Although many people see the National Science Foundation as the funders of "basic hard science," the NSF has a mission that is behavior- and social science-friendly. The NSF mission is to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; and to secure the national defense. This includes much of America's "basic science," but the NSF also houses a division on social, behavioral and economic sciences.

One of the programs under the social, behavioral and economic sciences division is the Children's Research Initiative: Integrative Approaches (CRI). This initiative focuses on the need for child development research to become more integrated in focus and draw relevant fields together for interdisciplinary collaborations. This initiative will enable scientists to form research partnerships through planning or incubation grants, workshops and small conferences in the areas of human sciences. It is important to expand research foci so that scientists can work together on problems that require larger-scale science from multiple perspectives. In recognition that some areas of human science need to be pursued on the smaller scale of individual research projects, NSF will also support individual investigator projects under this solicitation.

There are four funding opportunities available in the initiative. The first is for collaborators to create research centers for purposes of conducting multidisciplinary, integrative research on scales larger than would be possible through individual research projects. The second is for planning grants so that research groups can plan proposals that will enable them to conduct collaborative and large-scale, center research projects. The initiative will also offer grants for workshops and small conferences that will enhance the purpose of the program. Finally, proposals for individual investigators will also be accepted.

For more information on this exciting initiative visit http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf0185/nsf0185.htm. Remember that even the most unlikely place may offer a golden opportunity.