AST Proposal Deadline Dates

NOTE: All proposals to the AST Division must be submitted electronically using FastLane or Grants.gov. General information for Principal Investigators can be found by clicking here. Additional information for submitting proposals can also be found in the  Grant Proposal Guide. 

24 January 2008:  Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) (NSF 08-503)
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22 April 2008:  Management and Operation of the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) (NSF 08-537). The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is a joint NSF/NASA program, with the solicitation and proposal management being handled by NSF. (The program is also announced through NASA's NSPIRES.) The review process will be run, and the award decision will be made, by a joint NASA/NSF team.

The Virtual Astronomical Observatory will serve to link a multitude of astronomical data sets into an integrated system, provide access to data sets, create and maintain data protocols and standards, and provide analysis tools and services. It will build on the framework for virtual observatories being developed by the U.S. National Virtual Observatory (NVO) project and the NASA astrophysics data centers, within the international context provided by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA).
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Date to be Announced: CAREER (MPS) - Faculty Early Career Development Program (NSF 05-579).   The CAREER Program Announcement is under revision and is expected to be released in Spring 2008.

03 August 2008:  Partnerships in Astronomy & Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE) (NSF 07-561).   PAARE is a new AST program intended to enhance the quantity and quality of astronomy and astrophysics research opportunities for students and faculty members at participating minority-serving colleges and universities (MSCU). The objective of PAARE is to stimulate the development of formal, potentially long-term, collaborative research and education relationships between MSCUs and NSF-supported observatories, projects, or faculty members at research institutions (including private observatories). Proposals must be submitted by an MSCU, and the PI must hold a faculty appointment at the proposing institution. Partnering institutions or organizations may be any institution or organization eligible for NSF funding that supports a research program in astronomy and astrophysics, including AST-funded facilities or private observatories.

An updated Program Solicitation will be available soon.

Contact Tammy Bosler (tbosler@nsf.gov, 703-292-8248) or Dana Lehr (dlehr@nsf.gov, 703-292-7456) for more information.
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18 August 2008: REU Sites - Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites NSF 07-569   

• REU Supplements Anytime (NSF 07-569)

Underrepresented Minorities Programs. (If interested in submitting a Proposal to this Program, please contact Brian Patten at bpatten@nsf.gov or via telephone at (703) 292-4910.

08 October 2008: NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships Program (AAPF) (NSF 07-572)

01 November 2008: ATI - Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation

15 November 2008:  Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG) (NSF 05-608) provides individual investigator and collaborative research grants for observational, theoretical, laboratory and archival data studies in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics, including but not limited to the following areas of study:

• Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology
• Galactic Astronomy
• Planetary Astronomy
• Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Research at Undergraduate Institutions (NSF 00-144)

SUBMISSION WINDOW: September 15th through November 15th:  The end date of the annual AAG submission window, November 15th, is a deadline date after which proposals will not be accepted for review. In submitting proposals to the AAG Program in FastLane, proposers must identify the AAG Program Announcement number, NSF 05-608, in the “Program Announcement/Solicitation Number” block on the NSF Cover Sheet.

Proposers who have questions about the NSF Grant Proposal Guide or about the appropriateness of their proposal for AST programs are encouraged to contact a Program Director in advance of submitting a proposal.

Warning: Proposals must be received at NSF by 5:00 PM the submitter's local time on the deadline date. If the deadline date falls on a weekend, it will be extended to the following Monday; if the date falls on a holiday, it will be extended to the following business day. Late proposals will be returned unread, with no exceptions. Please plan ahead; we are happy to receive proposals in advance of deadlines.