NSF 12-614: Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS)
Program Solicitation
Program Solicitation NSF 12-614
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National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
January 23, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 03, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 02, 2014
Full proposal submission deadline
Important Information And Revision Notes
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 13-1, was issued on October 4, 2012 and is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 14, 2013. Please be advised that the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1 apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity. Proposers who opt to submit prior to January 14, 2013, must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1.
Please be aware that significant changes have been made to the PAPPG to implement revised merit review criteria based on the National Science Board (NSB) report, National Science Foundation's Merit Review Criteria: Review and Revisions. While the two merit review criteria remain unchanged (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), guidance has been provided to clarify and improve the function of the criteria. Changes will affect the project summary and project description sections of proposals. Annual and final reports also will be affected.
A by-chapter summary of this and other significant changes is provided at the beginning of both the Grant Proposal Guide and the Award & Administration Guide.
Please note that this program solicitation may contain supplemental proposal preparation guidance and/or guidance that deviates from the guidelines established in the Grant Proposal Guide.
Important Information
This is a new solicitation for a new competition. Following are important points that distinguish the Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS) competition from other competitions.
IBSS emphasizes the conduct of interdisciplinary research by teams of investigators in the social and behavioral sciences.
There are two types of projects that may be supported by IBSS:
- IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Projects (with maximum award sizes of $1,000,000)
- IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Projects (with maximum award sizes of $250,000)
In addition to the standing NSF merit review criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts, proposals submitted for the IBSS competition will be evaluated using special review criteria with respect to three different dimensions of their interdisciplinarity: the interdisciplinarity of the research team, the interdisciplinarity of the research approaches to be used, and the interdisciplinarity of the expected intellectual significance of the research results.
All proposals submitted for the IBSS competition must include three or more senior personnel from at least two different SBE disciplinary fields.
An individual researcher may participate as a principal investigator (PI), co-principal investigator (co-PI), or other member of the senior personnel of a project for only one project submitted for the IBSS competition during a single year.
Each person serving as a PI, co-PI, or other member of the senior personnel on a project must include a signed or e-mailed statement as a supplementary document in the proposal confirming that person's participation in the project and confirming that this is the only IBSS project for which the person is serving as one of the senior personnel.
Special sections must be included in the project descriptions of proposals submitted for the IBSS competition, with different sections required for different kinds of proposals.
Letters of collaboration and letters of commitment from other individuals and organizations participating in a project must use a template or be equally brief and direct.
If a project is being undertaken by researchers at multiple organizations, a single organization must be identified as the lead, and a single proposal describing the entire project must be submitted by that organization, with funds distributed among partner organizations via subawards from the lead organization. Direct submission of linked collaborative sets of proposals by multiple organizations is not permitted.
Summary Of Program Requirements
General Information
Program Title:
Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS)
Synopsis of Program:
The Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS) competition promotes the conduct of interdisciplinary research by teams of investigators in the social and behavioral sciences. Emphasis is placed on support for research that involves researchers from multiple disciplinary fields, that integrates scientific theoretical approaches and methodologies from multiple disciplinary fields, and that is likely to yield generalizable insights and information that will advance basic knowledge and capabilities across multiple disciplinary fields.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
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Thomas J. Baerwald, telephone: (703) 292-7301, email: tbaerwal@nsf.gov
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Brian D. Humes, telephone: (703) 292-7284, email: bhumes@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 10 to 15 Depending on the quality of proposals for projects of different size and the availability of funds, NSF anticipates making 10 to 15 awards annually.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000
NSF expects to have at least $10,000,000 available to support awards resulting from this competition.
Eligibility Information
The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E.
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1
An individual may serve as one of the senior personnel on only one IBSS proposal submitted in response to this solicitation during a single fiscal year. This limitation applies regardless of whether a person serving as one of the senior personnel on a project is supported directly by the award or through a subaward. This limitation extends across both types of proposals. An individual may therefore be one of the senior personnel on only one IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Project proposal or one IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Project proposal. All individuals serving as one of the senior personnel on a project are required to provide signed statements as supplementary documents that specify that the specific proposal is the only proposal for which they are serving as one of the senior personnel.
All proposals must include three or more senior personnel from at least two different SBE disciplinary fields.
For the purposes of this solicitation, senior personnel include the Principal Investigator (PI), any co-PIs, and any other researchers actively involved in the scientific or technical management of the project. It does not include students, postdocs, or consultants who provide specific expertise on a limited portion of the project.
Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be returned without review.
These restrictions apply to this IBSS solicitation only and do not restrict the submission of proposals by investigators to other NSF activities or programs.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Letters of Intent: Not Applicable
- Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not Applicable
- Full Proposals:
- Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. 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.
- Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide)
B. Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
- Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable
- 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):
January 23, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 03, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 02, 2014
Full proposal submission deadline
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
- Introduction
- Program Description
- Award Information
- Eligibility Information
- Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
- NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
- Award Administration Information
- Agency Contacts
- Other Information
I. Introduction
The Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS) competition seeks to support research conducted by behavioral and social scientists as collaborating members of teams that come from multiple disciplines, who engage in integrated research that employs methods and techniques from multiple disciplines, and whose results are likely to enhance theories and/or methodological approaches or have other stimulating and/or catalytic impact across a range of disciplinary fields.
The IBSS competition invites proposals for two different kinds of projects:
1. IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Projects. Large interdisciplinary research projects may be supported by awards as large as $1,000,000.
2. IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Projects. Exploratory research by emerging multidisciplinary teams may be supported by awards as large as $250,000.
II. Program Description
The Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS) competition builds on the definition of interdisciplinary research presented in a 2004 National Academy of Sciences report:
Interdisciplinary research is a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.
A series of recent reports have called attention to the integrative and interdisciplinary nature of research problems in the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences. "The SBE sciences are focused on human activity at every level -- from an individual's brain, to behavior, to the actions of groups and organizations," the Subcommittee on Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has observed in a 2009 report. SBE scientists conduct innovative and methodologically diverse research that promises to address many of the nation's -- and the world's -- most pressing challenges: such as access to education and healthcare; combating terrorism and crime; and responding to natural disasters.
Unpacking phenomena like the obesity epidemic, global migration, disaster response, global climate change, or urban development defies conventional disciplinary boundaries. Studies like these rely on deep analysis of immediate conditions and also bear on fundamental dimensions of human behavior: How do we make choices? How do different groups understand and respond to information? How do circumstances and experiences in the first six months of life affect behaviors 20 or 30 years later in contexts as different as choosing to engage in civic life and deciding on when to start a family? Such research meets the criteria of the NSF's strategic plan's first strategic goal, Transforming the Frontiers: "The Foundation embraces our unique role in supporting the fundamental, interdisciplinary, high-risk, and potentially transformative research and education that are central to the discovery of emergent properties and structures in physical, living, human, and engineered systems."
Within the NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (NSF/SBE), and building on the successful experience of a five-year special emphasis area in Human and Social Dynamics, NSF/SBE undertook a year-long, community-engaging study of programmatic priorities. The resulting report finds that "future research will be interdisciplinary, data-intensive, and collaborative. That vision rests on thorough grounding in the core SBE sciences that continue to present important, discipline-based research and methodological challenges." That report also identified four major cross-cutting research themes for which interdisciplinary research by SBE scientists might be especially productive:
- Population change
- Sources of disparities
- Communication, language, and linguistics
- Technology, new media, and social networks
Since 2010, NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (NSF/SBE) has provided matching funds for core SBE programs to facilitate their support of interdisciplinary research projects reviewed independently or co-reviewed by multiple programs. That opportunity will continue. [see Dear Colleague Letter for Interdisciplinary Research Across the SBE Sciences located under Related URLs on this program's web site.] The IBSS competition establishes new opportunities to encourage, facilitate, and support interdisciplinary research that brings together researchers from different SBE disciplinary communities. It will focus on research problems that can be fully addressed only by interdisciplinary teams using approaches from multiple fields, and it will support research that promises results that will be meaningful across the contributing disciplines and that will explicitly advance science beyond existing intellectual boundaries.
The IBSS competition seeks to support research conducted by SBE scientists as collaborating members of teams that come from multiple disciplines, who engage in integrated research that employs methods and techniques from multiple disciplines, and whose results are likely to enhance theories and/or methodological approaches or have other stimulating and/or catalytic impact across a range of disciplinary fields.
The IBSS competition invites proposals for two different kinds of projects:
1. IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Projects. Large interdisciplinary research projects may be supported by awards as large as $1,000,000. Budgets should be developed at scales appropriate for the project to be conducted. Most projects will extend from two to five years in duration.
2. IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Projects. Support for exploratory efforts by emerging multidisciplinary teams is designed to facilitate the kinds of contact, interaction, and active research activities necessary to enable researchers from multiple disciplines to engage in effective interdisciplinary research. Emphasis is to be placed on the conduct of research and potential outcomes, not on the preparation of plans and proposals for future research. Exploratory projects may be supported by awards as large as $250,000. Most exploratory projects will extend from one to two years in duration.
(Note that the amounts listed above are total budgets over the duration of the project, including both direct and indirect costs.)
Proposals seeking IBSS support may address any topic, issue, or problem. Researchers are encouraged to pursue research on one of the four cross-cutting themes identified in the Rebuilding the Mosaic report (population change; sources of disparities; communication, language, and linguistics; and technology, new media, and social networks), but the IBSS competition will be open and receptive to other topics that address topics having theoretical and societal significance.
Proposals submitted for IBSS funding should focus on basic research projects. Development of new methods, collection of new databases of broader value, engagement in education and training activities, and/or other forms of infrastructural activity may be a part of the project's activities, but the project's primary emphasis should be on scientifically exploring the validity of answers to focused, theoretically based questions.
Researchers who are interested in submitting proposals for IBSS funding should take special note of the special review criteria that will be used in the IBSS competition. In addition to asking reviewers to assess the intellectual merit and potential broader impacts of a project, IBSS program officers will seek their assessment of the breadth of disciplinary participation in the work of the project's research team, the breadth of research approaches to be used in the conduct of the project, and the breadth of the disciplinary communities that will benefit from project results. As a general principle, projects that display more breadth in these different categories will be at a competitive advantage over more narrowly focused projects, provided that the quality and significance of the research to be conducted is maintained.
Investigators submitting proposals for the IBSS competition should be aware that proposals will be evaluated by reviewers drawn from the full range of SBE disciplines. They therefore should prepare their proposals in ways that will make them readily understandable by a diverse set of reviewers.
Projects for which IBSS support is sought must include at least three individuals as members of the project's senior personnel, and these individuals must be associated with two or more different SBE disciplinary fields. IBSS is especially interested in supporting teams that range across relevant SBE disciplines. Researchers from other non-SBE disciplines may also serve as members of research teams if their expertise will help advance the conduct of the proposed research. In some cases, NSF programs outside the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences may be willing to co-review a proposal with IBSS.
All SBE program officers will be assisting in the identification of reviewers from across the full range of SBE sciences to evaluate IBSS proposals, so co-review will not be pursued between IBSS and other SBE programs and competitions. Because NSF rules prohibit submission of multiple versions of the same substantive proposals to NSF for review at the same time, investigators should carefully consider whether to submit their project proposal to IBSS, to submit it for another interdisciplinary competition, or to submit it for review by one or more regular programs. Projects that are more narrowly focused in terms of their research team composition, their methodological breadth, and/or their theoretical, methodological, and/or other kinds of contributions may be better suited for submission to specific competitions or for review (or co-review) by one or more SBE regular programs. Projects that are especially well suited for consideration by other competitions may be better evaluated in those competitions.
Many regular SBE programs are interdisciplinary in character, and all regular SBE programs encourage and support interdisciplinary research that draws on and offers promise of advancing theoretical and methodological work within the communities that they serve. As noted above and as referenced in the Dear Colleague Letter for Interdisciplinary Research Across the SBE Sciences [located under Related URLs on this program's web site], NSF/SBE provides some matching funds for regular SBE programs to facilitate their support of interdisciplinary research projects reviewed independently or co-reviewed by multiple programs. Investigators do not need to make any special designations within their proposal to enable SBE program officers to seek these matching funds.
III. Award Information
Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.
Project budgets should be developed at scales appropriate for the project to be conducted.
This competition will support awards of varying size. The maximum level of support for an IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Project will be $1,000,000. The maximum level of support for an IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Project will be $250,000. (Amounts listed above are total budgets over the duration of the project, including both direct and indirect costs.)
Projects should be for the length of time necessary to effectively conduct the project. No IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Project award may be more than five years in duration. No IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Project award may be more than two years in duration.
IV. Eligibility Information
The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E.
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1
An individual may serve as one of the senior personnel on only one IBSS proposal submitted in response to this solicitation during a single fiscal year. This limitation applies regardless of whether a person serving as one of the senior personnel on a project is supported directly by the award or through a subaward. This limitation extends across both types of proposals. An individual may therefore be one of the senior personnel on only one IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Project proposal or one IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Project proposal. All individuals serving as one of the senior personnel on a project are required to provide signed statements as supplementary documents that specify that the specific proposal is the only proposal for which they are serving as one of the senior personnel.
All proposals must include three or more senior personnel from at least two different SBE disciplinary fields.
For the purposes of this solicitation, senior personnel include the Principal Investigator (PI), any co-PIs, and any other researchers actively involved in the scientific or technical management of the project. It does not include students, postdocs, or consultants who provide specific expertise on a limited portion of the project.
Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be returned without review.
These restrictions apply to this IBSS solicitation only and do not restrict the submission of proposals by investigators to other NSF activities or programs.
V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
- Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program 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/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov. Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number 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.
- Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov.
Proposal Format
Proposals not in conformance with the proposal-preparation requirements of the GPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide will be returned without review.
Be sure to adhere to formatting requirements as specified in the Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide, and be sure to number pages within each section of the proposal, especially the Project Description.
Personnel Definitions
This program solicitation requests material about the personnel involved in the project. Please use the following definitions to provide the corresponding information:
- Principal Investigators -- Individuals who will assume responsibility for an award resulting from this competition, who will help manage the award, and who are listed on the cover sheet of the proposal.
- Senior Personnel -- All Principal Investigators, any other named senior personnel who will receive salary support, and any non-salaried senior investigators who will play lead roles in the conduct of the project. This group may include active participants in the research team from outside the U.S.
- Project Participants -- Every person involved with the research project, including students.
Proposal Sections to Be Prepared as Directed in the Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.
The following sections of the proposal are mandatory and should be prepared in accordance with instructions regarding those sections in the Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide:
- Project Summary
- References Cited
- Biographical Sketches
- Budgets
- Current and Pending Support
- Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
Proposal Sections with Special Instructions for Proposals Submitted in Response to This Solicitation
The following sections of the proposal are mandatory and should be prepared in accordance to the following supplementary instructions as well as to guidance in the Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.
Proposal Cover Sheet
For the program solicitation number, use the number listed at the top of this solicitation. (Grants.gov users: The program solicitation number will be pre-populated by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page.)
For the NSF organizational unit, select SMA-Interdiscp Behav&SocSci IBSS. If you want your proposal to be co-reviewed by other programs not in the NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, you may specify one or more additional programs but please be aware that other programs are not obligated to co-review a proposal with IBSS, and SBE programs will not co-review proposals submitted to IBSS. (Grants.gov users: Refer to Section VI.1.2. of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide for specific instructions on how to designate the NSF Unit of Consideration.)
The title of the proposal should describe the project in concise, informative language so that a scientifically or technically literate reader could understand what the project is about. The title of the proposal should specify one of the following prefixes to designate the specific kind of proposal being submitted, with the substantive title of the project following the prefix:
- IBSS: (This prefix is used for an IBSS large interdisciplinary project.)
- IBSS-Ex: (This prefix is used for an IBSS interdisciplinary team exploratory project.)
Provide complete information requested on the cover sheet for the principal investigator (PI) and for up to four co-principal investigators (co-PIs), including current contact information.
Project Description
The page limit for the project description of any proposal submitted for the IBSS competition is 15 pages.
1. IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Projects.
With the exceptions noted below, proposers may organize the different components of the project description as they wish. The following sections MUST be included under separate headings in the project description:
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Results from Prior NSF Support. This section is required only for principal investigators and co- principal investigators who have received NSF funding in the last five years. (This section may be up to five pages in length, although PIs should be aware that evaluation of the IBSS proposal will focus predominantly on plans for future interdisciplinary research, not on past accomplishments.)
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Management Plan. The following information should be provided: (1) a description of the management structure that will enable the team to work effectively; and (2) specification of the qualifications of each of the senior personnel as well as the contribution they are expected to make to the project. This section increases in importance as the number of senior personnel or institutions involved in the project increases. (This section is usually from 1/2 page to 1 page in length).
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Expected Project Significance. This section should clearly specify what proposers expect will be the results and contributions of the project. The section should describe both the anticipated intellectual merit of the proposed work as well as its anticipated broader impacts. (This section is usually from 1/2 page to 1 page in length.)
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Interdisciplinary Character of the Project. This section should specify the disciplinary mix of the researchers undertaking this project, the disciplinary mix of the methods to be used in the conduct of the project, and the contributions that the project is expected to make to different disciplinary communities as well as to broader knowledge in the SBE sciences. (This section is usually about 1/4 page to 1/2 page in length.)
2. IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Projects
With the exceptions noted below, proposers may organize the different components of the project description as they wish. The following sections MUST be included under separate headings in the project description:
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Results from Prior NSF Support. This section is required only for principal investigators and co- principal investigators who have received NSF funding in the last five years. (This section may be up to five pages in length, although PIs should be aware that evaluation of the IBSS proposal will focus predominantly on plans for future interdisciplinary research, not on past accomplishments.)
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Expected Project Significance. This section should clearly specify what proposers expect will be the results and contributions of the project. The section should describe both the anticipated intellectual merit of the proposed work as well as its anticipated broader impacts. (This section is usually about 1 page in length.)
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Interdisciplinary Character of the Project. This section should specify the disciplinary mix of the researchers undertaking this project, the disciplinary mix of the methods to be used in the conduct of the project, and the contributions that the project is expected to make to different disciplinary communities as well as to broader knowledge in the SBE sciences. (This section is usually about 1/4 page to 1/2 page in length.)
Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
As a reminder, if the proposal requests support for one or more postdoctoral researchers, a one-page statement describing the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals must be included as a supplementary document as specified in the Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.
Following are supplementary documents for which special instructions are provided for proposals submitted in response to this solicitation that supplement guidance in the Grant Proposal Guide and the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide:
Data-Management Plan
As specified in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide, all proposals must include as a supplementary document a plan for data management and sharing the products of research. The data-management plan to be submitted with a proposal must be no longer than two (2) pages in length and must be included as a supplementary document. In preparing their data-management plans, PIs should address all five of the points specified in the GPG. PIs are especially encouraged to specify how they intend to make data, software, and other products of the research readily available to potential users through institutionally based archives, repositories, and/or distribution networks so that the products have easy access for long time periods.
Confirmation Statements from All Senior Personnel
Because an individual may serve as one of the senior personnel on only one IBSS proposal submitted in response to this solicitation during a single fiscal year, each person who will serve as the senior personnel for a project described in a proposal must include a statement that confirms their participation in this project and that specifies that they are not participating as a PI, co-PI, or member of the senior personnel on any other project seeking IBSS support this fiscal year.
The following statement from each individual serving as a member of the senior personnel on a project must be included as a supplementary document in the proposal. (This statement may be in the form of a signed statement or a statement sent by e-mail to the PI.)
To: NSF Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science (IBSS) Research Competition
From: ____________________________________
(Printed name of the individual collaborator or name of the organization and name and position of the official submitting this memo)By signing or transmitting this message electronically, I acknowledge that I am a PI, co-PI, or other member of the senior personnel for the project outlined in the proposal titled "_____(proposal title)_______," with _______(PI name)______ as the Principal Investigator.
In addition, I confirm that I am not a PI, co-PI, or other member of the senior personnel for any other project submitted for the IBSS competition this fiscal year.Signed: _______________________
Organization: ________________________________
Date: _________________________
If an individual is involved as PI, co-PI, or other member of the senior personnel on two or more IBSS proposals submitted during this fiscal year, all proposals with which that person is associated will be returned without review.
Letters of Collaboration or Letters of Commitment
Brief statements, whether written as letters or as free-standing e-mail messages from individuals and/or organizations that will work with the PIs and/or provide support for the proposed project, may be included as supplementary documents. Such letters are not needed from individuals included as senior personnel on a project or from subawardee organizations, because their involvement in the project is affirmed by the inclusion of their biographical sketches and/or subaward budgets.
Letters of collaboration or letters of commitment should focus on the willingness of the letter's author to collaborate or provide support for the project in ways that have been outlined in the proposal. Such letters should not argue for support of the project by articulating in greater detail what activities the collaborator will undertake and/or by elaborating reasons for supporting the project. Such additional text may be included in the project description of the proposal but is not permitted in a supplementary document.
IBSS program directors recommend the use of a template like one of the following for letters of collaboration or letters of commitment. If one of these templates or very similar text is not used, the text provided by the letter's author should be equally brief and to-the-point. Inclusion of longer letters may result in the PIs being forced to remove such letters (with no other changes to the proposal permitted), or NSF may return the proposal without review.
Suggested template for a letter of collaboration. (This statement may be in the form of a signed statement or a statement sent by e-mail to the PI.)
To: NSF Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science (IBSS) Research Competition
From: ____________________________________
(Printed name of the individual collaborator or name of the organization and name and position of the official submitting this memo)By signing or transmitting this message electronically, I acknowledge that I am listed as a collaborator on the proposal titled "_____(proposal title)_______," with _______(PI name)______ as the Principal Investigator. I agree to undertake the tasks associated with me as described in the project description of this proposal.
Signed: _______________________
Organization: ________________________________
Date: _________________________
Suggested template for a letter of commitment. (This statement may be in the form of a signed statement or a statement sent by e-mail to the PI.)
To: NSF Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science (IBSS) Research Competition
From: ____________________________________
(Printed name of the individual collaborator or name of the organization and name and position of the official submitting this memo)By signing or transmitting this message electronically, I acknowledge that I will assist the investigator(s) in the conduct of work outlined in the proposal titled "_____(proposal title)_______," with _______(PI name)______ as the Principal Investigator. I commit to provide or make available the resources designated in the proposal.
Signed: _______________________
Organization: ________________________________
Date: _________________________
Lengthier letters from others that articulate what activities a collaborator may undertake and/or that provide arguments for support of a project may be included in the project description, although inclusion of such letters must be accommodated within the 15 pages permitted in the project description.
IRB and/or IACUC Certifications
If the submitting organization's Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved plans for research involving human subjects or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has approved research involving vertebrate animals, certification of that may be included on appropriate sections of the cover sheet. Documentation of the certification may be included as a supplementary document, but that is not required if sufficient information is provided by the sponsored research office on the cover sheet of the proposal.
If the IRB and/or IACUC have not approved the research plans when the proposal is submitted, the appropriate box(es) should be checked on the cover sheet and "Pending" should be listed on the line that follows. If IRB or IACUC approval is granted while the proposal is under review at NSF, certification of the approval should be sent to the managing IBSS program director. If the IRB or IACUC asks that plans be forwarded to it for approval, have the application ready to go, because notification from the program director that she/he would like to recommend the proposal for an award may come with a very brief time period during which necessary materials (including the IRB or IACUC certification) must be obtained. If the required certifications cannot be supplied quickly, IBSS program directors may have to turn their attention to other meritorious projects that can be funded right away.
Most IRB or IACUC approvals are valid for specific time periods. If the expiration of the current approval will occur before or soon after the possible start date for an award, be prepared to seek renewal of the approval so that you have active certification if you are informed the proposal will be recommended for funding. Once you receive written certification that your renewal has been approved, forward it to the managing program officer of your proposal.
Other Supplementary Documents
Permits that demonstrate that permission has been granted to work at a specific study site, to have access to specific collections or other resources, or other forms of documentation may be included as supplementary documents, although as is true with letters of collaboration or letters of commitment, text must be direct and not include additional comments arguing for support of the project, because such additional text belongs in the project description.
Unless authorized here or in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide, no other materials should be included in this section. Survey or interview protocols are not permitted in this section, nor are reprints of articles previously published by the investigators. Proposals that include materials in this section that belong in the project description may be returned without review.
Appendices
No appendices are permitted.
Other Issues to Address When Preparing a Proposal for This Solicitation
Proposals Involving Multiple Organizations
In the case of proposals involving multiple organizations, a single organization must be identified as the lead, and a single proposal describing the entire project must be submitted by that organization. Funds may be distributed among partner organizations via subawards from the lead organization. A budget on the standard NSF budget form should be submitted for each subawardee. The requirement for a single organization to submit the sole proposal for a project is designed to facilitate effective coordination among participating organizations and to avoid difficulties that ensue in funded projects when individuals change organizations and/or cease to fulfill project responsibilities.
Of the two types of collaborative proposal formats described in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide, this solicitation allows only a single proposal submission with subawards administered by that lead organization. Direct submission of linked collaborative sets of proposals by multiple organizations is not permitted.
Proposals Involving Collaborators at Foreign Organizations
Proposers are reminded they must provide biographical sketches of all senior project personnel, including those associated with foreign organizations, and letters of collaboration should be provided as supplementary documents from organizations that will not be supported through subawards.
While non-U.S. institutions are generally not eligible to submit proposals to this competition, the lead U.S. institution may, in limited cases, request funding for non-U.S. institutions through subawards. As described in Chapter V, Section D.1.b of the NSF Award and Administration Guide, indirect costs may not be charged by a non-U.S. organization unless that organization has a previously negotiated rate with a U.S. federal agency.
Subawards
In accordance with the applicable award terms and conditions, proposers are reminded of their responsibilities with regard to subawardees. Should an award be made, the prime awardee is responsible for flowing down the appropriate terms and conditions to, as well as management and oversight of, any subawardees on the project, including any foreign subawardees.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited
Other Budgetary Limitations:
NSF intends to make awards across a range of sizes as specified for the following types of awards:
- IBSS Large Interdisciplinary Research Projects may be supported by awards as large as $1,000,000.
- IBSS Interdisciplinary Team Exploratory Projects may be supported by awards as large as $250,000.
Budgets should be developed at scales appropriate for the project to be conducted.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
All subaward budgets with narrative justification should be submitted following the budget and narrative justification from the submitting organization. Submitting organizations should make sure that all subawardees have valid DUNS numbers.
C. Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
January 23, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 03, 2013
Full proposal submission deadline
December 02, 2014
Full proposal submission deadline
These are the proposal-submission deadline dates for all proposals to be considered in the IBSS competition.
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
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For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:
Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of 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 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.
- For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:
Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. Comprehensive information about using Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage: http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.
Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.
VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures
Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF 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 either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with 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. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending final action on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards. A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposal and award process (and associated timeline) is included in the GPG as Exhibit III-1.
A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/meritreview/.
Proposers should also be aware of core strategies that are essential to the fulfillment of NSF's mission, as articulated in Empowering the Nation Through Discovery and Innovation: NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2011-2016. These strategies are integrated in the program planning and implementation process, of which proposal review is one part. NSF's mission is particularly well-implemented through the integration of research and education and broadening participation in NSF programs, projects, and activities.
One of the core strategies in support of NSF's mission 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 variety of learning perspectives.
Another core strategy in support of NSF's mission is broadening opportunities and expanding participation of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which 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.
A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria
The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge and enables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education. To identify which projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." NSF makes every effort to conduct a fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects.
1. Merit Review Principles
These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, by reviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommend proposals for funding and while overseeing awards. Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply:
- All NSF projects should be of the highest quality and have the potential to advance, if not transform, the frontiers of knowledge.
- NSF projects, in the aggregate, should contribute more broadly to achieving societal goals. These "Broader Impacts" may be accomplished through the research itself, through activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. The project activities may be based on previously established and/or innovative methods and approaches, but in either case must be well justified.
- Meaningful assessment and evaluation of NSF funded projects should be based on appropriate metrics, keeping in mind the likely correlation between the effect of broader impacts and the resources provided to implement projects. If the size of the activity is limited, evaluation of that activity in isolation is not likely to be meaningful. Thus, assessing the effectiveness of these activities may best be done at a higher, more aggregated, level than the individual project.
With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregated level, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project. Thus, individual projects should include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to document the outputs of those activities.
These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of the criteria can better understand their intent.
2. Merit Review Criteria
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i. contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal.) Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i., prior to the review of a proposal.
When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria:
- Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and
- Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:
- What is the potential for the proposed activity to
- Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
- Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
- To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
- Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
- How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?
- Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?
Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.
Proposers are reminded that reviewers will also be asked to review the Data Management Plan and the Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan, as appropriate.
Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria
In addition to considering the intellectual merit and broader impacts of a proposed project, IBSS proposals will be judged with respect to three different dimensions of their interdisciplinarity:
- The first dimension is the interdisciplinarity of the research team, with emphasis placed on the breadth of the disciplinary communities from which they came and on the degree to which they will work together in an integrated way rather than working independently.
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The second dimension is the interdisciplinarity of the research approaches to be used, with emphasis again placed on breadth in terms of the integration of different kinds of methods from different disciplines.
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The third dimension is the interdisciplinarity of the expected intellectual significance of the research results, with emphasis placed on the degree to which results are expected to enhance theories and/or methodological approaches or have other stimulating and/or catalytic impact across a range of disciplinary fields.
As a general principle, projects that display more breadth in these different dimensions will be at a competitive advantage over more narrowly focused projects.
Investigators are encouraged to directly address these three dimensions in the "Interdisciplinary Character of the Project" section of the project description.
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 nsfpubs@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.
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 prior to the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require submission of more frequent project reports). Within 90 days following expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report, and a project outcomes report for the general public.
Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report, will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for all identified PIs and co-PIs on a given award. 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 Research.gov, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on accomplishments, project participants (individual and organizational), publications, and other specific products and impacts of the project. Submission of the report via Research.gov constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The project outcomes report also must be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of the nature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI.
More comprehensive information on NSF Reporting Requirements 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.
VIII. Agency Contacts
Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
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Thomas J. Baerwald, telephone: (703) 292-7301, email: tbaerwal@nsf.gov
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Brian D. Humes, telephone: (703) 292-7284, email: bhumes@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
- FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
- Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.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, National Science Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service 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 when new publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the NSF web site.
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 55,000 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 Arctic 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
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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; 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 3145-0058. 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 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
