NSF 07-580: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND REPLACED BY NSF 09-573

Program Solicitation NSF 07-580

Replaces Document(s):
NSF 04-539

 

National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences

 

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

November 05, 2007

First Monday in November, Annually Thereafter

Revision Notes

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title: 

Synopsis of Program:

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

• Carter Kimsey, Program Manager, Broadening Participation, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: ckimsey@nsf.gov

• Peter McCartney, Program Director, Informatics, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: pmccartn@nsf.gov

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

• 47.074 --- Biological Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Fellowship Grant

Estimated Number of Awards:    15   fellowships per year in each competition area contingent upon availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $2  million dollars in each fiscal year 2008-2012 (not including the Minority Postdoctoral Fellowships that are described in a separate program solicitation).

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Only individuals may apply.  NSF postdoctoral fellowships are awards to individuals, and applications are submitted directly by applicants to NSF. However, applications must include sponsoring scientists' statements and the applicants must affiliate with institutions (e.g., colleges and universities, and privately-sponsored nonprofit institutes and museums, government agencies and laboratories, and, under special conditions, for-profit organizations) anywhere in the world.

PI Limit: 

Applicants must

• be U.S. citizens (or nationals) or legally admitted permanent residents of the United States (i.e., have a "green card") at the time of application;

• earn or plan to earn the doctoral degree in a scientific or engineering field prior to the requested start date of the fellowship;

• either currently be a graduate student or, at the deadline date, have served in a position requiring the doctoral degree for no more than 12 full time months since earning the degree.  There is a one time exception to this criterion for Biological Informatics in November, 2007 only, as described below. 

• must present a research and training plan that falls within the purview of BIO and includes the required information for the specific competition as described below;

• select a host institution and sponsoring scientist different from the doctoral degree and current position or provide compelling justification for why such a change is not being proposed;

• not have received Federal funding of more than $20,000 as PI or co-PI (except graduate fellowships and doctoral dissertation improvement grants);

• not have submitted concurrently the same project to another NSF program;

• not be a named participant on any other proposal submitted to NSF, including regular research proposals, concurrent with the fellowship application, regardless of who is the named principal investigator; AND

• meet other limitations on eligibility imposed within the specific competitive areas, if any.

If you fail to meet any eligibility criterion, your application will be returned without review.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

Only individuals may apply. There is no limit on the number of applicants that an institution may host.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

Applicants may submit only one fellowship application to BIO per fiscal year and may apply in no more than 2 successive years for all Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biology.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not Applicable

• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not Applicable

• Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that deviates from the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: 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 under this solicitation.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  Fellowships are awards to individuals and have an institutional allowance in lieu of indirect costs.

• Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

C. Due Dates

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

  November 05, 2007

  First Monday in November, 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:   Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Agency Contacts

Other Information

I. Introduction

II. Program Description

III. Award Information

IV. Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Only individuals may apply.  NSF postdoctoral fellowships are awards to individuals, and applications are submitted directly by applicants to NSF. However, applications must include sponsoring scientists' statements and the applicants must affiliate with institutions (e.g., colleges and universities, and privately-sponsored nonprofit institutes and museums, government agencies and laboratories, and, under special conditions, for-profit organizations) anywhere in the world.

PI Limit: 

Applicants must

• be U.S. citizens (or nationals) or legally admitted permanent residents of the United States (i.e., have a "green card") at the time of application;

• earn or plan to earn the doctoral degree in a scientific or engineering field prior to the requested start date of the fellowship;

• either currently be a graduate student or, at the deadline date, have served in a position requiring the doctoral degree for no more than 12 full time months since earning the degree.  There is a one time exception to this criterion for Biological Informatics in November, 2007 only, as described below. 

• must present a research and training plan that falls within the purview of BIO and includes the required information for the specific competition as described below;

• select a host institution and sponsoring scientist different from the doctoral degree and current position or provide compelling justification for why such a change is not being proposed;

• not have received Federal funding of more than $20,000 as PI or co-PI (except graduate fellowships and doctoral dissertation improvement grants);

• not have submitted concurrently the same project to another NSF program;

• not be a named participant on any other proposal submitted to NSF, including regular research proposals, concurrent with the fellowship application, regardless of who is the named principal investigator; AND

• meet other limitations on eligibility imposed within the specific competitive areas, if any.

If you fail to meet any eligibility criterion, your application will be returned without review.   

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

Only individuals may apply. There is no limit on the number of applicants that an institution may host.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

Applicants may submit only one fellowship application to BIO per fiscal year and may apply in no more than 2 successive years for all Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biology.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the guidelines specified 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-PUBS (7827) or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.  

Include all the requested information and documentation but do not include anything that is not specifically requested. Page limits include pictures, figures, tables, graphics, etc. NSF has issued new guidance on margins, fonts, and spacing in its new NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (NSF 07-140).  The proposal must be clear, readily legible and conform to the following requirements or your proposal will be returned without review:

1. an Arial, Helvetica, Palatino (for MacIntosh), Palatino Linotype (for Windows), Computer Modern (TeX only), or Georgia typeface, a black font color , and a font size of 10 points or larger must be used.  (A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; however, the font size requirement still applies.)

2. no more than 6 lines of type within a vertical space of 1 inch; and

3. margins, in all directions, must be at least 1 inch.

Proposals that don't conform to these requirements and all page limitations will not be accepted and will be returned without review.  You will not be given a chance to shorten and resubmit the proposal.  Proposals must be submitted electronically via the NSF FastLane system. Only complete and timely applications will be accepted; non-compliant applications will be returned without review. 

Preparing your fellowship application is different in several ways from preparing a research proposal:   

• Do not submit your proposal through a sponsored projects office at your home or host institution; you are submitting the proposal as an individual. You must first register as an individual researcher before you or your references can gain access to the application and reference procedures.  To use FastLane, go to the NSF Web site https://www.nsf.gov/ and select "FastLane" or directly to the FastLane home page http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. Click on the Postdoctoral Fellowships tab. Click on applicant, then select Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology.  Then click on "How to apply" for complete step-by-step instructions.

• A complete FastLane submitted proposal requires materials from you (the applicant), a statement and CV from your sponsoring scientist(s), and 2 reference letters (one from the doctoral thesis advisor).

• The information needed from the sponsoring scientist(s) is similarly found on the FastLane homepage after answering "sponsoring scientist" to the "Who are you?" question.  This information must be uploaded into the application.

• Your references enter their materials directly into FastLane similarly from the FastLane homepage.   

•  FastLane allows fellowship applicants and references to work on parts of the application and to save them for future completion and submission. 

    Your sponsoring scientists and references should go to the FastLane home page, click on the postdoctoral fellowships tab, then answer the "Who are you" question before selecting Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biology.

In FastLane, a complete fellowship application consists of:

1. the application form (this form is unique to fellowships and can only be accessed in FastLane by following the directions as described herein);

2. applicant's Curriculum Vitae (CV) limited to 2 pages;

3. an abstract of the proposed research including a specific statement of its broader impact (limited to one page).  See Section VI. A. below for guidance from the National Science Board on broader impacts.  If the abstract fails to include a clear statement of broader impacts, the proposal will be returned without review;

4. research and training plan (limited to 5 pages, including all figures, tables, etc.) with its own bibliography (no page limit);

5. abstract of your dissertation research (limited to one page); 

6. the sponsoring scientist(s) statement that you upload into your application; and

7. two reference reports, submitted directly in FastLane by your reference writers.

Guidance on the research and training plan:

The research and training plan presents the research you'll conduct and the training you'll receive during the fellowship period and how they relate to your career goals.  Include in the research and training plan: 1) a brief and informative introduction or background section; 2) a statement of research objectives, methods, and significance; 3) training objectives (these may include scientific as well as other career preparation activities); 4) an explanation of how the fellowship activities will enhance your career development; and 5) a justification of the choice of sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s).  Reviewers will be instructed to give equal weight to all 5 items.

Some applications may require other documentation before the final decision can be made, e.g., animal care and use, human subjects, government permits, letters of collaboration, and commitments from private sources. Their existence should be noted in the research and training plan but they should not be included in the application.  NSF may request them later.

Guidance on the Sponsoring Scientist(s) Statement:

The sponsoring scientist(s) statement is meant to show how the proposed host(s) and host institution(s) provide the best environment for your proposed research and training plan and form the basis for a future independent research career. Therefore, it should include a specific mentoring plan, a description of how your independence will be nurtured, and what aspects of the project, if any, cannot go with you when you leave.  If there are multiple sponsors, one integrated statement must be developed and submitted.  If you plan to teach as part of your career development activities, you are limited to teaching in a course taught by your sponsoring scientist(s) or as part of a course directly related to your doctoral or fellowship research project. The sponsoring scientist(s) statement must detail the mentoring you will receive on teaching if applicable.  Sponsors are not expected to provide all the mentoring themselves but may call on all resources available on campus or through other organizations, e.g., professional societies, postdoctoral offices, etc.

Remind your sponsoring scientist that a complete sponsoring scientist statement consists of 2 parts; a CV of no more than 2 pages for each sponsor and a single discussion of the following items:

1. A brief description of the research projects in the host research group(s), including a statement of current and pending research support, both private and public, for each sponsor. If any sponsor has submitted similar research for funding, what is the degree of overlap?

2. An explanation of how the research and training plan of the applicant would fit into and complement ongoing research of the sponsor(s) and indicate the personnel with whom the Fellow would work. 

3. How the sponsor(s) will determine what mentoring the applicant needs in research, teaching, and career development skills and translate these into a specific plan to foster the development of the applicant's future independent research career.

4. What role the sponsor(s) will play in the proposed research and training and what other resources will be available to the Fellow to complete their development plan during the fellowship.

5. What limitations, if any, will be placed on the Fellow regarding the research following the fellowship.

You upload the sponsoring scientist statement into your application as a "supplementary document" in FastLane.

To be complete, your application must also include the 2 references as listed on your application form. One should be your thesis advisor. Do not use your sponsoring scientist as a reference. Your references will need your FastLane-assigned temporary proposal number and a password that you assign. FastLane permits you to send them an email with this information or you can provide it to them directly. They must change the password the first time they login to the reference module. They complete a reference form in FastLane, upload a recommendation letter, and then submit the reference.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (NSF 07-580) 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.

B. Budgetary Information

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

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  Fellowships are awards to individuals and have an institutional allowance in lieu of indirect costs.

Other Budgetary Limitations:  

The fellowship award amount is set for all fellowships based on the duration of the award.  FastLane generates the budget; applicants do not need to enter any budget information.   The research and training plan should make clear the requested duration.

C. Due Dates

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

  November 05, 2007

  First Monday in November, Annually Thereafter

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology have one deadline each year.

D. FastLane Requirements

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this program solicitation through use of the NSF FastLane system. Detailed instructions regarding the technical aspects of proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: http://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.

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.

NSF staff also will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:

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:

Applicants are evaluated on their ability, accomplishments, and potential as evidenced by the submitted CV and reference reports. The research and training plan is evaluated on its scientific merit, its feasibility, its significance in generating new biological knowledge, and its impact on the career development of the applicant. Other important evaluative factors are the suitability and availability of the sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s), including colleagues and facilities.

B. Review and Selection Process

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

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 pubs@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 fellowship award is made to the individual, not the institution.  Payments (except the institutional allowance) are made to the individual.  Awards cannot be extended without prior NSF approval.  Pre-award costs are not permitted. 

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.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports 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.  

Applicants must file termination certificates in addition to annual and final technical reports.

VIII. Agency Contacts

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

• Carter Kimsey, Program Manager, Broadening Participation, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: ckimsey@nsf.gov

• Peter McCartney, Program Director, Informatics, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: pmccartn@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

• FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.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, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service) is an information-delivery system 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 or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that match their identified interests. MyNSF also is available on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/.

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: pubs@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 3145-0023. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 12 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