Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes Program (PASI)
Program Solicitation
NSF
03-506
Replaces Document
01-48
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National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m proposer's local time): January 15 of each year
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes Program (PASI)
Synopsis of Program:
The "Pan American Advanced Study Institutes" (PASI) Program, is a jointly supported initiative between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Pan American Advanced Studies Institutes are short courses of two to four weeks duration, involving lectures, demonstrations, research seminars and discussion at the advanced graduate and post-doctoral level. PASIs aim to disseminate advanced scientific and engineering knowledge and stimulate training and cooperation among researchers of the Americas in the mathematical, physical, and biological sciences, and in engineering fields. Whenever feasible, an interdisciplinary approach is recommended.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
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Eduardo L. Feller, Senior Staff Associate, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8710, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: efeller@nsf.gov
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Harold J. Stolberg, Program Coordinator, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8706, fax: (703) 292-9175, email: hstolber@nsf.gov
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Richard Kelley, Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, SC-13, telephone: 301-903-6051, email: richard.kelley@science.doe.gov
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Don Freeburn, Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, telephone: 301-903-3156, email: Don.Freeburn@science.doe.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
- 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
- 47.041 --- Engineering
- 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- 47.075 --- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
Eligibility Information
- Organization Limit: None Specified.
- PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
- Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.
Award Information
- Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant
- Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 8
- Anticipated Funding Amount: $500,000 pending the availability of funds
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
- Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: The program announcement/solicitation contains supplements to the standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full program announcement/solicitation for further information.
B. Budgetary Information
- Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required.
- Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: No indirect costs are allowed.
- Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full funding opportunity document for further information.
C. Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m proposer's local time):
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January 15 of each year
Proposal Review Information
- Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full funding opportunity document for further information.
Award Administration Information
- Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
- Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Program Description
- Eligibility Information
- Award Information
- Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
- Proposal Review Information
- Award Administration Information
- Contacts for Additional Information
- Other Programs of Interest
I. INTRODUCTION
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Institutes in the physical, mathematical, or biological science disciplines and/or engineering may be supported with some exceptions. Institutes in the biological sciences should place a special emphasis on using modern tools in genomics and bioinformatics to explore themes in biology. Proposals for Institutes that focus on the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction in human beings or animals, will not be reviewed. Institutes developed around animal models of such conditions or the development or testing of drugs or other procedures for their treatment also are not eligible for support. Institutes in bioengineering, with diagnosis or treatment-related goals, however, that relate engineering principles to problems in biology and medicine while advancing engineering knowledge are eligible for support. Institutes that focus on research advances that could aid persons with disabilities also are eligible.
The PI should be assisted by a small Organizing Committee composed normally of three to four lecturers from at least two other countries of the Americas and, if appropriate, from different research sectors. A local scientist or engineer from the host country should be a member of the Organizing Committee. Brief professional background summaries and descriptions of the role to be played by each member of the Organizing Committee should be provided. The rationale for the choice of topics and location should be clearly spelled out. Proposals that are of an applied nature, and especially where relevance to industry is claimed, should include a noted industrial scientist or engineer on the Organizing Committee.
The choice of PASI lecturers and students is the responsibility of the PI assisted by the PASI Organizing Committee, and the procedure for such choices should be clearly outlined in the proposal. PASI lecturers should be chosen on the basis of their scientific, engineering and training qualifications and should include scientists or engineers from at least two other countries from the Western Hemisphere. They should be contacted before submission of the proposal. An indication of their degree of commitment to participate is necessary and will be a strong factor in judging the quality of applications. Scientists and engineers from non-Western Hemisphere countries may be selected in the event they bring expertise not available from the other countries of the Americas. For a substantive treatment of each topic, a duration of about two to three weeks is recommended, the minimum being ten working days.
The Institute will be aimed at the post-doctoral level, but may include advanced graduate students, and relevant senior scientists and engineers. PASIs should involve 8 to 12 lecturers and 30 to 50 students from the different countries in the Americas with at least half from the United States. In order to preserve balance, PASI students from any single Western Hemisphere country other than the United States should not exceed 25% of the total number. PASI students from non-Western Hemisphere countries may be accepted under special circumstances but in no case should their number exceed 15% of the total number. Non-Western Hemisphere students may not receive financial support from the PASI grant.
Appropriate lecture, meeting rooms, telecommunication facilities, and accommodations for all participants within reasonable proximity are important in order to stimulate informal discussions during leisure periods. A site should be chosen well in advance in order to ensure availability.
Institute organizers may find that the organization of a PASI elicits support from other sources. In particular, host country contributions as well as contributions from corporate and other sectors are not precluded although they will not be a factor in the review process. Joint sponsorship and support are permissible and welcome provided that the meeting conforms to the prescribed format and is designated a "Pan American Advanced Study Institute."
Proposers should develop a web page to provide up-to-date information on the PASI, with specific details on the activity, including recruitment procedures, meeting topics, links to related activities, and, after its conclusion, provide links to publications, seminars, and collaborative research arising from the PASI. Plans for dissemination of results of the meeting, including lecture notes and web-related instructional materials, should be part of the proposal.
A PASI award will cover expenses for the organization of the meeting, and travel and living expenses of lecturers and students. Registration fees should not be charged PASI students. Student participants from industry will be expected to cover their own costs.
The cost for any one Institute with a reasonable number of from 40 to 60 participants, including lecturers and students, is expected to range from $65,000 to $90,000, and may not exceed $100,000, aside from contributions from other sources. The budget should include direct organizational expenses and travel and living expenses for lecturers and students. PIs should ensure that adequate costs are covered to ensure student participation. In general, salaries will not be supported by these awards although a reasonable stipend for a graduate student to assist with the organization of the PASI pre- and post- meeting will be allowed. No indirect costs on awards will be allowed. It is anticipated and encouraged that some students will obtain support from other sources in their home countries. Any contributions for the PASI from institutions or other sources must be mentioned in the proposal.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are eligible to submit proposals under this program announcement/solicitation.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposal Instructions:
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
Proposals for Institutes that focus on the etiology, diagnosis or treatment
of physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction in human beings
or animals, will not be reviewed. Institutes developed around animal models
of such conditions or the development or testing of drugs or other procedures
for their treatment also are not eligible for support. Institutes in bioengineering,
with diagnosis or treatment-related goals, however, that relate engineering
principles to problems in biology and medicine while advancing engineering
knowledge, are eligible for support. Institutes that focus on research
advances that could aid persons with disabilities also are eligible.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation number (03-506) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation.
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
Other Budgetary Limitations:
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m proposer's local time):
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January 15 of each year
D. FastLane Requirements
Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this announcement/solicitation 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 the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program announcement/solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this announcement/solicitation.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Proposers are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov
VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
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.
The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127, Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making funding decisions.
In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January 2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators (PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.
Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.
The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information). The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which he/she is qualified to make judgements.
- 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 the 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?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following 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 learning 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 -- is 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.
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Additional Review Criteria
In addition to these review criteria, NSF and DOE will take into consideration how the activity is organized and how it will contribute to the enhancement and improvement of scientific, engineering, and educational collaborative activities. While host country contributions as well as contributions from corporate and other sectors are not precluded, they will not be a factor in the review process.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and signed by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
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 will be subject to Ad Hoc review followed by a final review by a joint working group consisting of representatives from the NSF's Directorates for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), for Biological Sciences (BIO), for Engineering (ENG), the NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Office of Basic Sciences of the DOE. After this joint interagency review of the fundable proposals, awards will be announced by NSF and DOE within six months from the deadline date. .
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the date of receipt. 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 and Agreements 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 a 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 and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.
VII. 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. 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. (See section VI.A. for additional information on the review process.)
B. Award Conditions
An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award 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 award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards 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 Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 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, available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Website at http://www.gpo.gov.
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 the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to submit a 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.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. This system 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. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system.
VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
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Eduardo L. Feller, Senior Staff Associate, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8710, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: efeller@nsf.gov
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Harold J. Stolberg, Program Coordinator, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8706, fax: (703) 292-9175, email: hstolber@nsf.gov
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Richard Kelley, Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, SC-13, telephone: 301-903-6051, email: richard.kelley@science.doe.gov
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Don Freeburn, Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, telephone: 301-903-3156, email: Don.Freeburn@science.doe.gov
If you have questions or issues you would like to discuss prior to preparing an application, we encourage you to telephone or send an e-mail message to the NSF or DOE staff listed above.
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
- Tracey D. Zeigler, Management and Program Analyst/Administrative Manager, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone: (703) 292-8708, fax: (703) 292-9175, email: tzeigler@nsf.gov
IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to Programs is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Awardees 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, although some programs may have special requirements that limit eligibility.
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 GPG Chapter 11, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.
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The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements 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 Website at http://www.nsf.gov
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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 proposal 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.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. 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 Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.
OMB control number: 3145-0058.
