Title: East Asia Summer Institutes (EASI) For U.S. Graduate Students Date: 09/3/02 Replaced: NSF 02-007 East Asia Summer Institutes (EASI) For U.S. Graduate Students Program Solicitation NSF 02-174 Replaces Document NSF 02-007 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER Full Proposal Deadline(s): First Monday in December by 5 p.m. proposer's local time SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS General Information Program Title: East Asia Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EASI) Synopsis of Program: The East Asia Summer Institutes (EASI) provide U.S. graduate students in science and engineering first-hand research experience in China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, an introduction to the science and science policy infrastructure of the respective location, and orientation to the culture and language. The primary goals of EASI are to introduce students to East Asia science and engineering in the context of a research laboratory, and to initiate personal relationships that will better enable them to collaborate with foreign counterparts in the future. The institutes last approximately eight weeks from June to August and are administered in the United States by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with co-sponsorship by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cognizant Program Officer(s): * EASI Program Manager Office of International Science and Engieering, NSF telephone: 703-292-8704, fax: 703-292-9175, email: eapinfo@nsf.gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): * 47.074 --- Biological Sciences * 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering * 47.076 --- Education and Human Resources * 47.041 --- Engineering * 47.050 --- Geosciences * 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences * 47.078 --- Office of Polar Programs * 47.075 --- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Eligibility Information * Organization Limit: Applications are submitted directly by the individual researcher, unlike standard NSF proposals that are submitted through the researcher's U.S. institution organizational representative. In the EASI FastLane application process (Section V.A), the applicant acts as the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). * PI Eligibility Limit: As of the deadline date of the application year, applicants must be: o U.S. citizens or permanent residents; o Enrolled at U.S. institutions in 1) graduate programs (M.S. or Ph.D.) in science or engineering or 2) M.D. programs with an interest in biomedical research; and o Pursuing studies in fields of science or engineering, which are supported by the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health, and which are represented among the potential host institutions. Research fields supported by the National Science Foundation are Biological Sciences; Education and Human Resources; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Polar Research; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences including Decision, Risk and Management Sciences, Economics, Law and Social Science Methodology, Measurement and Statistics, Political Science, Sociology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Developmental and Learning Sciences, Geography and Regional Sciences, Human Cognition and Perception, Linguistics, Social Psychology, Statistics, and Policy Analysis. See http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/publicat/nsf0203/ for descriptions of these fields. * Limit on Number of Proposals: Applicants are allowed to submit only one application each year. Award Information * Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship * Estimated Number of Awards: 135 - depending on the quality of applications and availability of funds. * Anticipated Funding Amount: $650,000.00 pending availability of funding. Each awardee will receive an NSF stipend of $2,500 that is meant to compensate in part for loss of summer employment. Each awardee will also receive an international round-trip air ticket arranged by the NSF contract travel agency (except awardees to Japan who will receive their air tickets from Japan). Sponsoring organizations in East Asia will support living expenses. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions * Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Deviations From Standard Preparation Guidelines o The program announcement/solicitation contains deviations from 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: There are no indirect costs allowed. * Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable. C. Due Dates * Full Proposal Deadline Date(s): First Monday in December by 5 p.m. proposer's local time D. FastLane Requirements * FastLane Submission: Full proposal submission is required. * FastLane Contact(s): o INT Administrative Officer, telephone: 703-292-8708, email: intfl@nsf.gov o FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 800-673-6188, email: fastlane@nsf.gov 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: Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full funding opportunity document for further information. TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of Program Requirements I. Introduction II. Program Description III. Eligibility Information IV. Award Information V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions B. Budgetary Information C. Due Dates D. FastLane Requirements VI. Proposal Review Information A. NSF Proposal Review Process B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard VII. Award Administration Information A. Notification of the Award B. Award Conditions C. Reporting Requirements VIII.Contacts for Additional Information IX. Other Programs of Interest I. INTRODUCTION The East Asia Summer Institutes (EASI) provide U.S. graduate students in science and engineering first-hand research experience in China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, an introduction to the science and science policy infrastructure of the respective location, and orientation to the culture and language. The primary goals of EASI are to introduce students to East Asia science and engineering in the context of a research laboratory, and to initiate personal relationships that will better enable them to collaborate with foreign counterparts in the future. Current information is available at the NSF Summer Institutes Web site (http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/int/eap/start.htm#summer) or the NSF Tokyo Office Web site (http://www.nsftokyo.org). II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The East Asia Summer Institutes (EASI) are administered in the United States by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with co-sponsorship by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In East Asia, the Summer Institutes are sponsored and managed by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT); the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF); and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSCT). The first summer institute began in Japan in 1990, followed by Korea in 1995, Taiwan in 2000, and China in 2003. The Summer Institute in Taiwan operates in line with the U.S.-Taiwan Relations Act (PL 96-8). Key Elements Program dates: The duration of the program is approximately eight weeks, from June to August. Exact starting and ending dates vary each year. Exact dates of each Summer Institute (China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan) will be available in March. Orientation: During the first week, an orientation provides an introduction to language, culture, and research policy, and other activities. Research: Approximately seven weeks are spent on research activities at the host institution. (See Application Form in V.A about host institutions.) EASI participants are encouraged to make their own arrangements to visit other research laboratories. Such visits should be scheduled in consultation with host researchers, or be planned to occur following the conclusion of the Summer Institute. As a result of the complex institutional arrangements required for EASI, each institute must be attended in its entirety, and dependents are not permitted to accompany participants during the 8-week period. Participants are responsible for allowing adequate time before departure for China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan to apply for and receive passports and visas (or other appropriate travel documents). Before applying for the Summer Institutes, permanent U.S. residents should verify their ability to travel without difficulty outside of the United States and to China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION To be eligible for EASI, as of the deadline date of the application year, applicants must be: * U.S. citizens or permanent residents; * Enrolled at U.S. institutions in 1) graduate programs (M.S. or Ph.D.) in science or engineering or 2) M.D. programs with an interest in biomedical research; and * Pursuing studies in fields of science or engineering, which are supported by the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health, and which are represented among the potential host institutions (see http://www.nsftokyo.org/spmenu.html). Research fields supported by the National Science Foundation are Biological Sciences; Education and Human Resources; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Polar Research; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences including Decision, Risk and Management Sciences, Economics, Law and Social Science Methodology, Measurement and Statistics, Political Science, Sociology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Developmental and Learning Sciences, Geography and Regional Sciences, Human Cognition and Perception, Linguistics, Social Psychology, Statistics, and Policy Analysis. See http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/publicat/nsf0203/ for descriptions of these fields. IV. AWARD INFORMATION Each awardee will receive an NSF stipend of $2,500 that is meant to compensate in part for loss of summer employment. Each awardee will also receive an international round-trip air ticket arranged by the NSF contract travel agency (except awardees to Japan who will receive their air tickets from Japan). Sponsoring organizations in East Asia will support living expenses. 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 Web Site at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. 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. Deviations From Standard Preparation Guidelines Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation number (02-174) 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. In cases where requirements given in this program solicitation differ from those given in the Grant Proposal Guide, this program solicitation takes precedent. All page limits indicated within this program solicitation include pictures, figures, graphics, tables, etc. Applicants are urged to take special care to adhere to page limitations, font size (no smaller than Courier New 10), and margin (minimum of 2.5 cm). Proposals that do not conform to the requirements will be returned without review. IMPORTANT NOTE: EASI proposals must be submitted electronically, using Proposal Preparation on the NSF FastLane website, directly to NSF without going through your university unlike standard NSF proposals. (1) Follow specific instructions from 'How to Apply' found by selecting 'Postdoctoral Fellowships and Other Programs', 'I am an Applicant', and then 'East Asia Summer Institutes' on the NSF FastLane website that can be accessed from the NSF homepage (http://www.nsf.gov/). 'How to Apply' can also be obtained from the NSF Tokyo Office website (http://www.nsftokyo.org/spmenu.html ). (2) In the FastLane application process for EASI, the applicant will be called as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Proposer and must register as an individual researcher acting as the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). (3) The applicant must list names of Letter of Reference writers within "Add/Delete Letter of Reference Writers" section in FastLane Proposal Preparation. This must be done before the applicant's references can write their letters. The EASI Proposal Consists of : Cover Page - You must complete the cover page first. Check that your name and address show as both Awardee and Performing Organization. Select this program solicitation from the list shown. Application Form - You are required to fill out the Application Form with the following information: Personal Information; Official Name; Citizenship Status; Current Degree Information; Mailing Address; Permanent Home Address; Current Academic Institutional Address; and Potential Host Institutions Information. If you wish to be considered for more than one location (China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan), select your preferences on the application form. Program staff will communicate by regular mail and email to the addresses you indicate. Please enter this information CORRECTLY. You should also list multiple potential host institutions in priority order and identify the specific research divisions that are of particular interest. If known, give the names and email addresses of the researchers that you would like to be considered as your potential host researchers. Several resources, regarding host institutions, available on the NSF Tokyo Office Summer Institutes Web site ( http://www.nsftokyo.org/spmenu.html) may be of help: 1) Potential Host Institutions for East Asia Summer Institutes; 2) Hints to East Asia Summer Institutes' Applicants for Initiating Contact with Prospective Hosts; and 3) List of Japanese Scientists Willing to Serve as Host for American Graduate Students in Summer Institutes. General information about foreign researchers and institutions can be obtained from research advisors and other faculty members, from discipline-specific literature searches, and from the Internet. Even though invitations or communications from potential hosts are not required, including them will strengthen your application. Any such materials should be put in the "Supplementary Docs" section of your proposal. For selected applicants, NSF will begin the process of matching individual students to individual host researchers. The matching process will take into consideration 1) the student's stated preferences, 2) numbers of students going to different geographical regions, and 3) the types (e.g., university, national institute, private company) of institutions participating as hosts. NSF makes formal requests for laboratories/researchers to serve as hosts through the sponsoring organizations in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Requests may be declined for a variety of reasons, and when this happens, NSF will seek to arrange alternate placement. Project Description (not to exceed three single-spaced pages) - Describe your current and proposed research projects and interests, including those that may diverge from your current research if you wish to strengthen your expertise in them through the Summer Institute. Please note that this information will be the basis for assignment to an appropriate host laboratory and will be read by potential host researchers in order to determine if there are common research interests. It is important to write this section for a technical audience and to identify in the process any specific relevance to the host laboratories that you may have identified in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan. Explain the benefits that the program will provide to your professional development and your unique qualifications for participation in the Summer Institute. Include broader impacts of the proposed research and your participation in the Summer Institute. (See Section VI.A., for complete description of broader impacts.) Biographical Sketch (not to exceed two single-spaced pages) - Provide a resume including your professional and academic history, awards, international experience, a list of publications if any, and other information for consideration. Do not send reprints or abstracts of the publications. Two Letters of Reference - from two faculty members or other senior individuals qualified to comment on your abilities and potential as a scientific researcher. One reference must be from your current research advisor. (If you do not have a research advisor yet, ask your academic advisor or Department Chair.) Do not secure references from proposed foreign hosts or host institutions. Supplementary Docs - The following documents must be submitted. * Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts: Unofficial copies are acceptable. * An Official statement from the registrar's office, Dean, or Department Chair attesting to your current enrollment in the graduate program. Email statements with their original headings including senders' email addresses and dates are acceptable. * Other documents such as communication with potential host researchers could be submitted but not required. If these documents are not electronically available, they must be scanned and uploaded via FastLane. B. Budgetary Information Cost Sharing: Cost Sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: There are no indirect costs allowed. C. Due Dates Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s): Full Proposal Deadline(s) : First Monday in December by 5 p.m. proposer's local time 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 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. Additional Review Criteria The review criteria above are for standard NSF proposals. For the EASI program, the reviewers are asked to consider the following additional criteria: o Relevance of professional interests to research done in the chosen location (China, Japan, Korea, or Taiwan) or the current stature of that location's research in that field o The probable effect of participation on the applicant's career Applications will be considered from students who previously participated in Summer Institutes or Summer Programs administrated by NSF. However, preference will be given to applicants who did not previously participate. 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/solicitation will be reviewed by Panel Review. 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 for 70 percent of proposals. 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 its 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 Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. 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, available electronically on the NSF Web site 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 Web site 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. The co-sponsoring organizations in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan have independent reporting requirements and deadlines. EASI participants are expected to comply with their instructions. Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, 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 an electronic project reporting system, available through FastLane. 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: * EASI Program Manager Office of International Science and Engieering, NSF telephone: 703-292-8704, fax: 703-292-9175, email: eapinfo@nsf.gov For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact: * INT Administrative Officer, telephone: 703-292-8708, email: intfl@nsf.gov * FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 800-673-6188, email: fastlane@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 web site 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. In addition to EASI, the National Science Foundation provides support for U.S. graduate students in science and engineering to conduct research abroad as part of cooperative research projects directed by senior investigators, or to engage in dissertation research. The latter is specifically designed to support stays abroad for doctoral students to conduct research as part of their dissertation. For more information, please see http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/int/int_tbl.htm or program announcement NSF 00-138 entitled "International Opportunities for Scientists and Engineers" ( http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf00138 ) or contact the East Asia and Pacific Program staff at eapinfo@nsf.gov or 703-292-8704. 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 (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. 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