NSF
06-515 GLOBE Program Solicitation:
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Related to the Project Description and IESSPs Integrated
Earth Systems Science Programs (IESSP)
Questions Related to the
GLOBE Program
Questions Related to Federal Agency Proposals
Questions Related to Budgetary Issues
Questions Related to Award Selection
QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND IESSPS INTEGRATED
EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE PROGRAMS (IESSP)
-
What is the overall goal of this solicitation?
A thorough review of the GLOBE Program
after ten years of operation has identified new opportunities
for the program. NSF seeks to preserve and amplify what has been
good and successful about GLOBE (e.g., scientist-student partnerships,
establishing protocols, working with real data, and student learning
through data acquisition, analysis and interpretation), while
expanding the scientific problems and approaches in which students
are engaged beyond those presently offered. This solicitation
also seeks to leverage existing investments by the NSF Geosciences
Directorate and related research programs, in support of further
integrating research and education.
- What type of program qualifies
for being an Integrated Earth Systems Science Program (IESSP)?
What do you mean by a “major” program?
Proposals are sought that link to major
research programs that have been funded through the NSF Geosciences
Directorate programs, the NSF Office of Polar Programs, or the
NASA Earth System Research and Applications programs. NSF and
NASA consider IESSP programs to be large, multi- or inter-disciplinary
research projects focused on solving a specific scientific problem
or a coherent or linked set of problems related to Earth systems;
these projects are often multi- or inter-national, but not necessarily
so. In general, these projects have involved multiple PIs working
collaboratively, and utilize networked observations or multiple
instruments, and are data or analysis intensive. Although
there is no budgetary “threshold” for
what constitutes an IESSP program, they are generally multi-year
efforts that have been funded in excess of $1-2 million per
year.
- Is there a list of eligible or exemplary IESSP programs?
There is no set list of eligible programs,
but examples of eligible IESSP programs include: EarthScope,
SAHRA, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, the AQUA, ICESat, OCO,
and GRACE satellite missions, among many others.
- What is an IESSP team? Do I need to be a Principal Investigator
or Co-PI on an existing IESSP grant to be eligible to be
part of a team?
IESSP teams are groups of scientists, educators
and other personnel who propose to combine forces in
order to make appropriate linkages between the IESSP
scientific program and the GLOBE educational network.
For some proposals this may require direct participation
of project scientists currently funded by the IESSP,
but this is not a requirement of the solicitation. Other
teams may involve participants who have no formal affiliation
with a specific IESSP, but who propose to develop infrastructure
or bridging activities that can help link the IESSP and
GLOBE programs; however, the proposal must clearly demonstrate
the substance of the linkage and projected outcome.
- Can my proposal focus on a major research project that is
currently being planned, but is not yet operational?
IESSP projects that are in the planning
stage would be eligible to respond to this solicitation only
if the program will be operational by the end of 2007, so that
participating GLOBE students will have access to project data
and results during a significant portion of the funded award
period.
- Can I propose to use archived data for student projects
in my proposal, or must they use new or real-time data?
Proposals that will utilize existing archived
data or samples are eligible to respond to this solicitation,
as long as these data are in the context of an IESSP and the
participating students are able to engage in hands-on research
using those archived resources.
- Do I need to have international collaborators to be eligible?
Will proposals with international collaborations be given
preference over those without?
Proposals that have an international component or are internationally
relevant are strongly encouraged, because the GLOBE Program involves
an international network of teachers and students. Some research
programs, e.g., EarthScope, are not international in terms of their
geographic operation and data acquisition, but they can still be
developed as an internationally relevant activity, because of the
global interest in seismology and earthquakes. Involvement of international
scientists and/or collaborators is encouraged, but not required
by the solicitation. International participation must be funded
through a lead U.S. institution, or through non-NSF funding in
the host country. The program solicitation has further details
regarding participation of non-U.S. collaborators who are not seeking
NSF funding.
- My institution has several NASA-funded research
projects through the Research Opportunities in Space and
Earth Sciences (ROSES) solicitation. Would our institution
be equivalent to an IESSP, thus making it eligible to apply
to this solicitation?
No. IESSPs are collaborative projects focused on answering specific
scientific questions, not a collection of multiple projects.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE GLOBE PROGRAM
- Where can I find out more about
the GLOBE program resources?
GLOBE developed a briefing packet in response
to the NSF solicitation that can be found at www.globe.gov/iessp_info. More detailed information
about GLOBE is available at their Web site: www.globe.gov
- Whom should I contact at the GLOBE Program Office
regarding coordination of my project with GLOBE?
Dr. Sandra Henderson, Director of Education
for GLOBE, will answer all questions regarding the resources
available through the GLOBE Program Office and how collaborations
with the IESSP projects can be achieved. She can be reached
at sandrah@globe.gov or 303.497.8108.
- Do I need to submit some form of documentation about my
discussions with the GLOBE Program Office?
No explicit documentation is required.
- Is the NSF
06-515 solicitation strictly limited to development
of new protocols for the GLOBE program or should I only propose
to work with existing protocols?
This goal of this solicitation is to expand the types of Earth
systems research being used by the GLOBE network. While it may
be possible to partially achieve this goal by utilizing the existing
GLOBE protocols, it is likely that new protocols will need to be
developed. This solicitation is not intended to continue support
for existing GLOBE protocols, unless it is an essential component
required for the success of the proposed work in the context of
this solicitation.
- Will GLOBE continue to provide a core set of measurements
obtained through the established protocols?
What will happen to existing GLOBE protocols that are not
included in awards funded through this solicitation?
The GLOBE Program Office will continue to
provide core data sets actively being used by the network,
but will not update protocols used for collecting those data
unless specifically funded through this solicitation. If an
existing protocol experiences a prolonged period of inactivity,
it may be allowed to lapse.
- I am currently funded as a science partner for the GLOBE
program. Can I propose to get a supplement to my current award
through this solicitation?
No. This solicitation is intended to fund new partnerships
between the GLOBE Program and IESSP’s, expanding
the Earth systems content disseminated through GLOBE and
broadening the pool of scientists involved; it is not to
sustain existing efforts. Current science partners are
eligible to be part of an IESSP proposal.
- My institution is a current GLOBE partner – how
can we get involved with proposals
being developed in response to this solicitation?
There is currently no simple and fair mechanism
for identifying which IESSP projects may be involved in proposals
submitted in response to this solicitation. GLOBE partners
who would like to participate in a specific IESSP project proposal
should contact the respective project office directly to explore
potential collaborations.
- Can GLOBE partner institutions submit letters of
support for more than one proposal?
The answer is yes, in principle, but letters of support should
clearly identify how the collaboration serves the needs of the
specific GLOBE partner institution and the IESSP.
- My school would like to join the GLOBE network. Can I obtain
funding to do this through this solicitation?
This solicitation is not intended to bring
new schools or partners into the GLOBE network unless it is
within the context of linking an IESSP program to GLOBE. For
example, a non-GLOBE school or network of schools may have
a pre-existing partnership with a nearby institution that participates
in a major Earth systems research project. In this case, the
PIs could propose to have the school(s) join the GLOBE network
as part of a larger proposal to integrate their major research
project with the GLOBE network.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO FEDERAL AGENCY PROPOSALS
- I am a NASA civil service employee. Can I serve as PI or
Co-PI on a proposal for this solicitation?
The Program Solicitation indicates that proposals will be accepted
from “U.S. colleges, universities, professional societies,
agencies, and other not-for-profit institutions and organizations.” As
such, NASA employees can serve
as PI or Co-PI on proposals.
The procedures for submission
of proposals by Federal agency
agenciesemployees are different,
however. Federal employees
should not use Grants.gov or
FastLane for proposal submission,
but should contact the NSF
Cognizant Program Officer [Jill
Karsten (jkarsten@nsf.gov)
or Paul Filmer (pfilmer@nsf.gov)]
to get specific instructions
on proposal submission procedures.
- How should I address NASA’s full-cost accounting
requirements in my proposal?
The budget pages in the proposal should include
all of the anticipated salary and benefit expenses associated
with the NASA employee's activity on the project. The proposal
should include appropriate signatures from the authorized institutional
officials of the respective NASA installation, acknowledging
their intent to permit the employee to engage in this activity
should the proposal be selected as well as the appropriate
civil servant salary support as identified. If the NASA Center
is prepared to cover the civil servant salary costs out of
its internal funding (e.g., investment pool, Center Director's
discretionary fund, etc.), the Center management can make
such a commitment; additionally, the cognizant program managers
at NASA Headquarters (HQ) should be informed, but no commitment
on their part is required. If the Center management expects
the civil servant support (including G&A, service
pools, travel, etc.) to be
covered by HQ, the proposal MUST be submitted to the relevant
HQ program manager for consideration prior to submission
to NSF, allowing sufficient time (several weeks) for the
manager's consideration. The manager may, then, provide one
of three responses: (a) the manager agrees to fund the civil
servant salary costs assuming NSF funds all the remaining
parts of the proposal; (b) the manager agrees to work with
his/her NSF counterpart to make a joint decision, which could
involve a coordinated review process or rely on the NSF review
process - but the manager does not
provide an up-front commitment; or (c) the manager expresses
no interest in supporting the civil servant part of the proposal
regardless of the results of the NSF review process. Pending
further budget negotiation upon selection, NASA will be responsible
for paying the necessary civil service costs and the NSF-funded
award will be reduced commensurately.
Note that in most cases, it is expected that GLOBE-related work
would amount to a relatively small fraction of a NASA civil servant's
time.
- I work at a Federal agency other than NASA, can I submit
a proposal in response to this solicitation?
Employees at other
Federal agencies are eligible to submit proposals, but the
proposed project must address the goal of the solicitation
to support IESSP research that has been funded by the NSF Directorate
for Geosciences and Office of Polar Programs, or the NASA Earth
Systems programs.
The Program Solicitation indicates that proposals
will be accepted from “U.S. colleges, universities, professional
societies, agencies, and other not-for-profit
institutions and organizations.” As
such, employees at Federal
agencies other than NASA
can serve as PI or Co-PI
on proposals, but the proposed
project must address the
goal of the solicitation
to support IESSP research
that has been funded by
the NSF Directorate for Geosciences
and Office of Polar Programs,
or the NASA Earth Systems
programs. The procedures
for submission of proposals
by Federal agencies are
different, however. Federal employees
should not use Grants.gov
or FastLane for proposal
submission, but should
contact the NSF Cognizant Program
Officer [Jill Karsten (jkarsten@nsf.gov)
or Paul Filmer (pfilmer@nsf.gov)]
to get specific instructions
on proposal submission procedures.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO BUDGETARY ISSUES
- Do I need to include travel funds in my budget
request so that I can attend this year’s annual GLOBE
meeting?
The program solicitation specifically
requires that travel funds for at least one person from the
project be included in the budget request so that they can
attend the annual GLOBE meeting. This includes the 2006 meeting,
which is being held in Phuket, Thailand between July 27 and
August 4. Award decisions will be made by early June, allowing
sufficient time to arrange for international travel and visas
for this meeting.
- I am at a non-U.S. institution, can I serve as a PI or
Co-PI on a proposal submitted in response to this solicitation
and receive NSF funding for that effort?
In order to receive U.S. Government funding,
U.S. institutions must submit the proposal. Proposals submitted
by non-U.S. institutions will undergo merit review but will
not receive U.S. government funding. The following scenarios
for your participation are possible: 1) You may serve as a
Co-PI on a proposal submitted by a lead U.S. institution, but
will need to include letters of endorsement demonstrating a
commitment to execute the elements of the activity to be conducted
at your institution should the proposal be selected. If selected,
a separate Agreement will be executed between the lead institution,
any additional international funding sources, and the GLOBE
Office, outlining the funding conditions, monitoring and oversight
responsibilities. 2) You may serve as PI on a proposal submitted
by a non-U.S. institution; however, if you are requesting funding
for participation by a U.S. institution or organization, the
request for their support must come from a U.S. institution.
QUESTIONS RELATED TO AWARD SELECTION
- What are the review criteria on which proposals
will be judged?
In addition to the two standard NSF
review criteria related to Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts,
proposals will be reviewed for their ability to integrate research
and education and broaden participation in the geosciences.
Additional review criteria include: 1) commitment to and expertise
in design, implementation or evaluation of student- and teacher-based
science activities that align with standards for content, instruction,
and assessment; 2) ability to deliver results and products
in a timely fashion with excellence; 3) mutual strong commitment
from a scientist-educator team; 4) cost effectiveness; and,
5) willingness and ability to contribute to the overall GLOBE
Program.
- When do you expect award decisions to be made?
Proposals are due March 8, 2006. We anticipate that the review
process will be completed by the end of May 2006, allowing award
decisions and PI notification in early June.
- How much funding is available for this solicitation?
NSF will have $4 million for this program, with approximately $1
million available in each of the next four fiscal years, pending
availability of funding.
- Does NSF expect to fund 1 or 2 large projects,
or a series of smaller ones?
NSF anticipates funding 3 to 5 projects, each with an average annual
budget in the range of $200,000 to $300,000.
- Will this solicitation be offered annually?
No, this is the only solicitation
for the next four years. If funding is available, it is our
intent to re-issue this program solicitation in the year 2009.
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