NSF 00-33

Summary of Program Requirements | Introduction | Program Description | Eligibility Information |
Award Information | Proposal Preparation & Submission Instructions | Proposal Review Information |
Award Administration Information | Contacts for Additional Information | Other Programs of Interest |
About the National Science Foundation

CISE
EDUCATIONAL
INNOVATION

Program Announcement

DIRECTORATE FOR COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

DIVISION OF EXPERIMENTAL AND INTEGRATIVE ACTIVITIES


DEADLINE DATE: April 25, 2000 AND THE SECOND TUESDAY IN MARCH OF EACH FOLLOWING YEAR

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:

http://www.nsf.gov

Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230

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Send an e-mail to: pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone: (301) 947-2722

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SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Program Name: CISE Educational Innovation

Short Description/Synopsis of Program:
The objective of this program is to stimulate innovative educational activities at the undergraduate level in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) disciplines by encouraging the transfer of research results into the undergraduate curriculum. The program supports the design, development, testing and dissemination of innovative approaches for increasing the effectiveness of the undergraduate learning experience by integrating research results into undergraduate courses and curricula. The research may be ongoing or completed and may be drawn from any research project in the computer and information sciences and engineering fields.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Dr. Anthony Maddox, Program Director, Room 1160, Division of Experimental and Integrative Activities, telephone 703. 306.1980, e-mail: eipd@nsf.gov.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.:
47.070 — Computer and Information Science and Engineering

ELIGIBILITY

• Limitation on the categories of organizations that are eligible to submit proposals:
Proposals may be submitted from any U.S. college or university that currently offers baccalaureate degree programs in any discipline supported by the CISE Directorate.

• PI eligibility limitations: None

• Limitation on the number of proposals that may be submitted by an organization: Only one proposal per institution will be accepted in any one year.

AWARD INFORMATION

Type of award anticipated: Standard Grant

Number of awards anticipated in FY 00: 4 to 6 awards expected

Amount of funds available: Approximately $1.5 million will be available for this program in FY 2000, and subject to the availability of funds approximately the same amount of funding will be available in the following outyears.

Anticipated date of award: August of each year

PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letter of Intent requirements: None

• Preproposal requirements: None

• Proposal preparation instructions: Standard NSF Grant Proposal Guide instructions

• Supplemental proposal preparation instructions: See Proposal Preparation Instructions in this document.

• Deviations from standard (GPG) proposal preparation instructions: None

Budgetary Information

• Cost sharing/matching requirements: Cost sharing at a level of 50% of the requested total amount of NSF funds is required for all proposals submitted in response to this announcement. The cost sharing may be from any private or non-Federal source and may be cash, or any eligible budget item. The proposed cost sharing must be shown on line M on the proposal budget (NSF Form 1030).

• Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None

• Other budgetary limitations: None

FastLane Requirements

• FastLane proposal preparation requirements: FastLane use required.

• FastLane point of contact: Helen Walston, Sr. Program Assistant, telephone:703.306.1981
e-mail: hwalston@nsf.gov

• Deadline/Target Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline 5:00 PM local time, April 25, 2000 and the second Tuesday in March of each following year (FastLane)

PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

Merit Review Criteria: Standard National Science Board approved criteria, with additional criteria specific to the program.

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

• Grant Award Conditions: GC-1 or FDP III

• Special grant conditions anticipated: None anticipated

• Special reporting requirements anticipated: None

I. INTRODUCTION

The objective of the CISE Educational Innovation (EI) program is to stimulate innovative educational activities at the undergraduate level in CISE disciplines by encouraging the transfer of research results into the undergraduate curriculum.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The EI program will support the design, development, testing and dissemination of innovative approaches for increasing the effectiveness of the undergraduate learning experience in CISE disciplines (see NSF Guide to Programs, NSF 99-4) by integrating research results into undergraduate courses and curricula. The research, whether on-going or completed, may be drawn from any research project in the computer and information sciences and engineering fields.

As a minimum, the set of individuals involved in a project should be chosen to ensure an appropriate level of expertise in teaching, curriculum development, and in the relevant research areas. Addition of individuals with expertise in learning sciences, education, information technologies, cognitive sciences and/or related areas, if appropriate to the project, is encouraged. It is not required that the principal investigator or other active participants in the project be the originators of the research results, which are to be transferred to the undergraduate curriculum. However, the proposal should describe the group's expertise in the research area(s).

Projects supported by the EI program are expected to act as a national model of excellence by being a prototype of educational experiences for use by a broader segment of the scientific and engineering community. Consequently, successful dissemination of the project results is essential. The proposal should contain a detailed set of activities for communicating the results of the project to the CISE community. Collaboration with other institutions, particularly as part of the dissemination activities, is highly encouraged. The formality, level, and nature of this collaboration will be the decision of the institutions concerned; however the effectiveness of the dissemination activities will be part of the evaluation criteria. An institution submitting a proposal should also include a budget amount for at least one trip by the principal investigator to a major educational conference for presentation of results of the project.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Proposals will be accepted from any U.S. college or university that currently offers baccalaureate degree programs in any discipline supported by the CISE Directorate. Only one proposal per institution will be accepted in any one year.

IV. AWARD INFORMATION

EI awards will have a duration of three years and are expected to range from $300,000 to $600,000 over the three-year period. At the current level of funding for this program, we expect 4-6 proposals to be selected for support as standard grants each year depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds. Approximately $1.5 million will be available for this program in FY 2000, subject to the availability of funds approximately the same amount of funding will be available in the following outyears. Anticipated date of awards: August of each year.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. 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: http://www.nsf.gov/. 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 00-33) 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.

The Program Description should include:

1. A description of the educational activities to be undertaken indicating the expected results and the expected national impact of the proposed activities.

2. A detailed plan for transferring project results to other institutions and the CISE community.

3. A description of activities designed to increase participation in the project activities of underrepresented groups, where appropriate.

4. A description of the duties and responsibilities of the principal investigator and all other associated personnel.

5. A description of the project management plan and the evaluation plan to assess the impact of the proposed educational programs.

6. A description of the equipment, software, and other facilities and materials currently available to support the academic programs of the department.

7. A description of the equipment, software, and other items requested for each year with itemized and total cost, and a rationale for its selection. For equipment, include a representative manufacturer and model number, if possible. Describe maintenance costs per year and method of computation.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing Requirements Cost sharing at a level of 50% of the requested total amount of NSF funds is required for all proposals submitted in response to this announcement. The cost sharing may be from any private or non-Federal source and may be cash, or any eligible budget item. The proposed cost sharing must be shown on line M on the proposal budget (NSF Form 1030).

The amount of cost sharing must be shown in the proposal in enough detail to allow NSF to determine its impact on the proposed project. Documentation of availability of cost sharing must be included in the proposal.

Only items, which would be allowable under the applicable cost principles, if charged to the project, may be included as the grantee’s contribution to cost sharing. Contributions may be made from any non-Federal source, including non-Federal grants or contracts, and may be cash or in-kind (see OMB Circular A-110, Section 23). It should be noted that contributions counted as cost sharing toward projects of another Federal agency may not be counted towards meeting the specific cost-sharing requirements of the NSF grant.

All cost-sharing amounts are subject to audit. Failure to provide the level of cost sharing reflected in the approved grant budget may result in termination of the NSF grant, disallowance of grant costs and/or refund of grant funds to NSF.

Eligible Project Costs The EI program provides support for a variety of educational activities including but not limited to the development of courses, instructional technologies, software, and other educational materials. The budget request may include a modest amount of equipment/instrumentation for faculty, staff, or students to work on the experimentation, design or development of project materials. However, the program will not directly supply funds for the purchase of equipment/instrumentation to equip laboratories intended for general student use.

C. Proposal Due Dates.

 The proposal MUST be submitted via FastLane by 5:00 PM, local time, April 25, 2000 and the second Tuesday in March of each following year.

A proposal may not be processed until the complete proposal (including the signed Cover Sheet) has been received by NSF. A proposal is considered complete when the proposal, including the Project Description, has been submitted to NSF. The receipt date will be the date the sponsored projects office transmits the proposal to NSF.

Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. The signed copy of the proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) must be postmarked (or contain a legible proof of mailing date assigned by the carrier) within five working days following proposal submission and be forwarded to the following address:

NSF 00-33
National Science Foundation
DIS-FastLane Cover Sheet
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230

D. FastLane Requirements.

 Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this Program Announcement through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/al/newstan.htm.

Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. The signed copy of the proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) must be postmarked (or contain a legible proof of mailing date assigned by the carrier) within five days following proposal submission in accordance with the FastLane proposal preparation and submission instructions referenced above.

VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

A. NSF Proposal Review Process.

 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 – 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.

In addition, specific criteria to be used to evaluate the proposals in this program will include the following items:

 Potential of the project to act as a national model of excellence for the CISE community.

Overall merit of the proposed educational activities.

Overal merit of the research results to be transferred to the instructional domain.

Plan for dissemination of project results.

Qualifications of the proposed Principal Investigator, the faculty, and other project personnel.

Level, nature, and appropriateness of participation by underrepresented groups.

Plan for management and operation of the project.

Plan for evaluation of the project and its impact.

A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and signed by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are mailed to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

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. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement will be reviewed by mail review, panel review, or some combination of mail and panel review.

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.

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 (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 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: http://www.nsf.gov/. 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 (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Web site at: http://www.gpo.gov. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is 202.512.1800.

C. Reporting Requirements.

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 an electronic project reporting system, available through FastLane. This system 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. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system.

VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you would like additional information relating to this program, please contact the Program Director for the Educational Innovation Program, Dr. Anthony Maddox, Program Officer, Room 1160, Division of Experimental and Integrative Activities, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, telephone (703) 306-1980, email: eipd@nsf.gov. For questions relating to use of FastLane, contact Helen Walston, (703) 306-1980, email: hwalston@nsf.gov.

IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding 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 via 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.

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.

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.

Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid 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 this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Information Dissemination Branch, Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation (3145-0058), 725 – 17th Street, N.W. Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503.

Programs described in this publication are Category 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering) in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

OMB# 3145-0058
P.T.: 36,38,18
K.W.: 1004000

NSF 00-33
(Replaces NSF 99-80)
Electronic Dissemination Only