Title: CISE Research Infrastructure Program
Date: November 2, 1999
Replaces: NSF 98-159
CISE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT
NSF 00-5
DIRECTORATE FOR COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING
DEADLINE DATE:
JANUARY 25, 2000;
SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS WILL HAVE A DUE DATE ON THE
THIRD MONDAY IN OCTOBER OF EACH YEAR (2000 AND AFTER)
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances
scientific progress in the United States by competitively
awarding grants for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to
download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of
awards, visit the NSF Web site at:
http://www.nsf.gov
Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
For General Information (NSF Information Center): (703) 306-1234
TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 306-0090
To Order Publications or Forms:
Send an e-mail to: pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone: (301) 947-2722
To Locate NSF Employees: (703) 306-1234
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Program Name: CISE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
Short Description/Synopsis of Program:
The CISE (Computer and Information Science and Engineering)
Research Infrastructure Program provides support to aid in the
establishment, enhancement, and operation of major experimental
facilities planned to support all of the research areas in the
CISE Directorate. It may also assist activities for integration
of research and education. The Research Infrastructure Program
recognizes the emergence of research groups requiring
strengthening of experimental facilities in a variety of
environments - those solely within a single academic department,
those drawing from several departments in a single institution,
and those spanning several different institutions. The areas of
research supported by this program are those supported by the
CISE Directorate as described in the NSF Guide to Programs.
Cognizant Program Officer(s): Dr. Dragana Brzakovic, Program
Director, Room 1160, Division of Experimental and Integrative
Activities, telephone (703) 306-1981, e-mail: dbrzakov@nsf.gov.
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.:
47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering.
ELIGIBILITY
- Limitation on the categories of organizations that are
eligible to submit proposals:
PROPOSALS MAY BE SUBMITTED BY US UNIVERSITIES IN SUPPORT OF
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATORS OR SMALL GROUPS. UNIVERSITIES MUST HAVE
PHD DEGREE GRANTING PROGRAMS IN ONE OR MORE AREAS OF CISE
RESEARCH.
- PI eligibility limitations: None
- Limitation on the number of proposals that may be submitted
by an organization: Only one proposal may be submitted for a
project at a single university. Consortium or multi-institution
projects may also be submitted and are not limited in number.
AWARD INFORMATION
- Type of award anticipated: Continuing Grant
- Number of awards anticipated in FY 2000: 6-8 awards in each
competition.
- Amount of funds available: Approximately $8 million
including outyear funding will be available for this initiative
in each fiscal year, subject to availability of funds.
- Anticipated date of award: June of each year (July in
2000).
PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
- Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Letter of Intent requirements: Letters of intent are
requested to be sent to the cognizant program officer, by email
to the address listed above, one month before the deadline.
Letters should briefly describe the areas of research the
proposed infrastructure will support and give the names and
affiliations of participating scientists. These letters are not
required.
- Preproposal requirements: None
- Proposal preparation instructions: Standard NSF Grant
Proposal Guide instructions with additional material as described
in this announcement.
- Supplemental proposal preparation instructions: None
- Deviations from standard (GPG) proposal preparation
instructions: See Proposal Preparation and Submission
Instructions in this announcement. Additional pages are allowed
as described in the full announcement.
- Budgetary Information
- Cost sharing/matching requirements: Cost sharing at a
level of one-third of the amount requested from the NSF is
required for all proposals submitted in response to this
announcement. The proposed cost sharing must be shown on line M
on the proposal budget (NSF Form 1030.)
- Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None
- Other budgetary limitations: Award amounts of $800,000 up
to $2 million cumulative for five years for proposals submitted
in response to this announcement
- FASTLANE REQUIREMENTS
- FastLane proposal preparation requirements: FastLane use is
required.
- FastLane point of contact: Helen Walston, (703) 306-1981,
hwalston@nsf.gov
- DEADLINE/TARGET DATES
- Letter of Intent Deadline (not required)
December 17, 1999 for FY 2000 competition
Third Monday in September for later competitions
- Full Proposal Deadline
5:00 PM, local time, January 25, 2000 (FastLane)
5:00 PM, local time, Third Monday in October in 2000
and later years (FastLane)
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
- Merit Review Criteria: Standard National Science Board
approved criteria and additional criteria listed in the full
announcement.
AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
- Grant Award Conditions: GC-1 or FDP III
- Special grant conditions anticipated: Grantees are expected
to participate in an annual Grantee Workshop
- Special reporting requirements anticipated: None
INTRODUCTION
The CISE (Computer and Information Science and Engineering)
Research Infrastructure (RI) Program provides support to aid in
the establishment, enhancement, and operation of major
experimental facilities planned to support all of the research
areas in the CISE Directorate. Projects may include activities
for integration of research and education. The CISE Research
Infrastructure Program recognizes the emergence of research
groups requiring strengthening of experimental facilities in a
variety of environments - those solely within a single academic
department, those drawing from several departments in a single
institution, and those spanning several different institutions.
The areas of research supported by this program are those
supported by the CISE Directorate as described in the NSF Guide
to Programs.
A primary objective of the RI program is to stimulate
experimental work in CISE-research, as measured by increased
scientific activity and increased participation in research of
both faculty and graduate students. It also provides assistance
to activities for integration of research and education.
The NSF encourages proposers to address the full participation of
women, minorities and persons with disabilities (hereinafter
referred to as underrepresented groups) in research activities.
Examples of activities appropriate to the RI program include: a
departmental effort to recruit female graduate students, a
research collaboration with a minority institution, or a project
that is focused on designing a system to provide systems access
to persons with a visual disorder.
The CISE Directorate is particularly interested in balancing
support for institutions that have not had prior RI awards with
support for those that have had prior RI awards.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The CISE Research Infrastructure program provides support for
experimental facilities in universities that enable increased
experimental research. Projects supported under the program are
expected to demonstrate synergy among the supported projects and
researchers; thus general departmental support, such as
workstation upgrades, is not appropriate to the program.
The CISE Research Infrastructure Program will be abbreviated as
"RI"; this designation will also include predecessors of the
program: the Coordinated Experimental Research (CER) program, the
Institutional Infrastructure - Large Scale program, and the
Institutional Infrastructure - Small Scale program. Similarly,
the statement "all of the research areas supported in the CISE
Directorate" will be abbreviated as "CISE-research".
To qualify for an RI grant, the proposing research group should
have an existing core of active researchers and research projects
in CISE-research. The RI program is open to all core CISE
disciplines listed in the NSF Guide to Programs. The RI program
is interested in promoting multidisciplinary applications in
areas funded by other NSF Directorates. However, a competitive,
multidisciplinary RI proposal must contain a significant
component in core CISE-research.
The RI program provides support for acquisition of experimental
facilities not normally available under individual research
grants. Before applying for an RI grant, the proposing group is
asked to consider whether individual research or equipment grants
would be more appropriate. An important consideration in
evaluating RI proposals is whether the provided experimental
facilities will enable the researchers to undertake important
work that otherwise would not be possible under individual
awards.
Another important criterion is whether the provided support will
likely result in more or better results than would separate
support for the individual research projects at the same total
funding level. Thus, RI proposals are expected to have strong
synergism among researchers and among projects that requires the
coordinated RI funding. The synergism present in an RI proposal
should also be evidenced by enabling new sources of research
support, appropriate recognition in the host(s) university,
participation in new partnerships, or other ways.
The RI program provides support for the acquisition of major
experimental facilities in CISE-research. Eligible project costs
are equipment, software, maintenance and appropriate technical
support. Appropriate technical support refers to technical
personnel and associated indirect costs that are necessary for
the operation and maintenance of the experimental facilities.
Travel expenses necessary for training technical support staff in
the operation and maintenance of the experimental facilities may
be eligible project costs if appropriate justification for
training is presented.
Students, research assistants, postdoctoral research associates,
secretarial and clerical personnel are not eligible project
costs. Faculty salaries are eligible project costs only in the
case of the project director when one month per year of salary
and associated indirect costs may be allowable if the requested
experimental facilities are sufficiently complex and appropriate
justification is presented.
There should be strong existing institutional or multi-
institutional support through cost sharing for the RI projects.
The institution(s) must be prepared to provide substantial cost
sharing for the proposed project equal to at least one third of
the amount requested from NSF. The RI program requires that the
institution(s) assume an increasing share of the maintenance and
technical support personnel costs each year throughout the grant
period as part of their cost share. See the Budgetary
Information section below for more information on cost sharing.
Industrial supporting letters may be included with the budget
justification or included with the cover sheet and certifications
page that are mailed to the NSF (see PROPOSAL PREPARATION &
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS below).
ELIGIBILITY
Proposals requesting support for acquisition of experimental
facilities in CISE-research will be accepted from research groups
associated with PhD degree-granting departments that have
research programs in any one or more areas of CISE-research.
CoPI's from other departments are encouraged to be part of
proposals, but the lead PI should be from a department conducting
CISE research. Proposals must be from US universities. Only one
proposal per institution will be accepted in any one year.
Consortium or multi-institution projects may also be submitted
and are not limited in number. All proposals should have at
least one CISE research area, PhD granting department associated
with the project as a major participant.
AWARD INFORMATION
Awards generally range from $800,000 to $2,000,000 over a five-
year period. In most cases, five-year continuing grants are
awarded under the program but shorter term awards may be
recommended if appropriate. NSF anticipates 6-8 awards in the
program subject to available funding and quality of proposals.
Awards are anticipated in June of each year.
PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions.
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general
guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2.
The complete text of the GPG (including electronic forms) is
available electronically on the NSF Web site at:
. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained
from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement
number (NSF 00-5) in the program announcement/solicitation block
on the NSF Form 1207, "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.
CISE Research Infrastructure Proposal Format:
The 15 page limit for proposals is waived for this program. A
strict format and page limits, specified in this section, is
imposed on RI proposals. Research proposals not meeting these
limits will be returned as inappropriate for the program.
Introductory Material:
The following parts should be submitted as directed in the
FastLane Instructions.
Cover page
Up to five investigators may be listed as PI's and CoPI's.
Additional participating scientists for the project should
provide biographical sketches and results from prior awards as
described below.
Proposal Summary (Eighteen page limit):
The Project Summary should consist of the following sections:
Executive Summary, Research Infrastructure Description, Resource
Allocation, Management Structure, Multi-Institutional Agreements
and Results from Prior Awards. The total limit for the Proposal
Summary section will be 18 pages with section limits as
indicated.
-Executive Summary (Three page limit)
This should consist of a summary of the remaining sections in the
proposal.
-Research Infrastructure Description (Five page limit)
Include a summary description of the requested experimental
facilities and an indication of how the research infrastructure
will be developed over the five year period of the grant.
-Resource Allocation (Five page limit)
Describe the way in which the requested funds will be used to
acquire the experimental facilities needed to support the
research projects, including:
1. The research equipment and computing facilities currently in
the department or available to it for research.
2. A description of the equipment, software, maintenance and
technical support requested for each year, including for
equipment a representative manufacturer and model number if
possible, with itemized costs and total cost.
3. Rationale for the requested equipment, software, maintenance
and technical support.
4. Equipment and software maintenance costs per year, with
method of computation. Equipment and software costs should be
shown at discounts appropriate for the proposing institution.
5. A description of how the equipment will be accessed by the
users, including details of the network and communication system
for remote users.
6. A description of any space renovation needed to accommodate
the requested equipment. Indicate the source of funds for the
renovation, since RI funding is not normally granted for this
purpose.
7. A summary description of the institutional cost sharing.
-Management Structure (One page limit)
A proposed management structure for managing the experimental
facilities is to be included here. The plan should indicate not
only how the proposed facilities would be managed but also how
this research infrastructure would fit into and be integrated
with the existing infrastructure in the unit.
-Multi-Institutional Agreements (One page limit)
Proposals involving inter-institutional sharing arrangements must
include a copy of the arrangement. This must detail the
administrative and financial responsibility of each institution,
and it must be formally approved by appropriate scientific and
administrative officers of each institution
-Results from Prior Awards: (Three page limit):
If an institution has received RI, CISE Instrumentation, or CISE
Minority Institutions Infrastructure award funding in the past
five years, whether an initial award or continuing award, a
summary of that project including a compilation of the
significant research results and impacts with a listing of the
most pertinent publications, is to be included. Principal
participants in the project should also provide results from
prior awards that are most relevant to the proposed research.
Budget: (No page limits)
1. Prepare appropriately labeled copies of NSF Form 1030, one
for each year of the grant and one for the total for all years
(generally five years), for the requested NSF budget.
2. For the budget justification, a detailed supplemental budget
spreadsheet is required. In the left-most column list detailed
description of items (equipment items, maintenance, staff
positions) requested, followed by six columns - one for each year
of the grant and one for the five year total. Columns will
indicate the costs of the items. The total costs are summed in
the sixth column. Each of these six columns is divided into
subcolumns for the amounts requested from NSF, the institutional
cost sharing, and other support (two-page limit).
3. In the case of a multi-institution project (a single
proposal with subcontracts), the budget information should be
provided for each member institution. Consortium projects
(separately submitted proposals for a single project should
indicate budget information for each institution in its own
proposal.
Research Description (Fifteen page limit):
Provide a description and explanation of the proposed associated
research with appropriate scientific justification and literature
references. This should demonstrate how the research depends upon
both the experimental facilities proposed and the requested level
of support with particular emphasis given to identifying new
directions, expansions and extensions not possible without such
support. The scientific merit of the research made possible by
the requested support is a particularly important selection
criterion. The synergism of the research projects should be
explained. Project components for increasing participation of
under-represented groups should be described. Criteria for
measuring success of the project and the expected impact to the
departments, institutions and CISE community should be provided.
The proposed facilities may also be used in support of activities
for integrating research and education. All proposals must
contain sufficient detail for an evaluation of the intrinsic
scientific merit of the proposed research. When sub-projects are
described, the investigators participating in those subprojects
should be identified.
The intention is that this section of the proposal be structured
by the proposing institution so as to present its case in the
best possible light. Therefore, the structure and sub-sections
within this section are not specified.
All diagrams, etc. are included in the 15 page limit. No
appendices will be accepted.
References:
References are in a separate section of the proposal.
Biographical Sketches:
In no more than two pages each, include the current curriculum
vitae and a brief summary of their research accomplishments over
the past five years for each faculty member who will be directly
involved in the use, development or formation of the research
facility, or in the research projects. Biographical sketches
should be provided for each listed investigator as well as other
participating scientists. These sketches should include the name
of the investigators' thesis advisor, names and institutions of
past PhD students, and names and institutions of current
collaborators.
If there are other senior personnel who will be responsible for
the purchasing, management or operations of the requested
equipment, provide their names and recent accomplishments in one
page for each person.
Current and Pending Support Forms:
Supply the information requested in Form 1239 of the Grant
Proposal Guide (NSF 00-2) i.e., indicate all current and pending
research support for each investigator listed in the Biographical
Sketches section above.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing Requirements.
Cost sharing at a level of one-third of the total amount
requested from NSF is required for all proposals submitted in
response to this announcement. The proposed cost sharing must be
shown on line M on the proposal budget (NSF Form 1030.)
The amount of cost sharing must be shown in the proposal in
enough detail to allow NSF to determine its impact on the
proposed project. Documentation of availability of cost sharing
must be included in the proposal.
Only items which would be allowable under the applicable cost
principles, if charged to the project, may be included as the
grantee's contribution to cost sharing. Contributions may be
made from any non-Federal source, including non-Federal grants or
contracts, and may be cash or in-kind (see OMB Circular A-110,
Section 23). It should be noted that contributions counted as
cost-sharing toward projects of another Federal agency may not be
counted towards meeting the specific cost-sharing requirements of
the NSF grant.
All cost-sharing amounts are subject to audit. Failure to
provide the level of cost-sharing reflected in the approved grant
budget may result in termination of the NSF grant, disallowance
of grant costs and/or refund of grant funds to NSF.
C. Proposal Due Dates.
FastLane (electronic) proposals MUST be submitted by 5:00 PM
local time, January 25, 2000. Copies of the signed proposal
cover sheet must be submitted in accordance with the instructions
identified below. In October 2000 and following years, proposals
are due 5:00 PM local time on the third Monday in October of each
year.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. The signed proposal Cover
Sheet (NSF Form 1207) should be forwarded to the following
address and received by NSF within five working days after the
proposal due date.
National Science Foundation
CISE Research Infrastructure Program
Room 1160N
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
A proposal may not be processed until the complete proposal
(including signed Cover Sheet) has been received by NSF.
D. FastLane Requirements.
Proposers are required to prepare and submit proposals using the
NSF FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal
preparation and submission via FastLane are available at
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. The signed paper copy of the
proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) should be forwarded to NSF
within five working days following proposal submission in
accordance with FastLane proposal preparation and submission
instructions referenced above.
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Merit Review Criteria.
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers
with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research
or education project. These reviewers are selected by Program
officers charged with the oversight of the review process. NSF
invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of submission, the
names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken
to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.
Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic
institutions, minority serving institutions or adjacent
disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.
Proposals will be reviewed against the following general merit
review criteria established by the National Science Board.
Following each criterion are potential considerations that the
reviewer may employ in the evaluation. These are suggestions and
not all will apply to any given proposal. Each reviewer will be
asked to address only those that are relevant to the proposal and
for which he/she is qualified to make judgments.
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge
and understanding within its own field or across different
fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team)
to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will
comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent does the
proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original
concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed
activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding
while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well
does the proposed activity broaden the participation of
underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability,
geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the
infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities,
instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results
be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological
understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed
activity to society?
PIs should address the following elements in their proposal to
provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully
to both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give these
factors careful consideration in making funding decisions.
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to
foster integration of research and education through the
programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and
research institutions. These institutions provide abundant
opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume
responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and
where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with
the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the
diversity of learner perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all
citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and
persons with disabilities -- are essential to the health and
vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this
principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs,
projects, and activities it considers and supports.
Additional considerations in evaluating these proposals include:
- Whether the provided experimental facilities will enable the
researchers to undertake important work that otherwise would not
be possible under individual awards.
- The leverage provided by NSF funded infrastructure to enable
additional research funding, university support for experimental
computer science, and industry participation.
- Whether the provided support will likely result in more or
better results than would separate support for the individual
research projects at the same total funding level.
- Whether there is a strong synergism present in an RI
proposal that would not be found in individual research grants.
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other
persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field
represented by the proposal. Proposals submitted in response to
this announcement will be reviewed by an initial panel; at that
point some will be declined and some will be asked to participate
in site reviews. After site reviews, award decisions will be
made by NSF staff or a panel.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either
support or decline each proposal. A program officer assigned to
manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of
reviewers and will formulate a recommendation. In most cases,
proposers will be contacted by the program officer after his or
her recommendation to award or decline funding has been approved
by his or her supervisor, the division director. This informal
notification is not a guarantee of an eventual award. NSF will
be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been
declined or recommended for funding within six months for 95
percent of proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal
deadline or target date or from the date of receipt, if deadlines
or target dates are not used by the program. The interval ends
when the division director accepts the program officer's
recommendation.
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 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 an 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 Officer does so at its own
risk.
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
(DGA). Organizations whose proposals are declined will be
advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program
Division administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews,
not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided
automatically to the Principal Investigator.
B. Grant Award Conditions.
An NSF grant consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes
any special provisions applicable to the grant 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 grant conditions, such as Grant
General Conditions (NSF GC-1)* or Federal Demonstration
Partnership Phase III (FDP) Terms and Conditions* and (5) any NSF
brochure, program guide, announcement or other NSF issuance that
may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Electronic
mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF grants to
organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have
requested such notification from the Division of Grants and
Agreements.
* These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Web
site at: . Paper copies may be obtained
from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is
contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, (NSF
95-26) available electronically on the NSF Web site. The GPM
also is available in paper copy by subscription from the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Web
site at: . The telephone number at GPO for
subscription information is (202) 512-1800.
C. Reporting Requirements.
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing
grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the
cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the
current budget period.
Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is
required to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days
before expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the
requirement to file the final project report. Failure to provide
final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of
pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of
the required reports in advance to assure availability of
required data.
NSF has implemented a new electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, which permits electronic submission
and updating of project reports, including information on:
project participants (individual and organizational); activities
and findings; publications; and, other specific products and
contributions. Reports will continue to be required annually and
after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will not need to re-
enter information previously provided, either with the proposal
or in earlier updates using the electronic system.
Effective October 1, 1999, PIs are required to use the new
reporting system for submission of annual and final project
reports.
D. New Awardee Information.
If the submitting organization has never received an NSF award,
it is recommended that the organization's appropriate
administrative officials become familiar with the policies and
procedures in the NSF Grant Policy Manual which are applicable to
most NSF awards. The "Prospective New Awardee Guide" (NSF 99-78)
includes information on: Administrative and Management
Information; Accounting System Requirements and Auditing
Information; and Payments to Organizations with NSF Awards. This
information will assist an organization in preparing documents
that NSF requires to conduct administrative and financial reviews
of an organization. The guide also serves as a means of
highlighting the accountability requirements associated with
Federal awards. This document is available electronically on
NSF's Web site at: .
CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries should be made to the CISE Research
Infrastructure program, Dr. Dragana Brzakovic, Program Officer,
Room 1160, Division of Experimental and Integrative Activities,
National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, telephone
(703) 306-1981, e-mail: dbrzakov@nsf.gov. For questions related
to use of FastLane, contact Helen Walston, (703) 306-1981,
hwalston@nsf.gov.
OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for
research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering.
General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and
eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in
each chapter. Many NSF programs offer announcements concerning
specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information
about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program
offices listed in Appendix A of the GPG. Any changes in NSF's
fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to
Programs will be announced in the NSF Bulletin, available monthly
(except July and August), and in individual program
announcements. The Bulletin is available electronically via the
NSF Web Site at http://www.nsf.gov. The direct URL for recent
issues of the Bulletin is
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/publicat/bulletin/bulletin.htm
Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service to
find out what funding opportunities are available.
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.
We want all of our communications to be clear and understandable.
If you have suggestions on how we can improve this document or
other NSF publications, please email us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov.
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: Reports
Clearance Officer; Information Dissemination Branch, DAS;
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.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 47.070 -
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Grants
OMB No.: 3145-0058
Replaces NSF 98-159
(Electronic Dissemination Only)