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NSF 05-533: Partnerships for International Research and Education

Program Solicitation

Document Information

Document History

  • Posted: December 9, 2004
  • Replaced by: NSF 06-589

Partnerships for International Research and Education

Program Solicitation
NSF 05-533

NSF Logo

National Science Foundation
      Office of International Science and Engineering

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

    March 10, 2005

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Partnerships for International Research and Education

Synopsis of Program:

Partnerships for International Research and Education will enable U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with foreign groups or institutions in order to advance specific research and education objectives and to make possible a research effort that neither side could accomplish on its own.  As science and engineering become increasingly global, U.S. scientists and engineers must be able to operate in teams comprised of partners from different nations and cultural backgrounds.  International partnerships are, and will be, increasingly indispensable in addressing many critical global scientific problems.  The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative new models for international collaborative research and education. It is also intended to facilitate greater variety in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce.  

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

  • Edward O. Murdy, Senior Program Manager, Office of the Director, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8711, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: emurdy@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

  • 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
  • 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • 47.076 --- Education and Human Resources
  • 47.041 --- Engineering
  • 47.050 --- Geosciences
  • 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
  • 47.078 --- Office of Polar Programs
  • 47.075 --- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

Eligibility Information

  • Organization Limit:

    U.S. Ph.D. degree granting institutions must be the lead institution.

  • PI Eligibility Limit:

    PI must be affiliated with the lead institution.  Only U.S. participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators should be designated as non Co-PI senior personnel.

  • Limit on Number of Proposals: A single institution may submit only one proposal as lead institution. An institution may participate in only two proposals as participating, non-lead institutions.

Award Information

  • Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 10
  • Anticipated Funding Amount: $5,000,000 , pending availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
  • Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that supplements the standard 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.
  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
  • Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
C. Due Dates
  • Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
      March 10, 2005

Proposal Review Information

  • 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.

I. Introduction

Partnerships For International Research and Education - Concept

Science and engineering are increasingly global.  Cutting-edge research is being conducted worldwide, and new ideas emerge from the intellectual interactions of people with diverse backgrounds.  Consequently, U.S. scientists and engineers and their institutions must be globally engaged and able to operate in teams comprised of partners from different nations and cultural backgrounds.  International partnerships are, and will be, increasingly indispensable in addressing many critical global scientific and engineering problems. 

Partnerships for International Research and Education awards will enable U.S. institutions to develop longer-term, collaborative international research and education programs with foreign partners.  Successful proposals will describe science and engineering research projects that are based on integrated and synergistic international collaborations, and will explain how the complementary strengths of the collaborating institutions will be used to enable and sustain a longer-term program.  Partnerships for International Research and Education will enable U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with foreign groups or institutions in order to advance specific research and education objectives and to make possible a research effort that neither side could accomplish on its own.  The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative new models for international collaborative research and education. It is also intended to facilitate greater diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce.  

It is the intention of NSF to issue only a limited number of awards under this solicitation.  Partnerships for International Research and Education is a special, one-time Program Solicitation by the Office of International Science and Engineering.

II. Program Description

  1. Program Objectives:

    • Support research and education of the highest quality.
    • Support strong international collaborative research and education.
    • Provide international research experiences for U.S. students and faculty that will prepare them to work in the global research community.
    • Engage resources across a U.S. institution(s) that will contribute to strong international partnerships.
    • Develop new collaborative models for international research and education.
    • Raise the profile of international collaborative research and education within the US research and education community.

International research collaboration between institutions is the focus of this program.  Proposals submitted to the Partnerships for International Research and Education program should be organized around a research topic that requires the collective effort and close collaboration of U.S. and foreign research partners to achieve significant scientific/engineering goals while also emphasizing the integration of research and education.  A principal investigator will direct the partnership and work closely with foreign research partners as well as a diverse suite of U.S. participants/entities (e.g., research faculty, departments, institutes, university administration, international program offices, language departments, and information/communication technology resources).  Any science and engineering area supported by the NSF is eligible, but Partnerships for International Research and Education awards will only support activities that: depend on intellectual collaborations with international partners; include significant and specific contributions (e.g., expertise, facilities, sites, data, different approaches/methods/models, educational opportunities, etc.) from international partners; and that make use of the diverse capabilities of the participating institutions.  Proposers are encouraged to describe how the partnership will contribute to creating a hub of international collaboration that will bring demonstrable benefits to the U.S. research community.

Globalization of research and career opportunities places importance on providing an international perspective to U.S. scientists and engineers early in their careers.  Therefore, in addition to domestic research activities, a significant part of the collaborative project must involve U.S. participants working at foreign sites.  The collaborative project should provide many participants with an international research experience in an academic, industrial or national laboratory, or other suitable setting.  Use of information/communication technologies, networking, remote access of instrumentation and facilities, distance learning, and other means of remote interaction as well as development of innovative curricular activities with strong international content is encouraged to strengthen the international dimensions of the project for those participants who travel abroad, as well as those who do not.

In line with NSF’s commitment to creating a diverse, competitive, and globally-engaged U.S. workforce of scientists and engineers, projects are expected to develop a cadre of scientists and engineers who will play a leadership role in forging international collaborations.  Programs should include active participation of U.S. students and junior researchers, including those from underrepresented groups, at the foreign sites as part of the international collaboration.

  1. Principal Investigator

The Principal Investigator (PI) shall be the director of the Partnerships for International Research and Education project, and is expected to be an essential participant in its research and related educational activities. The PI will have overall responsibility for administration of the award, management of the project, and for interactions with the NSF.  FastLane allows one PI and at most four Co-PIs to be designated. Only U.S. participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators should be designated as non co-PI Senior Personnel. 

  1. Additional Considerations

PIs are responsible for obtaining any required visas for foreign travel, and through the U.S. research institution, for providing documentation in support of U.S. visas for foreign counterpart investigators. PIs are also responsible for obtaining research permits and import/export documents, where necessary. PIs should contact NSF’s web page “Information for U.S. Travelers;” among other things this page includes information regarding the collection of genetic resources outside of the United States.

III. Eligibility Information

The PI must be affiliated with the lead institution.  Only U.S. participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators should be designated non co-PI Senior Personnel.

Projects may involve more than one U.S. institution as well as more than one foreign institution, but a single U.S. institution must serve as the lead institution and accept overall management responsibility as the lead institution.  The lead institution must be a U.S. Ph.D. degree granting institution. An institution may participate in only two proposals as participating, non-lead institutions.

A single U.S. institution may submit only one proposal as the lead institution with the project PI.  Institutions may participate with co-PIs in a maximum of two proposals.

IV. Award Information

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.   Awards will be standard or continuing grants.

Under this solicitation, proposals may be submitted for support for up to five years, with annual budgets of up to $500,000.  It is anticipated that NSF will make up to 10 awards this year.  Future funding of this program will be dependent on availability of funds. 

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:

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 Website at: https://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Partnerships for International Research and Education Proposal Content

Proposals must include the following information that supplements the GPG guidelines:

Proposal Cover Sheet. Indicate the solicitation number (05-533) in the program announcement/solicitation block and select “Collaborative Research” as the Program in the Unit Selection List. Check the box for “International Cooperative Activities” and list the countries involved.

International Programs Cover Page Addendum. When using FastLane, this Addendum will be listed as a form for completion after the NSF Cover Sheet has been saved with the OISE Program Solicitation selected. Appendix I shows Addendum details.

Project Summary (1-page limit). Provide a summary description of the proposed project, including its research theme and international collaborative features, in a manner that will be informative to a general technical audience. The project summary must explicitly address both the intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed activity, or the proposal will be returned without review.

Project Description (18-page limit). To be considered for funding, proposals must demonstrate a focused research plan requiring collaboration with single or multiple foreign research institutions of appropriate size and scope. Proposals submitted to this solicitation are expected to address the following:

    Research plans and objectives. Provide the rationale for the research project, set it within the context of relevant literature, and provide specific hypotheses to be tested, detailed methodologies, and relevant preliminary data; the project description should contain sufficient detail to allow disciplinary peer review assessment of the scientific/technical merit of the proposed focused research project. Indicate the potential impact or expected significance of the proposed research.

    Education plans and objectives. Specifically address the nature of the international research experiences to be provided, the integration of research and education, plans for the provision of effective mentoring in both U.S. and foreign institutions, and career development to be provided.

    Management Plan, International Coordination and Logistics (3-page limit).

    Describe the plan for management of the overall project, including division of research and education responsibilities among U.S. and foreign participants, commitment of resources, a timetable of activities, and an evaluation approach.

    Describe the procedures and arrangements for recruiting, selecting, preparing, and sending students, recent Ph.D.s and junior faculty members to foreign sites for research and education collaboration.

    Address the practical aspects of sending Americans abroad, including logistical (lodging, transportation, health care, safety, etc.) arrangements, language and cultural issues, and administrative requirements.

    Identify the resources, e.g. language and cultural training programs, information technologies, and experience of the U.S. institution(s) in international activities that could contribute to the success of the proposed Partnership project.

    Explain how the Partnership project would add value to the institution’s international programs and goals.

    Intellectual collaboration with the foreign partners and benefits to be accrued from such collaborations; i.e. efforts that only make use of facilities or natural resources without engaging foreign scientists and/or engineers are not acceptable.

    Nature, size, and scope of the foreign institution(s) and how the foreign partners complement the US effort;

    Specific contribution (e.g., expertise, facilities, sites, data, different approaches/methods/models, educational opportunities, etc.) of the foreign partners;

    Mechanisms for building a robust and sustainable collaboration, including strategies for continuation of the partnership beyond OISE support;

    Results from Prior NSF Support (not to exceed 5-pages).

Budget Justification (3-page limit). Explains and justifies costs of the international collaboration.

    Funds for faculty salaries or research-related travel support should be requested as follows: (i) up to two months per year of salary support for the Principal Investigator; (ii) up to one month per year of research-related travel support for the Principal Investigator and each Co-Principal Investigator.

    Cost of travel for the PI for one trip to the Washington, DC area per year to report on progress or participate in a grantees’ meeting should be included.

    For undergraduate and graduate student participants and postdoctoral associates, include a breakdown of numbers by types of participants, and associated travel and subsistence expenses. Foreign research experiences should be of sufficient duration to acculturate the U.S. researcher and provide a meaningful research/education experience.

    Limited funds may be requested for administration of the project, including support for administrative staff, faculty visits to foreign sites for research coordination and student mentoring, education and communication linkages between institutions, and preparation/orientation of students for living abroad.

    Purchase of limited shared-research equipment, special-purpose research materials, software and databases may be requested.

    NSF awards are normally limited to support of the U.S. portion of the collaboration. Whereas reciprocal visits by foreign researchers and students to the U.S. institutions are encouraged, NSF will not usually pay for such visits. In the case of scientists and engineers from a developing country or from a country whose currency is not convertible, limited funds may be requested to support their participation in the project.

Supplementary Documents. This required information must be entered in the Supplementary Documents section in FastLane.

    List of Participants (1-page limit): Include departmental and institutional affiliation of all faculty members and other senior-level personnel expected to have an important role in the project. This list should also include the names and institutional affiliations of key foreign collaborators.

    Biographical sketches for all principal foreign collaborators. All sketches must adhere to the format given in the Grant Proposal Guide (Chapter II.C.2.f, https://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg).

    Letters of support from collaborating U.S. and foreign researchers/institutions. Letters of support from foreign collaborators should provide substantive details regarding the foreign collaborators’ commitment to the proposed project and the related support available through their funding mechanisms.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation number (05-533) 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.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

NSF award is granted to the U.S. lead institution.  NSF funding can support the participation of  principal investigators, contributing researchers, postdoctoral fellows, students and support staff affiliated with the U.S. institution, when specifically justified in terms of the international collaboration.  In almost all cases, foreign partners should obtain their own funding for participation. However, if a foreign collaborator is from a developing country or a country whose currency is not convertible, some support may be provided for that foreign collaborator. Proposers are encouraged to discuss specifics with the cognizant OISE program manager(s) before submitting a proposal.  In rare cases where the project would include a sub-award to a foreign institution:

  • the sub-award must enable the project to be carried out more effectively than if the funds were administered directly by the U.S. grantee institution; and
  • the possibility of indigenous support for the project must have been thoroughly explored and found inadequate.

By law, U.S. flag carriers must be used whenever possible (see para. 761.2 and 761.3 of the Grant Policy Manual at https://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm).  For living expenses abroad, applicants are encouraged to work with foreign counterparts to develop realistic budget requests.  For example, access to university guest housing or similar facilities should be explored.  It is expected that cost-effective arrangements will be made for individuals residing at the foreign site for extended periods and for projects involving on-going exchanges of short-term visitors.  In no case should the amount for lodging and meals and incidental expenses (MI&E) exceed the authorized U.S. Government per diem rates, calculated at the daily rate for the first 30 days of a single project visit, and 50 percent of that rate for all time after that.

C. Due Dates

Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

    March 10, 2005

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: https://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 National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127, Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making funding decisions.

In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January 2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators (PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.

Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.

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 judgments.

    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.
    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.
    Additional Review Criteria:

    In addition to the general NSF review criteria described above, the following criteria will be used by reviewers and NSF staff in evaluating proposals submitted in response to this solicitation:

    1. Importance and coherence of the international collaboration model, including its effectiveness as an intellectual collaboration for all participating scientists, engineers, and educators;
    2. Quality and innovation of the proposed research efforts, and the appropriateness of the international collaboration to these efforts;
    3. Quality and innovation in the planned education activities, and in their integration with the research efforts;
    4. Effectiveness of career development opportunities and provision for developing an international perspective and an international research experience;
    5. The effectiveness of the strategy for preparing a globally-engaged science and engineering workforce;
    6. Appropriateness of the management plan and organizational structure in assuring effective allocation of project resources and participation by project members;
    7. Appropriateness of the budget; and
    8. Commitment of the institutions to achieving the project’s goals and to sustaining the partnership beyond the term of an award.

    Strong preference will be given to international partnerships that are novel and new.  Partnerships that are long-standing and established should seek continuing support elsewhere.

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 proposers whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation, or the date of proposal receipt, whichever is later. 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 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 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 Website at https://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 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 Website at https://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 Website 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. Failure to provide final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI and all Co-PIs. 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. 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:

  • Edward O. Murdy, Senior Program Manager, Office of the Director, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8711, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: emurdy@nsf.gov

For specific Project Development inquiries: The OISE geographic region/country program manager regarding project development. Contacts are available from the OISE home page.

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

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 https://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 Website at https://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service (https://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.

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, although some programs may have special requirements that limit eligibility.

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 GPG Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.

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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.

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.

OMB control number: 3145-0058.

Appendix I

Office of International Science and Engineering Cover Page Addendum

(When using FastLane, this Addendum is listed as form for completion after the NSF Cover Sheet has been saved with the OISE Program Solicitation selected.)

Country #1: ____________

Country #2: ____________

Country #3: ____________

Proposal Category: 
[   ] Planning Visit or Workshop
[   ] Developing Global Scientists and Engineers
[   ] Partnerships for International Research & Education
[   ] Multilateral Organizations

Foreign Counterpart Investigator/Organizer/Host (Repeat as needed for up to three Foreign Counterpart Investigators/Organizers/Hosts)
Name:            ____________________________
Department:  ____________________________
Institution:      ____________________________
Address:       ____________________________
                       ____________________________
                       ____________________________
Phone:   _________________
Fax:        _________________
Email:    _________________

For Planning Visit or Workshop Location (use only when appropriate)
  City:          ____________________________
  Country:   ____________________________
Start Date: _____________________
End Date:  _____________________

Demographics (people that will be supported by this project):

Number of senior US scientists and engineers (excluding those within 6 years of their Ph.D. and graduate and undergraduate students): _________

Number of U.S. scientists within 6 years of the Ph.D. (including the PI and/or Co-PI if applicable):  _________

Number of U.S. graduate students: _________

Number of U.S. undergraduate students: _________

Number of foreign scientists and engineers (including post-docs, graduate students and undergraduate students) associated with the foreign institution.  Include only those that will be supported under this NSF proposal.  Do not count foreign participants that  will be supported by non-NSF funds.      _________