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Dear Colleagues:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has published a new NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (NSF 07-140), which contains documents relating to the Foundation’s proposal and award process. Part I is comprised of NSF’s proposal preparation & submission guidelines, including the NSF Grant Proposal Guide, and Part II is comprised of the documents used to guide, manage, and monitor the award and administration of grants and cooperative agreements, including the new NSF Award & Administration Guide (previously known as the Grant Policy Manual.)

The new publication supersedes all prior versions of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and Grant Policy Manual, and can be accessed at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07140. The NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (Guide) applies to proposals submitted on or after June 1, 2007.

Some of the important changes in the new guidelines as well as other existing requirements that warrant particular attention include:

• Coverage on exceptions to NSF’s deadline date policy;
• Revised proposal format coverage, including mandated use of specific fonts, pagination, page limits, current and pending support content, biographical sketch requirements, and attachment authorization;
• Increased coverage on the Grants.gov apply function;
• Further guidance on the elimination of program-specific cost sharing and removal of the statutory (1%) cost sharing requirement;
• Incorporation of two additional proposal certifications, one regarding Nondiscrimination and another regarding Flood Hazard Insurance;
• Incorporation of language regarding use of the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate at the time of the award; and
• New guidelines for proposals involving human and vertebrate animal data, consistent with Grants.gov.

To reduce the possibility of a proposal being returned without review, and to ensure that all proposals are handled equitably, please be mindful of the importance of complying with these policies. Specifically, please see Grant Proposal Guide Chapter IV.B. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/papp/gpg_4.jsp#IVB.

For more detailed information regarding all of the recent revisions to the new Guide, you may refer to either of the NSF links provided above. If you have any questions, please contact the Policy Office on x8243, or by e-mail to policy@nsf.gov.

Best Regards,
Richard O. Buckius
Assistant Director
Directorate for Engineering