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Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC)
Program Solicitation
NSF
02-157
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Division of Chemistry
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)
(required):
September 20,
2002
Full Proposal Deadline(s):
October 28,
2002
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC)
Synopsis of Program:
The CRC Program is designed to promote interdisciplinary collaborative research in a coherent, defined project at the forefront of the chemical sciences. CRC proposals will involve three or more investigators with complementary expertise, each of whom is an independent researcher with an established research group. Collaborators may include investigators with backgrounds in diverse areas of chemistry and other science and engineering disciplines appropriate to the proposed research. Projects should be scientifically focused in areas supported by the NSF Division of Chemistry, limited in duration, and substantial in their scope and impact.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
- Katharine J Covert, Program Officer, Division of Chemistry telephone: 703-292-4950, fax: 703-292-9037, email: kcovert@nsf.gov
- Lynn F Schneemeyer, Program Officer, Division of Chemistry telephone: 703-292-4945, fax: 703-292-9037, email: lschneem@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Eligibility Information
- Organization Limit: Only U.S. academic institutions and non-profit research institutions may submit proposals.
- PI Eligibility Limit: Unaffiliated scientists are not eligible to submit a proposal, but may be eligible for support.
- Limit on Number of Proposals: 1. An investigator may participate (as a PI, co-PI or senior research associate) in only one CRC proposal.
Award Information
- Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
- Estimated Number of Awards: 6 - Approximately six awards, depending on award size and proposal quality
- Estimated Number of Proposals:
- Anticipated Funding Amount: $3,000,000.00 Approximately $3.0 million in FY 2003, depending on availability of funds.
- Anticipated Award Date: June 01, 2003
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please see the full funding opportunity document for further information.
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Full Proposal Preparation Instructions:
Deviations From Standard Preparation Guidelines
- The program announcement/solicitation contains deviations from the standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full program announcement/solicitation for further information.
B. Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is Specialized. Please see the full funding opportunity document for further information.
- Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
- Other Budgetary Information: Not Applicable.
C. Due Dates
-
Letters of Intent
(required):
September 20,
2002
- Full Proposal Deadline Date(s):
October 28, 2002
D. FastLane Requirements
- FastLane Submission: Full proposal submission is required.
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FastLane Contact(s):
- Paul Spyropoulos, Computer Specialist, Division of Chemistry telephone: 703-292-4968, fax: 703-292-9037, email: chefl@nsf.gov
Proposal Review Information
- Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full funding opportunity document 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
- Eligibility Information
- Award Information
- Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
- Proposal Review Information
- Award Administration Information
- Contacts for Additional Information
- Other Programs of Interest
I. INTRODUCTION
The Division of Chemistry (CHE) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) expects to make awards in Fiscal Year 2003 to support activities of collaborative research groups. Proposals for Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC) should provide a plan designed to have significant impact in scientifically focused areas of recognized or emerging importance to the chemical sciences.
The chemical sciences thrive on the sharing of ideas among researchers from various disciplines. Indeed, there are research needs that can only be met by teams of investigators drawn from diverse research areas. The advantages of pooled insights, complementary expertise, diverse points of view, and shared tasks can make a successful research collaboration more than the sum of its parts. The Division supports multi-investigator projects to foster research collaborations, promote exploration of multidisciplinary projects, and encourage exploitation of unique opportunities for progress on significant problems centered in the chemical sciences. The CRC Program provides a specific focus and specific mode of support for collaborative research.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The CRC Program enables researchers from diverse scientific and engineering backgrounds to respond to recognized scientific needs, to take advantage of current scientific opportunities, or to prepare the groundwork for anticipated significant scientific developments in chemistry. CRC proposals will involve three or more independent investigators with complementary expertise. The members of the collaboration can come from more than one institution and can include non-academic and international scientists. The principal investigator will most likely be a chemist; however, there is no restriction on the scope of disciplines represented by the collaborators. Investigators may include, in addition to chemists, researchers from other science and engineering disciplines appropriate to the proposed research.
Chemistry is the focus of this program. Ancillary benefits to other fields of science, although desirable, are not sufficient to make a project suitable for this program. Awards made under this program are intended to foster synergy among collaborators that cannot be achieved with individual grants. Therefore, this program will support projects requiring the collective effort and close collaboration of several research groups to reach significant scientific goals. Projects should be scientifically focused in areas supported by the Division of Chemistry, limited in duration, and substantial in their scope and impact.
Principal Investigators should ensure the proposed CRC project does not overlap significantly with ongoing federally funded research. Proposals in topical areas covered by the Fiscal Year 2003 NSF competitions in Information Technology Research, Nanoscale Science and Engineering or Biocomplexity in the Environment will not be considered in the CRC program. The proposed research must be appropriate for NSF and for the Division of Chemistry. Additional information is available through the NSF Guide to Programs (http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?gp). NSF reserves the right to return without review proposals that are not appropriate for the CRC Program. Principal Investigators should contact a Cognizant Program Officer if there are any questions about the suitability of a proposal for the CRC Program.
Examples of possible scientific outcomes and broader impacts are:
- Substantial progress toward answering a set of major unresolved questions in chemistry.
- Undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers trained in an important interdisciplinary area
- New and exemplary modes of collaborations.
Initiators of proposals are strongly urged to discuss ideas for a project with one of the program officers listed at the end of this document. The CRC Program encourages collaborations with non-academic and international scientists. These cooperative research projects should be jointly designed and implemented by the research partners to achieve overall balance and mutual benefit. Some brief guidelines are given below.
Because of special requirements, investigators considering a CRC proposal with an industrial, government or international partner are strongly encouraged to contact a cognizant program officer early in the planning process. Such proposals require an institutional letter of collaboration from the partner that confirms the participation of a co-investigator. This letter should be included in the Supplemental Documentation (see Proposal Preparation Instructions). The letter should describe the plan of interaction with the U.S. academic institution, the time commitment of the researcher(s), the nature of the cooperative research activities and any commitment to cost-sharing. Letters of general support or recommendation are inappropriate and may cause a proposal to be returned without review.
Collaborating scientists associated with entities such as industry, national laboratories, state agencies, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) must be supported by their own institution. However, it is appropriate for students supported through universities to work at a partner industrial laboratory, FFRDC or comparable site or for universities to fund research expenses incurred when scientists from such entities work at university sites. Federal employees may not receive salaries or in other ways augment their agency's appropriation through grants made by this program, and no funds for major equipment at FFRDCs are allowed.
Support for collaborations with international scientists is provided through the NSF grant to the submitting U.S. institution. This means no CRC award funds may go directly to foreign institutions. The proposal may include up to $100,000 in participant support costs, over the duration of the grant, for international collaborative research activities. Travel and incidental research costs may be included; salaries may not. These international interactions must feature a joint scientific workplan and should be clearly described in the Project Description. If, after review, a proposal is recommended for funding, the CRC Program Officer will work with Program Officers from NSF's International Programs and the key project personnel to develop a detailed plan consistent with applicable international arrangements.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Unaffiliated scientists are not eligible to submit a proposal, but may be eligible for support.
An investigator may participate (as PI, co-PI, senior research associate) in only one CRC proposal.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letters of Intent (required):
To expedite the review process for CRC proposals, an e-mail letter of intent to submit a proposal should be sent by the PI to che-crc@nsf.gov by 5:00 PM, local time, on September 20, 2002. This one-page letter of intent should contain the following information:
- the title of the project,
- a brief project description,
- the names and affiliations of the principal investigators and other senior personnel, and
- the name of the submitting institution.
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/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 Web Site at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail pubs@nsf.gov.
Deviations From Standard Preparation Guidelines:
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation number (02-157) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.
Proposals must contain the following elements in the order indicated. The general requirements given in the GPG apply, unless specified differently below.
(a) Cover sheet - NSF Form 1207. Proposers should identify the program solicitation number in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207). Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines.
(b) Project Summary, up to 250 words, plus the names and affiliations of all senior personnel.
(c) Table of Contents - NSF Form 1359. This form will be generated automatically by FastLane.
(d) Project Description. A total of twenty (20) pages, including Results from Prior Support, Modes of Collaboration and Education, and Management Plan. CRC proposals are likely to be read by non-specialists at some stage of the review process. It is therefore particularly important that they be written to emphasize the impact of the projects on the chemical sciences in a broad context.
i) Proposed Research. Narrative, not to exceed eighteen (18) pages, consisting of the following items:
- An explanation of the scientific context, relevance to chemistry and timeliness of the proposed project.
- A description of the proposed research.
- A justification for why a collaborative effort involving at least three investigators is necessary to carry out the proposed project.
- A description of the contribution to be made by each senior investigator.
- A discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed work.
- A timeline for the planned work and a justification for the duration.
- Plans for disseminating the results.
- Results from prior NSF support. If a PI or co-PI has had any NSF award active in the past five years, provide results from prior support. If more than one award has been active, report on the most relevant award. Results from prior NSF support are limited to two pages, in total.
ii) Modes of Collaboration and Education. Narrative, not to exceed one page, describing
- The mode of collaboration.
- The mode of training undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers.
- The modes of dissemination including workshops and education/outreach activities.
iii) Management Plan. Narrative, not to exceed one page, describing
- How the group effort will be coordinated.
- How decisions will be made regarding the conduct of the project.
- How the collaboration will be evaluated.
(e) References Cited. References should include full titles of articles and book chapters cited. This section includes bibliographic citations only and must not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the Project Description.
(f) Biographical sketches. For all senior personnel, provide a brief biographical sketch using the format described in the Grant Proposal Guide. Do not exceed two pages per person for the sketch. Up to five publications most closely related to the proposal and up to five other significant publications may be included, including those accepted for publication. Note that recent collaborators and other affiliates should also be collected into the combined list given in the Supplemental Documentation (see below).
(g) Budget. Include annual budgets for each year; a cumulative budget will be automatically generated by the FastLane system. A detailed budget justification (up to three pages) should document proposed expenses. If more than one institution participates in a CRC proposal, the submitting institution must accept overall management responsibility. A single proposal must be submitted with subawards administered by the submitting organization (see GPG guidelines, chapter II.C.11.b).
(h) Current and Pending Support. A full description of the total level of current and pending support from all sources for the key personnel. Any overlap between federally funded projects and the proposed research must be clarified.
(i) Facilities. A description of the facilities (including laboratories and computational facilities) that will be made available to the project.
(j) Supplementary Documentation. Provide a combined, alphabetized list of all scientists, with current affiliations, who have collaborated with the PI or co-PIs in the last 48 months or are otherwise affiliated with the PIs or co-PIs. Required letters of collaboration from national laboratories, international institutions, and industry should be included in this section. Letters of collaboration from investigators not supported on the grant are also appropriate. Letters of recommendation or general support are not permitted.
(k) Suggested Reviewers/Reviewers Not to Include (Optional). NSF invites the proposers 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 proposers.
Proposers are reminded to consult the Grant Proposal Guide for more detailed information on preparing proposals. Proposals not adhering to the proposal preparation guidelines in the Grant Proposal Guide, as amended in this program announcement, may be returned without review.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
The proposed cost sharing must be shown on Line M on the proposal budget. Documentation of the 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 awardee'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 award. All cost-sharing amounts are subject to audit. Failure to provide the level of cost-sharing reflected in the approved award budget may result in termination of the NSF award, disallowance of award costs and/or refund of award funds to NSF.
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Letters of Intent (required): September 20, 2002
Full Proposal Deadline(s) :
October 28, 2002
D. FastLane Requirements
Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this announcement/solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program announcement/solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this announcement/solicitation.
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. Proposers are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov
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.
The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information). The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which he/she is qualified to make judgements.
- What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
- What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:
- Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.
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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.
- Importance of proposed plan to areas supported by the Division of Chemistry.
- Long-term scientific impact of the proposed activity. Projects that have a high degree of risk will receive favorable consideration providing that the potential benefit is correspondingly high.
- Justification of the value of the collaborative effort.
- Extent to which the group effort is focused on a cohesive well-delineated goal.
- Timeliness of the planned work. Projects in emerging research areas are especially encouraged.
- Appropriateness of the group members and group structure for the task.
- Effectiveness and adequacy of the educational plan.
- Effectiveness and adequacy of the management plan.
- Adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed timeline.
- Adequacy and appropriateness of the budget.
In addition to the National Science Board merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to apply several specific criteria when reviewing CRC proposals. These criteria include:
Any proposal requesting $750,000 or more per year may be subject to a site visit as part of the review process.
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/solicitation will be reviewed by Ad Hoc 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.
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 Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months for 70 percent of proposals. The time interval begins on the date of receipt. 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 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 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. 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. (See section VI.A. 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 (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards 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/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. 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, available electronically on the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Web site at http://www.gpo.gov.
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 the expiration of an award, 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
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
- Katharine J Covert, Program Officer, Division of Chemistry telephone: 703-292-4950, fax: 703-292-9037, email: kcovert@nsf.gov
- Lynn F Schneemeyer, Program Officer, Division of Chemistry telephone: 703-292-4945, fax: 703-292-9037, email: lschneem@nsf.gov
- Paul Spyropoulos, Computer Specialist, telephone: 703-292-4968, fax: 703-292-9037, email: chefl@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. The NSF Guide to Programs is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on the NSF web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.
The NSF Division of Chemistry webpage is http://www.nsf.gov/chem/
Additional collaborative opportunities are available through the multidisciplinary priority research areas:
Information Technology Research http://www.itr.nsf.gov/
Nanoscale Science and Engineering http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/nano/start.htm
Biocomplexity and the Environment http://www.geo.nsf.gov/ere/ere_be-competitions.html
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Awardees 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/solicitation for further information.
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, FIRS at 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.
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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 Web Site at http://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; 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 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, 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.
OMB control number: 3145-0058.
