• General Proposal Preparation Questions
• Accessing the FastLane Proposal Preparation System
• Preparing the Proposal on FastLane
  • PI Information
  • Cover Sheet
  • Table of Contents
  • Budget
  • Current and Pending Support
  • Project Description Project Summary, Biosketches, References Cited, Budget Justification
  • General Questions
  • Submitting the Proposal via FastLane

1. Which file formats, besides PDF, are now supported by FastLane?

FastLane now supports file uploads in a variety of formats including Word, WordPerfect, PostScript and TeX (MiKTeX1.20e). You should continue to use standard fonts to avoid font substitutions and you will need to proofread and accept theuploaded files. When you upload the file to FastLane, it will be converted to a PDF file, and you can proofread the file andaccept it so it is saved in your proposal on FastLane.

Please note that PostScript files created using dvipsk 5.58f, dvips(k) 5.86, groff, or troff can cause problems with file concatenation which show up when printing the entire proposal. We suggest using dvips 5.66a (it comes with the MiKTeXpackage).

PDF files will continue to be accepted if properly created (e.g. ensuring that all fonts are embedded, the file is in Acrobat 3, 4, or 5 format and that PDFWriter was not used to create the file).

Converting Files to PDF

To convert a file to PDF you need a PDF File converter like Adobe Acrobat 3.X, 4.X, 5.X or Aladdin Ghostscript 5.10 and above.

PIs can use the Adobe Distiller component of Adobe Acrobat 3.X, 4.X, or 5.X to convert PostScript files to PDFor use Aladdin Ghostscript 6.0 or above (5.50 for the Mac) to convert PostScript files to PDF. Aladdin Ghostscript can be downloaded from http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/index.htm.

PDF Writer (which is a commercial product provided with Adobe Acrobat) files can no longer be uploaded to FastLane because PDF Writer does not work well on documents containing figures, images, non-Adobe Type 1 fonts, TrueType fonts and multiple master fonts.

For detailed information on how to convert a file to PDF and important tips please go to FastLane PDF Creation Hints and Pointers.

2. Where are the "Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Standard Proposal to NSF via FastLane" located?

The Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Standard Proposal to NSF via FastLane are located at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm

3. How should I paginate my FastLane proposal?

FastLane does not automatically paginate the proposal. Each section that you upload as files should be separately paginated and include both the section and page number on the bottom of each page.

1. What software do I need to use the FastLane Proposal Preparation application?

• You need a computer with an internet connection and a supported web browser. To prepare a proposal using FastLane, you will need Netscape 4.0 or above or Microsoft Internet Explore 4.01 or above.
  Downloading Netscape Navigator Standard from the Web
  1. Go to the FastLane home page (http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov).
  2. Click on the "How to Use FastLane" button. This will take you to a page labeled "Using NSF's World Wide Web Applications".
  3. Scroll down, if necessary, to find the heading Recommended Client Capabilities, and click on the bulleted Netscape link.
  Downloading Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 from the Web
  1. Go to the FastLane home page (http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/).
  2. Click on the How to Use FastLane button. This will take you to a page labeled "Using NSF's World Wide Web Applications."
  3. Scroll down, if necessary, to find the heading "Recommended Client Capabilities," and click on the bulleted Microsoft link.
  
  
• To view and print your proposal exactly like NSF will you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  
  Downloading Acrobat Reader from the Web
  
  1. Go to the FastLane home page (http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/).
  2. Click on the "How to Use FastLane" button. This will take you to a page labeled "Using NSF's World Wide Web Applications".
  3. Click on the "Free Software from Adobe" link in the first paragraph of text.
  
  

2. I want to get started in FastLane. How do I get my Principal Investigator (PI) Password so I can access the FastLane Proposal Preparation application?

If you are a PI at a registered FastLane organization, you can get your Password from your organization's Sponsored Research Office (SRO) or equivalent (the people that have the authority to submit proposals to NSF). You can find out if your organization is registered for FastLane by going to https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/b6/B6Institutions.htm.

If your organization is not registered, they can register by filling out the Registration form on-line located at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/n1/N1AddInst.html and faxing it to NSF. Besides preparing a proposal, you can use your FastLane PI Password to submit final project reports, prepare and forward/submit notifications and requests, supplements, and revised proposal budgets, and to check on the status of your proposals and continuing grant increments.

3. My Password does not work. What should I do?

PIs/Co-PIs who have never submitted a proposal to NSF cannot use the FastLane Proposal Preparation application until their information is added to the NSF PI database. To have this done, contact your Sponsored Research Office or equivalent at your organization and send them your below information. They will then be able to go into the Add New User module of the Organizational Management of FastLane application, pull up your last name, click on the Modify button, and add you as PI. :

First Name
Last Name
Middle Initial
Suffix(e.g., Jr., Sr., III)
Social Security Number
Department
Degree Type
Degree Year
Street Address
City, State, Zip
E-mail Address
Business Phone
Fax Number

Your Password may not work because you were given the wrong Password. Contact your Sponsored Research Office and have them assign you a NEW Password.If they are unavailable you can use the Password Reset utility located at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/Admin/PIPasswordLogin.html

4. I have an assistant who will be doing work on this proposal. How do I give my assistant access to this proposal?

To provide other individuals (e.g., administrative support or Proposal personnel not listed as PI or Co-PI) with access to the preparer's proposal, a Proposal PIN must be created. A FastLane user who has the proposal number and proposal PIN may access and modify the proposal within FastLane by entering his/her own last name, SSN, and FastLane Password as well as the proposal number and proposal PIN. The assistant can do everything on FastLane except "Allow SRO Access".

To assign a PIN to the proposal, select the proposal on the "Proposal Actions" screen and click on the "Proposal PIN" button underneath the box. Enter the PIN twice and click on OK which will return you to the "Proposal Actions" screen. The "assistant" can then access the proposal, by entering the Proposal ID, Proposal PIN and his/her last name, SSN, and FastLane Password.

5. How does a Co-PI access the proposal?

Once the PI adds a Co-PI to the proposal, the Co-PI can access the proposal by entering his/her last name, SSN, and FastLane PI Password. You add a Co-PI to the Cover Sheet by entering his/her SSN on the cover sheet. NOTE: You can add Co-PIs from other organizations.

1. I cannot enter my fax number, phone number or EIN. It stops me from entering the last digit. What can I do?

   There is an embedded space in that field which you need to delete. Put your cursor in that field, space all the way to the right, and then back space all the way to the left deleting all the characters. You will now be able to enter your fax or phone number.

2. Can you print out the PI/Co-PI Information Form?

   Yes. The PI/Co-PI Information form can be printed out by clicking on the FastLane Print button on the "Proposal Actions" or "Form Preparation" screen.

COVER SHEET
1. How do I add a Co-PI to the proposal?

   You add a Co-PI to the Cover Sheet by entering his/her SSN on the cover sheet. After you click on the "OK" button, the next time you go into the cover sheet you will see the Co-PI on the cover sheet. NOTE: You can add Co-PIs from other organizations.

2. I want to add more than 4 Co-PIs to my cover sheet. Can I do this?

   No. It is NSF policy that there can by only 1 PI and at most 4 Co-PIs on a proposal. Additional people can be added to the proposal as non Co-PI senior personnel by selecting " Add/Delete Non Co-PI Senior Personnel" on the "Form Preparation" screen.

1. Can you print out the Table of Contents?

   Yes. The Table of Contents can be printed by clicking on the FastLane Print button on the "Proposal Actions" or "Form Preparation" screen.

2. Can you edit the Table of Contents?

   No. The Table of Contents is created via FastLane.

1. On the cumulative budget page, the number of Post Doctoral Associates, Other Professionals, Graduate Students, Undergraduate Students, Secretarial or Other is not adding correctly. What is wrong?

   Let's say you put John Smith as a Post Doctoral Associate for each of the three 3 budget years. On the cumulative budget, FastLane will put "3" as the number of Post Doctoral Associate personnel. This is how the NSF Division of Grants and Agreements wants this section filled out.

2. I have changed the awardee organization on my cover sheet. It now says on the cover sheet that the total requested amount is $0. How can I fix this?

   Go to the budget and on the "Organization Selector" screen change the previous awardee organization to the new awardee organization by clicking on the "Change Org. ID" button. Once you change the organization name of the budget to the name that appears on the cover sheet and save one of the budget years, the correct total requested amount will print on the cover sheet.

3. The cumulative budget is automatically created from the individual budget years. Can you print out the Cumulative budget?

   Yes. The Cumulative Budget can be printed by selecting "Budgets" on the "Proposal Printing" screen.

4. When trying to save a budget, why do I get a "Database Errors - please contact NSF...Attempt to insert duplicate key row in object..." error message?

   Before you save a budget year, each equipment item needs to have an unique name and each indirect cost rate item has to have an unique name.

5. I am trying to upload an Excel 97 spreadsheet as my budget, but I get an "Upload FAILED - please try again or contact NSF. File is none of the following : 123 (WK1,WKS,WK3,WK4) Excel (XLS,XLS3, XLS4, XLS5) Applix as)" error message. How can I upload the spreadsheet?

   Instead of saving your spreadsheet as a "Microsoft Excel Workbook", you need to save it as a "Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook". You should also save your spreadsheet with an xls extension. You will then be able to upload the spreadsheet.

6. How do I complete a subaward budget?

   On the "Form Preparation" screen, select "Budgets" and "Go To Form". On the "Organization Selector" screen click on "Add New Org.", and pull up the subaward organization. Then on the "Organization Selector" screen click on "Use" to create a budget for an organization. You will need to add the subaward total amount of request to item G.5 Subawards of the PI's Awardee organization budget.

   The subaward organization can access the proposal budget in the several ways (e.g. through a proposal PIN, through a Co-PI at the sub organization, or via passing around the FastLane budget as a spreadsheet).

1. I get this error message: "At least one of the month counts must be greater than 0 on the support form for This Project." I have entered all zeros for the months. Why am I getting this error message?

   The NSF Grant Proposal Guide states: "The proposed project and all other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the PI and other senior personnel should be included, even if they receive no salary support from the project(s)" This means that if the project does not require a portion of your time, you should not be filling out a current and pending support form for this project.

2. Can you upload all of the current and pending support forms as one file, by clicking on the PI's name and clicking on the Transfer File button?

   Yes.

1. What forms can be uploaded as a file?

   The Project Summary, Project Description, Biographical Sketches, References Cited, Budget Justification, Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources, and Current and Pending Support can each be uploaded as a file. The Cover Sheet cannot be uploaded as a file. The Budget can be entered on-line or by uploading the Excel spreadsheet that is provided in FastLane.

2. When NSF prints the proposals, do they print the proposal in color?

   For cost and technical reasons, the Foundation cannot, at this time, reproduce proposals containing color. Therefore, PIs generally should not rely on colorized objects to make their arguments. PIs who must include in their project descriptions very high resolution graphics or other graphics where exact color representations are required for proper interpretation by the reviewer, should click on the "HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS/OTHER GRAPHICS WHERE EXACT COLOR REPRESENT. IS REQUIRED FOR PROPER INTERPRETATION (GPG I.E.1)" check box on the cover sheet.

   FastLane will display the number of copies of the entire paper proposal for use in the review process that you need to submit. This submission is in addition to, not in lieu of, the electronic submission of the proposal via FastLane. Such proposals must be postmarked (or provide a legible proof of mailing date assigned by the carrier) within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Unless the proposal contains very high resolution graphics or other graphics where exact color representations are critical to the review of the proposal, proposers should not send in paper copies.

1. How do I exit the FastLane Proposal Preparation application?

   On the bottom left of each FastLane screen is a FastLane icon. Click on the FastLane icon to go back to the FastLane Home Page. Once you have finished your work on FastLane, you should close your browser before leaving your computer.

2. What security is provided with FastLane?

   If you are using Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer you will be automatically routed to the FastLane Secure Server (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov). All your transactions with FastLane will then be encrypted.

3. I am getting an error message when I am trying to print a proposal form. What could be the cause?
   • See FAQ #8 below.

4. I get a security library error message. What should I do?

   You are getting an error message because your computer has cached an old security certificate. To fix this you will need to clear out your cache within your browser. To do this, please follow the below procedure and attempt to access FastLane again.

   1. Click on the browser's "Options" pulldown menu choice
   2. Click on the "Network Preference" selection
   3. If necessary, click on the CACHE tab selection
   4. Press the "Clear Memory Cache Now" button
   5. Press the "Clear Disk Cache Now" button.
   6. Press the "Ok" button at the bottom of the cache screen
   7. Close your browser and reboot your computer

   Please contact fastlane@nsf.gov if you continue to encounter problems.

1. How will my Sponsored Research Office (SRO) know when I have clicked on the Allow SRO access button?

   FastLane will send an email to each SRO at the awardee organization that you selected on the cover sheet given the permission to submit FastLane proposals. The email will indicate that the SRO has been granted access to the proposal.

2. I know that proposals submitted after June 1, 2001 must be electronically signed by an Authorized Organizational Representative at my organization while the PI and Co-PI do not sign the proposal. I have some questions about this process. How can I get answers?

   Electronic Signature Frequently Asked Questions and Answers are located at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/esignfaq.htm

3. How does the organizational administrator make required changes to a FastLane proposal once the PI allows SRO access?

   Within the Submit Proposal module of the Organizational Management of FastLane application, the SRO can edit the proposal if the PI allows SRO access. Also, if the PI assigns his/her proposal a PIN, the SRO can change the proposal by logging into the proposal preparation application as an "assistant" (see above).

4. After the proposal was submitted, I go into the Proposal Status Inquiry/FastLane organizational Reports application and get a message that the Proposal does not exist. What's happening?

   There is a lag time between when the proposal is submitted via FastLane and when it shows up in the FastLane Proposal Status Inquiry and FastLane organizational Reports applications. The lag will differ depending on the program. Here is the usual process at NSF.

   • The proposal is submitted via FastLane.
   • FastLane generates an email notifying NSF's Proposal Processing Unit that a proposal has been submitted via FastLane.
   • The Proposal Processing Unit logs in the proposal, prints out the proposal, makes the copies, and sends it to the NSF program.
   • Meanwhile the data is uploaded to the NSF mainframe.
   • NSF staff accepts the data on the NSF mainframe.
   • The proposal status information will then be downloaded to the FastLane database that night so it can be accessed by the PI and SRO.

5. How do I know NSF has successfully received my FastLane proposal?

   Seconds after a proposal is successfully submitted, an electronic confirmation message will pop up in FastLane. The SRO can then print the proposal from the submitted proposals list. The PI can view and print the proposal from within the FastLane Proposal Preparation application on the "PI Information" screen by clicking on "View/Submitted".

6. How are collaborative proposals submitted via FastLane?

   See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, B, page 23. Collaborative proposals require simultaneous submission of proposals. One organization takes the lead but all are required to submit their original proposal to NSF. Collaborative proposals require simultaneous submission of proposals. One organization takes the lead but all are required to submit their original proposals to NSF.

   For FastLane, this means that each organization prepares and submits the related proposal. There must be good communication between the collaborating organizations as to who is the lead, etc. The collaborating organizations should be in contact with the NSF program office so that the NSF program office will know that the proposals coming in are related.

   Regarding the requirement that the lead organization send in the required review copies, since NSF is taking the responsibility for printing the FastLane proposals, this is taken care of by NSF.

7. When trying to print a FastLane form (i.e. pull up a form in Adobe Reader) I get "An Error Occurred While Trying to Use This Document" error message or a blank page and a "Document Done" message. What is wrong?

   If you encounter "An Error Occurred While Trying to Use This document" message or a blank page and a "Document Done" message after selecting a form to print or clicking on a Display form button, it is because you have the Adobe plug-in installed. The Adobe plug-in does not work for secure web sites (FastLane is a secure web site). One solution if you are using Netscape 3 or below is to select the Options/Network Preferences/Cache/ item on the Netscape menu bar and then click on "Allow Persistent Caching of Pages Retrieved through SSL" and then the OK button. If you are unable to do this, you will need to delete the plug-in.

   To delete the Adobe plug-in within Windows 95, delete all instances of the nppdf32.dll file from your computer. Windows 3.1 users can delete the Adobe plug-in by deleting the nppdf16.dll file located in the Navigator plug-ins folder. Mac users can delete the Adobe plug-in by deleting the PDFViewer file located in the Navigator plug-ins folder.

   You will then need to configure Netscape to launch Reader as a helper (You will need to delete the plug-in because the plug-in will overwrite your helper settings).

   Netscape 3.x and below

   1. Open Netscape and choose the "Options" menu item.
   2. Select "General Preferences" and on that screen select "Helpers"
   3. Select "application/pdf"
      
   4. Type "pdf" next to file extensions if it is not there.
      
   5. Select the "Launch Application" option and type in the location of the acroread.exe file. (For instance if you installed Adobe Acrobat Reader on your c drive, type in c:\ACROREAD\ACROREAD.EXE.) and then click on "OK".

   Netscape 4.0

   Check the Edit/Preferences/Navigator/Applications for the following: MIME type: application/pdf Application: c:\acrobat3\ACRORD32.exe

   NOTE: the application acrord32.exe should be found by browsing it from the system. The Path "C:\acrobat3\" is common but not necessarily the correct one.

   For the Macintosh, the following should be set from Netscape's Options/General Preferences menu item:

   Description: Portable Document Format
   Mime Type: application/pdf
   Suffixes: pdf
   Handled by: Application: Acrobat Reader 3.0.

   Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01

   To learn how to configure MSIE to launch Reader please read http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/SOLUTIONS/98fe.htm. If you also have Netscape on your computer, you will need to delete the nppdf32.dll file(s) from your computer.

   If you still encounter this problem, please email fastlane@nsf.gov and make sure to include your phone number.