Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) Program

Yes, SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are awards to individuals. Proposals are submitted directly by the Fellowship candidate to NSF and the awards are made directly to the Fellow. Attempts to submit the SPRF application via your institution's sponsored research office (SRO) will not be successful. The Fellowship candidate serves as his/her own SRO and Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for all research administration functions in FastLane or Grants.gov.

At the time of submission, candidates must identify one host institution at which they will be affiliated with by the time of the award. The sponsoring scientist (mentor) should also be affiliated with the same institution and be listed as a Co-PI on the cover page of the proposal.

Per the eligibility criteria in the solicitation, you must be a U.S. citizen, national, or legally admitted permanent resident alien of the United States as of the application deadline. Of note, individuals covered under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) do not meet the citizenship requirements.

It is anticipated that the research will be conducted at an institution other than your doctoral-granting institution. However, if you choose to remain at your current institution, include an explanation in the Research and Training Plan on how this choice benefits your research and career development.

No, per the solicitation, Fellows must hold a doctoral degree in the SBE sciences to be eligible.

Yes, you are required to submit a budget justification detailing how you anticipate spending the $15,000 Research and Training Allowance. The more specific you can be, the better the justification will serve you in terms of planning for your expenses. However, the Research and Training allowance request should equal $15,000.

Yes, but when more than one sponsoring scientist is proposed, one must be named lead sponsor and information from all sponsors must be integrated into a single postdoctoral mentoring plan. The lead sponsoring scientist must be affiliated with the same institution as the Fellow but co-sponsoring scientists or mentors can be affiliated with different institutions.

Though you and your sponsoring scientist must maintain a U.S. affiliation throughout the award period, the proposal may include an international component for which you may request additional travel expenses and identify a co-sponsoring scientist (mentor) at the foreign institution. All expenses should be detailed in the Budget Justification.

SPRF proposals are reviewed in a multi-disciplinary panel with a mix of in-person panelists and ad hoc reviews. The tracks may be reviewed in the same panel or in separate panels based on the number of total applications received and other program considerations. The SPRF program follows NSF's merit review principles and proposals are reviewed against two criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Both criteria are given full consideration in the review and decision making process.

Some proposals may contain elements of both tracks, in such cases it is up to you to choose which track to submit your proposal. Success rates vary based on the number of applications received and cannot be provided. You can only submit your proposal to one track during the application cycle.

No, the goal of the SPRF-BP track is to prepare underrepresented SBE scientists and others who share NSF's diversity goals for positions of scientific leadership in academia, industry, and government. You are eligible for the SPRF-BP track through 1) your individual characteristics (membership in a group underrepresented in the SBE sciences) or 2) the goals of your research which will help broaden or inform efforts to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups.

Yes, all proposals must include a supplementary document that describes plans for data management and sharing of the products of research, or asserts the absence of the need for such plans. The DMP will be evaluated as part of the standard merit review process.

No, letters of recommendation will neither be accepted nor taken into consideration as part of the review process.

The last date to successfully defend the dissertation and complete all degree requirements is 10 months after the application deadline (regardless of degree conferral date). A letter from the doctoral institution certifying completion will be required prior to award.

You can re-apply if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria as described in the program solicitation and you should indicate that your application is a "resubmission". Revised applications are welcome to include an opening paragraph in the Project Description outlining how the weaknesses noted in the prior reviews have been addressed. However, no extension on the page limit will be provided.

Within the fellowship period, up to two-months of the fellowship duration may be used for paid leave. You can also take up to two-months of unpaid leave and request a no-cost extension.

Most host institutions have worked with Fellows to provide health insurance through group plans. Please communicate with your host institution early on to iron out the details in case you need to make alternate plans.

Though we prefer that the approval lists the Fellow as the PI, we can also accept an approval that lists your sponsoring scientist as the PI, given he or she is listed as a Co-PI on your proposal cover page, and the approval references your specific project title. In cases where you are unable to obtain an approval, we can also accept a determination notice.

Yes, per the solicitation, Fellows may teach no more than one course at a time. The course must be directly related to the doctoral degree or area of research. Fellows must demonstrate how the teaching experience benefits his or her future career development.

If you plan to start a job position before the Fellowship award commences, you will need to decline the Fellowship and a note will be made in your electronic file. If you accept a position that starts part way through the Fellowship, but before the award is made, a reduced tenure award (e.g., 12-months) can be made under certain circumstances. If you accept a position that starts part way through the Fellowship, but after the award is made, the award will be terminated once you are no longer devoting full-time effort to the Fellowship. Moreover, Fellowship funds cannot be taken with you to your new position and you may be responsible for returning disbursed funds to NSF.