NSF 10-520: Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM)

Program Solicitation NSF 10-520

Replaces Document(s):
NSF 04-525

 

National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human Resources      Division of Undergraduate Education

 

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

March 23, 2010

October 06, 2010

First Wednesday in October, Annually Thereafter

Important Information And Revision Notes

Note the following changes:

• The March 2010 deadline is for 2010 nominations.
• The October 2010 deadline is for 2011 nominations.
• There is no limit on the number of submissions by an organization. Multiple programs or individuals from one institution may be nominated in a year, however a program or individual can be nominated only one time.
• Self-nominations are accepted.
• In both individual and organizational nominations, the nominee is the PI .
• Completing and returning the Clearance Form (see Supplementary Documents section) is required.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title: 

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring

Synopsis of Program:

The PAESMEM Program seeks to identify outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance the participation of groups (i.e., women, minorities, and persons with disabilities) that are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The awardees serve as leaders in the national effort to develop fully the Nation's human resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

• Dennis Davenport, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4659, email: ddavenpo@nsf.gov

• Richard A. Alo, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703)292-4634, email: ralo@nsf.gov

• Philis L. Hauser, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5104, email: phauser@nsf.gov

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

• 47.076 --- Education and Human Resources

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 16 -- Approximately 16 awards will be made in each nomination round. These will be distributed over the individuals and organizations as is appropriate in a given round.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $400,000 for new awards in each fiscal year pending the availability of funds

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

None Specified

PI Limit: 

An individual nominee (Individual) must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident and must have affiliation with an organization eligible to be an NSF awardee. The Nominee may not be a federal government employee. Individuals must have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring and effective guidance to a significant number of underrepresented students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate education level during a minimum of five years. Nominations for the individual award must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of the institution or organization.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

None.

There is no limit on the number of submissions by an organization. Multiple programs or individuals from the same institution may be nominated, however each program or individual may be nominated only one time.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

The PI is the nominee and only one nomination per individual or program will be considered.

An individual may wish to make a self nomination. This is allowable; no Co-PI is necessary.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not Applicable

• 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:
    https://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:
    https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide)

B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required under this solicitation.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  

  No indirect costs are allowed.

• Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

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

  March 23, 2010

  October 06, 2010

  First Wednesday in October, 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: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

Agency Contacts

Other Information

I. Introduction

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The White House has established the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) program. The program, administered on behalf of the White House by the National Science Foundation, seeks to identify outstanding individual mentoring efforts or organizational programs designed to enhance the participation of groups underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The awardees serve as exemplars to their colleagues and are leaders in the national effort to more fully develop the Nation's human resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Nominations to honor individuals and organizations are invited for the competition for these annual awards.

It is expected that each award will be used to continue the recognized activities. The nominees must have served in the described mentoring role for at least five years prior to nomination. In addition to the grant award, each awardee will be invited to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony, recognition events, and meetings with leaders in Federal sector education and research, and focused workshops addressing effective mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. The awardees will be honored at a White House ceremony.

II. Program Description

Only one award will be made to a single organization or an individual at that organization per annual competition. Nominations may only be considered for one of the two categories of award, either "individual" or "organizational," but not both. Nominations for an "individual award" must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of the organization; nominations for an "organizational award" must reflect the achievements of the organization as distinct from those of individuals. The nomination packet should include the components listed below.

INDIVIDUAL NOMINEES.

• A statement summarizing (describing and documenting) the mentoring philosophy and activities that constitute the basis for the nomination, including the number of students and preferably a list of students mentored;
• A biographical sketch of the nominee; and
• Letters of support (a maximum of 5) from colleagues and students attesting to the nominee's demonstrable and sustained achievements in the mentoring of underrepresented students in science, mathematics and engineering.

ORGANIZATIONAL NOMINEES

• A statement summarizing (describing and documenting) the programmatic activities that constitute the basis for the nomination, including a list of specific mentoring activities contributory to the success of the students mentored, and materials documenting the sustained achievements in mentoring underrepresented students;
• A brief institutional or organizational description; and
• Letters of support (a maximum of 5) from colleagues and students attesting to the nominee organization's or institution's demonstrable and sustained achievements in the mentoring of underrepresented students in science, mathematics and engineering.

III. Award Information

The number of awards is subject to the availability of funds; however, an estimated 16 new awards in each fiscal year is expected. The awards are standard grants in the amount of $25,000 each. The grant will be accompanied by a commemorative Presidential certificate. It is expected that each award will be used to continue the recognized activity. Only one award will be made to an organization (Individual or Organizational award) per competition. As in the past, it is anticipated that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will contact nominees recommended for awards. The Program Director will contact all nominees that are recommended for declination.

IV. Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

None Specified

PI Limit:

An individual nominee (Individual) must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident and must have affiliation with an organization eligible to be an NSF awardee. The Nominee may not be a federal government employee. Individuals must have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring and effective guidance to a significant number of underrepresented students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate education level during a minimum of five years. Nominations for the individual award must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of the institution or organization.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

None.

There is no limit on the number of submissions by an organization. Multiple programs or individuals from the same institution may be nominated, however each program or individual may be nominated only one time.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

The PI is the nominee and only one nomination per individual or program will be considered.

An individual may wish to make a self nomination. This is allowable; no Co-PI is necessary.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

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:
  https://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 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:
  (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide). 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 nsfpubs@nsf.gov.

Proposals must be submitted electronically. Organizations, PIs, and Co-PIs should all be registered in FastLane or Grants.gov. The nomination must be submitted by the nominee's organization.  Become familiar with the use of the FastLane or Grants.gov systems and contact the Office of Sponsored Projects Office well in advance of the deadline.

Cover Sheet:

The PI is the nominee (person or representative of the program being nominated). For self-nominations, the nominee and the PI are the same and the cover sheet is completed as with other NSF proposals.

For nominations, the nominator (person making the nomination) is the Co-PI and the nominee is the PI.

In all cases, the nominee's organization should appear as the awardee organization on the cover sheet and should also submit the proposal to NSF via FastLane or Grants.gov. All communication should proceed through the Sponsored Projects Office (or equivalent) officials at the nominee's organization. (If needed, the nominator can find those listed as the Sponsored Projects Office (or equivalent) officials for the nominee's organization at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/n1/N1AddInst.html).

Should the nomination be successful, the nominee (PI) will be identified as the principal investigator for the grant award, and the nominator (Co-PI) will be removed from the nomination.

When filling out the cover sheet, it is important to indicate the program solicitation number. If necessary, you may also choose "DUE: Division of Undergraduate Education" from the list of divisions, and "PRES AWDS FOR EXCELL IN SCI" from the list of programs in the "NSF Unit Consideration" section.

Also, on the cover sheet in the "Title of Proposed Project" field, the submitter must indicate the submittal category, "INDIVIDUAL" or "ORGANIZATIONAL," as the first word in the proposal title.

Project Summary: Summary of the work describing the activity cited in support of the nomination, and to be supported by the grant award, if funded. The Project Summary must clearly address in separate statements (within the one-page summary): the intellectual merit of the activity and the broader impacts resulting from the activity.

Project Description: A clear statement of the work cited in support of the nomination, including the objectives of the mentoring program and its long-term significance; the specific mentoring methods and procedures (the actions performed); documentation (quantitative and qualitative); and the plan to sustain the mentoring activity into the future (a maximum of 15 pages).

References Cited: Reference information is required for citations identified in the nomination.

Biographical Sketches: A biographical profile of the individual nominee or of the organizational nominee should be provided.

Budget and Budget Justification: This program provides a grant award of $25,000 to successful nominees. The nominee (PI) is listed as senior personnel on Line A (FastLane) or Field A (Grants.gov). It is expected that a portion of the award funds will be used for travel to the PI meeting; those costs should be included on Line E1 (FastLane) or Field D (Grants.gov). The remaining amount should be included as Other Direct Costs (Line G6 in FastLane or Field F in Grants.gov).

Current and Pending Support: This section calls for required information on all current and pending support for the nominee for ongoing projects and proposals, including subsequent funding in the case of continuing grants.

Special Information and Supplementary Documentation: Letters supporting the nomination (a maximum of 5) should be submitted as supplementary documentation. Except as specified, programmatic documentation must be included as part of the project description, if it is relevant to determining the quality of the proposed nomination.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

No indirect costs are allowed.

Budget Preparation Instructions:

This program provides a grant award of $25,000 to awardees. The following budget items should be included:

Line item A (FastLane) or Field A (Grants.gov): the nominee (PI) should appear as senior personnel in;

Line item E1(FastLane) or Field D (Grants.gov) for domestic travel: travel to the PI meeting should be included here;

Line item G6 (FastLane) or Field F (Grants.gov), Other Direct Costs: record the remainder of the grant amount here.

In addition to the required budget, a budget justification (1 page) should be used to provide the necessary detail and description about budget line items above.

C. Due Dates

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

  March 23, 2010

  October 06, 2010

  First Wednesday in October, 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: 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 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: 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. 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. 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 judgements.

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: https://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.

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.

Additional Review Criteria:

The following criteria will be taken into consideration:

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INDIVIDUALS

• The number and diversity of students personally mentored to high school graduation, the associate, baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree levels;
• The success of students mentored in pursuit of degree objectives and attendant quality of academic performance;
• Demonstrated achievement in assisting students to understand how the educational system works and promoting their advancement in the educational continuum in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics;
• Affording students effective academic/research experience, sustained academic support systems, and strategies leading to successful matriculation and degree completion in science, mathematics and engineering fields;
• Substantive achievements in changing the educational system to enable improved performance and advancement for underrepresented groups; and
• Demonstrated innovation that is replicable on a national level.

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR ORGANIZATIONS

• Demonstrated institutional sustainability in structural changes or special programs that have increased student retention and/or graduation rates;
• Demonstrated quality of institutional life that fosters the establishment of linkages (i.e., off-campus community connections) that facilitate learning, contacts, and career development;
• Demonstrated institutional or organizational success in the advancement or promotion of the educational and career development of students in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields; and
• Demonstrated distinctiveness in carrying out the institution's social responsibility to create a more positive learning environment by helping to provide an atmosphere that reflects valuing diversity among students, faculty, and administrators; and
• Demonstrated innovation that is replicable on a national level.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by 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.

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
https://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 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
https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.

Special Award Conditions:

The PAESMEM program is administered by NSF on behalf of the White House. A list of recommendations is submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) by NSF. It is anticipated that OSTP will contact nominees recommended for awards. This informal notification is not a guarantee of an eventual award. Initial contact may be in reference to White House clearance information.

The planning of the awards ceremony is independent of the awards notification. The timing of the ceremony must be carefully coordinated with the White House calendar and in the past there has not been a fixed annual date for the awards ceremony.

Awardees will be expected to attend an annual PAESMEM Conference to discuss strategies to increase high quality mentoring in the STEM fields, this should be paid through award funds.

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.

VIII. Agency Contacts

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

• Dennis Davenport, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4659, email: ddavenpo@nsf.gov

• Richard A. Alo, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703)292-4634, email: ralo@nsf.gov

• Philis L. Hauser, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5104, email: phauser@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

• FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: 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: 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 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 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 40,000 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 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 https://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: 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, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and 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