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NSF 05-541: Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Competition

Program Solicitation

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Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Competition

Program Solicitation
NSF 05-541

NSF Logo

National Science Foundation
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences



Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required):

    February 15, 2005

Full Proposal Target Date(s):

    April 05, 2005

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Competition

Synopsis of Program:

A Competition of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)

The Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its two wave Child-Development Supplement (CDS) is a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of US families begun in 1968. The PSID has collected 34 waves of data on the same families and their descendents as of 2005. The PSID has consistently obtained wave-to-wave reinterview response rates of 95-97%. Data have been posted on a web-based Data Center for the user community within 12 months of its collection. Substantial companion funds from other non-NSF agencies have been competitively won by the current vendor to support additional key data collection and post-data processing and dissemination activities.

Programs in the Directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences may make one award for the next five-year funding cycle, 2007-2011, to renew support for the PSID. We anticipate an NSF award of at least $12 million and at most $20 million to cover these activities, including three waves of data collection, over a five-year period. The annual amount of the award is expected to be at least $2.4 million and no more than $4 million. The duration of the award will be five years. The expected start date is January 1, 2006.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

  • Daniel H. Newlon, Program Director/Cluster Coordinator, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Division of Social and Economic Sciences, 995 N, telephone: (703) 292-7276, fax: (703) 292-9068, email: dnewlon@nsf.gov

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

  • 47.075 --- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

Eligibility Information

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

Award Information

  • Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 1
  • Anticipated Funding Amount: $12,000,000 pending the availability of funds

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
  • Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
  • Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that supplements the standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
B. Budgetary Information
  • Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required.
  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
  • Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.
C. Due Dates
  • Letters of Intent (required):
      February 15, 2005
  • Full Proposal Target Date(s):
      April 05, 2005

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

The Economics Program and other programs in the Division of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences invite scholar-investigators who possess the theoretical, methodological, measurement, and administrative skills to undertake an important large-scale data collection project to submit proposals to conduct the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics (PSID).

The PSID is the key data source about the economic and social well-being of U.S. families. The PSID and its two-wave Child Development Supplement (CDS) is a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of US families begun in 1968. The PSID has collected 34 waves of data on the same families and their descendents as of 2005. The PSID has consistently obtained wave-to-wave re-interview response rates of 95-97%. Data have been posted on a web-based Data Center for the user community within 12 months of its collection. More information about the PSID is available at http://psidonline.isr.umich.edu/Guide/

The PSID consists of two elements. The first is the “core” PSID, which is 40 minutes of questionnaire content from 5,300 families. This part of the PSID is funded by the National Science Foundation. The second part of the PSID is made up of additional modules. These modules make up an additional 30 minutes of questionnaire content and an additional sample of approximately 3,000 low-income families. This award will not fund the additional modules that are part of the full PSID.

II. Program Description

The Panel Study of Income Dynamics provides fundamental cyberinfrastructure for the social and economic sciences. The award will fund seven activities: (1) three waves (2007, 2009, and 2011) of data collection on the historic core PSID sample of approximately 5,300 families and 40 minutes of content that will advance the quality of scientific inquiry and knowledge about the economic and social well-being of US families; (2) questionnaire development and innovation based on scientific expertise in relevant social sciences; (3) survey design that allows the addition of modules to meet the needs of federal agencies and other potential funders, should such agencies or organizations choose to fund specific modules; (4) post data collection editing, processing, and generation of constructed variables, data files and code books; (5) data dissemination within a cutting-edge web-based data archive; (6) provision of user assistance; and (7) support of an independent Board of Overseers. It is expected that in meeting these functions the PSID will explore and innovate cutting edge methods and technologies.

The current awardee (the University of Michigan) has successfully solicited companion funding from other Federal agencies. This funding has been used to provide two additional modules: an additional 30 minutes of questionnaire content and an additional low-income sample of approximately 3,000 families, as well as significant additional processing and dissemination activities. The NSF award resulting from this solicitation will not fund these activities, but the ability to incorporate such modules by other sources is an important part of the design of the core PSID.

The PSID's current Board of Overseers is an independent group. Board members are independent of the NSF and the current awardee, and represent the interests of the research and policy communities that use the PSID. The Board was established in 1981. New Overseers are nominated by the current board, and serve for two-year renewable terms. It is expected that proposals will be designed so that the Board of Overseers will continue to fulfill its important functions.

This award will not support secondary data analysis or investigator-based research.

Project descriptions should address the following Scientific Infrastructure Objectives:

  • Possess scientific expertise and resources for questionnaire development and innovation;
  • Continue collection of 3 biennial waves of questionnaire data from the 5,300 families in the core sample (approximately 40 minutes of core NSF-funded content) while maintaining the wave-to-wave reinterview response rate of 95-97%;
  • Maintain continuity and the high quality of this data set;
  • Capacity to produce modules that will meet the needs of other research-oriented Federal agencies and other potential funders;
  • Ability to process, edit and release raw data, generated variables, and code books within 12 months of collection;
  • Ability to maintain cyberinfrastructure to disseminate/share data and documentation with expansions and innovations in data sharing tools as technology develops;
  • Continue generation of educational tutorials illustrating the use of the data to a variety of audiences; and
  • Ability to maintain the following functions:
    • sensitive data dissemination archive;
    • user help; and
    • bibliographic and award archive.

Project Descriptions should also address the following administrative issues:

  • Discuss the role of an independent Board of Overseers;
  • Discuss the standards for data archiving and acquisition;
  • Discuss plans for managing and integrating all PSID functions;
  • If appropriate, the project description must include a section on Results From Prior Support for principal investigators and co-principal investigators who have received NSF funding in the last five years. Refer to the Grant Proposal Guide for more information; the Guide is available at https://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub/cfm?gpg; and
  • All proposals submitted for the PSID competition must include a section titled "Expected Project Significance". This section should address both the intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the project. The sections must identify how the project will generate new science related to the study of the economic and social well-being of US families, and how it will enhance the capabilities of people who engage in research and/or education in these areas in the future.

The current PSID awardee is the University of Michigan. They will provide any new awardee with data, documentation, and data collection software developed with past NSF funds. Contact Dr. Daniel Newlon for more information about the specific items that will be included.

III. Eligibility Information

The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are eligible to submit proposals under this program announcement/solicitation.

IV. Award Information

Programs in the Directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences anticipate making one award for the next five-year funding cycle (from 2007 to 2011) to renew support for the core component of the PSID. We anticipate an NSF award as a continuing grant of at least $12 million and at most $20 million, contingent upon the availability of funds. The award will cover these activities, including three waves of data collection, over a five-year time period. The annual amount of the award is expected to be at least $2.4 million and no more than $4 million. The duration of the award will be five years. The expected start date is January 1, 2006. The awardee will continue to provide the PSID's core shared-use databases, research platforms, and educational tools on cyclical, intergenerational and life-course measures of economic and social behavior.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent (required):

A mandatory letter of intent must be submitted through NSF's FastLane system by February 15, 2005. The letter must include the name of the submitting organization, and the names of the Principal Investigator and other Senior Personnel.

Full Proposal Instructions:

Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/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/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Full Proposal Instructions:

All project descriptions are limited to 30 pages in length. Appendices will not be authorized. Proposals may refer to supplementary materials, such as questions, competitive survey cost estimates, pretest and pilot survey results, and other directly relevant information, posted on investigators' publicly available websites.

Pre-Submission Checklist

PSID competition proposals must be in compliance with the Grant Proposal Guide and the special requirements in this solicitation to be considered for review. Proposals not in compliance with these requirements will be returned without review. Please refer to the following checklist to address some of the items for which proposals may be non-compliant:

  • Font and margin requirements;
  • Pagination;
  • Project summary that includes a brief description of the intellectual merit and broader impacts;
  • Project description that is 30 pages or less that includes a separate section for Results from Prior NSF Support (if appropriate);
  • Biographical Sketches for all principal investigators and senior personnel; and
  • Current and Pending Support statements for all principal investigators and senior personnel.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation number (05-541) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

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

C. Due Dates

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

Letters of Intent (required):

    February 15, 2005

Full Proposal Target Date(s):

    April 05, 2005

D. FastLane Requirements

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this announcement/solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal 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 announcement/solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this announcement/solicitation.

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. Proposers are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov

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:

    These criteria apply to the Scientific Infrastructure Objectives listed in Section II.

    • Possession of the scientific expertise and resources needed for questionnaire development and innovation;
    • Capacity to develop and implement modules to meet the needs of other government agencies and other potential funders;
    • Cost-effectiveness;
    • Ability to continue collecting high-quality data from the sample families while maintaining the target re-interview response rate;
    • Ability to process, edit, and release data, variables and codebooks within the target timeframe;
    • Ability to maintain and develop cyberinfrastructure;
    • Ability to generate tutorials illustrating the use of the data;
    • Ability to maintain a sensitive data archive, user help, and a bibliographic and award archive; and
    • Quality of oversight and management plan.

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 also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions (CA-1). 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.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.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/cgi-bin/getpub?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.

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:

  • Daniel H. Newlon, Program Director/Cluster Coordinator, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Division of Social and Economic Sciences, 995 N, telephone: (703) 292-7276, fax: (703) 292-9068, email: dnewlon@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

  • Dana M. Walden, Program & Technology Specialist, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Division of Social and Economic Sciences, 995 N, telephone: (703) 292-4927, fax: (703) 292-9068, email: dwalden@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 Custom News Service (https://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.

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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