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NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Updates to NSF Research Security Policies

On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.

Dear Colleague Letter

National Science Foundation Translation to Practice (NSF TTP) Collaborates with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD)

Encourages research proposals to the NSF Translation to Practice (NSF TTP) program focused on the interests of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).
Encourages research proposals to the NSF Translation to Practice (NSF TTP) program focused on the interests of the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Translation to Practice (TTP) program seeks to translate research to practice, ensuring that the insights and innovations developed through scientific study and experimentation have tangible, positive impacts on society. These impacts include improved quality of life, intensified economic and global competitiveness, strengthened job growth, and increased national security.

To deliver on its mission, including through programs like TTP, NSF TIP engages with partners from industry, government, and philanthropy. With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), NSF TIP announces a partnership with the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). NSWCDD seeks to advance a broad research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) portfolio with an emphasis on warfare systems development and integration.

The NSF TTP program seeks to:

  • Identify and support the initiation of use-inspired research and initial translational activities enabling a continuum from foundational research to practice;
  • Develop sustainable partnerships and collaborations that include traditional (academic) and non-traditional entities to accelerate the transfer of technology by ensuring needs and opportunities are appropriately addressed;
  • Promote and advance the education and training of students and postdoctoral researchers, avoiding undue geographic concentration of funding and encouraging the participation of all Americans; and
  • Identify future customer needs and opportunities through NSF Innovation Corps (NSF I-CorpsTM) training.

Further, NSWCDD seeks to empower U.S. Navy capabilities today and in the future. NSWCDD’s strategic thrusts include intelligent automation systems which lie at the intersection of autonomy, artificial intelligence, and unmanned systems; software and cyber engineering; digital engineering including advancement in live, virtual, and constructive capabilities and digital transformation; and hypersonic weapons advancement and information superiority which includes advanced sensors and electromagnetics, integrated combat systems, advanced integrated fire control and battle management aid development.

Pursuant to this DCL, proposers will tailor their use-inspired research and translation projects towards national security and/or national defense. Specifically, proposers will work towards developing, integrating, enhancing, and sustaining NSWCDD capabilities to support Navy modernization priorities and improve readiness. The NSF TTP program will consider proposals that are responsive to the core competencies and interests of the NSWCDD across all three tracks of the NSF TTP program solicitation. None of the research considered by this solicitation should be considered Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) – all research is unclassified, publicly releasable research.

All proposals submitted in accordance with this DCL will be evaluated based on the responsiveness of the proposal to the core competencies and interests of the NSWCDD.

Proposal Submission, Review, Recommendation, Award, and Program Evaluation Processes

Proposal Submission. When responding to this DCL, please include "TTP/NAVSEA: E:" for the TTP-Explore track, "TTP/NAVSEA: T:" for the TTP-Translate track, or “TTP/NAVSEA: P: “for the TTP-Partner track, at the beginning of the proposal title. For full consideration for NSWCDD co-funding or full funding, proposals must provide strong justification in use-inspired and translation activities focused on NAVSEA needs and interests.

Proposals should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the current NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) as well as instructions contained in the NSF TTP program solicitation and this DCL. All TTP proposals and other proposal-related information (e.g., concept papers or outlines, unattributed reviews, panel summaries, etc.) may be shared with NSWCDD, subject to standard NSF conflict-of-interest rules.

Proposal Review. NSF will provide NSWCDD with a complete list of all proposals submitted in accordance with this DCL. NSWCDD agrees not to disclose any non-public information to any external organization. NSWCDD program staff may attend the NSF TTP review panels, subject to standard NSF FACA and conflict-of-interest rules.

NSF will manage and conduct the review process of all proposals submitted to the NSF TTP-NAVSEA funding opportunity. Proposals submitted pursuant to this DCL will be evaluated for co-funding based on their responsiveness to the core competencies and interests of the NSWCDD.

Award Recommendation. NSF will take into consideration input from NSWCDD prior to making final funding recommendations, but NSF will retain final authority for making all award decisions.

Award. As appropriate, NSWCDD may co-fund any NSF TTP-NAVSEA proposals that are deemed highly meritorious and meet NSF TTP-NAVSEA requirements. Co-funded NSF TTP-NAVSEA awardees will be required to include appropriate acknowledgment of NSF and NSWCDD support in presentations, reports, and/or publications on work performed under the award. An example of such an acknowledgment is: "This material is based upon work supported by the NSF and NSWCDD under Award No. NSF TTP-NAVSEA-[award number(s)].”

NSF will administer awards in accordance with standard NSF policies and procedures.

Program Evaluation. NSWCDD may engage with awardees at required TTP Principal Investigator (PI) Meetings.

NSF will share annual and final annual project reports with the NSWCDD after they have been reviewed and accepted by the cognizant NSF Program Officer.

The NSWCDD will not own any intellectual property as a result of funding or co-funding proposals submitted to the NSF TTP solicitation.

PIs should reference the full NSF TTP solicitation for further details. PIs with questions pertaining to this DCL, or the NSF TTP program in general, may contact: translation@nsf.gov.

Sincerely,

Erwin Gianchandani 
Assistant Director
Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Todd F. Graves
Chief Technology Officer
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
U.S. Naval Sea Command

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