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NSF 03-146
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FALL TARGET DATE
FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS
Division of Physics

The target date for proposal submissions to the Division of Physics that are competing for FY 2004 ¹ funds is September 24, 2003. For subsequent years, the Target Date for submission of proposals to the Division of Physics will be the last Wednesday in September each year. The Division entertains submissions in the following areas:

Atomic, Molecular, Optical, and Plasma Physics
Biological Physics
Elementary Particle Physics
Gravitational Physics and LIGO
Education and Interdisciplinary Research
Nuclear Physics
Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics
Physics at the Information Frontier
Theoretical Physics

Proposals that miss the target date will be handled as time permits. Significant delays in submissions will prohibit inclusion of the proposal within the group reviews for the program as a whole, and this may necessitate postponement of the review process until the following fiscal year. We also ask that you not submit proposals any earlier than one month before the appropriate target date, unless approved by the cognizant Program Director.

The above date does not apply to proposals sent to the Physics Division in response to Foundation-wide solicitations, such as the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) or Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. These programs have specified target or deadline dates contained in their program announcements. Demonstrably multidisciplinary proposals sent to the Physics Division, which are likely to be jointly reviewed with other programs within the Foundation, may be impacted by different target dates for the different programs involved. If you are contemplating submitting such a proposal, you should contact the relevant Program Director in the Physics Division before submission.

Proposals submitted in response to this announcement are required to be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG (including forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web Site at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03041/start.htm

There are two general merit review criteria approved by the National Science Board (NSB) and listed in the GPG: (1) the intellectual merit of the proposed activity, and (2) the broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity. All proposals must separately address both of the merit review criteria in the Project Summary and should describe the broader impacts as an integral part of the narrative in the Project Description. Generally, even the most fundamental research has educational and/or potential long-range impact on another field, on technology, or on society in some way. Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pdf The Division of Physics emphasizes the importance of thinking about and communicating these connections. Please note that this is not a shift in the priorities or strategic vision of the Division. It is rather a call for greater effort in expressing the broader context of our work.

All proposals are required to be submitted using the FastLane system. Information concerning the use of FastLane is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov.

OMB No. 3145-0058

CFDA No. 47.049 P.T. 34; K.W. 1010000

_{Fiscal Year 2004 begins on October 1, 2003}

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.