June 12, 2002

Subject: HBCU Doctoral Research Capacity-Building Grants

Dear Colleague:

The Directorate for Education and Human Resources, through the Division of Human Resource Development, is announcing HBCU Doctoral Research Capacity-Building Grants for FY 2002 through a special congressional appropriation. The goal of the funding is to help develop research capacity and increase the production of doctoral students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

A number of doctoral-granting HBCUs are in need of support to bring the research capacity on their campuses up to a level that could make eligible institutions more competitive for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. A one-time congressional appropriation of $2.6 million in FY 2002 will be used to address that need.

Eligible Institutions: All doctoral-granting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Type of Awards: Standard grants.

Award Size and Duration: Up to $300,000 per year per award for a maximum of three years.
Supported Activities: Supported projects must have a unifying research focus in one of the research areas supported by NSF, provide convincing background and rationale for the proposed projects in terms of institutional mission, priorities, resources and opportunities, and meet national standards of excellence, including persuasive evidence of the ability to produce demonstrable achievements within the period covered by the award.

Support may be requested for any activity that could have a direct positive influence on the competitiveness of participating scientists and engineers and the quality of the institution's research and training. A wide array of research capacity-building activities are eligible for support. Supportable activities may include, but are not limited to, exploratory research projects; acquisition of materials, supplies, research equipment and instrumentation; hiring nationally competitive scientists and/or engineers; use of visiting scientists and engineers as short- or long-term consultants; faculty attendance at professional meetings and seminars; faculty sabbaticals and exchange programs; undergraduate and graduate student research activities; development of outreach and other enhancement programs with neighboring institutions; and strengthening technical support personnel. Multiple investigator projects are encouraged.

Collaborative efforts between the institutions, industry, other research universities or centers, and federal laboratories will be encouraged, as in the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program. The program is also designed to enable the institutions to increase the integration of education and research effectiveness through related technical activities for underrepresented minorities. Awardees will be expected to submit a CREST proposal soon after the expiration of their HBCU Doctoral Research Capacity-Building Grants.

Proposal Preparation:

Proposals should be prepared in accordance with the general provisions of NSF's Grant Proposal Guide at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/start.html.

Proposals must include:

(1) An explanation of the proposed improvement plan from a scientific, administrative, and fiscal point of view; and,
(2) A description of research projects.

Proposal Review:

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel, in accordance with standard NSF review criteria established by the National Science Board as detailed in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG).

Proposal Deadline:

Proposals must be submitted by July 15, 2002.

FastLane Requirements:

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals in response to this Dear Colleague Letter through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov .
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets: The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications. (For a listing of the certifications see Chapter II, Section C, of the GPG at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf012a/nsf0102_2.html. The AOR must provide the required certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov.

NSF Contact:

Inquiries regarding this funding opportunity should be directed to the following person:

Dr. Emir Jose Macari
Division of Human Resource Development (HRD)
(703-292-4682; emacari@nsf.gov)

Sincerely,
Judith A. Ramaley
Assistant Director

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees 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 (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program).

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 program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 292-6865.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Relay Service (FRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 or through FRS on 1-800-877-8339.

The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published materials, please contact us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov.

CFDA No. 47.076 - Education and Human Resources