About this event
During the Monday, March 13th, 1 – 2pm ET for DEB’s next Virtual Office Hour, Program Officers discussed the new Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and how it shapes funding opportunities. Representatives from DEB programs were available for questions. Upcoming DEB Virtual Office Hours are announced ahead of time on DEBrief, so we suggest you also sign up for blog notifications.
If you didn't make it to this or can't make any future office hours, don’t worry! Go to DEBrief (link below), as we will be posting a recap and the presentation slides.
Virtual Office Hours are on the second Monday of every month from 1 – 2pm ET. Below is a list of upcoming dates and topics (subject to change). Be sure to add them to your calendars and register ahead of time.
Upcoming Office Hour Topics:
April 10: Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI)
May 8: CAREER Solicitation
Presentation outline
Division of Environmental Biology NSF staff in attendance today:
- Jeremy Wojdak (host) – Population and Community Ecology
- Chris Balakrishnan – Systematics and Biodiversity Science
- Leslie Rissler – Evolutionary Processes
- Robyn Smyth – Ecosystem Science
Resources:
- DEB Virtual Office Hour DEB Office Hours: second Monday of each month, 1-2pm Eastern
- DEB Blog posts upcoming topics, registration, and recap posts: https://debblog.nsfbio.com/office-hours/
- Sign up for BIO News and Updates
- Volunteer to review DEB: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DEBexpertise
- Find recent BIO funding opportunities
New DEB Core Program Solicitation: NSF 24-543
- Data Management Plan: New guidance for specimen management.
- IntBIO Track: An Integrative Research in Biology (IntBIO) track invites submission of collaborative proposals to tackle bold questions in biology that require an integrated approach to make substantive progress.
- Must span two or more sub-disciplinary boundaries in biology
- Projects suitable for review in a single existing BIO program should be submitted to that program (i.e. not IntBIO)
- Small Grants: Complete research projects, up to $200,000
- Safe and Inclusive Work Environments for off-site research
Check out the DEB Blog for more information: https://debblog.nsfbio.com/
Changes to the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
- Chapter II.D.2.f(vi)(e), Subawards, need to obtain prior NSF approval to change a subaward organization post-award.
- Chapter II.E.5, Proposals Involving Human Subjects, PI may conduct preliminary work that does not involve human subjects while the protocol is being developed or under review, consistent with organizational guidelines.
- Chapter II.D.2.h(i and ii), Biographical Sketch(es) and Current and Pending Support, have been revised to increase standardization and to require the use of SciENcv for the preparation of this document effective in October 2023.
- Chapter II.F, Other Types of Proposals, RAPIDS, EAGERS, etc. includes the requirement to submit a Concept Outline prior to the submission of a full proposal, with the Program Suitability and Proposal Concept Tool (ProSPCT) as an option for use in submission.
- Chapter VII.D, Technical Reporting Requirements, has been clarified to indicate when NSF required reports become overdue.
NSF 23-1: Effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023. See the PAPPG for more information.
Where do I check and/or sign?
- Proposal Cover Page – last box should be checked
- Proposal Certification Page – AOR signature
Safe and Inclusive Work Environments Plan
Off-campus or off-site research is defined as data, information and/or samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork or research activities on vessels or aircraft.
BIO & GEO Pilot: Requires two-page SAI Plan for review
- Brief description of the field setting and unique challenges for the team
- Steps the proposing organization will take to nurture an inclusive off-campus or offsite working environment, including processes to establish shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, and culture, e.g., codes of conduct, trainings, mentor/mentee mechanisms and field support that might include regular check-ins, and/or developmental events;
- Communication processes within the off-site team and to the organization(s) that minimize singular points within the communication pathway (e.g., there should not be a single person overseeing access to a single satellite phone); and
- The organizational mechanisms that will be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment if they arise.
Participating solicitations (to date) and due dates
BIO:
- Biodiversity on a Changing Planet (due 29 March)
- DEB, MCB, IOS core solicitations (no deadlines; proposals submitted after April 18)
GEO:
- GEOPAths (due 27 March)
- Cultural Transformation in the Geoscience Community (due 3 April)
Reviewers must evaluate plan within Broader Impacts criterion
- Is there a compelling plan (including the procedures, trainings, and communication processes) to establish, nurture, and maintain inclusive off-campus or off-site working environment(s)?
- Does the proposed plan identify and adequately address the unique challenges for the team and the specific off-campus or off-site setting(s)?
- Are the organizational mechanisms to be used for reporting, responding to, and resolving issues of harassment, should they occur, clearly outlined?
Summary: For proposals with data, information, and/or samples collected off-campus or off-site
- Checkbox on Cover Page – marked if any off-campus or off-site research is proposed (effective as of 30 Jan 2023)
- Chapter II.E.9 of PAPPG – Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research – new stipulation associated with AOR certification indicating that an organization has a plan in place if work proposes off-campus or off-site research (effective as of 30 Jan 2023)
- BIO and GEO Pilot – 2-page Supp Doc that will be reviewed as part of the Broader Impacts merit review criterion of each proposal with off-campus or offsite research (effective date depends on solicitation)