This document has been archived.

CreativeIT

Program Solicitation
NSF 07-562

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering
     Division of Information & Intelligent Systems
     Division of Computing and Communication Foundations
     Division of Computer and Network Systems

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional):

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

REVISION NOTES

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals, or will require that proposers utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

In response to this program solicitation, proposers may opt to submit proposals via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system. In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

Synopsis of Program:

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Mary Lou Maher, Program Director, CreativeIT, 1125, telephone: (703) 292-7242, fax: 703-292-9073, email: mmaher@nsf.gov

Alan Hevner, Program Director, Science of Design, 1115, telephone: (703) 292-8649, fax: (703) 292-9059, email: ahevner@nsf.gov

Anita La Salle, Program Director, Pathways for Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education, 1175, telephone: (703) 292-5006, fax: (703) 292-9010, email: alasalle@nsf.gov

Errol Arkilic, Program Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer, 590, telephone: (703) 292-8095, fax: (703) 292-8095, email: earkilic@nsf.gov

Diana Rhoten, Program Director, Office of Cyberinfrastructure, 1160, telephone: (703) 292-8970, fax: (703) 292-9060, email: drhoten@nsf.gov

Christopher Kello, Program Director, Behavior and Cognitive Sciences, 995, telephone: (703) 292-7337, fax: (703) 292-9068, email: ckello@nsf.gov

Anthony Kelly, Program Director, Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering, 855, telephone: (703) 292-8465, fax: (703) 292-9046, email: akelly@nsf.gov

Umesh Thakkar, Program Director, Division of Graduate Education, 875, telephone: (703) 292-7107, fax: (703) 292-9048, email: uthakkar@nsf.gov

Judy Vance, Program Director, Engineering Design, 529, telephone: (703) 292-7060, fax: (703) 292-9053, email: jmvance@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

Estimated Number of Awards: 30 to 35 It is anticipated that 25-30 Pilot awards and up to 5 Major awards will be made.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000 pending availability of funds. A Pilot project will be awarded up to $200,000 (total) with a duration up to 2 years. A Major project will be awarded up to $800,000 (total) with a duration of 3 years.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

PI Limit:

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is optional. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Full Proposals:
- Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.
- Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf/)

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable

Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional):

July 23, 2007

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

September 21, 2007

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

Introduction
Program Description
Award Information
Eligibility Information
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
1. NSF Merit Review Criteria
2. Review and Selection Process
Award Administration Information
Agency Contacts
Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION

Creativity, design, and research all contribute new knowledge and artifacts. The CreativeIT program focuses on the commonality of these three processes and solicits proposals that bring creative practice and creativity research to play a role in transformative research in specific contexts of computer science, information technology, education, engineering design and science. The program considers design as a kind of research in which the definition of the problem may change in response to the exploration and development of alternative solutions, leading to creative solutions and innovation. The program's objective is to bring together different disciplines associated with creative and scientific advances in a way that is mutually beneficial. This program encourages new ways of thinking about one discipline in terms of another, so that the interdisciplinary nature of the project is a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Information technology is playing an increasing role in extending the capability of human creative thinking and problem solving, and conversely, creative uses of information technology are leading to new areas of research and innovation. Creativity is often the result of a design process in which the exploration of possible designs changes our perspective on what the design can or should achieve. A designer develops new artifacts in the context of a perceived need or problem specification. In creative design, the reflection on problem finding becomes as important as problem solving. The combination of creativity and design thinking in information technology, science, and engineering has the potential to define new areas and lead to increased successful innovation.

Advances: CreativeIT seeks proposals for projects whose objectives are specific to the context or problem being addressed in the participating disciplines, and also lead to new models of creativity, new models for research and education, or creativity enhancing tools. A project may respond to one or more of the following types of advances.

New theoretical models: The synergy of research in creativity and computer science can lead to new computational and/or cognitive models of creativity as ways of searching for problems and solutions. The formal models developed in this kind of project can be the basis for new IT tools, new approaches to education, and new ways of doing research.
New modes of research: A focus on understanding the role of creative processes or creative professionals in research in computer science and information systems can lead to new modes of research. This understanding can be developed empirically through various social science methods applied in the context of solving a specific problem.
Innovative educational approaches: Creativity can be a focus for learning environments in computer science and engineering using models such as studio learning and problem-based learning that reward creative thinking. The development and evaluation of educational environments that encourage creativity can lead to new ways of teaching knowledge and skills-based subjects.
Creativity enhancing tools: Innovation in information technology tools and infrastructure can support and enhance creativity in problem finding as well as problem solving. The design and evaluation of creativity enhancing tools can lead to improved methods for understanding the current and potential role of IT in the creative process.

Research Areas: The following research areas elaborate on these potential types of advances as guidelines for describing how the objectives of the project contribute to CreativeIT.

Understanding Creative Cognition and Computation. Research in this area leads to cognitive models that serve as inspiration for computational models of creativity, support for human creativity, and approaches for educating people to be more creative. This research is typically done by adopting or adapting a model of cognition and evaluating its creative performance in different contexts, or developing a new model of creativity based on empirical or ethnographic studies. The emphasis in this area is the development of new models of cognition and computation that explain or simulate creativity and how these models open up new research areas in computer science.
Creativity to Stimulate Breakthroughs in Science and Engineering. This area considers the role and performance of artists in developing new technologies, discovering new patterns in information, and in finding new ways of seeing, knowing, and doing computer and information science and engineering. This area seeks to foster research that is conducted with groups of people from different backgrounds in which the creative synergy is focused on a specific context, problem, or perceived need. The result of this research is a new product, new model, or new area of research. The evaluation of the results of this kind of research does not follow directly from existing metrics or performance criteria and therefore needs to define its own performance criteria.
Educational Approaches that Encourage Creativity. This area considers a broad range of approaches to teaching that encourages creativity: multi-disciplinary teaching and learning, design studio teaching, skills development through making and doing, and open-ended problem-based learning. The development and evaluation of innovative education for computer science with other disciplines can lead to changes in curriculum objectives and structure.
Supporting Creativity with Information Technology. This area both develops new software and user interfaces to support users in being more creative and evaluates their performance through user studies either in controlled environments with empirical studies or in the context of a complex problem or situation with ethnographic studies. The emphasis in this area is the development of new support tools where the tool itself may be a creative product, and the tool is intended to support people in their creative activities.

Categories of Proposals: Pilot projects are funded up to $200,000 and Major projects up to $800,000. To indicate the type of proposal, include "Pilot:" or "Major:" as the first word in the title of the proposal. An increase of $25,000 for Pilot projects and $50,000 for Major projects to support the US participants will be considered when there is international collaboration. Proposals requesting additional funds for international collaboration need to include: letter of support and biographical sketch from collaborators, and a description of how the collaboration will occur with activities planned and timeline for collaboration.

Pilot Projects identify a synergistic group of people or ideas that have the potential to lead to innovative and creative advances in one or more disciplines. These projects will start with a set of objectives that are consistent with the CreativeIT program and will pursue a methodology for achieving those objectives recognizing that the objectives may change as the specific context of the problem being addressed is better understood. The outcomes of a Pilot Project may be an innovative solution or area of research that will benefit from further development.
Major Projects bring together a significant group of people to focus on specific synergies that can transform our understanding of models, tools, or education relevant to CreativeIT. While the research may use a design approach in which the specifics of the problem and solution may change during the life of the project, the overall objectives and methods are well defined. This type of project is well founded on previous research in the individual or combined disciplines involved in the project.

Opportunities for Synergies with other NSF Programs. Synergies with other programs at NSF are encouraged and provide opportunities for additional funding or co-review.

International Collaboration: The CreativeIT program encourages PIs to involve researchers from other countries in their projects. The program will offer supplementary funding for international research activities. PIs may contact NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) staff with expertise in the country or region of interest for information about institutions and counterpart agencies. Contacts for cognizant program manager(s) are available from the OISE Home Page, https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OISE.
Cyberinfrastructure: The CreativeIT program encourages PIs to include a cyberinfrastructure component in their proposals (see Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery, https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0728/index.jsp). For example, PIs may incorporate their cyberinfrastructure research activities and tools, such as those involving high performance computing, digital data collection and observation tools, advanced visualization technologies, and virtual interaction and collaboration, to support and enhance CreativeIT projects. The cognizant program manager in OCI is Diana Rhoten: drhoten@nsf.gov.
CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH): The CreativeIT program encourages PIs to consider educational approaches that encourage creativity and have the potential to transform undergraduate computing education on a national scale. The cognizant program manager in CPATH is Anita La Salle: alasalle@nsf.gov.
Small Business Innovation Research: The CreativeIT program encourages PIs to consider the potential commercial applications of projects early in the project lifecycle and include participation of the small business community when appropriate. Through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, NSF can provide support for transition to industry of knowledge developed in the CreativeIT program. A small business applying knowledge gained through basic research to market-driven needs increases the probability that the research will lead to significant commercially-viable innovations. For more information see: https://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/sbir/. The cognizant program manager in SBIR is Errol Arkilic: earkilic@nsf.gov.
Science of Design (SoD): The CreativeIT program encourages PIs to consider the synergies between creativity and the science of the design of software intensive systems. Design is a topic of great interest in many fields; the goal of the SoD Program is to advance design research and education to meet the critical software design challenges of the 21st century. The objective of the program is to bring new paradigms, concepts, approaches, models, and theories into the development of a strong intellectual foundation for software design, which will ultimately improve the processes of constructing, evaluating, and modifying software-intensive systems. The cognizant program manager in SoD is Alan Hevner: ahevner@nsf.gov.
Engineering Design: The Creative IT program encourages PIs to consider synergies with research focused on enhancing the engineering design process. The goal of the Engineering Design program is to advance the fundamentals of the product realization process. Advances in information technology, visualization, and learning technologies positively impact our ability to perform effective engineering design. Looking beyond the traditional engineering design boundaries holds promise for breakthrough solutions to solve the most pressing engineering challenges of the 21^st century. The cognizant program manager in Engineering Design is Judy Vance: jmvance@nsf.gov.
Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences: The Creative IT program encourages PIs to consider synergies with research focused on advancing neural, developmental, cognitive, and social theories of human creativity, particularly with respect to how scientists and engineers produce new discoveries and innovations. Creativity is a primary driver of progress and transformation in our nation's science and engineering disciplines. Thus a better understanding of human creativity, using both empirical and computational research methods, promises to inform tool development as well as policy development aimed at supporting transformative progress in science and engineering. The cognizant program manager in Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences is Christopher Kello: ckello@nsf.gov.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

NSF expects to make the following type of award(s): Standard Grants. The estimated number of awards is approximately 30 to 35. It is anticipated that 25-30 Pilot awards and up to 5 Major awards will be made. It is anticipated that approximately $10,000,000 will be available for new awards. A Pilot project will be awarded up to $200,000 (total) with a duration up to 2 years. A Major project will be awarded up to $800,000 (total) with a duration of 3 years. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E.

Organization Limit:

PI Limit:

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent(optional):PIs are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of intent that provides the following information:

type of proposal: Pilot or Major
the major objectives of the proposal and the proposed timeline;
the expected synergies between creativity and computer science including the different disciplines involved in the research and their common interests;
the context in which the research is motivated, that is, the problem that is being addressed; and
the expected outcomes: new models of creativity, innovated education approaches that encourage creativity, new modes of research that involve creative professionals, and/or creativity enhancing tools.

The letter of intent is a maximum of 2 pages, single spaced, no smaller than 12 pt font.

Program Directors will use the Letters of Intent to guide the selection of reviewers. PIs should not expect feedback on their Letters of Intent beyond acknowledgement of their receipt.

Letter of Intent Preparation Instructions:

When submitting a Letter of Intent through FastLane in response to this Program Solicitation please note the conditions outlined below:

SPO Submission is Not Required when submitting Letters of Intent
Type of Project (Pilot or Major) is Required when submitting Letters of Intent
Major Objectives is Required when submitting Letters of Intent
Expected Synergies is Required when submitting Letters of Intent
Submission of multiple Letters of Intent are allowed

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program 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/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=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. Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number 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.

Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Additional Review Criteria: The project will be assessed on whether it responds to one or more of the following questions. Please indicate in the Project Summary which question(s) the research addresses, or the proposal may be returned without review.

Will this research improve our understanding of creative processes in the context of a specific problem in computer science, information technology, science or engineering?
Will the research lead to the development of new technologies to support human creativity?
Will the research lead to transformational research in computer science, information technology, science or engineering through the use of creative practitioners?
Will the research lead to innovative teaching in computer science, science, or engineering that rewards creativity?

International Collaboration: Proposals requesting additional funds for international collaboration need to include: letter of support and biographical sketch from collaborators, and a description of how the collaboration will occur with activities planned and timeline for collaboration. These documents are to be uploaded in "Special Information and Supplementary Documentation"

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation.

Budget Preparation Instructions: The budget should include funds to travel to an annual CreativeIT Principle Investigator's meeting.

Request for funds for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is encouraged for the first year. Funds for an REU in subsequent years is requested as a supplement after award.

If applicable, the budget justification should include the total amount of funds requested for the supplement for international collaboration, how the funds will be spent, and how the collaboration will occur.

C. Due Dates

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional):

July 23, 2007

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

September 21, 2007

D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements

For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:

Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of 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 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.
For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:

Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. The Grants.gov's Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.

Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.

VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES

Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program and, if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, for review. 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 with the proposer.

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.

NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:

Additional Review Criteria:

The project will be assessed on whether it responds to one or more of the following questions. Please indicate in the Project Summary which question(s) the research addresses, or the proposal may be returned without review.

Will this research improve our understanding of creative processes in the context of a specific problem in computer science, information technology, science or engineering?
Will the research lead to the development of new technologies to support human creativity?
Will the research lead to transformational research in computer science, information technology, science or engineering through the use of creative practitioners?
Will the research lead to innovative teaching in computer science, science, or engineering that rewards creativity?

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 date of receipt. 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 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 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 https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/general_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. 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 and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpm.

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: