that timeframe. 

As Sharon’s experience shows, stepping outside one’s normal academic routine and environment can provide both personal and professional benefits.  Exchange between academia and funding agencies improves the mutual understanding of both sectors, benefitting individual researchers and the scientific enterprise.  

Questions for further thought:

·       Have you ever considered serving as a program director at the NSF or another funding agency?  If so, what would the ‘right’ timing be for you to pursue such a position?

·       Have you already served in a similar position at a funding agency? If so, what advice would you offer to other women based on your experiences?

·       Do you know your program directors for any grants you currently have or for proposals you are writing? If not, have you considered contacting them and building a closer working relationship? 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent NSF's positions, strategies, or opinions.

Notes and references

[1] https://sites.nd.edu/xsharon-hu/

[2] https://womenlead2017.nd.edu/sharon-hu/

[3] https://new.nsf.gov/careers/rotator-programs

[4] The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent NSF's positions, strategies, or opinions.