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NSF 06-554: Antarctic Artists and Writers Program

Program Solicitation

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Antarctic Artists and Writers Program

Program Solicitation
NSF 06-554
Replaces Document NSF 04-558

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National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
      Antarctic Sciences Section



Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

    June 13, 2006

June 06, 2007

June 04, 2008

Revisions And Updates

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2006, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

Proposers are required to submit full proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov with the following two exceptions:

  1. Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals submitted:
  • by one organization (and which includes one or more subawards); or
  • as separate submissions from multiple organizations;

Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit these proposals via the NSF FastLane system. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.)

  1. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted via the NSF Fastlane system. (Chapter II, Section C.2.g.(vi)(e) of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on subawards.)

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Antarctic Artists and Writers Program

Synopsis of Program:

The purpose of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program is to enable serious writings and works of art that exemplify the Antarctic heritage of humankind. In particular, the program seeks to increase public understanding of the Antarctic region, including the continent and the surrounding oceans, as well as the associated research and education endeavors.

The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program provides opportunities for professional artists and writers to travel to Antarctica --- at research stations, field camps, and aboard ships --- to make the observations necessary to complete their proposed projects. While the majority of award recipients are established artists and writers, the program also seeks to support early career artists and writers in an effort to broaden participation.

The National Science Foundation funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is devoted mainly to scientific research and education in support of the national interest in the Antarctic. The program’s research and support infrastructure enables access to much of the Antarctic region for selected Antarctic Artists and Writers Program projects. It does not typically provide direct financial support to selected applicants.

International Polar Year

A concerted worldwide effort is underway to plan scientific and educational activities for the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY). Scheduled to officially begin in March 2007, IPY promises to advance our understanding of how the Earth's remote polar regions impact global climate systems, to bring about fundamental advances in many areas of science, and to fire the enthusiasm of young men and women for future careers in science and engineering. This international event represents a significant opportunity for artists and writers to convey the importance of the polar regions to the world. The submission of IPY-related Antarctic Artists and Writers program proposals are encouraged. For more information on IPY visit: www.us-ipy.gov.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

  • Kim L. Silverman, Antarctic Artists and Writers Program Director, Office of the Director, Office of Polar Programs, 755 S, telephone: (703) 292-7530, fax: (703) 292-9081, email: ksilverm@nsf.gov

  • Brian W. Stone, Research Support Manager (oversees the planning of field support of research and related projects), Office of the Director, Office of Polar Programs, 755 S, telephone: (703) 292-7458, fax: (703) 292-9080, email: bstone@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

  • 47.078 --- Office of Polar Programs

Eligibility Information

  • Organization Limit: See section III.
  • PI Eligibility Limit: See section III.
  • Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.

Award Information

  • Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 5
  • Anticipated Funding Amount: $0 (travel and field support only; see sections II and IV)

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

  • Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that supplements the standard NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines.

  • Full proposals must be 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: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf) To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package: click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov website, 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.
B. Budgetary Information
  • Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.
  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
  • Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.
C. Due Dates
  • Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
      June 13, 2006
      June 06, 2007
      June 04, 2008

Proposal Review Information

  • 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: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
  • Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

I. Introduction

For most people, the Antarctic is inaccessible. There are no indigenous people on the continent and the only existing infrastructure was established by national governments in support of science. Research and its operational support are the principal human activities on both the continent of Antarctica and its surrounding Southern Ocean.

Scientific research, and operational support of that research, are the principal activities supported by the United States Government in Antarctica. The goals are to expand fundamental knowledge of the region, to foster research on global and regional problems of current scientific importance, and to use the region as a platform from which to support research and education.

In addition to its scientific value, NSF recognizes that the Antarctic region’s unique geographical, political, and cultural characteristics are of intrinsic value and interest to the American public. As custodian of the United States Antarctic Program, the National Science Foundation seeks to enhance the understanding of Antarctica and the research through its Antarctic Artists and Writers Program.

II. Program Description

What NSF Provides

For selected artists and writers, the Foundation provides polar clothing on loan, round-trip economy air travel between a U.S. airport and a port of embarkation for the Antarctic (typically in New Zealand or Chile), travel between there and the Antarctic, and room, board, and travel while in the Antarctic and/or the Southern Ocean as required by the approved project.

Award recipients may be asked to attend a meeting in the United States for detailed field planning before the Antarctic travel begins. The U.S. Antarctic Program will cover expenses incurred (within the U.S. only) while attending this meeting.

The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program normally does not award funds. Successful applicants are free to seek funds elsewhere, including from other Federal agencies. See section IX, for proposals to other parts of NSF for funding.

What the Selected Artist or Writer Provides

The selected artists and writers are responsible for food and lodging during travel to embarkation points, which includes their stay in New Zealand or Chile before and after deployment to the Antarctic region. They are also responsible for incidental expenses in Antarctica (toiletries, etc.), and for all aspects and costs of completing and distributing the proposed work.

Award recipients are also required to cover the costs of pre-travel medical and dental examinations (using instructions provided to their physicians and dentists) and for any remediation these examinations show to be necessary. Failure to meet U.S. Antarctic Program medical and dental standards results in disqualification.

List of Former Participants

Antarctic Artists and Writers Program applicants have found it helpful to learn about the other kinds of projects that have been supported, in the past, by the program. Visit the Abstract of Recent Awards page, to review the project descriptions of last year's participants. Awards since 2004 can also be viewed in the Awards Database (search Antarctic Coordination and Info.). Paper applications were submitted before 2004. Therefore, artists and writers who received awards before 2004, are not in the NSF awards database. Instead, they are listed here.

III. Eligibility Information

This program is primarily for citizens and permanent residents of the United States who have a substantial record of achievement in the arts and letters or are early careerists who demonstrate promise within their respective fields. Individuals may apply directly or through their employing organizations.

Non-U.S. Proposals

Proposals can be accepted from citizens of other Antarctic Treaty nations. A proposal must demonstrate that a significant audience will be reached in the United States or that the project is in the U.S. interest in some comparable way. Proposals would be stronger if they represent a project that would exemplify the Antarctic heritage of both nations. Consequently, partnerships between national Antarctic programs are encouraged. For more information on national Antarctic programs, visit the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat website.

NSF does not provide airline tickets to non-U.S. residents who are selected. Also, NSF may require attendance at a pre-Antarctic travel planning meeting in the United States (see “What NSF provides” in section II), but will not cover the airline cost from outside the United State. However, lodging expenses while in the U.S. may be reimbursable.

Physical and Dental Condition

The U.S. Antarctic Program has limited medical facilities in the Antarctic; therefore, field participants must be in good health and must pass medical and dental screenings within 6 months preceding the planned travel. Instructions for these medical and dental examinations will be provided. Failure to meet U.S. Antarctic Program medical and dental criteria will result in disqualification for Antarctic travel. NSF does not pay for the examinations, for any required follow-up visits, or for any remediation procedures that may be needed to pass the screening.

Media Representatives

Members of the media wishing to report on the Antarctic are not eligible for the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. The Foundation's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) conducts a separate, annual competition to select television, radio, newspaper, and magazine reporters to visit and report on U.S. research and facilities in the Antarctic. For more information on the media program and other programs of interest, see section IX.

IV. Award Information

On average, 30 proposals are received annually. In 2005 NSF received 42 proposals, the record. Typically, up to five each year are selected for a working trip to the Antarctic.

For most National Science Foundation programs, a grant typically provides financial support to the awardee. However, the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program normally does not provide direct financial support, and the financial amount of the NSF "grant" will be zero. Instead of money, the award consists of the provision, without charge, of U.S. Antarctic Program field resources in areas of Antarctica and/or the Southern Ocean. See section II.

The grant, when awarded, will become a matter of public record. The searchable NSF awards database will contain the award number, name and contact information, and a short description of the project.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2006, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

Proposers are required to submit full proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov with the following two exceptions:

  1. Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals submitted:
  • by one organization (and which includes one or more subawards); or
  • as separate submissions from multiple organizations;

Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit these proposals via the NSF FastLane system. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.)

  1. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted via the NSF Fastlane system. (Chapter II, Section C.2.g.(vi)(e) of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on subawards.)

Full proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov:

  • Proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation 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: (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). 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, i.e., the Program Solicitation Number, 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 pubs@nsf.gov.

Antarctic Artists and Writers Program proposal preparation -- Supplemental instructions

The following instructions supplement the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Submit the Proposal Electronically

NSF requires applicants to submit proposals electronically as described in section V. D. The Grants.gov electronic proposal system provides a single, secure and reliable source for applying for Federal grants online, simplifying the grant application process and reducing paperwork. To learn the process for applying for grants, start at the Grants.gov Get Started page. Get Started provides you with detailed instructions about finding, applying, and submitting grants using Grants.gov.

  • Grants.gov Contact Center: If you, the registered individual or your organization, which is also called an Authorized Organizational Representative (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: support@grants.gov.

The use of Grants.gov is mandatory and even though it may not seem ideal to an artist or a writer, you will be assured of full NSF consideration of your proposal. Try to use the system creatively to describe your project, even though some of its features may not be normal to your genre. For example, on the cover sheet, give your project a working title even if a title may seem unnecessary at this early stage.

To ensure that your proposal meets all of the NSF proposal submission requirements, you should follow the instructions provided in the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Conformance with all preparation and submission instructions is required and will be strictly enforced unless a deviation has been approved in advance of proposal submission.

Mail Supplemental Items to NSF

To supplement your Grants.gov electronic proposal, you are encouraged to send any books, paintings, photographs, printed reviews, and like materials that will help reviewers appreciate your abilities and achievements. Please remember to put your name on all items to assure that NSF can return them to you.

The room in which external panelists and NSF staff will review the proposals will have a television with a VCR and DVD player; Microsoft Windows computers (no Macs) with disk and CD drives and access to the Internet; and audio equipment for playing tapes, etc. The use of digital formats to present your work are encouraged whenever appropriate for the genre. (No slides, please.)

With your supplemental materials, please include a single-page list of the mailed materials and, if necessary, include instructions on how the review panel should use them. For example, state which part of a video should be viewed (10 minutes, maximum) and how it relates to the proposed work. Mail your supplemental materials to:

National Science Foundation
Antarctic Artists and Writers Program
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 755
Arlington, Virginia 22230
Phone: 703.292.8033

Fieldwork

In the electronic proposal, summarize the places or research sites to be visited, and state the approximate amount of field time needed. NSF's program solicitation, Antarctic Research, describes the operational capabilities of the U.S. Antarctic Program. U.S. Antarctic Research Program 2004-2005 contains paragraph descriptions of a recent season of research projects. There is no set minimum or maximum amount of time in the field; the NSF goal is to match field support to the requirement of the proposed project.

It is also important to give thought to the size of the project being proposed. Resources available to support projects in the Antarctic, both aboard ships and on the continent, are limited. NSF expects to see compelling reasons in terms of the two major review criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts (see section VI.A.) for all proposed projects.

Depending on existing commitments for research activities, the location and timing during the season of the proposed project could also influence NSF's decision. Nevertheless, work at any U.S. Antarctic Program facility can be considered for both austral summer and winter seasons. The U.S. Antarctic Program maintains three year-round posts on the Antarctic continent: Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, McMurdo Station on Ross Island, and Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. Palmer Station is accessible year-round as are the U.S. Antarctic Program's two ice-capable research ships. McMurdo and the South Pole stations and temporary field camps are only accessible during the austral summer. However, the McMurdo Winfly period (mid-August through September) could be an option for some kinds of projects. For more information, see Antarctic Research.

Prints and Paintings

If you send photographs digitally in the Grants.gov electronic proposal system, please upload them as a supplementary document. They will be visible in color on a computer screen and NSF will, if needed, print them with a color-laser printer to share with reviewers. Consider mailing prints, whether color or black-and-white in your format of choice. Particularly if you are a large-format photographer, consider submitting prints in sizes representative of your work. Put your name on each print and send no more than about 15 photographs. Also note that prints and paintings will be moved between storage and the meeting location and handled by panelists. Please keep this in mind if you are considering the submission of gallery-quality work.

Budget

When writing the proposal, ignore the budget sheet in the Grants.gov system. Field support is allocated in accordance with the project's needs and available resources. For U.S. citizens, airline tickets from a U.S. airport are issued directly, whereas foreign citizens must provide their own transportation to the point of embarkation to the Antarctic region. Do not budget for these items in your proposal. The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program typically does not directly award funds.

The Proposal

The organization, content, and clarity of the proposal itself will reveal much about an artist's or a writer's abilities and the likelihood that the proposed project will be completed. Successful proposals tend to present topics clearly and briefly, getting right to the point. Specifically, it is important to address NSF's review criteria --- intellectual merit and broader impacts. (See section VI. A. for definitions of each criteria.)

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation.

C. Due Dates

Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

    June 13, 2006
    June 06, 2007
    June 04, 2008

D. Grants.gov Requirements

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all full proposals for this Program Solicitation 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. The Grants.gov’s Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. 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: 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. Proposal Review Information

A. NSF Proposal Review Process

Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.

The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127, Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making funding decisions.

In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January 2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators (PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.

Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.

The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information). 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 he/she 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 and original 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?

NSF staff 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.
    Additional Review Criteria:

    The review panel and NSF will look for how the proposed project would satisfy the above criteria and those below.

    1. Intellectual Merit

    In addition to the above:

    • Is the artist or writer prominent in her or his field, with a substantial record of achievement and critical recognition as indicated by prior works, reviews of prior works, appointments to academic or professional positions, honors, and awards?
    • In the case of an early career artist or writer, does the proposal demonstrate the likelihood of making a significant contribution to enhance programmatic goals --- advancing knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Antarctic Program?
    • Will the project result in works that are representative of Antarctica or of activities in Antarctica?
    • Is the required travel to Antarctica, as a practical matter, available only from the U.S. Antarctic Program?
    • Is the requested travel essential to the completion of the proposed work?
    • If underwater diving is to be a part of the field program, is the need for it defended in the proposal? (Read the "Underwater diving" section under “Proposal preparation and submission” in the Antarctic Research program solicitation.)
    • If photography is the main goal of the proposal, will the project convey new understanding using the medium of photography, or will it simply add, however competently, to the Antarctic photographic stock?

    2. Broader Impacts

    In addition to the above:

    • The proposal must provide a concrete plan showing that, as a result of being in Antarctica, a significant body of work will reach a significant audience. Even an accomplished artist or writer may find it difficult to convince the Foundation on this point. Normally it is essential that she or he collaborate with producers, publishers, art galleries, or other organizations appropriate to his or her genre to assure sufficient exposure of the results of the Antarctic experience.
    • There is no firm definition of “significant audience” in the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. However, having your work experienced by large and/or diverse audiences can be seen as significant. Some formats for showing your work could include public lectures, shows at major galleries, traveling exhibitions, major articles in general circulation magazines, and/or a book published by a major publisher.
    • To increase interest, engagement, and understanding of Antarctic research, applicants are encouraged to explore various methods of informal education, which include activities such as films, museum exhibitions, public lectures, and book readings. Project activities may be carried out in any location that reaches the intended target audience outside of formal education settings, such as in a museum (e.g., science-technology center, natural history museum, zoo, aquarium, planetarium, arboretum or botanical garden, history or art museum); community center; library; or theater.

    3. Operational Feasibility

    A two-staged procedure will be used to evaluate the applications.

    In the first stage, the Foundation, using advice from a panel of experts assembled for the purpose, will place proposals in one of two groups: those judged not qualified for the program and those that are highly ranked. Applicants will be so advised normally by the end of October of the year in which the proposal was submitted.

    In the second stage, the proposals ranked highly in the first stage will be considered in light of their operational requirements and the ability of the U.S. Antarctic Program to meet those requirements. To prepare for this stage, NSF will require that an Operational Requirements Worksheets (ORW) be completed via an online system. Section V.A. of the Antarctic Research program solicitation describes the system, Polar Ice. The completed worksheets will be required in October of the year in which the proposal was submitted. The worksheets and their help screens contain substantial information about support capabilities of the U.S. Antarctic Program.

    Most, but not all, of the highly ranked proposals will be selected for participation in the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. Final approval notifications normally will be given by February following the year in which the proposal was submitted.

    Travel can begin thereafter in accordance with the approved plan. Typically, a project proposed in June of a given year will start its fieldwork no sooner than 15 months later--in the October-February austral summer of the next year.

B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard

All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation will be reviewed by Ad Hoc 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.

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 Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

NSF is striving to be able to tell proposers whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation, or the date of proposal receipt, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.

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 Division 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.A. 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 (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of Grants and Agreements.

Consistent with the requirements of OMB Circular A-16, Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee, all NSF awards that result in relevant geospatial data must be submitted to Geospatial One-Stop in accordance with the guidelines provided at: www.geodata.gov.

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpm. The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Website at http://www.gpo.gov/.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/. Paper copies of these documents may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period.

Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to submit a final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI and all Co-PIs. 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. This system permits electronic submission and updating of project reports, including information on project participants (individual and organizational), activities and findings, 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.

VIII. Contacts For Additional Information

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

  • Kim L. Silverman, Antarctic Artists and Writers Program Director, Office of the Director, Office of Polar Programs, 755 S, telephone: (703) 292-7530, fax: (703) 292-9081, email: ksilverm@nsf.gov

  • Brian W. Stone, Research Support Manager (oversees the planning of field support of research and related projects), Office of the Director, Office of Polar Programs, 755 S, telephone: (703) 292-7458, fax: (703) 292-9080, email: bstone@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: support@grants.gov.

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

  • Desiree Marshall, Antarctic Lead Program Assistant, Office of the Director, Office of Polar Programs, 755 S, telephone: (703) 292-7433, fax: (703) 292-9079, email: demarsha@nsf.gov

IX. Other Programs Of Interest

The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to Programs is available electronically at https://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter.

Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's MyNSF News Service (https://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.

Proposals to Other NSF Programs for Funding

The Antarctic Artists and Writers Program provides access to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, but normally not direct financial support. If you want to request financial support from another NSF program for a project that otherwise meets the objectives of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, do not submit a proposal to the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. Instead, submit the proposal to the funding program. In that proposal, define the required Antarctic fieldwork using operational requirements worksheets as instructed in section V.A. of NSF's Antarctic Research program solicitation.

To assure effective coordination between the two NSF programs, please contact the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program Director (see section VIII. for contact information).

Other NSF Programs

  • Polar Media Program. The Foundation's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs conducts a separate annual competition to select television, radio, newspaper, and magazine reporters to visit and report on U.S. facilities in the Antarctic and Arctic. For more information, contact NSF Public Affairs Specialists, Dena Headlee (dheadlee@nsf.gov) or Peter West (pwest@nsf.gov) in NSF’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs.
  • Informal Science Education Program. NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resource supports an Informal Science Education (ISE) program, which invests in projects that develop and implement informal learning experiences designed to increase interest, engagement, and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by individuals of all ages and backgrounds, as well as projects that advance knowledge and practice of informal science education. Projects may target either public audiences or professionals whose work directly affects informal STEM learning. ISE projects are expected to demonstrate strategic impact, innovation, and collaboration. For more information on the program and solicitations, please visit the ISE web page.
  • International Polar Year. The international community of polar researchers and funding agents has begun planning for an International Polar Year (IPY) to take place March 2007-March 2009 (see http://dels.nas.edu/us-ipy and http://www.ipy.org). Proposals to perform activities related to planning or execution of the IPY may be submitted to programs in the Antarctic Sciences Section under this program solicitation. The proposed activities should be consistent with program goals described in this solicitation. A separate solicitation (International Polar Year, NSF 06-534), relating to IPY and focused on the thematic areas of 1) ice sheet history and dynamics and 2) frontiers of polar biology in the polar night has been released by the Foundation. Information about other NSF IPY opportunities is available at https://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp.
Note: Even if another NSF program finds your proposal meritorious, the project may not be operationally supportable in the Antarctic. Please review the Office of Polar Programs web site for U.S. Antarctic Program field capabilities. Discussion of your intended Antarctic field program with a program director in the Office of Polar Programs can be helpful when writing a funding proposal to another NSF program.

About The National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation.

NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF, although some programs may have special requirements that limit eligibility.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the GPG Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.

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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; 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 applicant 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 needing information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; 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, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). 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 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 this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.

OMB control number: 3145-0058.

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