Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Instrument Development   (CRIF:ID)

Program Solicitation
NSF 04-534

Replaces Document(s):
NSF 00-81

National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences      Division of Chemistry

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

March 18, 2004

Fourth Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter

REVISION NOTES

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2006, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals, or will require that proposers utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

In response to this program solicitation, proposers may opt to submit proposals via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system. In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title: 

Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Instrument Development (CRIF:ID)

Synopsis of Program:

The Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Program (CRIF) is structured to enable the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry to respond to a variety of needs for infrastructure--instrumentation and facilities--that promotes basic research and education in areas traditionally supported by the Division. The NSF Guide to Programs provides detailed information on such areas (See section IX). The Instrument Development component of CRIF (CRIF:ID) provides funds for the design and construction of instruments that will enable new chemical measurements or will significantly broaden the use of chemical instrumentation.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

• Robert L. Kuczkowski, Program Officer, 1055 S, telephone: (703) 292-4953, fax: (703) 292-9037, email: rkuczkow@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

• 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Standard Grant or Continuing Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 6 depending on the number and quality of submissions

Anticipated Funding Amount: $1,000,000 approximately, per fiscal year, pending the availability of funds

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Only non-profit research organizations or academic institutions in the US and US territories may submit proposals.

PI Limit: 

An investigator may participate (as a PI, co-PI or senior personnel) in only one CRIF:ID proposal submitted to this competition each year.

The PI must be affiliated with a U.S. academic institution or non-profit research organization. Other investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions, non-profit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. No CRIF:ID award funds may go directly to industry, government laboratories or international institutions.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 

None Specified

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not Applicable

• Full proposals submitted via FastLane:

  • Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply

• Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov:

  • NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf/) To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package: click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov website, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button.

B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.  

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  Not Applicable

• Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

  March 18, 2004

  Fourth Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply

Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary of Program Requirements

1. Introduction
   
   
2. Program Description
   
   
3. Award Information
   
   
4. Eligibility Information
   
   
5. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
   1. Proposal Preparation Instructions
   2. Budgetary Information
   3. Due Dates
   4. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
      
      
6. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
   1. NSF Merit Review Criteria
   2. Review and Selection Process
      
      
7. Award Administration Information
   1. Notification of the Award
   2. Award Conditions
   3. Reporting Requirements
      
      
8. Agency Contacts
   
   
9. Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports research that advances instrument technology and leads to the development of next-generation research and education tools.  In addition, NSF strives to expand opportunities for US researchers, educators, and students at all levels to access state-of-the-art science and engineering facilities, instruments, databases, and other infrastructure.  Basic research and education in the chemical sciences depend critically on access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, from small equipment items used in individual research projects to major instruments shared and maintained for multiple researchers.  Several recent reports highlight the state-of-the-art and future needs:

• Science and Engineering Infrastructure for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation
  http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents/2003/
• Analytical Instrumentation for the Next Millenium (AINM)
  http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/docs/ainm/
• Prospects for Miniaturization of Mass Spectrometry
  http://www.nsf-mass-spec-mini-forum.umd.edu/

The Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities Program (CRIF) is structured to enable NSF's Division of Chemistry to respond to a variety of needs for infrastructure--instrumentation and facilities--that promotes basic research and education in areas traditionally supported by the Division (see the NSF Guide to Programs for more information). The Instrument Development component of CRIF (CRIF:ID) provides funds for the design and construction of instruments that will enable new chemical measurements or will significantly broaden the use of chemical instrumentation.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

NSF's Division of Chemistry encourages proposals for the design and construction of instruments of importance to the chemistry community.  Specifically, the CRIF:ID program supports the development of two categories of instrumentation: (1) innovative, state-of-the-art instrumentation that permits new kinds of measurements; and (2) new versions of instrumentation that substantially broaden access to measurement capabilities.  Examples of instrument development in the first category might include ultrafast diffraction or spectroscopic measurements.  In the second category the instrumentation might advance capabilities in real-time reaction monitoring, use of cyberinfrastructure, or chemistry education, as through the development of miniaturized and/or networked spectrometers.

In all cases, the major effort must focus on instrument development; simply combining off-the-shelf instrumentation does not constitute a significant development project.  Although the focus should be on development or construction, research projects that utilize the finished product may be described in the final year of the proposal as a means of demonstrating wide potential impact.  Proposals that are more suited to the CCLI, individual investigator, or CRIF:MU programs will be returned without review (see Other Programs of Interest).  Investigators should contact a cognizant program officer for guidance. 

Partnerships with U.S. industries are strongly encouraged to facilitate knowledge transfer, commercialization and broad utilization in the chemistry community.  It is anticipated that, if appropriate, PIs will seek GOALI, SBIR or STTR support after the initial CRIF:ID award. 

Support for instrument development in allied fields of research is provided through a variety of NSF programs.  Specialized equipment dedicated for use in particular chemistry research projects is normally funded as part of awards to individual investigators, along with personnel and other direct project costs.  Other components of CRIF include:

• CRIF:MU   Departmental Multiuser Instrumentation - NSF 03-563; and
• CRIF:CRF Chemical Research Facilities - a separate program solicitation will be issued in early 2004.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

NSF anticipates up to $1 million per fiscal year will be available for the CRIF:ID Program. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size are subject to the availability of funds. Five to six awards will be made as standard or continuing grants with durations of up to 3 years.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Only non-profit research organizations or academic institutions in the US and US territories may submit proposals.

PI Limit: 

An investigator may participate (as a PI, co-PI or senior personnel) in only one CRIF:ID proposal submitted to this competition each year.

The PI must be affiliated with a U.S. academic institution or non-profit research organization. Other investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions, non-profit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. No CRIF:ID award funds may go directly to industry, government laboratories or international institutions.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 

None Specified

Additional Eligibility Info:

Only non-profit research organizations or academic institutions in the US and US territories may submit proposals.

An investigator may participate (as a PI, co-PI or senior personnel) in only one CRIF:ID proposal submitted to this competition each year.

The PI must be affiliated with a U.S. academic institution or non-profit research organization. Other investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions, non-profit research organizations, industry, government laboratories, or international institutions. No CRIF:ID award funds may go directly to industry, government laboratories or international institutions.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:  Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

• Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov. Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number in the program solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.

• Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: (http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

The following instructions supplement the general proposal preparation instructions found in the Grant Proposal Guide:

Cover Sheet: An example of an appropriate title is: "Development (Construction) of a New ........ for Chemistry Research." Effective dates may be August 1 (or later) following submission of the proposal.

Project Description: The Introduction or Background section of the proposal must present an analysis of the need for the proposed instrumentation, including a projection of the uses and users in chemistry research. This section should detail the impact on molecular science that the new instrumentation may have. The main body of the proposal should provide:

• a detailed description of the proposed instrument;
• plans for its design and construction;
• an analysis of problems to be overcome;
• preliminary work already completed;
• a feasibility analysis;
• an estimated time schedule for completion; and
• plans for disseminating or transferring new knowledge or technology to U.S. academic, industrial or governmental laboratories or U.S. instrument manufacturers.

A brief description (2-3 pages, maximum) of research that will be carried out using the newly-developed instrument may be provided.  Results from Prior Support (5 pages maximum) should also be included in this section. 

Budget: The budget section of proposals for instrument development should indicate the total cost for construction of the equipment, apportioning estimated costs between personnel, supplies, equipment, and other costs. Requests for personnel support must include a description of the responsibilities of project co-workers and explain why a given position is necessary for the completion of the design and construction of the new instrument. Sufficient detail should be given to allow reviewers to analyze the cost of the new technology.

Biographical Sketches: This section should include biographical sketches (two pages each) for the Principal Investigator, co-investigator(s) and other senior personnel involved in either the development or use of the instrument.  Each biographical sketch must include a list of researchers with whom the investigator has collaborated during the past four years, and the names of graduate and postdoctoral advisors.  See the GPG for additional information on contents and formatting. 

Current and Pending Support:  A summary of research support from all sources must be provided for the Principal Investigator, co-investigator(s) and other senior personnel involved in either the development or use of the instrument.  If an individual has no current or pending support, this should be so noted in the support statement.  Disclosure is required if similar or related instrument development proposals are pending with other funding sources. 

Supplemental Information: Itemized manufacturers’ quotes for major components are required. They must be scanned into the Supplementary Documents section of the FastLane proposal and submitted electronically as part of the proposal.  If applicable, RUI (Research at Undergraduate Institutions) proposals must include a RUI Impact Statement and RUI Eligibility Statement in the supplementary documents section and the proposal title should refer to RUI.  A possible title might be "RUI: Development of a ..."

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:   Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation.

Budget Preparation Instructions:  

The budget section of proposals for instrument development should indicate the total cost for construction of the equipment, apportioning estimated costs between personnel, supplies, equipment, and other costs. Requests for personnel support must include a description of the responsibilities of project co-workers and explain why a given position is necessary for the completion of the design and construction of the new instrument. Sufficient detail should be given to allow reviewers to analyze the cost of the new technology.

When justified by the reviewers' comments, the program director may recommend support at less than the requested level. If the institution feels that the recommended amount is not acceptable, it may reject the offer of an award. The program’s recommendation is based on scientific judgment and optimal use of Federal funds. A recommendation for a reduced budget is not to be construed by the institution as negotiation of matching funds or cost sharing, since cost sharing is not required under this solicitation.

Multi-institutional proposals may use either the award-subaward mechanism or the linked collaborative proposal mechanism. Both of these are discussed in the GPG, Chapter II.D.3. Proposers are reminded that all collaborative proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system.

C. Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

  March 18, 2004

  Fourth Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter

D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements

• For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:

Detailed technical instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.

Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Proposers are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/

• For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:

Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. The Grants.gov's Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.

Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.

VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES   

Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program and, if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, for review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.

A. NSF Merit Review Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

The two NSB-approved merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgements.

What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?

What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:

Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.

Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -- is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.

Additional Review Criteria:

Additional review criteria for the CRIF:ID Program are:

• Do the specific plans in the proposal and the prior work of the investigators indicate that the instrumentation will be successfully developed and utilized?
• Will the proposed instrumentation enable a new type of measurement or significantly broaden access to measurement capablities?
• Are there plans to make the instrumentation designs and/or software readily available; to transfer the technology to other U.S. academic, industrial or government laboratories; or to commercialize the instrument?

In cases of comparable merit, priority will be given to requests that strengthen research activities already supported by the Division of Chemistry.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Adhoc Review or Panel Review.

Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.

After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the date of receipt.  The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.

A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer.  In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program Division administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See section VI.A. for additional information on the review process.)

B. Award Conditions

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of Grants and Agreements.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Website at http://www.gpo.gov.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.

PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports.  Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational) publications; and, other specific products and contributions.  PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system.  Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

• Robert L. Kuczkowski, Program Officer, 1055 S, telephone: (703) 292-4953, fax: (703) 292-9037, email: rkuczkow@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

• FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.

• Paul   G   Spyropoulos, Computer Specialist, 1055 S, telephone: (703) 292-4968, fax: (703) 292-9037, email: pspyropo@nsf.gov

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

• Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.gov.

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service)is an information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that match their identified interests.  MyNSF also is available on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/.

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230