Title: Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) Date: 10/04/12 Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) [1]Program Solicitation NSF 13-500 NSF Logo National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering Directorate for Geosciences Office of Cyberinfrastructure Directorate for Engineering Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences Directorate for Biological Sciences Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences Directorate for Education & Human Resources Office of Polar Programs SRC logo [x.gif] Semiconductor Research Corporation Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): December 04, 2012 First Tuesday in December, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): February 05, 2013 First Tuesday in February, Annually Thereafter SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS General Information Program Title: Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) Synopsis of Program: The Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) program aims to advance interdisciplinary research in which the science and engineering of sustainability are enabled by new advances in computing, and where computational innovation is grounded in the context of sustainability problems. The CyberSEES program is one component of the National Science Foundation's Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) activities, a foundation-wide effort aimed at addressing the challenge of sustainability through support for interdisciplinary research and education. In the SEES context, a sustainable world is one where human needs are met equitably without harm to the environment or sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Computational approaches play a central role in understanding and advancing sustainability. CyberSEES supports research on all sustainability topics that depend on advances in computational areas including optimization, modeling, simulation, prediction, and inference; large-scale data management and analytics; advanced sensing techniques; human computer interaction and social computing; infrastructure design, control and management; and intelligent systems and decision-making. Additionally, the widespread, intensive use of computing technologies also introduces sustainability challenges and motivates new approaches across the lifecycle of technology design and use. This program is a joint effort of all of the NSF organizations listed on the cover page and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), through its Energy Research Initiative (ERI) program. While the scope of CyberSEES is broad as detailed herein, the NSF and SRC ERI collaboration within CyberSEES focuses on cyber-enabled sustainability research that addresses computational aspects of smart infrastructures, in particular the smart electric grid. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact. * Kenneth Whang, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-5149, email: [2]kwhang@nsf.gov * Krishna Kant, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-8950, email: [3]kkant@nsf.gov * Phillip Regalia, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-8910, email: [4]pregalia@nsf.gov * Clifford Jacobs, GEO, telephone: (703) 292-4705, email: [5]cjacobs@nsf.gov * Irene Qualters, OCI, telephone: (703) 292-2339, email: [6]iqualter@nsf.gov * David McGinnis, SBE, telephone: (703) 292-7307, email: [7]dmcginni@nsf.gov * Michael Steuerwalt, MPS, telephone: (703) 292-4860, email: [8]msteuerw@nsf.gov * Julie A. Dickerson, BIO, telephone: (703) 292-8167, email: [9]jdickers@nsf.gov * David Haury, EHR, telephone: (703) 292-5102, email: [10]dhaury@nsf.gov * Bruce K. Hamilton, ENG, telephone: (703) 292-8320, email: [11]bhamilto@nsf.gov * Erica Key, OPP, telephone: (703) 292-8029, email: [12]ekey@nsf.gov * Paul Werbos, ENG, telephone: (703) 292-8339, email: [13]pwerbos@nsf.gov * Robert Havemann, SRC ERI, telephone: (919) 941-9443, email: [14]Bob.Havemann@src.org Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): * 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 --- Office of Polar Programs * 47.080 --- Office of Cyberinfrastructure Award Information Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 12 to 20 Anticipated Funding Amount: $12,000,000 pending availability of funds Eligibility Information Organization Limit: The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E. PI Limit: Due to this program's focus on interdisciplinary, collaborative research, a minimum of two collaborating investigators (PIs/Co-PIs) working in different disciplines is required. Applicants are urged to review the interdisciplinary, collaborative expectations of this program - described in the Program Description and Merit Review Criteria - which must be reflected in the project plans and project teams of all competitive proposals. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: None Specified Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2 An individual may appear as Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, or Senior Personnel (or any other similar designation) in no more than two proposals submitted in FY 2013 in response to this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they comply with these restrictions. This eligibility constraint will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently. In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, proposals received within the limit will be accepted based on earliest date and time of proposal submission (e.g., the first two proposals received will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review). No exceptions will be made. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions * Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. * Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not Applicable * Full Proposals: + Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: [15]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. + 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: [16]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gran tsgovguide) B. Budgetary Information * Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. * Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable * Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. C. Due Dates * Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): December 04, 2012 First Tuesday in December, Annually Thereafter * Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): February 05, 2013 First Tuesday in February, 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: Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. TABLE OF CONTENTS [17]Summary of Program Requirements I. [18]Introduction II. [19]Program Description III. [20]Award Information IV. [21]Eligibility Information V. [22]Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. [23]Proposal Preparation Instructions B. [24]Budgetary Information C. [25]Due Dates D. [26]FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements VI. [27]NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures A. [28]NSF Merit Review Criteria B. [29]Review and Selection Process VII. [30]Award Administration Information A. [31]Notification of the Award B. [32]Award Conditions C. [33]Reporting Requirements VIII. [34]Agency Contacts IX. [35]Other Information I. INTRODUCTION The Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) program aims to advance interdisciplinary research in which the science and engineering of sustainability are enabled by new advances in computing, and where computational innovation is grounded in real life, domain specific challenges. The CyberSEES program is one component of the National Science Foundation's Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) activities, a foundation-wide effort aimed at addressing the challenge of sustainability through support for interdisciplinary research and education. In a SEES context, a sustainable world is one where human needs are met equitably without harm to the environment or sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Meeting this formidable challenge requires a substantial increase in our understanding of the integrated system of society, the natural world, and the alterations humans bring to Earth. As noted in the 2012 National Academies Report "Computing Research for Sustainability," ^[36]1 a rich interplay is developing between computing research and other disciplines to address these challenges. Interdisciplinary approaches built around equal partnerships and real sustainability problems are expected to lead to compelling progress across multiple dimensions. Envision a world where * Smart electric grids match consumer needs with electricity generation and storage using algorithms that integrate power generation from a large number of sources and maintain stability, efficient transmission, distribution and usage. Customers and utilities interact via a digital interface that motivates lower energy use and monitors consumption while maintaining privacy. * Data from technologies such as satellites and geographic sensors are used for precision agriculture which allows farmers to monitor and increase yields while minimizing consumption of resources (e.g., water, fertilizer) and environmental impact. * Sensor networks deployed in extreme environments (such as the Arctic or deep undersea) are designed to continuously collect data and extract usable knowledge. The networks are resistant to equipment failures, sensor degradation, environmental variability, and other challenges posed by such environments. * Sustainable built infrastructure systems (such as transportation, communications, and water supply systems) are designed, improved, and scaled up using computational tools and cyberinfrastructure that can simulate, analyze, and visualize the complex interactions between human, environmental, and technological systems. * Information technology systems guide and manage extreme events, man-made or natural, based on fundamental understanding of human behavior, organization, and communication, and provide tools for intelligent and timely sharing of information and decision making. To achieve these goals, computational approaches play a central role in understanding and advancing sustainability science and engineering. The CyberSEES program supports research and education projects on all sustainability topics in which advances in computing are integral, including the areas of optimization, modeling, simulation, prediction and inference; large-scale data management and analytics; advanced sensing techniques; human computer interaction and social computing; infrastructure design, control and management; and intelligent systems and decision-making. Information technologies, computational solutions, and advances in cyberinfrastructure are essential to understanding the complex interactions and tradeoffs tied to immediate and emerging sustainability challenges in many critical areas, including climate change, natural resource depletion, loss of biodiversity, extreme events, energy, sustainable infrastructure, and human well-being on a resource-constrained planet. Additionally, the widespread, intensive use of computing technologies also introduces sustainability challenges and motivates new approaches across the lifecycle of technology design and use. SEES activities span the entire range of scientific domains at NSF and place a focus on supporting interdisciplinary research and education, building partnerships and linkages, and developing a workforce that can understand and address sustainability issues. In particular, all SEES projects must consider the social, behavioral, and economic requirements of creating long-term, viable sustainable systems, and incorporate those dimensions in the proposed research. Further information about NSF SEES activities can be found at [37]http://www.nsf.gov/sees. This program is a joint effort of all of the NSF organizations listed on the cover page and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) through its Energy Research Initiative (ERI) program. While the scope of CyberSEES is broad, the NSF and SRC ERI collaboration within CyberSEES focuses on cyber-enabled sustainability research that addresses computational aspects of smart infrastructures, in particular the smart electric grid. ^[38]1 National Research Council. 2012. [39]Computing Research for Sustainability. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION A. Scientific Scope This Cyber-Enabled Sustainability Science and Engineering (CyberSEES) solicitation aims to advance computing and information sciences research and infrastructure in tandem with other disciplines to develop analyses, methods, prototypes, and systems that lead to an increased understanding of sustainability and to solutions to sustainability challenges. Proposals are expected to forge interdisciplinary collaborations among the computer and information sciences, social and natural sciences, mathematical sciences, engineering, and associated cyberinfrastructure to address challenging sustainability problems. Computational challenges are woven into many areas of sustainability research and their solutions are opening up possibilities for radical new approaches and unforeseen opportunities. Close intellectual partnerships among computing and other disciplines are essential to inform new approaches to these integrative challenges, respecting the specific characteristics of complex phenomena, data, and models; understanding the tradeoffs and consequences inherent to design and decision processes; and effectively dealing with limitations and constraints of computational techniques. Some prominent underlying challenges are outlined below. These descriptions are meant only as examples of integrative challenges, not to limit the scope of program interests. Large-scale Data Analysis and Management. Data sets used in many sustainability related topics are challenging because of their complexity (such as control variables in smart infrastructures), heterogeneity (such as social or behavior data), or variability and uncertainty (such as environmental sensor data). Additionally, sustainability data often has distinct short term and long term end uses, and data sets must be appropriately curated with these uses in mind. The sustainability context requires attention to issues such as the use, management, and preservation of data over a large range of time scales; data modeling and ontologies; metadata extraction, management, and data provenance; and decision making based on data from different sources, of different qualities, and with widely differing ontologies and semantics. Robust Observation, Sensing, and Inference. Monitoring of human, built and natural systems, such as hydrologic or atmospheric phenomenon; species migrations; water, gas, or electricity distribution systems, requires scalable observation infrastructures. Effective infrastructures must be nondisruptive, easily deployed and managed, robust under sensor failures, and/or satisfy applicable security or privacy requirements. These monitoring systems must be able to operate unattended for long periods of time and be remotely configurable, controllable, and testable for correct operation. Interdisciplinary research is needed on new methods, designs and algorithms for managing data streams, data analysis, synthesis, and inference as well as the design and optimization of complex sensor systems. Modeling of Complex Systems. Behavior in systems facing sustainability challenges, from caribou migration to power generation, is the result of complex interactions between human, built, and natural systems. Modeling, simulating, analyzing, and optimizing these systems may require combinations of physics- or economics-based models, model-based reasoning, and statistical models built from data, or interactions involving entities or individuals with different and often conflicting interests. New interdisciplinary research is needed for accurate and efficient methods of tackling complexity, scaling, uncertainty quantification, reliability, coupling between systems, and constrained optimization in order to achieve needed performance. Dynamic and Intelligent Decision Making. Solving sustainability problems, particularly those relating to systems near tipping points (such as extreme events), often requires contending with dynamically evolving or unstable situations. These scenarios present challenges to modeling and decision making due to inadequate or changing data, resource constraints, fast response needs, and safety and security concerns. A key characteristic of these environments is the need to continuously assimilate new data as it becomes available and to effectively handle new or altered constraints. Techniques are also needed to proactively discover such changing constraints within these environments. Additionally, both dynamic and static sustainability related data sets can leverage intelligence and machine learning methods to mine for hidden patterns and extract previously unknown information, and move the field from data driven hypothesis testing to data enabled discovery. Control and Management of Infrastructure. Smart management of built systems such as electric grids, variable wind and solar power generators, and other energy infrastructures; transportation systems; manufacturing systems; and homes and buildings requires comprehensive and flexible control systems that satisfy performance, policy, reliability, and other constraints. The design and study of these systems will require new computing research and knowledge in areas such as resource management algorithms, systems analysis, real time computing and communications. The human and organizational contexts of control systems must be well understood and reflected in system design, in order to make them usable and useful. Human-centered Systems. Large and long-lived impacts on sustainability will depend on human behavior, human factors, and collaboration across large communities. Sociotechnical systems built on sound understanding of people, organizations, and how to inform and assist them, will play a key role in sustainability efforts. Computational approaches will lead to tools and systems that support engagement and decision making by the public; collecting, modeling, and presenting information about resource usage via usable interfaces, appropriate visualizations, and persuasive technology; preference elicitation and decision support/automated decision making for effective and efficient use of resources; and models, methods and tools for dissemination and increasing awareness of sustainable practices. The interdisciplinary challenges considered above are invariably shaped by human, societal, and economic factors and need to be considered. Most monitoring and control solutions need to consider issues such as the human interface, security and privacy, socio-cultural norms, non-compliance, herding behavior, economic incentives, and deployability in the real world. Sustainable systems must be designed for transparency, legitimation, and participation. As information and communication technologies are applied with increasing intensity to address sustainability issues, there is a parallel challenge of sustainability of the computing and networking systems themselves. In particular, as computing and communication technologies-- from mobile phones to massive data centers-- proliferate, challenges in managing their consumption of energy, materials, and other resources have become a critical sustainability issue. CyberSEES also welcomes interdisciplinary research that addresses holistic, integrative approaches to sustainable computing and information technologies and systems, including consideration of design and use with impact across the lifecycle in mind. As the SEES research community increases in number of researchers and breadth of scientific participation, the shared computing and communication infrastructure must allow easy and timely sharing of data and computational tools to advance interdisciplinary SEES research. CyberSEES welcomes cyberinfrastructure research that connects currently distinct SEES research activities. The SRC Energy Research Initiative (ERI) is interested in cyber-enabled sustainability research that addresses computational aspects of smart infrastructures, in particular the smart electric grid. Challenges include but are not limited to efficient and secure electrical power management at multiple scales-from grid-level to personal systems- and integration of renewable energy resources and home energy systems into an aware and enabled electric grid. Relevant research may fall under any or all of the challenges listed above for the CyberSEES program as a whole. B. Award Types The CyberSEES solicitation will support two types of proposals: * Type 1 proposals with total budgets (including indirect costs) not exceeding $300,000 over a period of 2 years. These are smaller proof-of-concept, capacity building, or exploratory research and education projects led by two or more investigators. * Type 2 proposals with total budgets (including indirect costs) not exceeding $1,200,000 over a period of up to 4 years. These proposals are for integrative research and education projects, suitable for collaborative teams led by two or more investigators. For both types of projects, the requested budget must be clearly justified and must be commensurate with the goals of the effort. In particular, it is expected that most projects will be smaller than the limits indicated here. C. CyberSEES Project Requirements Competitive CyberSEES projects must satisfy the following requirements, which represent defining characteristics of the CyberSEES solicitation. Further information on these requirements can be found in the Review Criteria section of this document. * The research must be well-grounded in sustainability issues. * The research objective must advance computing or cyberinfrastructure knowledge, while enabling research in other disciplines. * The team composition must be synergistic and interdisciplinary, and must consist of at least two investigators from distinct and different scientific disciplines. * The project must address education and workforce development in sustainability science. Depending on the sustainability problems and solutions discussed in the proposal, some of these attributes will be more important and thus require more in-depth articulation than others. D. Example CyberSEES Proposal Topics Below are several examples of possible CyberSEES proposal topics. These examples are not intended to be prescriptive and do not imply any priority or special consideration of the areas covered by them. They are only provided as illustrations of the types of topics that a CyberSEES proposal could address. PI's are encouraged to consider application of computing and communications to a wide range of sustainability issues. Design, implementation, and operation of sensors and sensor systems are critical components of sustainability solutions and pose challenges due to operation in very harsh and changing environments. The challenges may include the lack of manual accessibility for long periods of time, extreme temperature variability, difficulties in energy harvesting, degradation of sensors, undesired sensor movement because of winds, currents, or wildlife, sensor failures, difficulties in data evacuation, and the impacts of all these factors on data quality. Smart electric grids for cities need to balance consumer need with electricity generation. In a dense urban environment, there may be millions of outlets (e.g. private homes, large offices, electric car charging stations) and numerous types of generators (e.g. wind, solar, gas, coal) with different costs, time variation of output, and sustainability footprints. Advancements will be needed in computing areas such as algorithms for demand and response management that account for human behavior and their privacy concerns while at the same time maintaining the integrity, stability, and security of the grid in spite of integration of power from a large number of highly variable sources. Within the SEES research community there are currently distinct research activities whose data and computational capabilities could further advance other emerging SEES-related interdisciplinary research and collaboration. As the SEES research community expands and diversifies, cyberinfrastructure research that connects currently distinct SEES research activities would position the community for greater success. Of particular interest are new meta data models, new forms and methods of visualization, new types of middleware, and innovative frameworks for multimodels. As the use of computing devices proliferates throughout the world, the life cycles of the devices are getting shorter for a variety of reasons that include competitive marketing, rapid technological advances, and business models that hide costs of devices. However, this poses increasing problems of safe disposal and use of Earth's resources. Research on holistic understanding of business/marketing practices, user needs and attitudes, design, disposal, reuse and recycling issues, and incentive structures for sustainable behavior could go a long way in informing potential solutions. Built infrastructure systems are critically central to the functioning of our society. These systems provide vital services such as transportation, electric power, communications, water supply, and wastewater treatment. The systems are large, complex, and interdependent. Simulation, analysis, and visualization of the sustainability (as well as vulnerability and resilience) of these systems, and proposed improvements to them, are often impeded by computational complexity resulting from exponential scaling behavior. The computational challenges are exacerbated when human aspects, necessary for realistic modeling, are included in simulations through such approaches as agent-based modeling. Breakthroughs in handling these computational problems, posed in the context of sustainability issues, are sought. Moreover, increasing computational power offers the conceptual vision of transitioning these infrastructures to "smart" systems that are more efficient, robust, and safe. Yet, significant challenges must be overcome to achieve the vision of "smart" infrastructures. III. AWARD INFORMATION We expect that $12 million will be made available in FY 2013 to support 12-20 awards. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Projects selected for joint funding by NSF and SRC ERI will be funded through separate NSF and SRC ERI funding instruments. For each such project, NSF support will be provided via an NSF grant and SRC ERI support will be provided via an SRC ERI contract. IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION Organization Limit: The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E. PI Limit: Due to this program's focus on interdisciplinary, collaborative research, a minimum of two collaborating investigators (PIs/Co-PIs) working in different disciplines is required. Applicants are urged to review the interdisciplinary, collaborative expectations of this program - described in the Program Description and Merit Review Criteria - which must be reflected in the project plans and project teams of all competitive proposals. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: None Specified Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2 An individual may appear as Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, or Senior Personnel (or any other similar designation) in no more than two proposals submitted in FY 2013 in response to this solicitation. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they comply with these restrictions. This eligibility constraint will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently. In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, proposals received within the limit will be accepted based on earliest date and time of proposal submission (e.g., the first two proposals received will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review). No exceptions will be made. V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent (required): A letter of intent is required for every project submitted for consideration by CyberSEES in FY13. The letter must be submitted via FastLane no later than the date specified in this solicitation. If a collaborative proposal is planned, a single letter of intent should be submitted by the lead institution. Each letter is limited to one page, and must include the following information: Project Title, prefixed by "CyberSEES:Type 1:" or "CyberSEES:Type 2:" depending on whether a Type 1 or Type 2 proposal is planned. The Investigator Team, listing each investigator's name, departmental and institutional affiliations, areas of expertise, and role in the project (PI, Co-PI, Senior Personnel, Consultant, or other as appropriate). A Project Synopsis, emphasizing the project vision and multidisciplinary approach. These letters of intent are not used as pre-approval mechanisms for the submission of proposals and no feedback is provided to the submitters. The Letters of Intent are not reviewed but are used to assess the overall response to the solicitation, and to help NSF anticipate requirements for proposal review. Letter of Intent Preparation Instructions: When submitting a Letter of Intent through FastLane in response to this Program Solicitation please note the conditions outlined below: * Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) Submission is not required when submitting Letters of Intent * Submission of multiple Letters of Intent is not allowed Full Proposal Preparation 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: [40]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 [41]nsfpubs@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: ([42]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgo vguide). 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 [43]nsfpubs@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.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals. The standard NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide instructions for proposal preparation apply, with the following additions. A. Cover Sheet FastLane Users: Proposers must identify this program solicitation number in the program announcement/solicitation block on the Cover Sheet and select "Cyber Enabled Sustainability" from the FastLane org. unit pull-down list. The project title must begin with the tag "CyberSEES:Type 1:" or "CyberSEES:Type 2" depending on whether it is a Type 1 or Type 2 proposal. In case of multiple proposals submitted by different institutions as a collaborative group, they all should have the same title and begin with the tag "Collaborative Research:" prior to the CyberSEES tag. Grants.gov Users: The program solicitation number will be pre-populated by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page. Refer to Section VI.1.2 of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide for specific instructions on how to designate the NSF Unit of Consideration. The project title must follow the same rules as described above for FastLane users. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing. B. Project Description (Structure and Page Limits for Type 1 and Type 2 Proposals) The project description of Type 1 proposals is limited to a maximum of 10 pages. For Type 1 proposals, investigators are encouraged to incorporate the elements described below as appropriate to their project needs and space limitations. The project description of Type 2 proposals is subject to the GPG limit of 15 pages. Type 2 proposals must be structured according to the sequence of sections described below. Vision Statement. The project description of a Type 2 proposal must begin with a concise statement of the project vision, situating an integrative, collaborative research project within a clearly articulated context of larger sustainability goals. It is understood that the proposed research may focus only on a piece of this vision, but the relationship of the proposed research to the overall vision must be articulated here. The vision statement must also briefly address important human, social, behavioral, economic, and adoption issues that are relevant, whether or not they are directly addressed within the proposed research. Background and Significance. The proposal must provide adequate background for reviewers to judge the novelty, uniqueness, and significance of the proposed research. Research Plan. The proposed research must approach fundamental research from an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates computing and communications with domain sciences and engineering to address the sustainability issues of interest. The proposal must describe a synergistic, systems approach by which the team addresses the scientific challenges of addressing a sustainability challenge. Evaluation Plan: Every Type 2 proposal must include an evaluation plan that discusses how the success of the activities supported by the CyberSEES program will be assessed. The evaluation needs of individual projects may vary considerably. The evaluation approach should be appropriate to the vision of the project, addressing relevant technical objectives as well as inputs and impacts on appropriate stakeholders. C. Supplementary Documents Type 2 proposals must also include a management and collaboration plan, submitted as a supplementary document not exceeding 3 pages in length. The management plan should discuss (a) the specific roles, qualifications, and synergy of the collaborating PIs, Co-PIs, other Senior Personnel, and paid consultants at all organizations involved; (b) how the project will be managed across institutions and disciplines. International and/or industrial collaborations that enhance the proposed project activities are strongly encouraged. Plans for international, industrial, or cross-institutional experiences for students should be clearly described, including timing, duration, and logistical arrangements for visits, and roles of specific project personnel. Data Management Plan: Proposals must include a data and information management plan that describes how access to quality-controlled and fully-documented data and information by researchers, and others, will be achieved at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time during the course of the award, e.g., via a recognized data repository. The plan should address, as appropriate, provisions for reuse and derivative use, archival plans, and preservation of access for both research and non-research communities. If applicable, policies and provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements should be included. Additional Instructions for Candidates for NSF-SRC ERI Joint Funding Proposals to be considered for joint funding by NSF and SRC ERI must include a statement of consent from the proposing institution(s) that indicates NSF may share with SRC ERI the proposal, reviews generated for the proposal, and related information. The statement of consent must be uploaded into the Supplementary Docs section in Fastlane or Grants.gov. Proposals that do not contain this statement will not be considered for joint funding by NSF and SRC ERI. B. Budgetary Information Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited Other Budgetary Limitations: Proposal budgets should cover costs of travel to participate in grantees' meetings, most likely in the Washington, D.C. area. * Type 1 awards should include costs to travel to one grantee meeting * Type 2 awards should include costs to travel to two grantee meetings * Proposals receiving co-funding from SRC ERI will be asked to include the cost to travel to one additional meeting. This program will support the costs of US-based scientists and their students. International collaborators are encouraged to seek support from their respective funding organizations. Funding guidelines for involving international collaborators allow the following expenses to be included in the NSF budget: * Travel expenses for US scientists and students participating in exchange visits are an integral part of the project. * Limited project-related expenses for international partners to engage in research activities while in the United States as project participants. * Project-related expenses for US participants to engage in research activities while abroad. Budget Preparation Instructions: The CyberSEES solicitation will support two types of proposals: * Type 1 proposals with total budgets (including indirect costs) not exceeding $300,000 over a period of 2 years. These are smaller proof-of-concept, capacity building, or exploratory research and education projects led by two or more investigators. * Type 2 proposals with total budgets (including indirect costs) not exceeding $1,200,000 over a period of up to 4 years. These proposals are for integrative research and education projects, suitable for collaborative teams led by two or more investigators. For both types of projects, the requested budget must be clearly justified and must be commensurate with the goals of the effort. In particular, it is expected that most projects will be smaller than the limits indicated here. C. Due Dates * Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): December 04, 2012 First Tuesday in December, Annually Thereafter * Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): February 05, 2013 First Tuesday in February, Annually Thereafter D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements * For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane: Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: [44]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 [45]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 funding opportunity. 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. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: [46]https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp. * 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. Comprehensive information about using Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage: [47]http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp. 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: [48]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 where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements. 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 of interest with the proposal. 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 judgments. 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, original, or potentially transformative 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? Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF website at: [49]http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf. Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral researchers supported on the project, as described in a one-page supplementary document, will be evaluated under the Broader Impacts criterion. Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria In addition to the standard NSF review criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, proposals submitted in response to this solicitation will be evaluated on the following additional criteria: Well-Grounded in Sustainability Issues. Does the proposal demonstrate a clear connection between the research and substantive sustainability issues of societal significance? Does it consider critical social, economic, and environmental systems within the scope of the research? Broadly Applicable Advances in Computing in Tandem with Other Disciplines. Does the proposal include research that contributes to advancements in fundamental computer and information science and engineering? Do these advancements enable research in other disciplines that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible before the innovation? To what extent will it lead to the development of high-quality resources that will be useful to the research community at large? Does it leverage and advance existing NSF cyberinfrastructure or other efforts of the SEES research community? To what extent does the project address the relevant social, behavioral, economic and human issues connected with the sustainability problem(s) being tackled? Synergistic, Interdisciplinary Team. Does the collaboration productively bring together new combinations of investigators, approaches, or resources with appropriate expertise to effectively tackle the sustainability issues being addressed? Education and Workforce Advancements. Does the proposal address issues related to the promotion of inter-disciplinary education to advance sustainability science and prepare next generation workforce to address complex sustainability problems? To what extent does the project promote public awareness of sustainability issues? Does it support development of ways to educate future researchers, technical workers, students, and the general public about inherent complexities of sustainability? Does it assist current researchers in addressing challenges of sustainability research and education? To what extent will it provide unique collaborative research experiences for participating students and early-career researchers? Proposals may consider education and workforce development, or both, as important components in a proposal. Workforce development might include activities targeted for K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students. Education and learning may involve formal classroom instruction, as well as venues such as museums, science centers, or other informal settings. Quality and Appropriateness of the Management Plan. Are the specific roles of each collaborating investigator clear? Is the collaborative activity coordinated efficiently and effectively? Are appropriate outcome dissemination plans (e.g. software, data, publications) available to potential stakeholders? Are the proposed collaborations and partnerships, including industry and international collaborations as appropriate, well conceived and well planned? Is the proposed timeline of activities adequate and appropriate? NSF staff also 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. B. Review and Selection Process Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/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. NSF will manage and conduct the review process of proposals submitted in accordance with NSF standards and procedures. For proposals including a statement of consent and considered for joint funding by NSF and SRC ERI, the review and award recommendations will be coordinated by a Joint NSF and SRC Working Group (JWG) of programs officers from both NSF and SRC. Relevant information about proposals and reviews of proposals will be shared between the participating organizations as appropriate. The JWG will recommend meritorious proposals for award at appropriate funding levels. NSF Process: 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 deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. 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 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.B. 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 (GC-1); * or Research Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail. *These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at [50]http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from [51]nsfpubs@nsf.gov. More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at [52]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag. Special Award Conditions: Individual awards selected for joint funding by NSF and SRC ERI will be funded through separate NSF and SRC ERI funding instruments. NSF awards will be made in FY 2013 as continuing or standard grants. SRC ERI awards will be made as SRC contracts. Either organization may supplement a project without requiring the other party to provide any additional funds. All joint or separate awards involving SRC ERI funds must also include an executed agreement pertaining to intellectual property, including publications and patent rights, signed by the representatives of the awardee organization and SRC ERI. SRC ERI contracts provide for non-exclusive, royalty free rights to all SRC ERI members for any intellectual property generated as a result of the SRC ERI-funded research. 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, and a project outcomes report for the general public. Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report 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. The project outcomes report must be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of the nature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI. More comprehensive information on NSF Reporting Requirements and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at [53]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag. NSF and SRC ERI will manage their respective awards/contracts in accordance with their own guidelines. Awardees will submit annual project reports to NSF via FastLane, subject to NSF procedures. Awardees will also submit annual reports to SRC ERI, subject to SRC ERI procedures. SRC ERI will organize and conduct annual reviews and will require certain deliverable reports to monitor the program and project progress. SRC ERI will seek to provide structured involvement of industry in the research and review process and will undertake the organization and non-travel costs of the annual review. PIs receiving funding from SRC will be expected to attend annual SRC ERI grantee review meetings for the purpose of sharing research progress with SRC ERI member company representatives as well as other interested individuals. A SRC ERI grantee meeting can coincide with the NSF grantee meeting. Thirty days before each of these meetings, the principal investigator will provide SRC ERI an annotated presentation of research results for posting on the SRC ERI web site. VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact. General inquiries regarding this program should be made to: * Kenneth Whang, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-5149, email: [54]kwhang@nsf.gov * Krishna Kant, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-8950, email: [55]kkant@nsf.gov * Phillip Regalia, CISE, telephone: (703) 292-8910, email: [56]pregalia@nsf.gov * Clifford Jacobs, GEO, telephone: (703) 292-4705, email: [57]cjacobs@nsf.gov * Irene Qualters, OCI, telephone: (703) 292-2339, email: [58]iqualter@nsf.gov * David McGinnis, SBE, telephone: (703) 292-7307, email: [59]dmcginni@nsf.gov * Michael Steuerwalt, MPS, telephone: (703) 292-4860, email: [60]msteuerw@nsf.gov * Julie A. Dickerson, BIO, telephone: (703) 292-8167, email: [61]jdickers@nsf.gov * David Haury, EHR, telephone: (703) 292-5102, email: [62]dhaury@nsf.gov * Bruce K. Hamilton, ENG, telephone: (703) 292-8320, email: [63]bhamilto@nsf.gov * Erica Key, OPP, telephone: (703) 292-8029, email: [64]ekey@nsf.gov * Paul Werbos, ENG, telephone: (703) 292-8339, email: [65]pwerbos@nsf.gov * Robert Havemann, SRC ERI, telephone: (919) 941-9443, email: [66]Bob.Havemann@src.org For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact: * FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: [67]fastlane@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: [68]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, National Science Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service 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 when new publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the [69]NSF web site. 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 [70]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 55,000 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 Arctic 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. The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements 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 Website at [71]http://www.nsf.gov * Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230 * For General Information (NSF Information Center): (703) 292-5111 * TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090 * To Order Publications or Forms: Send an e-mail to: [72]nsfpubs@nsf.gov or telephone: (703) 292-7827 * To Locate NSF Employees: (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, [73]NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and [74]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 [75]Policies and Important Links | [76]Privacy | [77]FOIA | [78]Help | [79]Contact NSF | [80]Contact Web Master | [81]SiteMap National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230, USA Tel: (703) 292-5111, FIRS: (800) 877-8339 | TDD: (800) 281-8749 Last Updated: 11/07/06 [82]Text Only [x.gif] References 1. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#toc 2. mailto:kwhang@nsf.gov 3. mailto:kkant@nsf.gov 4. mailto:pregalia@nsf.gov 5. mailto:cjacobs@nsf.gov 6. mailto:iqualter@nsf.gov 7. mailto:dmcginni@nsf.gov 8. mailto:msteuerw@nsf.gov 9. mailto:jdickers@nsf.gov 10. mailto:dhaury@nsf.gov 11. mailto:bhamilto@nsf.gov 12. mailto:ekey@nsf.gov 13. mailto:pwerbos@nsf.gov 14. mailto:Bob.Havemann@src.org 15. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg 16. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide 17. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#summary 18. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#pgm_intr_txt 19. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#pgm_desc_txt 20. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#awd_info 21. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#elig 22. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#prep 23. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#prep 24. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#budg_cst_shr_txt 25. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#dates 26. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#fastlane 27. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#review 28. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#reviewcrit 29. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#reviewprot 30. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#awardadmin 31. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#awardnotify 32. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#grantcond 33. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#reportreq 34. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#cont 35. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#othpgm 36. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#one 37. http://www.nsf.gov/sees 38. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13500/nsf13500.htm#one_ 39. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13415 40. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg 41. mailto:nsfpubs@nsf.gov 42. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide 43. mailto:nsfpubs@nsf.gov 44. https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm 45. mailto:fastlane@nsf.gov 46. https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp 47. http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp 48. mailto:support@grants.gov 49. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf 50. http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF 51. mailto:nsfpubs@nsf.gov 52. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag 53. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag 54. mailto:kwhang@nsf.gov 55. mailto:kkant@nsf.gov 56. mailto:pregalia@nsf.gov 57. mailto:cjacobs@nsf.gov 58. mailto:iqualter@nsf.gov 59. mailto:dmcginni@nsf.gov 60. mailto:msteuerw@nsf.gov 61. mailto:jdickers@nsf.gov 62. mailto:dhaury@nsf.gov 63. mailto:bhamilto@nsf.gov 64. mailto:ekey@nsf.gov 65. mailto:pwerbos@nsf.gov 66. mailto:Bob.Havemann@src.org 67. mailto:fastlane@nsf.gov 68. mailto:support@grants.gov 69. http://www.nsf.gov/ 70. http://www.grants.gov/ 71. http://www.nsf.gov/ 72. mailto:nsfpubs@nsf.gov 73. http://www.nsf.gov/policies/SOR_PA_NSF-50_Principal_Investigator _Proposal_File.pdf 74. http://www.nsf.gov/policies/SOR_PA_NSF-51_Reviewer_Proposal_File.pdf 75. http://www.nsf.gov/policies 76. http://www.nsf.gov/policies/privacy.jsp 77. http://www.nsf.gov/policies/foia.jsp 78. http://www.nsf.gov/help/ 79. http://www.nsf.gov/help/contact.jsp 80. mailto:webmaster@nsf.gov 81. http://www.nsf.gov/help/sitemap.jsp 82. http://transcoder.usablenet.com/tt/referrer