Title: Biocomplexity: Special Competition 2000
Date: December 3, 1999
NSF 00-22
BIOCOMPLEXITY: SPECIAL COMPETITION
Integrated Research to Understand and Model Complexity Among
Biological, Physical, and Social Systems
Program Announcement
DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIRECTORATE FOR COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
DIRECTORATE FOR ENGINEERING
DIRECTORATE FOR GEOSCIENCES
DIRECTORATE FOR MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
DIRECTORATE FOR SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES
OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS
DEADLINE DATES:
MESSAGE OF INTENT - JANUARY 31, 2000
RESEARCH PROPOSALS - MARCH 1, 2000
INCUBATION ACTIVITIES - MARCH 1, 2000
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
_________________________________________________________________
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants
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 Web site at:
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_________________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Program Name: Biocomplexity: Special Competition:
Integrated Research to Understand and Model Complexity Among
Biological, Physical, and Social Systems
Short Description/Synopsis of Program:
This special competition is the second year of a multi-year
effort to enhance our understanding of the nature and dynamics of
biocomplexity in the environment. Specifically, this special
competition will support integrated research to better understand
and model complexity that arises from the interaction of
biological, physical, and social systems. Biocomplexity arises
from dynamics spanning several levels within a system, between
systems, and/or across multiple spatial (microns to thousands of
kilometers) and temporal (nanoseconds to eons) scales. This
special competition will specifically support Research Projects
which directly explore nonlinearities, chaotic behavior, emergent
phenomena or feedbacks within and between systems and/or
integrate across multiple components or scales of time and space
in order to better understand and predict the dynamic behavior of
systems. The competition will also support Incubation Activities
that enable groups of researchers who have not historically
collaborated on biocomplexity research to develop projects via
focused workshops, virtual meetings, and other types of
development and planning activities.
Cognizant Program Officers:
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Ted Elliott
Phone: (703) 306-1479
E-mail: eelliott@nsf.gov
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Y. T. Chien
Phone: (703) 306-1980
E-mail: ytchien@nsf.gov
Engineering (ENG)
Gary Poehlein
Phone: (703) 306-1365
E-mail: gpoehlei@nsf.gov
Geosciences (GEO)
Phil Taylor
Phone: (703) 306-1587
E-mail: prtaylor@nsf.gov
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Jim Rosenberger
Phone: (703) 306-1883
E-mail: jrosenbe@nsf.gov
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Cheryl Eavey
Phone: (703) 306-1729
E-mail: ceavey@nsf.gov
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Polly Penhale
Phone: (703) 306-1033
E-mail: ppenhale@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.:
47.074 (BIO), 47.070 (CISE), 47.041 (ENG), 47.050 (GEO), 47.049
(MPS), 47.075 (SBE), 47.078 (OPP)
ELIGIBILITY
- Limitation on the categories of organizations that are
eligible to submit proposals:
U.S. institutions that are eligible for awards from the National
Science Foundation, including colleges, universities, and other
nonprofit research institutions such as botanical gardens, marine
and freshwater institutes, and natural history museums may submit
proposals. The NSF encourages collaborations with scientists at
foreign institutions; however, primary support for any foreign
participants/activities must be secured through their own
national sources.
- Limitation on number of proposals that may be submitted by a
PI: A Principal Investigator may submit only one proposal to this
competition and he/she may only collaborate on one other proposal
as a Co-Principal Investigator in this competition.
- Limitation on eligible topics:
NSF does not normally support technical assistance, pilot plan
efforts, research requiring security classification, the
development of products for commercial marketing or market
research for a particular project or invention. Research with
disease-related goals, including work on the etiology, diagnosis
or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality, or
malfunction in human beings or animals, is normally not
supported. Animal models of such conditions or the development or
testing of drugs or other procedures for their treatment also are
not eligible for support. Research in bioengineering, with
diagnosis or treatment related goals, however, that applies
engineering principles to problems in biology and medicine while
advancing engineering knowledge is eligible for support.
Bioengineering research to aid persons with disabilities is also
eligible.
- Limitation on the number of proposals that may be submitted
by an organization:
Proposals already submitted to other NSF programs are not
eligible for consideration by this special competition. However,
NSF will simultaneously review proposals submitted to another
Federal agency when both agencies have agreed to joint review and
joint funding of the proposal.
AWARD INFORMATION
- Type of award anticipated: Standard Grants
- Balance of awards anticipated in FY 2000: 90% of funds
available for Research Projects 10% of funds available for
Incubation Activities
- Amount of funds available: $50 million will be available for
this competition in FY 2000
- Anticipated date of awards: September 2000
PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
- Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Message of Intent requirements: Strongly Encouraged
- Pre-proposal requirements: None
- Proposal Preparation instructions:
Standard NSF Grant Proposal Guide instructions and additional
instructions specific to this announcement
- Supplemental proposal preparation instructions:
For research in Arctic regions, the Arctic Logistics
Coordination form (see NSF-98-72) must accompany all
submissions proposing fieldwork. NSF-UNOLS Ship Time Request
Form must accompany all proposals requesting ship time. For
research in the Antarctic, the Operational Requirements Cover
Sheet and necessary worksheets must be submitted as described
in NSF 99-93.
- Budgetary Information
- Cost sharing/matching requirements: None
- Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None
- Other budgetary limitations:
Research Projects can be up to 5 years in duration. Annual
budgets may be up to $600,000, with budgets up to $1 million
each year possible if extremely well justified.
Incubation Activities can be up to two years duration with
total budgets not to exceed $100,000 and cannot be renewed.
- FastLane Requirements
- FastLane proposal preparation requirements: FastLane
submission required
- FastLane point of contact:
For technical assistance with FastLane, please send an e-mail
message to biofl@nsf.gov.
- Deadline/Target Dates
- Messages of Intent Deadline: 5:00 p.m., January 31, 2000 *
- Research Proposal Deadline: 5:00 p.m., March 1, 2000 *
- Incubation Activities Proposal Deadline: 5:00 p.m., March 1,
2000 *
* submitter's local time
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
- Merit Review Criteria: Standard National Science Board
approved criteria
AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
- Grant Award Conditions: GC-1 or FDP III
- Special grant conditions anticipated: None anticipated
- Special reporting requirements anticipated: All successful
Research Project PIs are required to attend the annual awardees
meeting at a date and place to be specified by NSF, during the
tenure of the award, and to plan for a formal site visit by NSF
at the midpoint of an award.
__________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Biocomplexity refers to phenomena that result from dynamic
interactions among the biological, physical and social components
of the Earth's diverse environmental systems. We commonly
experience these phenomena as the "whole being greater than the
sum of the parts." Biocomplexity arises from the interplay
between life and its environment, i.e., from the behavioral,
biological, social, chemical and physical interactions that
affect, sustain, or are modified by living organisms, including
humans.
All systems associated with life, including human systems,
exhibit biocomplexity. Population oscillations, host-parasite
interactions, pathogen response to El Nino events, human
responses to environmental stimuli, and bioreactor instability
are but a few examples of complex behaviors exhibited by
environmental systems defined or influenced by living organisms.
Since nonlinear or chaotic behavior, emergent phenomena, and
interactions involving multiple levels of biological organization
and/or multiple spatial (microns to thousands of kilometers) and
temporal (nanoseconds to eons) scales often identify
Biocomplexity, it is difficult to describe and study
experimentally. This greatly restricts our ability to predict the
behavior of most systems with living organisms, including those
formed via human activity.
Breaking such systems into their component parts and studying
them separately cannot lead to complete understanding. At some
point, the system as a whole must be studied to identify emergent
behaviors. In addition to a holistic approach, a clear,
integrated conceptual framework for analysis is required. Such
research is integrated formally and a priori, rather than by
relying on ad hoc analysis of results collected at different
times and places. At the same time the paradigms used to probe
the complete system must be designed on the basis of the known
properties of the components of the system.
Major questions about biocomplexity remain unanswered. How does
complexity among biological, physical and social systems within
the environment arise and change? How do emergent properties
develop? How do systems with living components, including those
that are human based, respond and adapt to stress? How does
information and material move within and across levels in
systems? Are adaptation and change predictable? How do humans
influence and respond to biocomplexity in natural systems?
Decades of fruitful research, following the reductionist
paradigm, generated a vast wealth of knowledge about the living
and non-living subcomponents of many environmental systems. Now
researchers from a broad spectrum of fields, armed with
burgeoning databases and a new array of computational,
observational, and analytical tools can undertake the integrative
research necessary to tackle biocomplexity. The study of
biocomplexity offers many challenges to modeling methods,
including mathematical and computational ones. Descriptions of
aggregate behavior, nonlinear phenomena, networks with
distributed or local control, or combinations of continuous and
discrete behavior as well as new visualization methods can be
applied to address biocomplexity. Genome sequencing, DNA-chips,
robotics, computer simulations, new sensors and monitoring
systems, along with satellite-based imaging of the land and seas,
all contribute to the flood of data relevant to the understanding
of biocomplexity. Knowledge discovery techniques (e.g.,
datamining, visualization, summarization, trend extraction, etc.)
are being developed to convert the volumes of data into new
knowledge.
The challenge of understanding biocomplexity in the environment
requires sophisticated and creative approaches that integrate
information across temporal and spatial scales, consider multiple
levels of organization, and cross-conceptual boundaries.
Advancing our understanding of the nature and role of
biocomplexity demands increased attention and new collaborations
of researchers from a broad spectrum of fields -- biology,
physics, chemistry, ecology, geology, hydrology, mathematics,
statistics, social and behavioral sciences, computer sciences and
engineering.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Biocomplexity presents an exciting intellectual opportunity for
researchers in many disciplines. It is also an especially
important and timely initiative because humans are not only
complex biological systems themselves but also impact the
environment directly and dramatically at the systems level, for
example, through their requirements for food, fuel, living space
and resources for their socioeconomic enterprises. Talented
researchers now have the tools to take up the challenge.
However, while an integrated approach to biocomplexity in the
environment may be for some systems, not all systems or
researchers are ready for this type of research. Therefore, in
this Biocomplexity Special Competition NSF will support both
Research Projects and Incubation Activities.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Competitive Research Projects will be those that take a systems-
level approach; i.e., focus holistically on questions central to
biocomplexity, e.g., those related to nonlinearities and
feedbacks or involving explicit and a priori integration across
multiple components or scales of time and space, and on which use
an conceptual, mathematical or computational model, computer
simulation, or artificial intelligence techniques to direct the
research. Mathematical models must include estimates of the
uncertainty in model predictions, e.g., misclassification rates,
prediction accuracy, generalizability. All experiments or
simulations should have sufficient sample size and be designed
with an explicit analysis confirming the ability to demonstrate
the hypothesized behavior of the models to within an acceptable
prescribed level of precision, e.g., statistical power. Projects
may also include the enhancement or development of new tools or
techniques for the study of biocomplexity. All Research Projects
are expected to involve researchers from several fields, with at
least one quantitative expert, i.e., modeler, mathematician or
statistician, on the research team, collaborating in groups or
virtual centers.
Non-exclusive examples of possible Biocomplexity Research areas
are:
- Complexity in the present day Antarctic dry valleys is
governed by the interactions between paleoenvironmental
conditions and short term fluctuations in modern physical and
chemical processes. In addition, the most dynamic ecosystem
activities occur over extremely small spatial scales. Research
that integrates paleo and present day conditions and microscale
and mesoscale phenomena is needed to better interpret and model
the behavior of these extreme ecosystems.
- In order to understand land cover change processes, we need
to better understand the impact of the constructed environment,
human activities and social structures on ecosystem functions.
For example, what is the affect of property rights allocations or
cultural norms on the rate of deforestation in a given area?
Research on these complex processes requires the collaborative
efforts of scientists from a number of disciplines, including
engineering and social, behavioral, biological, and computer
sciences.
- As humans spread out of the tropics 100,000 or more years
ago, they encountered a diversity of environments, necessitating
adaptation to new diets, climates, infectious diseases and other
stressors. Understanding the complex interplay of social
institutions, behavior, and genetic change through time and space
are key to unraveling the origins and extent of modern human
diversity and our adaptations as a species.
- The environmental impact of industrial products over the
long term is still not adequately understood. As new materials
evolve and come into use, the impact of human endeavors on the
environment will change. How can materials be designed to be
resilient during use but biodegradable once discarded? What are
the factors during production, use and disposal that must be
considered in order to design materials with minimal
environmental impact?
- Recent studies suggest that ecosystem processes are
influenced by species diversity. However, the mechanisms are
unclear. Research that tests mechanistic models relating species
diversity of various groups of organisms to ecosystem
productivity and response to disturbance may help unravel this
puzzle. Such studies may help determine whether and how shifts in
species diversity due to human activities broadly affect
ecological functioning and are important to factor into economic
models for sustainable ecosystem management.
- Biological invasions involve complex human and biological
interactions at a variety of scales, from the very local and
short term to the international and long term. Quantitative
approaches that are required to understand biological invasions
include: population models to analyze how characteristics of
invader species and invaded communities affect each step of the
invasion process, statistical meta-analysis of case studies to
help identify general patterns in the characteristics of
invaders, vectors, invaded communities and ecological impacts,
and quantitative analyses of the impacts of human interests,
including health, economics, and cultural values, on species
invasions.
- Many geological processes, as well as those that operate on
geological media and on materials used in the constructed
environment and which were long thought to be strictly
"inorganic" are now know to be directly or indirectly
biologically controlled. Tools (e.g., molecular sequencing,
laser confocal and atomic force microscopy, and environmental
scanning electron microscopy) are now available to investigate
the diverse, complex interactions between microbes and minerals.
Some important themes to pursue in biocomplexity,
geomicrobiology, and infrastructure stability include: formation
and change through time of sediments and rock materials,
microbial control of chemical composition of soils and the impact
of microbial consortia on man-made structures.
- Marine organisms interact with the atmosphere by taking up
or releasing trace gases that influence both the world's heat
balance and the screening of harmful UV-B radiation. Nitrous
oxide, dimethyl sulfide, methane, and methyl halides all have
complex biological sources and sinks in marine systems. Each
affects the heat balance of the earth, and some impact
stratospheric ozone, which leads to increases in UV-B radiation,
that in turn potentially can alter marine community structure,
rates of photochemical transformation of dissolved organic
matter, and thus carbon cycling in surface waters. These complex
interactions and feedbacks, which are the hallmarks of trace gas
dynamics between ocean and atmosphere, need to be investigated
with regard to their biology.
- Single celled animals (protists) are key to understanding
the evolution of more advanced organisms. Some species that
reside in insect hind-guts contain within them organelles that
are genetically related to mitochondria (the energy producing
system in cells) and evolve hydrogen. There are other
microorganisms that cluster around these organelles and use the
hydrogen evolved for their own metabolism. The whole system is
complex but modern genomic approaches make it possible to
understand the dynamics of the system and its evolution.
- The nature and extent of interactivity between molecular
scale phenomena and environmental factors and stressors is not
well understood. For example, how are cellular processes such as
self-replication and biosynthesis affected by changes in mineral
composition, pollutants, or radiation levels? How has the
mechanism of nutrient acquisition by organisms been shaped by
competition from other organisms? Does competition for nutrients,
or lack of it, result in discernable patterns in availability of
particular nutrients?
- Biological networks (e.g., interacting genes, neurons,
mycorrhizal fungi, plant roots), present an area where molecular,
cellular and organismic biologists working with computer
scientists (both software and hardware) can make progress in
exploring very large-scale network problems. Thousands of
interacting elements which determine emergent patterns can be
represented as massive parameter spaces, and understood using
computationally efficient methods.
- In many instances (locomotion, aggregation behavior,
chemotaxis, etc.) sensors encode multimodal environmental stimuli
(visual, mechanical and chemical) in nonlinear ways and process
these through nonlinear filters. Responses to these stimuli
modulate the sensitivity of the systems to stimuli. Moreover,
memory and plasticity further confound simple linear analyses.
Information is processed very fast, in adaptive and flexible
ways, spanning a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
Biologists, in collaboration with computer scientists, need to
develop adaptive and robust models and efficient algorithms for
representing and understanding biological systems.
INCUBATION ACTIVITIES
NSF also recognizes the need to enable groups of researchers who
have not historically collaborated on Biocomplexity research.
Consequently, Incubation Activities, or small grants to support
focused workshops, virtual meetings, and to develop management
and research interactions that could have a large payoff relative
to the resources required, will be supported as part of this
Special Competition.
ELIGIBILITY
U.S. institutions that are eligible for awards from the National
Science Foundation, including colleges, universities, and other
nonprofit research institutions such as botanical gardens, marine
and freshwater institutes, and natural history museums may submit
proposals. The NSF encourages collaborations with scientists at
foreign institutions; however, primary support for any foreign
participants/activities must be secured through their own
national sources.
NSF does not normally support technical assistance, pilot plan
efforts, research requiring security classification, the
development of products for commercial marketing or market
research for a particular project or invention. Research with
disease-related goals, including the work on the etiology,
diagnosis or treatment of physical or mental disease,
abnormality, or malfunction in human beings or animals, is
normally not supported. Animal models of such conditions or the
development or testing of drugs or other procedures for their
treatment also are not eligible for support. Research in
bioengineering, with diagnosis or treatment related goals,
however, that applies engineering principles to problems in
biology and medicine while advancing engineering knowledge is
eligible for support. Bioengineering research to aid persons with
disabilities is also eligible.
Proposals already submitted to other NSF programs are not
eligible for consideration by this special competition. However,
NSF will simultaneously review proposals submitted to another
Federal agency when both agencies have agreed to joint review and
joint funding of the proposal.
A Principal Investigator may submit only one proposal and he/she
may only collaborate in one other proposal as a co-Investigator.
When consortia of eligible individuals or institutions submit a
proposal, a single principal investigator must be designated as
the project director and a single institution must accept overall
management responsibility. When appropriate, collaborating
scientists at foreign institutions, and those associated with
entities such as national laboratories, state agencies, and
Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, can be
accommodated through consultant or subcontract mechanisms
administered by the submitting U.S. institution, within the
limits imposed by applicable legislation and regulations. Federal
employees may not receive salaries or in other ways augment their
agency's appropriations through grants made by this program.
AWARD INFORMATION
In FY 2000, NSF expects to expend up to $50 million on the
activities described above, depending on the quality of
submissions. Typical Research Projects must be multidisciplinary,
involve at least one quantitative expert on the research team,
may involve more than one institution, and can be up to 5 years
in duration. Annual budgets may be up to $600,000, with budgets
up to $1 million each year possible if extremely well justified.
Incubation Activities can be up to two years duration with total
budgets not to exceed $100,000 and cannot be renewed.
All awards will be made prior to September 30, 2000.
PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Messages of Intent for Research Project Proposals
A short electronic Message of Intent to submit a Research Project
proposal can be sent on or before January 31 to: biocom@nsf.gov.
The purpose of the message is to help NSF plan the review process
by giving the Foundation an estimate of the number and topical
breadth of proposals expected. The message should be no more than
500 words long (approximately one page of single-spaced text),
and should touch on the following topics: 1) the question(s) to
be addressed; 2) the integrated nature of the research as
described in this announcement; 3) key elements of the research
approach (methods, sites, organisms); and, 4) the identity of the
investigators, institutions and facilities. Do not send budgetary
information. An acknowledgement of receipt of the Message of
Intent will be e-mailed by February 7. Please note that messages
of intent are for planning purposes only. Proposal review and
funding recommendations will be based on the full proposals.
B. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general
guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2.
The complete text of the GPG (including electronic forms) is
available electronically on the NSF Web site at:
. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained
from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement
number (NSF 00-22) in the program announcement/solicitation block
on the NSF Form 1207, "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.
Proposals must be submitted by FastLane (see "FastLane
Requirements" section below) and must follow guidelines described
in the GPG (NSF 00-2).
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
Additional guidelines for full proposal preparation:
- Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207): Begin project title with
"BIOCOMPLEXITY:"
1. In the NSF FastLane system read the proposal preparation
instructions located at
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. When completing the
Cover Sheet make sure to select "Biocomplexity" as the NSF
program to consider your proposal.
Multi-institutional proposals must identify a lead
institution and must be submitted as a single proposal. Be
sure to check the group proposal box on the cover. Only the
lead institution should submit the proposal cover sheet (NSF
Form 1207) via FastLane.
NOTE: The BIO Proposal Classification Form (PCF) is not
generated for proposals submitted to this competition.
2. In the box labeled "Program Announcement/Solicitation No."
enter "NSF 00-22" with no additional characters.
3. In addition to the Principal Investigator (PI) NSF allows up
to 4 individuals to be listed as Co-Principal Investigators (Co-
PIs) on a proposal. Some proposals may involve more than 5
researchers, however. In this case the additional researchers can
be listed in the Senior Personnel category. (On the FastLane FORM
PREPARATION screen, click on 'Add/Delete Non Co-PI Senior
Personnel')
- Project Description
Research Plan (maximum length 15 pages): The research plan must
begin with a section that presents the conceptual, mathematical
or computational model that frames the research activities and
describes how the proposed work can lead to achieving a
predictive level of understanding of the system under study.
The remainder of the Research Plan should describe the
strategies, protocols, and timetables to be used in research
procedures in sufficient detail to allow informed judgement by
expert reviewers. The plan should indicate how the
experiments/activities are designed to achieve the desired level
of accuracy as well as a definitive elaboration of the methods of
estimation, the inferential procedures to be used, and estimates
of uncertainty for quantitative models and all research findings.
The team should include at least one quantitative expert, who
will provide data analysis including estimates of the uncertainty
for quantitative models and all research findings.
Include information on the means by which data will be made
available to the research community and to other users. In
particular, specific arrangements made with other parties for the
further exploration of selected types of discoveries should be
spelled out. Proposals should take advantage of available
opportunities for meaningful integration of research with
education and outreach activities, and present these as an
integral part of the research plan.
The Research Plan must include a research timetable and a clear
statement of project priorities.
Management Plan (maximum length 1 page): The management plan
should identify a single institution as the lead institution, if
the proposal involves multiple institutions. It should detail the
duties and responsibilities of participants, i.e., who will be
doing what, including identification of a research team leader
(usually the lead PI) and the activities of associated partners.
A discussion of how data, ideas and people will be networked to
facilitate the management, integration and dissemination of
information and the generation of new knowledge is essential.
Educational Activities (maximum length 2 page): Because
Biocomplexity projects are multi-disciplinary by design, they
afford students an opportunity to experience a unique educational
environment. Consequently, this section should include details on
the education and training activities planned as part of the
project. Describe specific sub-projects for undergraduates,
graduate students or postdocs, if known. If specific training
activities or workshops are proposed, include information on how
participants will be selected. Opportunities for students to
obtain novel research or educational experiences should be
detailed. How the project will foster the integration of
research and education should be presented.
C. Budgetary Information
Provide yearly budgets for the duration of the proposed project.
When subawards are involved yearly budgets are required for each
subaward. FastLane will generate cumulative budgets for the
primary and subaward institutions. Budget justification is
required.
D. Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
This section should include copies of permits, if required, and
messages of agreement from collaborators. For research in Arctic
regions, the Arctic Logistics Coordination form (see NSF-98-72)
must accompany all submissions proposing fieldwork. NSF-UNOLS
Ship Time Request Form must accompany all proposals requesting
ship time. For research in the Antarctic, the Operational
Requirements Cover Sheet and necessary worksheets must be
submitted as described in NSF 99-93.
Provide only the allowable items as noted above and in the GPG,
Chapter II, Section D.10. Include the materials in the FastLane
submission by scanning the documents and transferring them as a
.PDF file through the "Supplementary Docs" module of the FastLane
Proposal Preparation system.
INCUBATION ACTIVITY PROPOSALS
Proposals for small grants to support focused workshops, virtual
meetings, and to develop management and research interactions
that would ultimately facilitate biocomplexity research may be
submitted to individual NSF programs at any time up to March 1,
2000.
Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the NSF
program(s) most germane to the proposal topic before submitting
an Incubation Activity proposal. This will facilitate
determining whether the proposed work is an appropriate
Incubation Activity for Biocomplexity funding, or whether the
work is more appropriate for submission as a fully reviewed
proposal.
- Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207)
1. In the NSF FastLane system read the proposal preparation
instructions located at
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. When completing the
Cover Sheet select the appropriate NSF Division and relevant
program discipline to consider your proposal. Clicking "OK"
designates this program as the NSF organizational unit of
consideration.
2. In the box labeled "Program Announcement/Solicitation No."
enter "NSF 00-22" with no additional characters.
3. Begin the Project Title with "BIOCOMPLEXITY-- INCUBATION
ACTIVITY: ...".
- Project Description (maximum length 5 pages)
The project description should be concise (two to five pages)
and include clear statements as to why the proposed activities
should be considered particularly relevant to the overall
goals of the Biocomplexity theme.
- Biographical Sketches
Brief biographical information is required for the PI and Co-
PI(s) only, and should list no more than five significant
publications or other research products.
- Budgetary Information
Incubation Activities can be up to two years duration with
total budgets not to exceed $100,000.
E. Message of Intent and Proposal Due Dates
The Message of Intent to submit a Research Project proposal,
while not required, is strongly encouraged. Submit the Message
of Intent electronically by 5:00 p.m., submitter's local time,
January 31, 2000 to biocom@nsf.gov.
Research Project proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m.,
submitter's local time, March 1, 2000 via the NSF FastLane
system.
Incubation Activity proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m.,
submitter's local time, March 1, 2000 via the NSF FastLane
system. Submit Incubation Activity proposals to relevant program
disciplines.
The signed Cover Sheet, including certification (NSF Form 1207),
for proposals submitted to this competition, must be postmarked
(or provide a legible proof of mailing date assigned by the
carrier) by March 7, 2000. A proposal may not be processed until
NSF has received the complete proposal (including signed Cover
Sheet). Send the materials to:
National Science Foundation
DIS-FastLane Cover Sheet
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
F. FastLane Requirements
Proposers must prepare and submit proposals using the NSF
FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation
and submission via FastLane are available at
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. For proposals submitted
electronically, the signed paper copy of the proposal Cover Sheet
(NSF Form 1207) should be forwarded to NSF within five working
days following proposal submission in accordance with FastLane
proposal preparation and submission instructions referenced
above.
To use FastLane to prepare the proposal your institutions needs
to be a registered FastLane institution. A list of registered
institutions and the FastLane registration form are located on
the FastLane Home page. To register an organization, authorized
organizational representatives must complete the registration
form. Once an organization is registered, PIN for individual
staff is available from the organization's sponsored projects
office.
Using NSF's FastLane requires the following software: Netscape
Navigator 3.01 or above, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or
above; Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or above for viewing PDF files;
and Adobe Acrobat 3.X or above or Aladdin Ghostscript 5.10 or
above for converting files to PDF.
To access FastLane, go to the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov,
then select "FastLane," or go directly to the FastLane home page
at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. Additionally, read the "PI
Tipsheet for Proposal Preparation" and the "Frequently Asked
Questions about FastLane Proposal Preparation," accessible at
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/A0/about/A1faq.htm.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For technical assistance with FastLane, please
send an e-mail message to biofl@nsf.gov. If you have inquiries
regarding other aspects of the proposal preparation or
submission, please send an e-mail message to biocom@nsf.gov
before the deadline date for submission.
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Merit Review Criteria
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers
with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research
or education project. These reviewers are selected by Program
officers charged with the oversight of the review process. NSF
invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of submission, the
names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken
to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.
Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic
institutions, minority serving institutions or adjacent
disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.
Proposals will be reviewed against the following general merit
review criteria established by the National Science Board.
Following each criterion are potential considerations that the
reviewer may employ in the evaluation. These are suggestions and
not all will apply to any given proposal. Each reviewer will be
asked to address only those that are relevant to the proposal and
for which he/she is qualified to make judgments.
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 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?
PIs should address the following elements in their proposal to
provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully
to both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give these
factors careful consideration 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 learner 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 -- are 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.
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other
persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field
represented by the proposal. Research project proposals submitted
in response to this announcement will be reviewed by a
multidisciplinary panel and by mail reviewers. Incubation
Activity proposals will be reviewed internally by NSF program
officers.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either
support or decline each proposal. A program officer assigned to
manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of
reviewers and will formulate a recommendation. NSF will be able
to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or
recommended for funding within six months for 95 percent of
proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal deadline or
target date or from the date of receipt, if deadlines or target
dates are not used by the program. The interval ends when the
division director accepts the program officer's recommendation.
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 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 an 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 Officer does so at its own
risk.
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
(DGA). Organizations whose proposals are declined will be
advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program
Division administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews,
not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided
automatically to the Principal Investigator.
B. Grant Award Conditions
An NSF grant consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes
any special provisions applicable to the grant 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 grant conditions, such as Grant
General Conditions (NSF GC-1)* or Federal Demonstration
Partnership Phase III (FDP) Terms and Conditions* and (5) any NSF
brochure, program guide, announcement or other NSF issuance that
may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Electronic
mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF grants to
organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have
requested such notification from the Division of Grants and
Agreements.
* These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Web
site at: . Paper copies may be obtained
from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone
(301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is
contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, (NSF
95-26) available electronically on the NSF Web site. The GPM
also is available in paper copy by subscription from the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Web
site at: . The telephone number at GPO for
subscription information is (202) 512-1800.
C. Reporting Requirements
All successful Research Project PIs are required to attend the
annual awardees meeting at a date and place to be specified by
NSF, during the tenure of the award, and to plan for a formal
site visit by NSF at the midpoint of the award.
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing
grants) the PI must submit an annual project report to the
cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the
current budget period.
Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is
required to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days
before expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the
requirement to file the final project report. Failure to provide
final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of
pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of
the required reports in advance to assure availability of
required data.
NSF has implemented a new electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, which permits electronic submission
and updating of project reports, including information on:
project participants (individual and organizational); activities
and findings; publications; and, other specific products and
contributions. Reports will continue to be required annually and
after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will not need to re-
enter information previously provided, either with the proposal
or in earlier updates using the electronic system.
Effective October 1, 1999, PIs are required to use the new
reporting system for submission of annual and final project
reports.
D. New Awardee Information
If the submitting organization has never received an NSF award,
it is recommended that the organization's appropriate
administrative officials become familiar with the policies and
procedures in the NSF Grant Policy Manual which are applicable to
most NSF awards. The "Prospective New Awardee Guide" (NSF 99-78)
includes information on: Administrative and Management
Information; Accounting System Requirements and Auditing
Information; and Payments to Organizations with NSF Awards. This
information will assist an organization in preparing documents
that NSF requires to conduct administrative and financial reviews
of an organization. The guide also serves as a means of
highlighting the accountability requirements associated with
Federal awards. This document is available electronically on
NSF's Web site at: .
CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please direct general inquiries about the
Biocomplexity: Special Competition 2000 to the e-mail
address (biocom@nsf.gov) or to the following Program
Officers:
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Ted Elliott
Phone: (703) 306-1479
E-mail: eelliott@nsf.gov
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Y. T. Chien
Phone: (703) 306-1980
E-mail: ytchien@nsf.gov
Engineering (ENG)
Gary Poehlein
Phone: (703) 306-1365
E-mail: gpoehlei@nsf.gov
Geosciences (GEO)
Phil Taylor
Phone: (703) 306-1587
E-mail: prtaylor@nsf.gov
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Jim Rosenberger
Phone: (703) 306-1883
E-mail: jrosenbe@nsf.gov
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Cheryl Eavey
Phone: (703) 306-1729
E-mail: ceavey@nsf.gov
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Polly Penhale
Phone: (703) 306-1033
E-mail: ppenhale@nsf.gov
For technical assistance with FastLane, please send an e-mail
message to biofl@nsf.gov.
OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding
opportunities for research and education in science, mathematics,
and engineering. General descriptions of NSF programs, research
areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are
provided in each chapter. Many NSF programs offer announcements
concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional
information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF
program offices listed in Appendix A of the GPG. Any changes in
NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the
Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF Bulletin,
available monthly (except July and August), and in individual
program announcements. The Bulletin is available electronically
on the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov. The direct URL for
recent issues of the Bulletin is
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/publicat/bulletin/bulletin.htm.
Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service to
find out what funding opportunities are available.
_________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
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.
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; 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 review
process; to applicant 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 needing information
as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs;
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," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998),
and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63
Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the
information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an
award.
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 this 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.
YEAR 2000 REMINDER
In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997,
Subject: Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of
their responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that
the NSF activity being supported is not adversely affected by the
Year 2000 problem. Potentially affected items include: computer
systems, databases, and equipment. The National Science
Foundation should be notified if an awardee concludes that the
Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its ability to carry
out an NSF funded activity. Information concerning Year 2000
activities can be found on the NSF web site at
http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm.
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.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 47.074
(BIO), 47.070 (CISE), 47.041 (ENG), 47.050 (GEO), 47.049 (MPS),
47.075 (SBE), 47.078 (OPP)
OMB No.: 3145-0058
NSF 00-22 (Replaces NSF 99-60) -- Electronic Dissemination Only
[IDB/PSS/cjg]