Dear Colleague:
As you may know, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has developed a system called FastLane that uses Web technology to receive and to process proposal and award material electronically. Information concerning this system is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. I hope to have your cooperation and help as the National Science Foundation, including the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), works toward complete implementation of the FastLane system.
The workload at NSF has grown dramatically over the past decade, while staffing numbers have remained relatively stable. With the enactment of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), and the emphasis on a more efficient, effective government, all agencies are being asked to improve processes and provide higher quality service to their customers. We believe that the use of modern information technology, such as FastLane, can help us respond to these increased demands. Based on experience to date with FastLane, electronic submission benefits both SBE staff and proposal submitters. It allows us to access data on proposals and respond to your inquiries more quickly and effectively.
More than a thousand institutions have used the Foundation's FastLane system, and SBE makes very few awards to any institutions that are not already participating in FastLane in some way. I am confident that your institution can offer you the support you need to submit your proposals via FastLane. The system includes provision for proposals from individuals, for example, for some postdoctoral fellowship opportunities.
If you are not already doing so, I strongly encourage you to begin submitting your proposals to the SBE Directorate via FastLane. The SBE Directorate includes the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), the Division of Science Resources Studies (SRS), as well as the Division of International Programs (INT), which deals with all fields of science and engineering at NSF.
Should you have any questions about using FastLane that are not answered by your Office of Sponsored Research, or at the FastLane website (http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/), please contact FastLane staff by email (fastlane@nsf.gov) for expert advice. You may also contact a FastLane expert in the relevant division of SBE: SES (sesfl@nsf.gov), BCS (bcsfl@nsf.gov), SRS (srsfl@nsf.gov), or INT (intfl@nsf.gov).
Please note the deadline for implementation in the attached notice and post or distribute this message to as many of your colleagues as possible. We look forward to working with you in this important endeavor. We believe that it will enhance the proposal process for everyone.
With best wishes,
Bennett I. Bertenthal
Assistant Director
Attachment: NSF Important Notice #123
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636. 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 regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1-800-877-8339. The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published materials, please contact us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov. |