Thanks, far_to_go. I hope we all do better with WG! I am happy with getting through the first round on my first attempt. I feel like even if I get declined this time, there is hope for next time, right?
I talked with my advisor about the reviews, and she said unlike NSF senior research proposals, the DDIG panels consist of certain individuals who are not specialists. For example, my project looks at brain evolution and she said it's really rare that an NSF DDIG panel has an expert in anything related to the brain. She also said there were some comments that showed the panel's lack of knowledge on the subject. But I guess it's our job to make sure they understand our proposal. Not sure about whether to apply again. Will all depend on WG.