The Award and Administration Guide(AAG) (Part II of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide) sets forth NSF policies regarding the award and administration of grants and cooperative agreements and implements Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations (2 CFR Part 215), and 45 CFR Part 602 (the Common Rule implementing OMB Circular A-102), Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.  The AAG is applicable to NSF grants and cooperative agreements, unless noted otherwise in the award instrument.  This Guide does not apply to NSF contracts.

The Grant General Conditions, Research Terms and Conditions, Cooperative Agreement Conditions and Special Conditions pages provide the full text of the terms and conditions used to manage NSF grants and cooperative agreements. Topics covered include awardee responsibilities, Federal requirements, pre-award costs, no-cost extensions, significant project changes, travel, allowable costs, project reports, final report requirements, and more.

The Policy Office, in the Division of Institution and Award Support, provides general proposal & award policy guidance for use by the NSF proposer and awardee community. The Policy Office page includes NSF-specific regulations, policies and procedures, other Federal regulations, information regarding important NSF policies, answers to frequently asked questions, award conditions, as well as other valuable information. 

The NSF conducts outreach on proposal preparation and award administration, through Regional Grant Conferences, other targeted outreach programs, as well as FastLane outreach activities.

The Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA) is responsible for the award of all NSF grants and agreements recommended for support by NSF program offices, with the exception of the Foundation's portfolio of large facility cooperative agreements. From pre-award through closeout, DGA conducts a variety of business, financial, and administrative reviews to ensure compliance with award terms and conditions, NSF policies and procedures, and Federal rules and regulations. Pre- and post-award reviews of awardee organizations are conducted in coordination with DGA and by the Division of Institution and Award Support through its Cost Analysis and Audit Resolution Branch. The Cooperative Support Branch under the Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Support is responsible for negotiation, award, administration, monitoring and oversight of complex cooperative agreements for Federal Funded Research Centers (FFRDCs), major research facilities, and other large facilities in various stages of the facility lifecycle. The Cash Management Branch of the Division of Financial Management manages the awardee payment processes. Quick links to the NSF offices that support Award Management functions, Foundation news impacting awardees, and related information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are also provided on the DGA site to assist awardees with managing their awards.

NSF is a participant in the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). The FDP is a cooperative initiative among federal agencies and institutional recipients of federal funds. It was established to increase research productivity by streamlining the administrative process and minimizing the administrative burden on principal investigators while maintaining effective stewardship of federal funds. NSF serves as the official host of participating agency documents relating to the FDP.