Recent Trends in National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry Funding

Recent grant awards from NSF division of chemistry have been analyzed for hot-topics and University programs trending towards success.Characteristics of recently funded principal investigators have been compared to a representative population of chemistry faculty. Across academic ranks, funded investigators were found to perform at the 64th percentile of the population as measured by the median h-index of the cohort groups. The median h-index of awarded full professors lied near the 70th percentile of the population of colleagues with identical professional rank. Associate professors received approx. 10% less awards than the population would warrant, suggesting that associate professors may be an emerging underrepresented group. Both full and assistant professors were funded at rates approximately 5% in excess of their population. The funded investigators have frequently published within American Chemical Society journals, with the flagship Journal of the American Chemical Society playing a key role in reporting results across disciplinary research areas. The summary of data presented within serves as an informative guide for chemistry faculty and students to have best opportunity for success in the quest to obtain funds to support their educational missions.