NSF 10-552: Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Projects (IMR-MIP)
Program Solicitation
Program Solicitation NSF 10-552
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National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
June 21, 2010
Important Information And Revision Notes
The Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Projects program (IMR-MIP) has been modified to support three kinds of proposals: research and development (R&D), conceptual engineering and design (CED) and construction (CNST), all for the next generation of instruments at facilities for materials research. While all types of instrumentation are encouraged, in FY2010, there will be an emphasis on coherent light sources for R&D proposals.
Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).
The Division of Materials Research is committed to broadening participation of underrepresented groups within the materials research community. The IMR-MIP program requires an institutional, departmental or facility diversity strategic plan for broadening participation as part of a program-specific review criterion. Mid-scale construction proposals resulting from conceptual engineering design awards made prior to 2008 are required to include results on how the award enhanced participation of underrepresented groups in the Results of Prior Support section. Additional reporting requirements became effective in 2009. Further details are provided in the full solicitation.
Summary Of Program Requirements
General Information
Program Title:
Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Projects (IMR-MIP)
Synopsis of Program:
The Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation Projects (IMR-MIP) program in the Division of Materials Research provides support for the design and construction of major instruments costing more than $4 million but less than $20 million. Such instruments may include, but are not limited to, key instrumentation for coherent light sources, neutron beam lines, synchrotron beam lines, high field magnets, and detectors. While all types of instrumentation are encouraged, in FY2010, there will be an emphasis on coherent light sources for R&D proposals. The program supports three types of awards: Research and Development (R&D) awards, Conceptual and Engineering Design (CED) awards, and Construction (CNST) awards. An R&D award will support the research and development of major instrumentation and address technical issues that are on the critical path of the engineering design of a major instrument. A CED award will enable the proposer to do the necessary engineering design of the instrument. A CNST proposal may only be submitted after a satisfactory engineering design of the instrument has been completed and has been approved by both the facility at which the instrument will be situated and by NSF. The program does not provide operating funds for projects it supports through this solicitation. Operational costs must be supported either by the facility or the institution at which the instrument is located. It is anticipated that about $ 7-10 million may be available in FY 2010 for new Major Instrumentation Projects. Up to two R&D projects may be funded as a continuing grant or as a cooperative agreement for a maximum of five years at about $1 to $4 million a year. Up to two CED awards may be funded for up to 3 years through continuing or standard grant, each award for a total of up to $ 2 million. Up to one CNST award may be funded through a cooperative agreement, for about $1 to $4 million per year for a maximum of 5 years.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
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Guebre X. Tessema, National Facilities (NAF) Program Director, 1080.06, telephone: (703) 292-4935, fax: (703) 292-9035, email: gtessema@nsf.gov
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Charles E. Bouldin, Program Director (IMR), NSF, 1080.12, telephone: (703) 292-4920, fax: (703) 292-9035, email: cbouldin@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant or Cooperative Agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: 2 to 5 (up to 2 R&D awards, up to 2 CED awards, and 1 CNST award)
Anticipated Funding Amount: 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 total in FY2010, contingent upon the quality of proposals received and the availability of funds.
Eligibility Information
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
IMR-MIP Proposals may be submitted by colleges or universities in the United States. NSF does not normally support research or educational activities by scientists employed by other Federal agencies or Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). However, a scientist, engineer, or educator who holds a joint appointment with a university and an FFRDC may submit proposals through the university. Such an individual may receive support if he/she is a faculty member of the university even if part of his/her salary is provided by the Federal agency. Under unusual circumstances, a Federal research laboratory or FFRDC may submit a proposal directly to NSF; for example, if such an institution provides unique capabilities which can be made available to members of the university community through an NSF award. NSF support will not be made available to support activities which are the normal responsibility of the Federal laboratory or FFRDC. Interested Principal Investigators (PIs) at a Federal laboratory or an FFRDC should contact the cognizant program officer named in this Solicitation before preparing a proposal in response to this Solicitation. Awards involving industrial laboratories are only made if the industrial laboratory partners with a university and all funds are awarded to the university partner, not the industrial laboratory.
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
An institution may submit at most one IMR-MIP proposal in a given year, whether for Research and Development (R&D), Conceptual and Engineering Design (CED), or for Construction (CNST).
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1
A PI or co-PI may submit at most one IMR-MIP proposal in a given
year, whether for R&D, for CED, or for CNST. A. Proposal Preparation Instructions B. Budgetary Information C. Due Dates Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): June 21, 2010 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 Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply. Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements
apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further
information. Major user facilities at US universities and at US Federal Laboratories
provide sophisticated instruments for materials preparation and characterization
essential for researchers studying materials in a wide range of scientific
disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, the
geosciences, and engineering. These facilities provide unique research
capabilities that can be located at only a few highly specialized sites in the
Nation. They include, for example, facilities for neutron scattering,
synchrotron radiation, high magnetic fields, and nanofabrication. Through the
program described in this Solicitation, NSF intends to support R&D that is on
the critical path of the engineering design of new instruments, as well as
conceptual engineering design, and construction of a variety of mid-scale
instruments that impact materials research at facilities. The program described
in this solicitation supports R&D, conceptual engineering design and
construction of instruments at facilities, but not construction of facilities.
While all types of instrumentation are encouraged, in FY2010, there will be an
emphasis on coherent light sources for R&D proposals. For the purposes of this Solicitation, "mid-scale instruments" - also called
"major instrumentation projects" - are those with construction costs greater
than about $4 million but less than $20 million. The types of instruments
include but are not limited to beamlines, high-field magnets, detectors, and
sample preparation environments at major user facilities. Research and
development (R&D) proposals may request support for R&D associated with
technical issues on the critical path of the engineering design, construction
and utilization of next generation instruments for materials research, education
and training. Some of the aforementioned instruments may be developed in
partnership with other federal agencies. NSF has a key role to play in supporting the education and training of the
future researchers who will develop instrumentation for these facilities and use
them effectively for the advancement of science. Therefore, priority will be
given to those proposals that involve students in the research and development,
design, and construction of the instruments. Support for instruments costing
less than $4 million is available through NSF's Major Research Instrumentation
(MRI) Program. This Program will: The Instrumentation for Materials Research - Major Instrumentation
Projects (IMR-MIP) Program supports the research and development of major
instruments, and the design and construction of mid-scale instruments. Operation
of the instruments built with these funds is to be provided from other sources
(i.e., other programs within NSF or non-NSF funds). Staffing and
operating the instrument will remain the responsibility of the proposing
institution. Proposals from university-based facilities are particularly
encouraged. The IMR-MIP program will consider three types of proposals: 1. Research and development (R&D) proposals may request support for R&D
associated with technical issues on the critical path of the engineering design,
construction and utilization of next generation instruments for materials
research, education and training. Such instruments include, but are not limited
to, future coherent light sources (CLS), X-ray and neutron beamlines, high-count
rate detectors and advanced focusing techniques for neutrons and synchrotrons,
neutron beam spin control techniques etc. 2. Conceptual and Engineering Design (CED) proposals may request support to
develop concepts for mid-scale instruments to a level of maturity sufficient to
determine whether such an instrument is ready for construction. Construction
projects for which detailed engineering designs are needed are those with
subsequent construction costs greater than about $5 million. A successful CED
proposal does not guarantee that the subsequent construction of the instrument
will be funded.
3. Construction (CNST) proposals may request support for the construction of
the instruments. In order to be considered for possible funding, CNST proposals
must include a detailed engineering design, with a Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS) to level 4 [see section V.A.c. below for definitions], together
with a detailed cost estimate. This level of detail can be provided by a
previous CED award or by a similar study funded through other sources
(e.g., institutional support, private funding). The WBS must meet the
approval of both the facility at which the instrument will be located and NSF's
National Facilities (NAF) Program Directors. The scientific team that constructs such an instrument will be limited to use
up to 25% of the total time available on that instrument, while at least 75%
will be available for the facility to allocate to other users through a rigorous
peer review process. To make sure that the facility is willing to entertain such
a project, the Principal Investigators (PIs) of a CED or CNST proposal must
attach to the proposal a letter from the facility director stipulating that if
the PIs were successful in obtaining subsequent construction funding, the
facility will allow construction and will staff and operate the equipment at the
completion of construction phase. It is not necessary that a PI has received an R&D or CED award from NSF prior
to submitting a CNST proposal, as long as the documents necessary for a detailed
NSF review have been provided. Increasing the participation of a diverse community, including
underrepresented groups in science and engineering, by creating opportunities
and enabling their contributions is essential to the health and vitality of
science and engineering. Underrepresented groups include women, minorities, and
persons with disabilities1. NSF is committed to this principle of
broadening participation, and deems it central to the activities that it
considers and supports. This solicitation requires an institutional,
departmental or facility strategic plan for broadening participation, and a
proposal-specific plan explaining how the project supports the broader
institutional plan. 1Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (NSF 09-305) The IMR-MIP Program anticipates making one or two three- to- five-year R&D
awards, to be funded as standard or continuing grants or as cooperative
agreements as appropriate. Each award is anticipated to be about $1 to 4 million
a year. The program anticipates making one or two three-year CED awards in FY
2010; these will be funded through continuing or standard grants, each award for
a total of up to $ 2 million. The program expects to make one CNST award, funded
through a cooperative agreement, for about $1 million to $4 million per year for
up to five years. Organization Limit: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
PI Limit: None Specified Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1 An institution may submit at most one IMR-MIP proposal in a given year,
whether for Research and Development (R&D), Conceptual and Engineering
Design (CED), or for Construction (CNST). Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1 A PI or co-PI may submit at most one IMR-MIP proposal in a given
year, whether for R&D, for CED, or for CNST. 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. In determining
which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the
proposal, please note the following: Collaborative Proposals. All
collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple
organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section
D.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative
proposals. The following special instructions deviate from the GPG
guidelines. Proposals must contain the items listed below and adhere to the
specified page limitations. No additional information may be provided by
links to web pages. Proposals not meeting the GPG guidelines and the
following instructions will be returned without review. Cover
Sheet: Select the program solicitation number from the pull down list.
A single NSF Unit of Consideration will then automatically be entered. FastLane
allows one Principal Investigator (PI) and at most four Co-PIs to be designated.
Additional lead personnel should be designated as non co-PI Senior Personnel.
Grants.gov Users - The program solicitation number will be pre-populated
by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page. NSF allows one principal
investigator/project director and a maximum of 4 co-principal
investigators/project directors to be identified on a proposal. Instructions for
entering additional senior project participants are included in Section V.5. of
the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. The title of the proposal
should start with "IMR-MIP:". Project
Summary (One-page limit): Provide a summary description of the proposed
project including discussion of its objectives and key features in a manner that
will be informative to a general technical audience. The project summary must
separately address both NSF review criteria of intellectual merit and broader
impacts of the proposed activity. Project Description:
The project description section contains the following items a through
g, and is limited to a combined total length of 20 pages for CED and
for R&D proposals, and 50 pages for CNST proposals, inclusive of tables,
figures, or other graphical data. a. Introduction:
Describe briefly where the project "fits" on a national and
international level. Limit: 1 page. This one-page item is included within the
page limitation for the Project Description. b. Vision and
Goals: Describe the vision and goals for the proposed project,
including its potential in enabling the nation's research and education
infrastructure for materials science and engineering and its broader educational
and societal impacts. c. Capabilities of the
Project: (2)"A work
breakdown structure (WBS) contains a product-oriented grouping of project tasks
that organizes and defines the total scope of the project. The WBS is a
hierarchical framework that organizes and documents individual project
components representing work to be accomplished, aggregating the smallest levels
of detail into a unified project description. WBS integrates and relates all
project work (cost, schedule and scope) and is used throughout the project
management to identify and monitor project process. The project budget and
contingency are defined by WBS element. A WBS dictionary describes the intended
scope of each element, the basis of estimate for budget entries, and the
methodology for calculating contingency for that element." NSF Large
Facilities Manual https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf10012&org=NSF d.
Education, Outreach, and Knowledge Transfer: Describe how the
project will involve graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral
associates, and others. Describe how the project will involve underrepresented
groups in science and engineering. Describe outreach plans intended to increase
the external user base, and to reach scientific and engineering communities not
traditionally involved in the types of research enabled by the project. Describe
provisions for knowledge transfer to the broader science and technology
communities. Describe how this work will engage the public. e.
Mentoring Plan for Postdoctoral Researchers: Proposals
requesting support for postdoctoral researchers must include a description of
the mentoring activities to be provided to such individuals. f.
Broadening Participation: This section must show how the
proposed R&D, CED or CNST project supports the institutional, departmental
or facility diversity plan, and must also articulate a diversity plan that is
specific to the proposal for broadening participation of underrepresented
groups. The proposal-specific diversity plan must be included in this section;
the institutional, departmental or facility diversity plan must be included
as a supplementary document. g. Management
Structure: Describe the management structure for the project. For large
CNST projects this should include a discussion of how costs will be controlled,
how the project will maintain the work schedule, how technical risks will be
assessed and minimized, and the frequency of the institution's periodic project
reviews. Biographical Sketches (2-page limit each for PI
and co-PIs; 1-page limit each for other participants): Provide
a biographical sketch for each participant expected to have an important role in
the project, including their titles and affiliations. The sketch should describe
the individual's academic and professional history and may list five significant
publications and other activities or accomplishments. In choosing what to
include, emphasize information that will be helpful in understanding the
strengths, qualifications, and specific impact the individual brings to the
project. Budget: Provide annual budgets for each year of
the project. The FastLane or Grants.gov system will automatically fill out the
cumulative multi-year budget. Budget Justification
(3-page limit): Justify the funds requested in the major budget
categories for the project. Describe the proposed allocation of funds with
sufficient clarity to show how resources will be utilized in carrying out the
project. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
(3-page limit): This section of the proposal will be used to
assess the adequacy of the organizational resources available to perform the
effort proposed. Provide details of existing or proposed resource commitments
(see below) from other organizations, such as the government, industry, private
foundations, and non-U.S. institutions. Describe only those resources that are
directly applicable to the project. Supplementary
Documentation: Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): June 21, 2010 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. Comprehensive information about using
Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage: http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp.
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. 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. 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? What
are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? 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: Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs,
Projects, and Activities Additional Review Criteria: Reviewers will thus be asked, in addition to the intellectual merit and
broader impacts criteria, to address the following additional criteria: For all proposals: How does the proposed mid-scale instrumentation support the institutional,
departmental or facility activities for diversity or the diversity strategic
plan for broadening participation? Will participation by underrepresented groups
be enhanced by the instrumentation? For R&D proposals: For CED proposals: For CNST proposal NSF will endeavor to inform proposers promptly whether or not they have been
selected to participate in a "reverse site visit." A reverse site visit consists
of a review where the Principal Investigator and his/her associates come to NSF
to make a presentation to a review panel. This notification is intended to allow
at least one month to prepare for the review. Proposers submitting proposals
should receive notice of the outcome of the review within six months following
proposal submission. For those proposals selected for a "reverse site visit," a
summary narrative of the evaluation and recommendations resulting from the
initial ad hoc mail review will be provided to the PI and to the panel
conducting the "reverse site visit review." After programmatic approval has been obtained, 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
grants (for CED and R&D awards) or Cooperative Agreements (for CNST
awards). Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed
by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, Site Visit Review, or Reverse
Site Review.
There are four "Critical Decisions" (CDs) for CED and CNST projects
seeking funding through the IMR-MIP program: CD-1, the need for the project;
CD-2, approval of the project baseline; CD-3, authorization to begin
construction; and CD-4, readiness to begin operations. For a CED proposal, the
decision to recommend an award is equivalent to CD-1, acceptance of the
justification for the proposed project. This decision will be based upon ad
hoc mail review of CED proposals and, if deemed necessary, culminating in a
reverse site visit. With the support of a CED award, the Principal Investigator
(PI) embarks upon the development of a detailed engineering design and a project
baseline, including a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) complete to Level 4 (as
defined in standard project-management references, e.g., reference 3).
These documents form the basis for a CNST proposal. It is not necessary that a
PI have received a CED award from NSF prior to submitting a CNST proposal, as
long as the documents necessary for a detailed review have been provided and
meet both the facility and NSF approval. Support for R&D can be made at any
stage, and does not constitute a critical decision. The review of CNST
and R&D proposals will involve ad hoc mail review which will be
followed by a "reverse site visit" for meritorious proposals. For CNST
proposals, for each of the major elements of the WBS, reviews will include a
detailed evaluation of the costs, schedule, personnel estimates, technical
risks, and project management. The WBS must be sufficiently detailed to provide
confidence that the project can be completed on time and within the estimated
budget. The purpose of this review is to assure NSF that the project is feasible
and well managed, that there is a mechanism for addressing any technical risks
involved, and that the costs are well controlled. A recommendation to fund a
CNST award essentially constitutes CD-2 and CD-3 for the project. Not all CED
awards are expected to result in successful CNST proposals. 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. 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.) 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. 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. In addition to the mandatory annual project
reports, post-award oversight will consist of annual project reviews. For CED
and R&D awards, the PIs for each active award will be required to
present a detailed progress report to NSF. In addition, oversight of R&D
awards may involve a site visit review to the project location with an external
review committee to evaluate progress achieved. For the CNST awards, the annual
project reviews will involve a site visit to the project location with an
external review committee which will evaluate costs, schedule, project
management, and assess technical risks for each of the major elements of the
work breakdown schedule. The purpose of the CNST review is to provide NSF
with continuing assurance that the project is well managed, that technical
risks are being addressed effectively, that costs are well controlled, and
the project is on schedule. NSF will terminate CNST projects that
experience unacceptable cost overruns or delays. Please note that the program contact information is current at
the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the
points of contact. General inquiries regarding this program should be
made to: Guebre X. Tessema,
National Facilities (NAF) Program Director,
1080.06,
telephone:
(703) 292-4935,
fax:
(703) 292-9035,
email:
gtessema@nsf.gov
Charles E. Bouldin,
Program Director (IMR),
NSF,
1080.12,
telephone:
(703) 292-4920,
fax:
(703) 292-9035,
email:
cbouldin@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact: For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
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
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publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can
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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. 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
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22230 (703) 292-5111 (703) 292-5090 Send an e-mail to: or telephone: | The National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230, USAProposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
Proposal Review Information Criteria
Award Administration Information
I. Introduction
II. Program Description
III. Award Information
IV. Eligibility Information
V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures
A. NSF Merit Review Criteria
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?
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?
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.
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.B. Review and Selection Process
VII. Award Administration Information
A. Notification of the Award
B. Award Conditions
C. Reporting Requirements
VIII. Agency Contacts
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