Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Dear Colleague Letter

Advice to the Community About Submitting Proposals to the GRANTED Program Description Funding Opportunity PD 23-221Y

Provides information to the community about developing a competitive proposal for submission to the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity program description funding opportunity.

Provides information to the community about developing a competitive proposal for submission to the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity program description funding opportunity.

Dear Colleagues:

NSF's Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) wishes to provide advice related to the development and submission of proposals under the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) program description PD 23-221Y.

NSF strongly encourages that proposals submitted in response to PD 23-221Y be led by individuals who have professional expertise and experience in the administrative support of institutional research enterprise activities. Principal investigators may be from institutions of higher education, non-profit, non-academic organizations or for-profit organizations (such as professional societies, consulting, or training organizations). While proposals that leverage discipline-specific research needs and experience may be appropriate, projects should focus on activities that will create scalable and translatable models to build and sustain research support and service infrastructure to strengthen the National research enterprises.

Some general advice regarding the structure of the projects and proposals that may be submitted:

  1. Both multi-institution/organization and single institution/organization projects are permitted.
  2. There is no limit in the number of proposals that may be submitted by an institution/organization.
  3. There is no specified funding amount (minimum or maximum) within a project. The project budget request should fit the scope of the project.
  4. NSF typically supports projects for 3-5 years.
  5. There is no deadline for proposal submissions.
  6. Projects may take the form of research, implementation (e.g., model development and testing), and evaluation studies as well as conferences and workshops.
  7. Planning proposals may also be submitted in response to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and directed to the GRANTED Program. For more information about submitting a planning proposal, see the NSF PAPPG Chapter II.F.1. Concept outlines in support of planning proposals should be submitted via email to GRANTED@nsf.gov.
  8. Proposers who are interested in submitting a GRANTED-aligned Research Coordination Network proposal, please see NSF 23-529.

In addition to the three GRANTED themes specified in the program description, Access, National Transformation, and Equity and Diversity are important aspects of GRANTED and relate as follows:

  • Access: The intent is that GRANTED investments will result in greater access to administrative support and service staff and practices for STEM researchers and trainees. If there are more professional staff within the research enterprise with specialized skills, broad experiences, mentoring mindsets, and strong networks, more researchers and students will benefit from the support and services that the professional staff provide.
  • National Transformation: The intent is that GRANTED investments will result in models that can be applied across the nation to build sustainable research enterprise support and service infrastructure. Implementation of these models will, over time, transform the research enterprise to be more robust, and catalyze the creation and professionalization of roles/positions within the research enterprise that are responsive to the needs of researchers, innovators, and the future STEM workforce.
  • Equity and Diversity: The intent is that GRANTED investments will advance equity in access to research support and service infrastructure across all types of institutions and organizations, geographic locations, and experience levels to promote diverse participation in sponsored research, innovation, and training activities.

Potential principal investigators are encouraged to submit a one-page project summary to the GRANTED team at GRANTED@nsf.gov ahead of discussion about project alignment with GRANTED priorities.

Questions about this DCL should be directed to the GRANTED Team at GRANTED@nsf.gov.

Sincerely,

Alicia J. Knoedler, Ph.D.
Head, Office of Integrative Activities