Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

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

How to prepare a sponsoring scientist statement for the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

I. Purpose 

The sponsoring scientist statement is meant to show how the proposed sponsor(s) and host institution(s) provide a strong environment for the fellow's proposed project (research, training and broader impacts plans) and form the basis for a future independent professional career. Therefore, it should include a specific plan for training and mentoring of the fellow, an informative overview of the resources at the fellow’s disposal and a description of how the fellow's independence will be nurtured.

U.S. National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) proposals are evaluated based in part on the quality of the training plan as a basis for a future independent research career. As proposers are free to choose the most suitable research and training environment, the specific training and mentoring plan described by the sponsor will be an important factor in evaluating the application. Sponsors are not expected to provide all the mentoring or other support themselves and may call on all resources available on campus or through other organizations (e.g., professional societies and postdoctoral offices). 

II. General document preparation guidelines 

Prepare all documents according to guidelines in the PRFB program solicitation and the NSF Proposal & Awards Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), under Proposal Preparation Instructions. For your convenience, a summary of major requirements is given below. However, you are responsible for adhering to the guidelines provided in the solicitation and PAPPG. 

The document must be clear, readily legible and conform to the following requirements: 

  1. Use one of the following fonts identified below: 
    • Arial (not Arial Narrow), Courier New or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger. 
    • Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger. 
    • Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger. 
  2. A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, tables or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters. Other fonts not specified above, such as Cambria Math, may be used for mathematical formulas and equations or when inserting Greek letters or special characters. 
  3. There should be no more than six lines of text within a vertical space of 1 inch. 
  4. Margins in all directions must be at least 1 inch. No information may appear in the margins. 
  5. Paper size must be no larger than standard letter paper size (8 1/2 by 11 in. or 11 by 8 ½ in.). 
  6. Sponsors are strongly encouraged to use only a standard, single-column format for the text. 

III. Preparing the sponsoring scientist statement 

The sponsoring scientist statement is limited to three pages. If more than one sponsor is proposed, one must be named lead sponsor, and information about all sponsors and host institutions must be integrated into a single sponsoring scientist statement.

The complete document should include a description of the following: 

  1. The major relevant research projects in the sponsor research group(s) and how the research and training plan for the fellow would complement ongoing research of the sponsor(s). 
    1. If any sponsor has submitted similar research for funding, the degree of overlap must be addressed. 
  2. An explanation of how the sponsor(s) will determine what mentoring the fellow needs in research, teaching and career development skills and how these would be translated into a specific plan that fosters the development of the fellow's future independent research career. 
  3. A description of the role the sponsor(s) will play in the proposed research and training and the other resources that will be available to the fellow to complete their project during the fellowship. 
    1. This includes if the fellow will work with other personnel, who those personnel are and their roles in the research and training plan. 
  4. A description of any limitations that may be placed on the fellow for continuing the research project in an independent capacity following the fellowship.
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