Dear Colleague:
By this time, many of you will have had experience with the FastLane
system at the National Science Foundation (NSF)
. As you may remember, in July 1998
the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
announced a phased approach to the implementation of FastLane,
beginning in FY 1999, and reaching full implementation by the end of
FY2000 < http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf9937>. This MPS
initiative was undertaken as part of the overall NSF plan to put into
place a fully-integrated electronic proposal and award system
(Important Notice No. 123).
Since the beginning of the MPS FastLane implementation in October
1998, many improvements have been made in the process and procedures.
These have enabled the Directorate to provide higher quality service
to our customers and user community. In addition, the FastLane
system has made it possible for us to identify unforeseen
opportunities for improvements in records management and access to
proposal data.
We recognize that the transition toward a paperless proposal and
award system has been challenging, and that enhancements to the
FastLane System must be continuously developed and implemented. A key
element to such progress, however, is the continued leadership that
the MPS community has demonstrated in recent months. Because of your
cooperation and support, MPS is moving forward with the previously
announced implementation of FastLane in all Directorate programs
starting July 1, 1999. A brief summary of our implementation plan,
as well as the names of the Divisional FastLane Contacts, are shown
on the following page.
Support for implementation throughout the Directorate will remain the
same as last year, with Ms. Florence Rabanal acting as the MPS
FastLane Coordinator. As always, she is interested in hearing your
views about upcoming procedural changes, and is available to answer
any questions you might have. She may be reached at frabanal@nsf.gov,
or by phone at 703-306-1998. Questions about proposal content or
programmatic procedures within the Divisions should be addressed to
the relevant Program Director. Information about the MPS
Directorate, its staff, programs, and our FastLane implementation
plans may be found at .
Again, let me extend my appreciation and thanks for your
participation and patience as we look forward to another successful
year.
With best wishes,
Robert A. Eisenstein, Assistant Director
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical
Sciences
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
FastLane Implementation as of July 1, 1999
The following provides a brief explanation of the major FastLane functions,
which will be required starting July 1, 1999. Complete instructions for
using these functions, as well as all others, are provided on the FastLane
Web Page at .
Proposal Submission. Full electronic submission via FastLane is
required for all MPS proposals, except those sent in response to
Foundation-wide solicitations, such as the Faculty Early Career
Development (CAREER) or Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites
(REU) Program, which may have specific requirements.
The signed proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) should be submitted in
accordance with the requirements in the current NSF Grant Proposal Guide
(GPG) . At this time, GPG instructions
(NSF 99-2) require that the signed proposal cover sheet (NSF Form 1207)
be forwarded to the following address and received by NSF within five
working days following proposal submission:
National Science Foundation
DIS-FastLane Cover Sheet
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
Proposal Reviews. All programs will continue to require electronic
receipt of ad-hoc and panel reviews. Additionally, programs will
require electronic submission of panel summaries.
Post-Award Notifications and Requests. As was previously required, all
post-award administrative actions (i.e. post-award notifications and
requests), such as no-cost extensions, changes in a proposal's effective
date, or changes in a grant's objective or scope must be submitted via
FastLane.
Progress and Final Project Reports. Use of the FastLane Project
Reporting System for submission is required for all annual (formerly NSF
Form 1328), final (formerly NSF 98A), and interim reports.
Support for FastLane-related activities should be directed to the MPS
Divisional contacts, whose names are shown in the following table:
ORGANIZATION/DIVISION FASTLANE CONTACT/
E-MAIL/ PHONE NO.
Office of the Assistant Director Florence Rabanal
Oadfl@nsf.gov / 703-306-1998
Astronomical Sciences Kim Elliott
Astfl@nsf.gov / 703-306-1804
Chemistry Paul Spyropoulos
Chefl@nsf.gov /703-306-1022
Mathematical Sciences Keith Crank
Dmsfl@nsf.gov / 703-306-1885
Materials Research Maxine Jefferson
Dmrfl@nsf.gov / 703-306-0541
Physics Ramona Winkelbauer
Phyfl@nsf.gov / 703-306-0544
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
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) 306-1636.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD)
and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 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) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1-800-877-8339.
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
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.
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 H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer;
Division of Administrative Services; National Science Foundation;
Arlington, VA 22230.
YEAR 2000 REMINDER
In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997, Subject:
Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of their
responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that the NSF activity
being supported is not adversely affected by the Year 2000 problem.
Potentially affected items include: computer systems, databases, and
equipment. The National Science Foundation should be notified if an
awardee concludes that the Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its
ability to carry out an NSF funded activity. Information concerning Year
2000 activities can be found on the NSF web site at
http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm .
OMB# 3145-0058
CFDA No. 47.049, Mathematical and Physical Sciences
NSF 99-104 Electronic Dissemination Only