CISE Computing Research Infrastructure
(CRI)
Program Solicitation
08-570
Replaces Document(s):
NSF 06-597
 |
National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
September 22, 2008
August 05, 2009
First Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
REVISION NOTES
The following revisions have been made:
- Two new award classes are introduced:
- Institutional Infrastructure awards support the provision of state-of-the-art computing research infrastructure to enable world-class research and education opportunities at the awardee and collaborating institutions.
- Community Infrastructure awards support the provision of state-of-the-art computing research infrastructure that provide world-class research and education opportunities and high-quality services for broadly-based communities of researchers, educators and students that extend well beyond the awardee institutions.
- Potential proposers are encouraged to read the Program Description and the Proposal Preparation Instructions carefully, as the program and guidelines for preparing proposals have been revised substantially.
Other CISE and NSF programs of possible interest to PIs are listed in Section IX of this solicitation.
Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).
As announced on May 21st, proposers must prepare and submit proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) using the NSF FastLane system at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. This approach is being taken to support efficient Grants.gov operations during this busy workload period and in response to OMB direction guidance issued March 9, 2009. NSF will continue to post information about available funding opportunities to Grants.gov FIND and will continue to collaborate with institutions who have invested in system-to-system submission functionality as their preferred proposal submission method. NSF remains committed to the long-standing goal of streamlined grants processing and plans to provide a web services interface for those institutions that want to use their existing grants management systems to directly submit proposals to NSF.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
CISE Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI)
Synopsis of Program:
The CISE Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI) program drives discovery and learning in the computing disciplines by supporting the creation, enhancement and operation of world-class computing research infrastructure. Further, through the CRI program CISE seeks to ensure that individuals from a diverse range of academic institutions, including minority-serving and predominantly undergraduate institutions, have access to such infrastructure.
The CRI program supports two classes of awards:
- Institutional Infrastructure awards support either the creation of new computing research infrastructure or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure to enable world-class research and education opportunities at the awardee and collaborating institutions.
- Community Infrastructure awards support the planning for computing research infrastructure, or the creation of new computing infrastructure, or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure to enable world-class research and education opportunities for broadly-based communities of researchers and educators that extend well beyond the awardee institutions. Furthermore, CI awards support the operation of such infrastructure, ensuring that awardee institutions are well-positioned to provide a high quality of service to community researchers and educators expected to use the infrastructure to realize their research and education goals.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
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Tanya Korelsky, Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS), 1125, telephone: (703) 292-8930, fax: (703) 292-9073, email: tkorelsk@nsf.gov
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Anita J. LaSalle, Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE), Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS), 1175, telephone: (703) 292-5006, email: alasalle@nsf.gov
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Chita Das, Program Director, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Division of Computer and Communication Foundations (CCF), 1175, telephone: (703) 292-8910, email: cdas@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 30 to 54 Up to four Community Infrastructure (CI) awards (including Planning Grants) and up to 50 Institutional Infrastructure (II) awards in each annual competition. The majority of II awards will be made in the $200,000-$750,000 range. However, a small number of II awards may be made in the $750,000-$1,500,000 range.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $18,000,000 annually, subject to the availability of funds.
Eligibility Information
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
- Universities and Colleges - Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2
In each annual competition, an individual may participate in at most two proposals as PI, Co-PI, or Senior Personnel.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Letters of Intent: Not Applicable
- Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not Applicable
- Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that deviates from the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
B. Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required under this solicitation.
- Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable
- Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable
C. Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
September 22, 2008
August 05, 2009
First Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
Proposal Review Information Criteria
Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation 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
- Award Information
- Eligibility Information
- Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
- NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
- Award Administration Information
- Agency Contacts
- Other Information
I. INTRODUCTION
Since its inception, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported the provisioning of research infrastructure in order to advance the frontiers of science and engineering. NSF supports research infrastructure both in the small in the form of special-purpose tools for individual investigators, and in the large in the form of shared-use facilities like telescopes, distributed sensor networks, ships and supercomputers that serve national communities of researchers, educators and students. These research infrastructure investments enable an academic science and engineering research enterprise that continues to be among the world’s best. Similarly, NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) has a tradition of supporting research infrastructure, both to enable transformative research at the frontiers of computing, and to provide unique learning opportunities for current and future generations of computing researchers and educators.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
With its Computing Research Infrastructure (CRI) program, CISE drives discovery and learning in the computing disciplines through support for the creation, enhancement and operation[1] of world-class computing research infrastructure. Further, through the CRI program CISE seeks to ensure that individuals from a diverse range of academic institutions, including minority-serving and predominantly undergraduate institutions, have access to such infrastructure.
Examples of research infrastructure of interest to the program include, but are not limited to, systems of security and monitoring devices, linguistically annotated electronic language and vision corpora, spectrum and protocol analyzers, system testbeds, suites of robots, clusters of graphic processing units, software libraries and tools, networks of wireless and mobile devices, programmable network components, motion capture systems for digitally recording the movement of people or other moving artifacts, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based systems, data clusters, and integrated systems of sensors, data repositories and visualization capabilities. These computing infrastructure resources (and others not listed here) are expected to provide unique and compelling research opportunities otherwise inaccessible to the CISE research and education community.
Cognizant of the diversity of research infrastructure needs in the computing community, the CRI program supports two classes of projects as defined below.
- Institutional Infrastructure
Each Institutional Infrastructure (II) award supports either the creation of new computing research infrastructure or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure. The proposed research infrastructure must enable compelling new research and education opportunities for the proposing PI or team of PIs and associated students and collaborators (i.e. for individuals at the awardee and collaborating institutions). II proposals involving multiple investigators from one or more departments and/or institutions are welcome. II proposals that are led by or include 2-year, predominantly undergraduate, and/or minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged. II proposals may request up to $1.5M total for project durations not to exceed 3 years.
- Community Infrastructure
Each Community Infrastructure (CI) award supports the planning for computing research infrastructure, or the creation of new computing infrastructure, or the enhancement of existing computing research infrastructure in order to provide compelling new research and education opportunities for a broadly-based community of researchers and educators that extends well beyond the awardee institution(s). Furthermore, each CI award may support the operation of such infrastructure, ensuring that the awardee institution(s) is well-positioned to provide a high quality of service to community researchers and educators expected to use the infrastructure to realize their research and education goals. Since CI awards serve communities of researchers and educators, CI proposals must provide compelling evidence that a diverse community of investigators will find the proposed infrastructure valuable to their research and education endeavors.
Support for CI is provided in two award categories:
CI Planning (CI-P) grants of up to $100,000 for durations of up to 1 year to prepare for the submission of a CI-ADDO proposal.
CI Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations (CI-ADDO) grants of up to $4 million for durations of up to 4 years to either a) create and operate new computing research infrastructure, or b) enhance and operate existing computing research infrastructure, or c) operate existing computing research infrastructure. NSF will provide no more than $250,000 per year for operating the infrastructure.
Organizations may submit CI-ADDO proposals without having received CI-P grants. The receipt of a CI-P grant does not guarantee support for the subsequent CI-ADDO proposal, the latter of which will also be subjected to NSF’s merit review process.
For more information on the types of activities supported by the CRI program, please consult the CRI Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=CISE.
[1] Throughout this solicitation the term “operation(s)” is intended to include all aspects of supporting research infrastructure including management, maintenance, operations and user support.
III. AWARD INFORMATION
NSF expects to make the following types of award(s): Standard or Continuing Grants. Up to four CI awards (including Planning Grants) and up to 50 II awards will be made in each annual competition, subject to availability of funds. The majority of II grants will be made in the $200,000 - $750,000 range. However, a small number of II awards may be made in the $750,000 - $1,500,000 range.
IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
- Universities and Colleges - Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 2
In each annual competition, an individual may participate in at most two proposals as PI, Co-PI, or Senior Personnel.
Additional Eligibility Info:
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposal Instructions: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the guidelines specified in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-PUBS (7827) or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov.
The following information SUPPLEMENTS (not replaces) the guidelines provided in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG).
Proposal Titles: Proposal titles must begin with an acronym that indicates the type of CRI proposal being submitted. Select an acronym from the following list:
II-NEW: Institutional Infrastructure proposals requesting support for new computing research infrastructure
II-EN: Institutional Infrastructure proposals requesting support to enhance existing computing research infrastructure
CI-P: Community Infrastructure Planning
CI-ADDO-NEW: Community Infrastructure Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations proposals requesting support to create and operate new computing research infrastructure
CI-ADDO-EN: Community Infrastructure Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations proposals requesting support to enhance and operate existing computing research infrastructure
CI-ADDO-OP: Community Infrastructure Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations proposals requesting support to operate existing computing research infrastructure
The acronym should be followed with a colon, then the title of your project. For example, if you are submitting an Institutional Infrastructure proposal to enhance existing institutional infrastructure, then your title would be II-EN: Title.
Project Description: The preparation instructions for II and the two types of CI proposals are different; PIs are encouraged to read the following instructions carefully when preparing their proposals.
Institutional Infrastructure Proposals
Within the 15 pages allocated for the Project Description, describe the
- proposed computing research infrastructure and its estimated lifetime, noting whether it is new infrastructure to be created or existing infrastructure to be enhanced;
- prior research and education contributions enabled by the infrastructure IF the proposed activity is an enhancement of existing infrastructure (e.g., innovative new results, refereed publications, theses, courses/courseware, software tools, technology transfer, other industry or government support or other indicators of success);
- compelling new research and education opportunities that will result from the availability of the proposed infrastructure;
- researchers, educators, and students (including affiliated institutions) who will benefit from the proposed infrastructure creation or enhancement, including the synergies in their interests;
- awardee institution(s) commitment to operate and maintain the infrastructure for its estimated useful life; and
- a detailed project management plan, with timeline, to create and deploy the new or enhance the existing research infrastructure.
Community Infrastructure Proposals
For CI Proposals requesting Planning grants, within the 15 pages allocated for the Project Description:
- Describe the computing research infrastructure concept, noting whether it is new infrastructure to be created or existing infrastructure to be enhanced, and provide an estimate of its cost to deploy and operate.
- Describe the compelling new research and education opportunities envisioned as being enabled by the infrastructure.
- Describe the steps you will take to identify the consensus needs of the research and education community to be served by the proposed infrastructure, including the process you plan to follow to identify the major characteristics and features of the infrastructure, its useful lifetime, and its cost to create/enhance and operate.
For CI Proposals requesting Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations grants, within the 20 pages allocated for the Project Description:
- Describe the proposed computing research infrastructure and its expected lifetime, noting whether it is new infrastructure to be created and operated, existing infrastructure to be enhanced and operated, or existing infrastructure to be operated.
- Describe the compelling new research and education opportunities enabled by the proposed infrastructure. Describe the steps you took to identify the research and education opportunities enabled by the infrastructure and provide evidence that a diverse community of users plan to use the capabilities provided.
- If the proposed activity is for the enhancement and/or operation of existing infrastructure, in addition to describing the new research and education opportunities afforded by the proposed enhancement and/or operations (see bullet above), also describe prior research and education contributions the infrastructure enabled, and the researchers, educators and students it served. Evidence of prior contributions may include innovative research results, refereed publications and theses that used the infrastructure (identifying those without co-authors from the proposing institutions), use by courses, courseware developed, software tool development, dissemination and use, technology transfer, other government or industry support, etc.
- If the proposed infrastructure is related to previously NSF-funded infrastructure, describe the extent to which the previously funded infrastructure will be integrated with the new infrastructure. Describe how funds remaining from earlier NSF grants for related infrastructure will be integrated with the requested award.
- Describe the quality of service commitment to the relevant research and education community.
- Describe the means by which user satisfaction will be evaluated and used to refine and improve subsequent infrastructure operations.
- Describe plans for outreach to ensure that a broad community of users is engaged.
- Describe the qualifications of the PIs and the project team to manage the creation or enhancement and/or operations of the research infrastructure in support of its users.
- Provide a detailed project management plan, including a timeline, that outlines all steps to be undertaken to acquire, develop, and/or operate the research infrastructure, and identify the parties responsible for each major task.
CI Proposals requesting Acquisition, Development, Deployment and/or Operations grants should also include a well-reasoned budget justification that clearly distinguishes the costs to 1). acquire, develop and deploy (the new or enhanced infrastructure); and/or 2. operate the proposed infrastructure. (Remember, NSF will support operations at levels not to exceed $250,000 each year).
Supplementary Documents: In the Supplementary Documents Section, provide a list if PIs, Co-PIs, Senior Personnel, paid Consultants, Collaborators and Postdocs to be involved in the project. This list should be numbered and include (in this order) Full name, Organization(s), and Role in the project, with each item separated by a semi-colon. Each person listed should start a new numbered line. For example:
- Mary Smith; XYZ University; PI
- John Jones; University of PQR; Senior Personnel
- Jane Brown; XYZ University; Postdoc
- Bob Adams; ABC Inc.; Paid Consultant
PIs from predominantly undergraduate institutions should also include a Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Impact Statement and Certification of RUI Eligibility in this Section. See the RUI program website for further information.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (Populated with NSF Number at Clearance) in the program solicitation block on the NSF 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.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
For II and CI-ADDO projects, the CRI program supports:
- the acquisition and/or development of new software tools, equipment, testbeds, resources, platforms, etc;
- the enhancement (through acquisition and/or development) of existing software tools, equipment, testbeds, resources, platforms, etc;
- travel expenses necessary for coordination in multi-institutional projects;
- technical personnel essential to the successful design, acquisition, development, and deployment of the proposed research infrastructure;
- travel expenses to ensure project participation in one PI meeting per year in the Washington, DC region; and
- postdocs, graduate and/or undergraduate students to participate in the design, acquisition and/or development of the proposed research infrastructure.
For CI-ADDO projects ONLY, CRI supports:
- support for professional staff critical to the operation of the infrastructure, including providing effective user support;
- postdocs, graduate or undergraduate students to participate in the operation (including providing user support) and assessment of the infrastructure as long as these activities do NOT constitute research (the CRI program does not fund individuals to engage in research);
- outreach and participation activities like workshops or training activities that broaden participation and prepare researchers, educators and students to use the proposed infrastructure effectively; and
- assessment activities that evaluate project outcomes.
The CRI program will not provide support for the following items:
- general-purpose personal computing equipment, office equipment, software, or databases.
C. Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
September 22, 2008
August 05, 2009
First Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
D. FastLane Requirements
Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this program solicitation through use of the NSF FastLane system. Detailed instructions regarding the technical aspects of 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 solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.
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. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp.
VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES
Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal.
A. NSF Merit Review Criteria
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
The two NSB-approved merit review criteria are listed below. 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 the reviewer is qualified to make judgements.
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, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
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?
Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf.
Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral researchers supported on the project, as described in a one-page supplementary document, will be evaluated under the Broader Impacts criterion.
NSF staff also will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:
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.
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.
- Does the proposal provide convincing evidence that the proposed infrastructure will result in compelling new research and education opportunities?
- Comment on the extent to which individuals at underserved institutions may benefit from the infrastructure provided.
- Does the proposing institution(s) provide a convincing case of their commitment to maintain and operate the infrastructure for its useful life?
- Is the project management plan, including timeline, costs and personnel, realistic?
- Does the proposal document the potential community involvement in the planning process?
- Comment on the national need for and validity of the research infrastructure being explored.
- Comment on the research and educational value of the research infrastructure described. Does the proposal provide convincing evidence that the research infrastructure will result in compelling new research and education opportunities?
- Does the proposal provide convincing evidence that a diverse community of users plans to use the capabilities provided?
- Have the PIs convincingly demonstrated that the project team has the skills necessary to acquire, develop, and/or operate community research infrastructure so as to provide a high level of service and support for a broadly-based community of users?
- Is the project management plan, including timeline, costs and personnel, realistic?
- To what extent does the proposal convincingly describe the means by which user satisfaction will be evaluated and used to refine and improve subsequent infrastructure services and operations?
- If the new infrastructure is related to previously funded NSF infrastructure, is the rationale for the new infrastructure and the integration plan for old and new components, convincing?
-
If the proposal describes plans to enhance and/or operate existing infrastructure, comment on the extent to which
- the proposal builds a convincing case that the existing infrastructure has enabled compelling research and education opportunities. Evidence of this may include innovative research results, refereed publications and theses that used the infrastructure (note those without co-authors from the proposing institution(s)), use by courses, courseware developed, software tool development, dissemination and use, technology transfer, and other government or industry support; and
- the PIs convincingly demonstrated that they have provided a high level of user support for a broad-based research and education community.
Additional Review Criteria:
Within the context of the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria, reviewers will be asked to consider the following issues when preparing their reviews:
For II proposals
For CI-P proposals
For CI-ADDO proposals
B. Review and Selection Process
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review 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.
After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's 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 Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
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 their 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 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.B. 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 (GC-1); * or Research Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.
*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.
C. Reporting Requirements
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report.
Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational) 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. Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete.
VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
-
Tanya Korelsky, Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS), 1125, telephone: (703) 292-8930, fax: (703) 292-9073, email: tkorelsk@nsf.gov
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Anita J La Salle, Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE), Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS), 1175, telephone: (703) 292-5006, email: alasalle@nsf.gov
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Chita Das, Program Director, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Division of Computer and Communication Foundations (CCF), 1175, telephone: (703) 292-8910, email: cdas@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
- FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.
IX. OTHER INFORMATION
The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, National Science Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail when new publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the NSF web site.
Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.
Related Programs:
NSF provides additional funding opportunities for the computing community via the following programs and their solicitations:
Discovery Research Programs
Advanced Learning Technologies (ALT), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12834&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5262
CISE Cross-cutting Programs: FY 2009 and FY 2010, to be released in summer 2008
Cluster Exploratory (CluE), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503270&org=CISE&from=home
Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS), http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5147
Community-Based Data Interoperability Networks (Interop) http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=502112&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Computer and Network Systems: Core Programs, to be released in summer 2008
Computing and Communication Foundations: Core Programs, to be released summer 2008
Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI), http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi/
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), to be released summer 2008
Engineering Research Centers (ERCs), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5502&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund
Expeditions in Computing, http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07592
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13706&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program (I/UCRC), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5501&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Information and Intelligent Systems: Core Programs, to be released summer 2008
Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12819&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Science of Learning Centers (SLCs), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5567&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Science and Technology Centers (STCs), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5541&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER), http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05053/nsf05053.jsp
Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners (DataNet), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503141&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Education and Workforce Development Programs
ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers, http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383&from=fund
Advanced Technological Education (ATE) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5464
Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13510&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund
CISE Pathways to Revitalized Education in Computing (CPATH), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=500025&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund
Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences (CSUMS) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources and Directorate for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13655&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5741&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
Developing Global Scientists and Engineers [International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) and Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects (DDEP)] (Office of International Science and Engineering), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12831&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Discovery Research K-12 (DR-K12) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=500047&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5228
Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201&org=DGE&from=home
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12759
International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) (Office of International Science and Engineering), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5179&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5467&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5472&from=fund
NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5257&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites and Supplements, http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&from=fund
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) (Directorate for Education and Human Resources), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5488&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
Research Infrastructure Programs
Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI), http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5741&org=EHR&sel_org=EHR&from=fund
EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Grant Program http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5672&org=CISE&sel_org=CISE&from=fund
Major Research Instrumentation, http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08503/nsf08503.htm
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."
NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.
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 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.
The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.
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 Website 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; and 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 proposer 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 or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; 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," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (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 the 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
