Review Process

Proposals received by the NSF SBIR/STTR Program are assigned to appropriate topics where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements and are in compliance with the program announcement, solicitation or Dear Colleague Letter (supplements).

All proposals are carefully reviewed by a minimum of three experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process.

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 the case of the NSF SBIR/STTR Program, critical additional review criteria are utilized to highlight the specific objectives of the program and to ensure that all proposals are reviewed for both their technical and commercial merits.

Peer Review Guidelines (Technical/Commercial): Details on the SBIR/STTR peer review criteria, access to the Conflict of Interest (COI) form, and suggestions for writing high quality peer reviews for the SBIR/STTR Program at NSF.

Fast Lane Instructions for Panelists: Step-by-step instructions for using FastLane to review assigned proposals, submit review electronically to NSF, editing contact information, submitting the required registration for every review panel, and navigating through the interactive panel system (IPS) which is used during the live panel meeting.

Fast Lane Instructions for Mail Reviewers: Step-by-step instructions for using FastLane to review a proposal and submit a "mail review" electronically to NSF, as well as editing personal and demographic information.

Travel Instructions for Panelists: Details on compensation rates, federal employees/non-US citizens/non-permanent residents, travel/hotel reservations and payment information.