Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER)
Program
Including the description of the NSF component of the
Presidential Early Career Awards
for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
Guidelines for Submission of
Proposals
NSF 00-89
(Replaces NSF 99-110)
DEADLINE DATES:
July 25, 2000 |
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
(CISE)
Education and Human Resources (EHR) |
July 26, 2000 |
Engineering (ENG) |
July 27, 2000 |
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
|
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION |
The National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants for research
and education in the sciences, mathematics and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF
Web site at: http://www.nsf.gov
Location: |
4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230 |
For General Information (NSF Information Center): |
(703) 306-1234 |
TDD (for the hearing-impaired): |
(703) 306-0090 |
To Order Publications or Forms: |
Send an e-mail to: pubs@nsf.gov
or
telephone: (301) 947-2722 |
To locate NSF Employees: |
(703) 306-1234 |
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Program Title: Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER)
Program
Synopsis of Program:
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide
activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious
awards for new faculty. The CAREER program recognizes and supports the early
career development activities of those faculty members who are most likely to
become the academic leaders of the 21st century. CAREER
awardees will be selected on the basis of creative, integrative, and
effective research and education career development plans that build a firm
foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and
education.
Each year NSF selects nominees for Presidential Early Career Awards for
Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER
awardees. The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers
who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge. This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed
by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their
independent careers.
Guidelines for the FY 2001competition published in this announcement
supercede the guidelines published in CAREER Program Announcement NSF 99-110
and are significantly different. Changes have been made in the guidelines on
eligibility criteria, award size and duration, the PECASE program, and
proposal preparation and submission. See the related sections of this
announcement and the FAQ’s on the CAREER Web page for detailed
information.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.:
- 47.041, Engineering; 47.049, Mathematical and Physical Sciences;
47.050, Geosciences; 47.070, Computer and Information Science and
Engineering; 47.074, Biological Sciences; 47.075, Social, Behavioral and
Economic Sciences; 47.076, Education and Human Resources; 47.078, Polar
Programs.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
- Organization Limit: Proposals may be submitted by
academic institutions in the U.S., its territories or possessions, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, that award baccalaureate or advanced degrees in
a field supported by NSF.
- PI Eligibility Limit: PI eligibility limitations are
described in this document in Section III.
- Limit on Number of Proposals: There is no limit on the
number of proposals that an organization may submit. However, a Principal
Investigator may submit only one CAREER proposal for this deadline.
AWARD INFORMATION
- Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing
Grant
- Estimated Number of Awards: 200-300
- Amount of funds available: Approximately $65 million,
subject to the availability of funds. Funds will be distributed across all
Directorates of NSF and the Office of Polar Programs. Beginning with the FY
2001 competition, the PECASE award will be an entirely honorary award for all
NSF recipients and does not provide additional funds.
- Anticipated date of award:
- CAREER: January 2001 - September 2001
- PECASE: September 2001 - February 2002
PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
- Proposal Preparation Instructions. Supplements to the NSF
Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2, apply.
- Supplemental Preparation Guidelines. The program contains
supplements to the standard guidelines in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG),
NSF 00-2. See Section V. of these guidelines. See also
the CAREER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), available on the CAREER Web
page, and FastLane Instructions, available on the FastLane Web
page.
- Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements: None
- Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None
- Other budgetary limitations: For the FY 2001
competition, the minimum award size is $250,000 in total. The award duration
for all CAREER awards is 5 years.
- Deadline Date
- Letter of Intent Deadline: None required.
- Preproposal Deadline: None required.
- Full Proposal Deadline for the FY 2001 competition:
Proposals must be submitted via FastLane by 5:00 p.m., applicant's
local time, on or before the applicable deadline date below:
July 25, 2000 |
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Education and Human Resources (EHR) |
July 26, 2000 |
Engineering (ENG) |
July 27, 2000 |
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
- FastLane Requirements
- FastLane Submission: Full proposal submission required.
For the FY 2001 CAREER competition, the Proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form
1207, Pages 1 and 2) will be submitted electronically to NSF by the Sponsored
Research Office (or equivalent) at the time of the electronic transmission of
the proposal. No PI Cover Sheet certifications will be required for this
competition and no paper copy of the Cover Sheet should be sent to
NSF.
- FastLane Technical Questions can be directed to:
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
- Merit Review Criteria: Standard NSF Merit Review Criteria
apply.
AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
- Award Conditions: Standard NSF Award Conditions apply.
- Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF Reporting
Requirements apply. Additionally, Department Heads must approve annual
reports.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
To sustain and strengthen the Nation's science, mathematics, and
engineering capabilities and to promote the use of those capabilities in
service to society, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is dedicated to
working in partnership with individuals and their institutions to support the
early career development activities of those faculty members who are most
likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.
Because of the critical roles played by faculty members in integrating
research and education, and fostering the natural connections between the
processes of learning and discovery, NSF has established the Faculty Early
Career Development (CAREER) program. The intent of the program is to provide
stable support at a sufficient level and duration to enable awardees to
achieve the education and research career-development objectives of the
program. This program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National
Science Foundation's most prestigious awards for new faculty.
Each year NSF selects nominees for Presidential Early Career Awards for
Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER
awardees. The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers
who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the
frontiers of knowledge. This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed
by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their
independent careers.
Back to Table of Contents
- CAREER Program
This premier program emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on
the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the
discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired
teaching and enthusiastic learning. NSF especially encourages women, members
of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to
apply.
Successful applicants will propose creative, integrative, and effective
research and education plans. The proposals will demonstrate activities that
exemplify the process of continuous learning and the quest for new knowledge;
such activities will enable the weaving of knowledge creation, integration
and transfer into a robust whole. Program information can be accessed on the
CAREER Web page at: http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/start.htm.
- PECASE Program
NSF will select up to twenty nominees for this award from among the most
meritorious PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees who applied to the FY 2001 CAREER
program.
Back to Table of Contents
- CAREER Program
Criteria. Applicants for the FY 2001 competition MUST MEET ALL
of the following requirements:
- be untenured as of July 24, 2000;
- as of October 1, 2000:
- be employed in a tenure-track position at an institution in the U.S.,
its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, that
awards baccalaureate or advanced degrees in a field supported by NSF, and
- have entered their first tenure track (or tenure-track equivalent
- this parenthetical point of clarification added 6/13/00),
academic position within the last 4 years, i.e. after October
1, 1996, and
- have earned their first doctorate within the last 8 years, i.e. after
October 1, 1992; and
- have not previously received an NSF PECASE or CAREER award. Prior or
concurrent Federal support for other types of awards or for non-duplicative
research does not preclude eligibility.
Exemptions. The following are the only exceptions to the
eligibility criteria listed above. Individuals in these categories may
also be eligible to apply.
- Individuals in "tenure-track-equivalent" positions whose appointments
are continuing faculty appointments having substantial educational
responsibilities at institutions or departments that do not offer
tenure.
- Non-tenured faculty who entered their first full-time tenure-track
appointment before October 1, 1996, or who received their first earned
doctorate degree before October 1, 1992, but who have interrupted their
careers for family leave or serious health
problems.
Prior to proposal submission, eligibility exemptions must be
requested from AND approved by an NSF CAREER Directorate
contact. (See "CAREER Contacts List" on the CAREER Web page
at http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/contacts.htm.) Note that CAREER Division contacts and program officers are not
authorized to grant eligibility exemptions; only Directorate contacts are
authorized to grant exemptions. If careful documentation leads to an
exemption being granted, the full text of the approval received from the NSF
CAREER Directorate contact must be submitted in the Deviation Authorization
section of the FastLane Proposal Preparation application (see Section V of these guidelines).
- PECASE Program
In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements of the CAREER program
listed above, PECASE nominees must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent
residents who hold such status on or before July 24, 2000. To be considered
for the PECASE award, eligible applicants must check the "PECASE Eligibility"
box on the proposal Cover Sheet prior to proposal submission. Individuals
can receive only one PECASE award.
Back to Table of Contents
- Duration. 5 years.
- Amount.
- CAREER. CAREER award size practices vary by NSF
organizational unit. For additional information, applicants are
strongly encouraged to refer to the CAREER FAQ’s section on
"Budget and Award Administration Information," which can be accessed on
the CAREER Web page (http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/guide.htm).
For the FY 2001 competition, the minimum CAREER award, including
indirect costs, will total $250,000.
- PECASE. Beginning with the FY 2001 competition, the
PECASE award will be an entirely honorary award for all NSF recipients and
does not provide additional funds.
- Supplemental Funding. CAREER awards are eligible for
supplemental funding, as described in the GPG, Section VI. B.4.
Back to Table of Contents
- Proposal Preparation Instructions
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement should be
prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in
the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2. The complete text of the GPG
(including electronic forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web Site
at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf002.
Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications
Clearinghouse, telephone 301.947.2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
All CAREER proposals must be submitted via FastLane.
Proposal Content – Material for Merit Review
- Cover Sheet, NSF Form 1207:
- NSF limits the number of investigators on a CAREER proposal to one,
the Principal Investigator.
- You must identify an NSF disciplinary program on the Cover Sheet for
the submission of your proposal via FastLane. If you have questions about
which program best fits your research activities, see Section
VIII. "Contacts for Additional Information." NSF reserves the right
to make the final assignment of your proposal to a specific NSF
organizational unit.
- To complete the FastLane Cover Sheet block "For Consideration by NSF
Organizational Unit(s)":
- Complete the "Awardee/Performing Organization Selection.
- Click on the "Program Announcement/Solicitation/Program Description
No., or in Response to Grant Proposal Guide (GPG.)" button.
- At the next screen, select the CAREER program announcement NSF 00-89
from the drop down menu; hit the "Select" button.
- This will take you to a menu that allows you to view all the NSF
Divisions in the first box, and all the NSF program areas in the second box.
Follow the instructions to select a Division and then a Program or to
directly select a Program as the Unit of Consideration for your proposal.
- To be considered for a PECASE award, you must check the "PECASE
Eligibility" box on the Cover Sheet. To access this option, from the "Cover
Sheet Components" form, after selecting the CAREER program announcement and
selecting a Division and Program, click on the "Go" button to the left of
"Remainder of the Cover Sheet."
- See Section D. below for special
Proposal Cover Sheet submission instructions.
- Project Summary: Summarize the integrated education and
research activities of the proposed career development plan. Do not exceed
one page in length.
- Table of Contents, NSF Form 1359: The user cannot edit
the Table of Contents form; it is automatically generated by FastLane.
- Project Description Including Results from Prior NSF Support:
The Project Description, must not exceed 15 single-spaced pages,
including any graphical and tabular materials, and should contain the
following two sections:
- Results from Prior NSF Support, if applicable.
- Career Development Plan. Provide a well-argued and specific
proposal for activities that will, over a 5-year period, build a firm
foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and
education. The plan should be developed in consultation with the
department head or equivalent institutional official and include:
- the objectives and significance of the proposed integrated research
and education activities;
- the relation of the research to the current state of knowledge in the
field, and of the education activities to the current state of knowledge on
effective teaching and learning in one's field of study;
- an outline of the plan of work, describing the methods and procedures
to be used, including evaluation of the education activities (both research
and education activities should be included in the plan for each year, but
the relative amount of effort devoted to each may vary from year to year);
- the relation of the plan to the PI’s career goals and job
responsibilities, and to the goals of his/her institution; and
- a summary of prior research and education
accomplishments.
While excellence in both education and research is expected,
activity of an intensity that leads to an unreasonable workload is not.
Proposed education activities may be in a broad range of areas.
They may address curriculum, pedagogy, outreach, or mentoring at any level,
including graduate and undergraduate students, majors and non-majors, teacher
preparation or enhancement, K-12 students, and/or the general public.
Examples include, but are not limited to: course or
curriculum development; pre-college teacher preparation and enhancement;
outreach and mentoring activities to enhance scientific literacy or involve
students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in
science; research on pedagogy or students' learning and conceptual
development in the discipline; incorporating research activities into
undergraduate courses; linking education activities to industrial,
international, or cross-disciplinary work; innovative methods for evaluation
and assessment of the proposed education activities.
The education and research activities proposed may include
collaborations with partners from other sectors (for example, partnerships
with industry, national laboratories, or schools and school districts), as
well as international collaborations. However, partners cannot participate
as co-investigators. Proposals submitted with co-investigators will be
returned without review.
- References Cited: Provide references for both research
and education activities.
- Biographical Sketch of Principal Investigator: Provide a
biographical sketch or curriculum vitae that includes both research
and education activities and accomplishments. (Limited to two
pages.)
- Budget and Budget Justification, NSF Form 1030: Before
preparing a budget request, refer to the CAREER FAQ’s section on Budget and
Award Administration Information for specific information regarding
appropriate budget requests (http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/guide.htm).
For the FY 2001 competition, the minimum CAREER award size is $250,000 for a
five year period. No funds may be budgeted for the principal investigator's
academic-year salary unless justified by a plan for a limited period of
fieldwork or other extraordinary career-development activity in research or
education. No salary support for other senior personnel is allowed. NSF will
reimburse indirect costs at your institution's official, negotiated rate.
- Current and Pending Support of Principal Investigator, NSF Form
1239: See GPG Section II.D.8.
- Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources, NSF Form 1363: See
GPG Section II. D.9.
- Special Information and Supplementary Documentation:
Scan the signed original(s) of the document(s) below into the
Supplementary Documents section of your proposal. Do not send paper copies
to NSF.
- Departmental Endorsement and Certifications.
The proposal must include a one-page document containing the following
three endorsement and verification statements. (Do not exceed one page
total.)
- A statement by the Department Head that describes how the faculty
member's career development plan is supported by and integrated into the
educational goals of the department and the institution.
- A statement that the applicant meets the CAREER eligibility
criteria, as described in Section III.A. in these guidelines, and
verification of the following information: the official effective
date (month/day/year) of the applicant's first tenure-track
appointment and the date (month/year) of the applicant's first earned
doctorate.
- A statement, "I have read and I endorse this career development
plan."
The applicant's Department Head (or equivalent institutional official)
must sign the bottom of this page, thereby attesting to the
departmental endorsement of the career development plan, the department's
partnership in the applicant's career development, and the applicant's
eligibility. Below the signature, type the official's name, title, and
date. Proposals that do not include all of these statements will be
returned without review.
- Other special information. The proposal should include
letters of commitment to support proposed collaborations, if applicable.
Only letters that describe the planned collaborative effort(s) will be
accepted (Letters of reference or recommendation are not appropriate and
will not be sent to reviewers.)
- Appendices. Appendices may not be included unless a deviation has
been authorized, according to the procedures described in GPG Section II.
A.
Proposal Content - Information Not to Be Released to
Reviewers
- Information about Principal Investigators/Project Directors, NSF
Form 1225: FastLane automatically generates this form.
- List of suggested reviewers or reviewers not to include:
Optional (one-page limit). See GPG Section II. B.1.
- Deviation Authorization, if applicable:
The full text of the approval received from NSF, including the name
of the CAREER Directorate Contact, must be provided in this section of your
proposal.
- NSF approval for exemption from CAREER eligibility requirements, if
applicable (see Section III.A. in these
guidelines).
- Other, if applicable (see GPG Section II.A.).
THIS CONCLUDES THE PROPOSAL MATERIAL THAT IS TO BE SUBMITTED
VIA FASTLANE.
Other Documentation, if applicable:
- Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
Certification Form, NSF Form 1404: For a proposal to potentially be
eligible for EPSCoR co-funding, applicants must contact to their
jurisdiction's NSF EPSCoR Project Director and request "certification" prior
to submission of the proposal. It is the prerogative and responsibility of
the EPSCoR Project Director to decide which proposals shall be certified (see
CAREER FAQ's and EPSCoR Home Page, at
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/EPSCOR/report/cofund.htm for more
detail and contact information). For the FY 2001 CAREER competition, the
"Certification of EPSCoR Co-funding Eligibility" form (NSF Form 1404) must be
completed by the Project Director in the FastLane Notification of
Certification system and transmitted electronically to the NSF EPSCoR Office.
For this specific FY 2001 CAREER competition, only this electronic
transmission is necessary; signed copies of this form are not required and
should not be forwarded to NSF.
- PECASE information, if applicable: will be requested at
the time of CAREER award.
- Cost Sharing Requirements
Cost sharing is not required for proposals submitted under this program
announcement.
- Deadline Date
Full Proposal Deadline: Proposals must be submitted via FastLane by 5:00
p.m., applicant's local time, on or before the applicable deadline date
below:
July 25, 2000 |
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Education and Human Resources (EHR) |
July 26, 2000 |
Engineering (ENG) |
July 27, 2000 |
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
- FastLane Requirements
Proposers are required to prepare and submit proposals for this Program
Announcement through the FastLane system. Include Departmental Endorsement
and Certifications in the FastLane submission and, if applicable, letters of
commitment to support proposed collaborations, deviation authorizations, and
NSF approval for eligibility exemptions; do not submit paper copies of these
documents to NSF. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and
submission via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm.
For the FY 2001 CAREER competition, the Proposal Cover
Sheet (NSF Form 1207, Pages 1 and 2) will be submitted electronically to
NSF by the Sponsored Research Office (or equivalent) at the time of the
electronic transmission of the proposal. No PI Cover Sheet certifications
will be required for this competition and no paper copy of the Cover Sheet
should be sent to NSF.
Back to Table of Contents
VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
- NSF Proposal Review Process
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with
expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education
project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the
oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at the
time of submission, the names of appropriate and/or inappropriate reviewers.
Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.
Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions
and minority-serving institutions.
Proposals will be reviewed against the following general review criteria
established by the National Science Board. Following each criterion are
potential considerations that the reviewer may employ in the evaluation.
These are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. Each
reviewer will be asked to address only those that are relevant to the
proposal and for which he/she 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?
Principal Investigators should address the following elements in their
proposal to provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully
to both of the above-described NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give
these elements careful consideration 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.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and signed
by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential
documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers,
are mailed to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program
Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the
decision to award or decline funding.
- Review Protocol and Associated Customer
Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons
outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the
proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement will be
reviewed by mail review, panel review, or both.
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.
NSF will be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been
declined or recommended for funding within six months for 95 percent of
proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal deadline or target date
or from the date of receipt, if deadlines or target dates are not used by the
program. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program
Officer's recommendation.
Since CAREER proposals are reviewed by different panels and/or mail
reviews held at different times across NSF, award and declination letters
will be issued at different times. You can check the status of your CAREER
proposal through the FastLane Proposal Status Inquiry Module (http://www.FastLane.nsf.gov/a2/PropInq.htm).
If you have not received notification of the status of your CAREER proposal by
the beginning of February 2001, and your status is shown as "pending" in
FastLane, you can contact the program or division to which your proposal was
assigned to inquire about the status. Program Assignments can be viewed
through this FastLane module.
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 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 an 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 Officer does so at its own
risk.
Back to Table of Contents
- 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).
- 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 NSF brochure, program
guide, 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 web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm.
Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse,
telephone 301.947.2722 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, (NSF 95-26) available
electronically on the NSF web site 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, D.C. 20402. The telephone number at GPO
for subscription information is 202.512.1800. The GPM may be ordered through
the GPO web site at http://www.gpo.gov.
- Reporting Requirements
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants),
the PI must submit an annual project report via FastLane to the cognizant
Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period.
The report must be approved by the awardee's department head or
equivalent, thereby reaffirming the department's endorsement of the work plan
and continuing partnership in the individual's career development. The
Department endorsement must be scanned into each annual report.
Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required
to submit a final project report via FastLane. Approximately 30 days before
expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the requirement to
file the final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports
delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for that PI. PIs should
examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability
of required data.
NSF has implemented an electronic project reporting system, available
through FastLane. This system permits electronic submission and updating of
project reports, including information on: project participants (individual
and organizational); activities and findings; 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.
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VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries should be made to the CAREER Directorate/Division
program officer listed on the CAREER Contacts Web page at http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/career/contacts.htm.
Specific questions about proposal development, appropriate disciplinary
funding levels, and supplement opportunities and requirements should be
directed to the appropriate disciplinary program. See GPG, Appendix A, for a
list of programs, and use that list in completing the proposal Cover Sheet.
Information about directorates, divisions, and programs is available from
NSF's Guide to Programs. The FastLane Proposal Status Inquiry Module
provides information about the receipt and status of proposals, including the
proposal title, the date NSF received the proposal, the NSF program name, and
the assigned Program Officer. All communications about your proposal,
including the program assignment, should be directed to the assigned program
director, with reference to the proposal number.
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact the Division
FastLane contact listed on the NSF FastLane Web page under NSF Contacts.
This information can be accessed at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a0/flcontacts.htm
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The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to Programs
is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp.
General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility
information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements concerning specific proposal
requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements,
contact the appropriate NSF program offices listed in Appendix A of the GPG.
Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the
Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF Bulletin, available monthly
(except July and August), and in individual program announcements. The
Bulletin is available electronically via the NSF web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin.
Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm)
to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in
most fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for
conducting their project activities and preparing the results for
publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such
findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons
with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with
Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race,
color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance
from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a
particular program).
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities
(FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons
with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program announcement
or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636.
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)
306-0090, FIRS at 1-800-877-8339.
The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the
information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how
to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published materials,
please contact us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov.
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; 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
applicant 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 needing
information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs;
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," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and
NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register
268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to
provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of
receiving an award.
Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a
person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it
displays a valid 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 this burden estimate
and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions
for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer,
Information Dissemination Branch, Division of Administrative Services,
National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, or to Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science
Foundation (3145-0058), 725 - 17th Street, N.W. Room 10235, Washington, D.C.
20503.
OMB #3145-0058
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