Dear Colleague:

The target date for proposal submissions to most programs in the Division of Physics is the last Wednesday in September each year. Thus, for proposals competing for FY 2006 (which begins October 1, 2005) funds, the target date is September 28, 2005 (except as noted below). For FY 2007 funding, the target date will be September 27, 2006. Consult a calendar for future years.

For FY 2006, the Division will entertain submissions in the following areas:

• Atomic, Molecular, Optical, and Plasma Physics (Plasma Physics proposals are due January 6, 2006)
• Biological Physics (contact Program Director for appropriate target date)
• Elementary Particle Physics
• Gravitational Physics and LIGO
• Education and Interdisciplinary Research
• Nuclear Physics
• Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics
• Physics at the Information Frontier
• Theoretical Physics

Proposals that miss the target date will be handled as time permits. Significant delays in submissions will prohibit inclusion of the proposal within the group reviews for the program as a whole, and this may necessitate postponement of the review process until the following fiscal year. We also ask that you not submit proposals any earlier than one month before the appropriate target date, unless previously approved by the cognizant Program Director. Proposers are encouraged to browse the NSF Award Search at https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/tab.do?dispatch=4 to ascertain the type of research supported in these programs, or to call the cognizant Program Director if they are uncertain about which program is appropriate for their proposal.

Unsolicited proposals submitted to the Division of Physics are required in response to Foundation-wide program solicitations, such as the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) or Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. These programs have specified target or deadline dates contained in their program announcements or solicitations. Demonstrably multidisciplinary proposals sent to the Division of Physics, which are likely to be jointly reviewed with other programs within the Foundation, including proposals submitted to the Biological Physics program, may be impacted by different target or deadline dates for the different programs involved. If you are contemplating submitting such a proposal, you should contact the cognizant Program Director in the Division of Physics before submission.

Proposals submitted in response to this Dear Colleague letter are required to be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text is available electronically on the NSF Website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Proposers who anticipate difficulty in meeting the 15-page limit on the length of the Project Description must request and receive a deviation in advance of proposal submission. (GPG, Chapter II, Section A, Conformance with Instructions for Proposal Preparation, contains information on deviations.) It is advisable to contact the cognizant Program Director in the Division of Physics before requesting a deviation.

There are two general merit review criteria approved by the National Science Board (NSB) and listed in the GPG: the intellectual merit of the proposed activity, and the broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity. All proposals must separately address both of the merit review criteria in the Project Summary and should describe the broader impacts as an integral part of the narrative in the Project Description. Generally, even the most fundamental research has educational and/or potential long-range impact on another field, on technology, or on society in some way. Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pdf. The Division of Physics emphasizes the importance of thinking about and communicating these connections. Please note that this is not a shift in the priorities or strategic vision of the Division. It is rather a call for greater effort in expressing the broader context of our work.

All proposals must be prepared and submitted using the FastLane system. Information concerning the use of FastLane is located at . http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp.

Sincerely,

Joseph L. Dehmer
Director
Division of Physics

NSF 05-036 (Replaces NSF 04-041)
OMB No. 3145-0058
CFDA No. 47.049 P.T. 34; K.W. 1010000