Archived funding opportunity

This document has been archived. The latest version is NSF 22-621.

NSF 03-578: NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships

Program Solicitation

Document Information

Document History

Public comment:
This program solicitation has been updated to reflect an increase in the stipend amount and host institutional allowance and to reflect revised submission requirements.

NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships   (AAPF)


Program Solicitation
NSF 03-578

This document has been archived. Please see the AAPF program page for current information.

Replaces Document(s):
NSF   00-136

 

NSF Logo

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
     Division of Astronomical Sciences

 

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

October 08, 2003

October 13, 2004

ARCHIVED

Revision Notes

This program solicitation has been updated to list the 13 October 2004 full proposal deadline on the cover page and in the Summary of Program Requirements. The rolling deadline date of the 2nd Wednesday in October had been previously listed only in Section V.C.

This program solicitation has been updated to reflect an increase in the stipend amount and host institutional allowance, and to reflect revised submission requirements.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title: 

NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships (AAPF)

Synopsis of Program:

The NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships provide an opportunity for highly qualified young investigators within 3 years of obtaining their PhD to carry out an integrated program of independent research and education. Fellows may engage in research of observational, instrumental, or theoretical nature, in combination with a coherent educational plan for the duration of the fellowship. The program supports researchers for a period of up to 3 years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution or national facility of their choice. The program is intended to recognize young investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience in research and education that will establish them in positions of distinction and leadership in the community. 

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

  • Dana E. Lehr, NSF AAPF Program Director, 1045 S, telephone: (703) 292-7456, fax: (703) 292-9034, email: dlehr@nsf.gov

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

  • 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Fellowship Grant

Estimated Number of Awards:    10   Up to 10 awards annually.

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $670,000   in FY2004, subject to the availability of funds.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
  • Proposals must be submitted by individuals.

PI Limit: 

Eligibility is limited to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have earned a doctoral degree within 3 years of the proposal deadline date or expect to receive the doctoral degree by 1 September of the award year. Individuals who have not yet received their doctoral degrees at the time of application must, in the event of being selected for an award, present evidence of having completed all academic requirements before beginning their fellowships at their host institutions. 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 

None Specified

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

  • Letters of Intent: Not Applicable
  • 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 by NSF.  
  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  

    In lieu of indirect costs, an institutional allowance of $7,000 per year may be requested by the host institution.

  • 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):

    October 08, 2003

    October 13, 2004

    Second Wednesday in October, 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:   Standard NSF award conditions apply

Reporting Requirements:   Standard NSF reporting requirements apply

Table Of Contents

Summary of Program Requirements

  1. Introduction

  2. Program Description

  3. Award Information

  4. Eligibility Information

  5. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
    1. Proposal Preparation Instructions
    2. Budgetary Information
    3. Due Dates
    4. FastLane Requirements

  6. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
    1. NSF Merit Review Criteria
    2. Review and Selection Process

  7. Award Administration Information
    1. Notification of the Award
    2. Award Conditions
    3. Reporting Requirements

  8. Agency Contacts

  9. Other Information

I. Introduction

The NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships provide an opportunity for highly qualified young investigators within 3 years of obtaining their PhD to carry out an integrated program of independent research and education. Fellows may engage in research of observational, instrumental, or theoretical nature, in combination with a coherent educational plan for the duration of the fellowship. The program supports researchers for a period of up to 3 years with fellowships that can be taken to the institution or national facility of their choice. The program is intended to recognize young investigators of significant potential, and provide them with experience in research and education that will establish them in positions of distinction and leadership in the community. 

II. Program Description

NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships (AAPF) are available for the support of highly qualified young investigators to carry out an integrated program of research and education at the institution of their choice.

Fellows are expected to carry out a strong, coherent research program in any area of astronomy and astrophysics, including areas of observation, instrumentation, theory, or laboratory astrophysics. Applicants are encouraged to approach the fellowships as opportunities to broaden their experience with research that moves beyond their previous research focus, and takes a broad view of integrating disciplines, extending technical approaches to problems, or expanding collaborations. Research that highlights the creative use of or is clearly related to NSF-funded facilities, institutes, or projects is particularly encouraged. We encourage applicants to consider programs that focus on areas of research that are particularly facilitated or enabled by new ground-based capability in radio, optical/IR, or solar astrophysics, including the development of theory that guides their use or the interpretation of resulting data. 

Fellows are expected to include educational activities in their fellowship plans, and applicants must present a coherent program of educational activities as part of their proposal. Examples of such activities include teaching one course each year of the fellowship at their host institution or an academic institution with ties to their host institution, developing educational materials, or engaging in a significant program of outreach or public education. As a rough guideline, fellows should plan on their educational activities taking up no less than 10%, nor more than 25%, of their time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the proposed educational activities with their proposed host institution prior to proposal submission to ensure that their educational plan is consistent with opportunities and plans at the institution. 

Fellows may propose to hold the fellowships at any US institution of higher education, NSF-funded national centers, facilities, or institutes, such as the national observatories or the Institute for Theoretical Physics, and non-profit organizations with research and educational missions. Tenure of fellowships at international sites that are operated by US organizations, such as Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory or Gemini South, is allowed. Fellows are expected to be fully integrated into the educational and research activities of their host institution. 

The applicant must present a coherent research and educational plan throughout the proposed duration of the fellowship. However, the applicant may propose to take the fellowship to more than one host institution. Normally changes of institution would be sequential, in moving from one institution to another during the duration of the fellowship, but holding the fellowship at two institutions simultaneously, for example at a national center and a nearby university, is also possible. In the event of proposing to hold a fellowship at more than one institution simultaneously, a single institution must be designated by the applicant to receive the institutional allowance. In any case, the justification of the choice of institutions must be made clearly and compellingly.

III. Award Information

Support may be requested for periods of up to 3 years, at a level of $67,000 per year. NSF anticipates up to 10 awards annually, subject to availability of funds. Fellowship stipends of $50,000 annually, are paid directly to the Fellow on a monthly schedule. A research allowance of $10,000 per year is provided to the Fellow for expenses directly related to the conduct of research, such as computing, travel, publication charges, and other research needs. An institutional allowance of $7,000 per year is paid to the host institution for the purposes of providing fringe benefits for the Fellow, such as health insurance, moving expenses, or child care, and for expenses incurred in support of the Fellow, such as general purpose supplies and use of equipment and facilities. No additional appointment or fellowship may be held during the period of the fellowship. No other remuneration from any source may be accepted during the period of the fellowship without permission of the program officer. For more information on allowable costs, see the relevant section of Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions below. Successful applicants will be notified on or about 1 February following the year of the deadline. Those applicants selected to receive fellowships will be contacted by NSF and asked to provide additional information, such as completing acceptance forms and starting certificates, before starting their fellowships. Successful applicants who have not completed their PhD at the time of application must provide certification of the receipt of the PhD before receiving their fellowship award. Normally fellowships will be held at institutions specified in the proposal, but under certain circumstances, and with suitable justification, Fellows may transfer during the tenure of the fellowship to a new institution upon approval by NSF. 

IV. Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: 

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
  • Proposals must be submitted by individuals.

PI Limit: 

Eligibility is limited to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have earned a doctoral degree within 3 years of the proposal deadline date or expect to receive the doctoral degree by 1 September of the award year. Individuals who have not yet received their doctoral degrees at the time of application must, in the event of being selected for an award, present evidence of having completed all academic requirements before beginning their fellowships at their host institutions. 

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 

None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 

None Specified

Additional Eligibility Info:

Eligibility is limited to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have earned a doctoral degree within 3 years of the proposal deadline date or expect to receive the doctoral degree by 1 September of the award year. Fellowships are awarded to individuals, and proposals must be submitted directly by the applicant to NSF. Individuals who have not yet received their doctoral degrees at the time of application must, in the event of being selected for an award, present evidence of having completed all academic requirements before beginning their fellowships at their host institutions. 

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.  Before starting proposal preparation in FastLane, the applicant must be registered as an individual awardee. To register as a new individual in FastLane go to: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/N1CheckROB.

Proposals must include all of the following items. In cases where requirements given in this document differ from those given in the Grant Proposal Guide, the former takes precedence. 

  1. NSF Cover Page

  2. Information about Principal Investigators/Project Directors

  3. Table of Contents (automatically generated by FastLane)

  4. Project Summary, up to 250 words. Note that the project summary must separately address both NSF merit review criteria; see the Grant Proposal Guide for instructions.

  5. Project description, not to exceed ten single-spaced pages, which must include the following information :

    1. A detailed plan for research and education;

    2. A detailed justification for the choice of the host institution, identifying collaborating scientist(s) and educational mentors, relating the proposed work to current research and educational efforts at the host institution, and describing facilities and resources available and the suitability of the host institution;

    3. A description of the long term career goals of the applicant and the role of this postdoctoral experience in achieving them.
  6. References cited. See the Grant Proposal Guide for format.

  7. Biographical Sketch.  See the Grant Proposal Guide for format and page limit.

  8. NSF Budget Page. The stipend and research allowance should be entered under Participant Support; the host institutional allowance should be entered under indirect costs. 

  9. Current and Pending Support. Include current and planned applications to other fellowship programs.

  10. The letter of commitment, as described below, is considered to be Supplementary Documentation and is the only item permitted as supplementary documentation or appendices. The letter should be scanned into a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and uploaded into the supplementary documentation form. 

The letter of commitment from the prospective host institution should be signed by the department chair (or equivalent). The letter should certify that the applicant's proposal has been read and approved by the proposed scientific mentor, that adequate facilities and support will be provided for the fellow, that the fellow's plan for teaching or education is aligned with the institution's educational plans and goals, and that arrangements will be made to use part of the institutional allowance for the fellow's fringe benefits. The letter should include a discussion of the role the proposed scientific mentor will play in the professional development of the fellow, and of the opportunities for training and research at the host institution that will be of particular benefit to the fellow. Should the applicant propose to hold the fellowship at more than one institution through the 3-year tenure, letters of commitment must be provided for all institutions involved. 

Since this program relies on reviewed proposals rather than applications, letters of recommendation will not be considered. Thus the letter of commitment from the institution should not reflect a letter of recommendation.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (03-578) 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 by NSF in proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  

In lieu of indirect costs, an institutional allowance of $7,000 per year may be requested by the host institution.

Other Budgetary Limitations:  Award amounts are $67,000 annually.

Budget Preparation Instructions:  The stipend and research allowance should be entered in section F, Participant Support Costs; put the $50,000 stipend in F1 and the $10,000 research allowance in F4.  The $7,000 host institutional allowance should be entered in section I, Indirect Costs.

C. Due Dates

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

October 08, 2003

October 13, 2004

Second Wednesday in October, Annually Thereafter

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 and, if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, for review. 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 with the proposer.

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.

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:

In addition to the above criteria, the following factors will be used in the evaluation process:

  • Qualifications of the applicant and his/her potential for continued professional growth and leadership in the field; 

  • Qualifications and suitability of the proposed host institution and the scientific or educational collaborations proposed;

  • Prospective benefits to the applicant, the scientific discipline, and the activities of the host institution.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Adhoc Review 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 date of receipt.  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 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 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/general_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 Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpm.

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.

VIII. Agency Contacts

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

  • Dana E. Lehr, NSF AAPF Program Director, 1045 S, telephone: (703) 292-7456, fax: (703) 292-9034, email: dlehr@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

  • FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.

  • Kim S. Elliott, Computer Specialist, 1053 S, telephone: (703) 292-4894, email: kelliott@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.

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