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National Science Foundation WorkshopProposal Preparation Basics, Part 1
NSF Webinar SeriesSeptember 14, 2010
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Ask Early, Ask Often!
Name Title Contact
Jean Feldman
Head, Policy Office, Office of Budget, Finance & Award Management; Division of Institution & Award Support
[email protected]@nsf.gov (703) 292-8243
Rebecca Vandall
Director of New Program Development & Strategic Partnerships; SRA International
[email protected](703) 741-0140
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Topics
Introduction & NSF Overview NSF Policy Guidance Proposal Preparation & Submission
Basics Initial Administrative Review Return Without Review
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Introduction & NSF Overview
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Mathematical& PhysicalSciences
(MPS)
Geosciences(GEO)
Engineering(ENG)
Computer &Information Science &
Engineering(CISE)
BiologicalSciences
(BIO)
Office of theInspector General
(OIG)
DirectorDeputy Director
National Science Board(NSB)
Office of Cyberinfrastructure
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs
Office of the General Counsel
Office of Integrative Activities
Office of International Science & Engineering
Office of Legislative &Public Affairs
Office of Polar Programs
Social, Behavioral
& EconomicSciences
(SBE)
Education & Human
Resources(EHR)
Budget, Finance & Award
Management(BFA)
Information& Resource Management
(IRM)
NSF Organization
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NSF in a Nutshell
Independent Agency Supports basic research &
education Uses assistance
mechanism Low overhead; highly
automated Accounts for about ¼ of
Federal support to academic institutions for basic research
Discipline-based structure
Cross-disciplinary mechanisms
Use of Rotators/IPAs National Science Board
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NSF Policy Guidance
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Drivers of NSF Policy Requirements…Just some of them….
Statutes Regulations Government Accountability Office (GAO) Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Government-wide initiatives & mandates
NSTC Research Business Models SubcommitteeGrant Policy Committee Activities
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Policy Drivers (Cont’d)
National Science Board (NSB) Guidance from Senior Management Office of the Inspector General (OIG) NSF-wide committees
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NSF Policy Documents NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide
Part I: Proposal Preparation & Submission• Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)• Grants.gov Application Guide
Part II: Award & Administration Guidelines• Award & Administration Guide
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Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Applicability of GPG:
Provides guidance for the preparation and submission of proposals to NSF:• Contains guidelines for preparation of proposals;• GPG is used unless program solicitation stipulates
otherwise.
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GPG (Cont’d) Describes content and formatting requirements
for all parts of an NSF proposal. Identifies overall Foundation eligibility categories and
guidelines:Universities and Colleges;Non-profit, non-academic Organizations;For-profit Organizations;State and local Governments;Unaffiliated Individuals;Foreign Organizations;Other Federal Agencies
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GPG (Cont’d) Describes types of NSF due dates:
Target datesDeadline dates
• Special Exceptions to NSF’s Deadline Date PolicySubmission Windows, primarily MPS, ENG
Specifies process for deviations including:individual program solicitations; by written approval of cognizant Assistant Director or
designee; orprocedure to follow for those proposers unable to submit
electronically.
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GPG (Cont’d) Provides special instructions for proposals that
contain high resolution graphics or other graphics where exact color representations are required for proper interpretation by the reviewer Note: Such copies must only be submitted where necessary
for the proper interpretation by the reviewer
Establishes NSF policy regarding inclusion of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) in the Project Description Note different policy is established for use of URLs in
References Cited and Biographical Sketch portion of the proposal
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GPG (Cont’d) Details process for submission of collaborative
proposals via: issuance of one proposal that contains a subaward from the
proposer to the collaborating organization; and submission of separate proposals from collaborating
organizations. Note: contact with cognizant program officer is strongly
encouraged prior to submission!
Outlines reasons why a proposal may be returned without review.
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GPG (Cont’d) Contains NSF procedures on special categories of
proposals, including:Rapid Response Research (RAPID);Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER);Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with
Disabilities;Equipment Proposals;Conferences, symposia & workshops;Proposals that include vertebrate animals and human
subjects; andProposals to support international travel.
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GPG (Cont’d)
Provides policy requirements for specific FastLane capabilities:Revised budgets (required for budget reductions of
10% or more) – note no budget justification section is required; only impact statement;
Proposal File Updates; andElectronic Proposal Withdrawal (in collaboratives,
withdrawal of one, is withdrawal of all!)
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GPG (Cont’d)
Describes process -- and criteria -- by which proposals will be reviewed:Proposals that do not separately address both criteria
within the one-page Project Summary will be returned without review; and
Proposals that do not meet the standards identified in GPG Chapter IV. B may be returned without review.
Contains information on potentially disqualifying conflicts of interest for use in the proposal process.
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AAG Highlights Provides a description of the NSF award process, from issuance
and administration of an NSF award, through closeout. Exhibit II-1 summarizes the requisite types of notifications and requests
for prior approval Identifies the types of terms and conditions referenced in NSF awards
Details requirements relating to conflict of interest, financial management, responsible conduct of research, and property management.
Describes requirements for receipt of payment, and for financial reporting.
Provides definitions and provides policies relating to the allowability of costs.
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AAG Highlights (Cont’d) Describes other award requirements or considerations that either
are not universally applicable or which do not follow the award cycle such as: Non-Discrimination
Construction
Data Policies
International Considerations (Including Use of Foreign Flag Carriers)
Human Subjects
Recombinant DNA
Vertebrate Animals
Patents and Inventions
Research Misconduct
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Proposal Preparation& Submission Basics
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NSF Proposal & Award Process Timeline
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What to Look for in a Program Announcement/Solicitation
Goal of program
Eligibility
Special proposal preparation and/or award requirements
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Program Announcement versus Solicitation
Follows GPG guidelines Standard eligibility criteria NSF merit review criteria
May deviate from supplement the GPG
May include specialized eligibility requirements
May include additional merit review criteria
May require special reporting requirements
Program Announcement/Program Description
Program Solicitation
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Types of Submissions to NSF
No deadlines
DeadlinesSpecial Exceptions to
NSF’s Deadline Date Policy
Target dates
Submission Windows
Preliminary proposals
Letters of Intent
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Number of Preliminary Proposals & Subsequent Actions
Fiscal Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Total # Preliminary Proposals 1,747 2,469 2,310 2,120 1,874 2,842 3,203 3,856
Non-Binding (NB) Total 1,184 1,924 1,412 1,302 1,279 1,540 669 1,140
NB Encouraged 665 669 544 512 509 662 333 519
NB Discouraged 519 1,255 868 790 770 878 336 621
Binding Total 540 534 892 816 594 1,301 2,534 2,500
Binding Invite 168 152 221 246 136 252 572 685
Binding Non-invite 372 382 671 570 458 1,049 1,962 1,815
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The NSF Proposal
Single Copy Documents
Cover Sheet
Project Summary
Table of Contents
Project Description
References Cited
Biographical Sketch(es)
Budget & Budget Justification
Current & Pending Support
Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources
Special Information & Supplementary DocumentationPostdoctoral Mentoring Plan, if
postdocs are included on budget
Data Management Plan
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New Implementation:Data Management PlansNSF is changing the implementation of its long-standing policy on data sharing Existing policy requires awardees to share their data
within a reasonable length of time & incremental cost.Proposers will be expected to include, as a supplemental
doc of up to 2 pages, how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results.
The Data Management Plan will be reviewed as an integral part of the proposal, coming under Intellectual Merit or Broader Impacts or both, as appropriate for the scientific community of relevance.
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New Implementation:Data Management Plan (Cont’d)A valid Data Management Plan may include only the
statement that no detailed plan is needed, as long as the statement is accompanied by a clear justification. The statement will be subject to peer review & program management.
The changes are designed to address trends and needs in the modern era of data-driven science.
NSF wants to avoid a one size fits all approach to address the issue of data sharing.
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Budgetary Guidelines Amounts
Reasonable for work - Realistic Well Justified - Need established In-line with program guidelines
Eligible costs Personnel Equipment Travel Participant Support Other Direct Costs (including subawards, consultant services,
computer services, publication costs)
Program practices
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Proposal Preparation Reminders1. Read the Program Announcement/Solicitation carefully,
and ask Program Officer for clarifications, if needed.2. Re-Read the Program Announcement/Solicitation
carefully, and ask Program Officer for clarifications, if needed.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.4. Address all the proposal review criteria.5. Understand the NSF merit review process. 6. Use the checklist in the GPG to ensure compliance prior
to submission.
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NSF Grants.gov Application Guide Intended to serve as the
primary document for use in preparation of NSF applications via Grants.gov
Includes step-by-step instructions for completion of each of the SF 424 (R&R) forms as well as the NSF specific forms
Provides specific instructions for inclusion and conversion of PDF files
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NSF and Grants.gov
Unless otherwise specified, optional submission for the vast majority of NSF programs
NSF does not accept applications through Grants.gov for:Submission of Letters of Intent & Preliminary ProposalsChanged/Corrected ApplicationsRevisionsContinuationsSupplemental Funding Requests
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Initial Administration Review
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Proposal Review and Processing
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Initial Administrative Review
Upon receipt at NSF, the Proposal Processing Unit routes proposals to the program office.
The Program Office conducts a preliminary review of the proposal to ensure they are:Complete;Timely; andConform to proposal preparation and other solicitation requirements
NSF may return without review proposals that do not meet the above requirements.
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Return without Review
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Proposal Review and Processing
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Return of Proposals Without Review
Per Important Notice 127, Implementation of new Grant Proposal Requirements Related to the Broader Impacts Criterion:Proposals that do not separately address both criteria
within the one-page Project Summary will be returned without review.
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Other Reasons for Return of Proposals Without Review
It is inappropriate for funding by the National Science Foundation.
It is scheduled with insufficient lead time before the activity is scheduled to begin.
It is a full proposal that was submitted by a proposer that has received a “not invited” response to submission of a preliminary proposal.
It is a duplicate of, or substantially similar to, a proposal already under consideration by NSF from the same submitter.
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Other Reasons for Return of Proposals Without Review It does not meet NSF proposal preparation requirements,
such as page limitations, formatting instructions, and electronic submission, as specified in the GPG or program solicitation.
It is not responsive to the GPG or program announcement/solicitation.
It does not meet an announced proposal deadline date, or deadline time (5 p.m. submitter’s local time.)
It was previously reviewed and declined and has not been substantially revised.
It duplicates another proposal that was already awarded.
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FastLane Compliance Checking
Effective NOW….. If there is a postdoctoral researcher identified on Line
B.1. of the budget, a postdoctoral mentoring plan (no more than 1 page) must be attached as a supplementary doc….FastLane will NOT allow the proposal to be submitted without it…
Effective January 18, 2011…Each proposal must have a data management plan (up to
2 pages) attached as a supplementary doc….FastLane will NOT allow the proposal to be submitted without it…
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Getting Support in Proposal Writing NSF Publications
Program Announcements/Solicitations
Grant Proposal GuideWeb PagesFunded Project
AbstractsReports, Special
Publications
Program Officers IncumbentFormer “Rotators”
Mentors on CampusPrevious PanelistsServe As ReviewerSponsored Research
OfficeSuccessful Proposals
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Ask Early, Ask Often
For More Information….
www.nsf.gov