POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
IN MICROBIAL BIOLOGY


Program Announcement

NSF 99-142

DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIVISION OF BIOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

DEADLINE DATES:

      First Monday in October 2000 - 2003

      FastLane Submission Required

 

 

  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Revisions and Updates

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology (NSF 99-142)

Effective August 14, 2000, the following changes were made to this program announcement:

1). PROGRAM DESCRIPTION section . Added missing language:
"the purview of the Directorate for Biological Sciences or do not meet the requirements of this program announcement."

2). APPLICATION PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS section (A):
Combined "a bibliography" with bullet #4 and added a fifth bullet: "an abstract of the dissertation research"

3). The announcement has been updated to reflect current procedures for FastLane submission.


 

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SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS



GENERAL INFORMATION

Program Name: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology

Short Description/Synopsis of Program:

The Directorate for Biological Sciences offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology to individuals to support training and research in a host institution on the basic biology of protozoan, microalgal, fungal, archaeal, bacterial, and viral species that are not generally considered to be model organisms, e.g., E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevesiae, TMV. The use of model organisms in comparative studies with non-model organisms is not excluded.

Cognizant Program Officer: Ms. Carter Kimsey, BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer, Room 615, Division of Biological Infrastructure, telephone (703) 292-8470, e-mail: ckimsey@nsf.gov.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 47.074 – Biology

ELIGIBILITY

NSF postdoctoral fellowships are awards to individuals, and applications are submitted directly by the applicant to the NSF. Fellows must affiliate with institutions (e.g., colleges and universities, government and national laboratories and facilities, and privately-sponsored nonprofit institutes and museums, and for-profit organizations under special conditions).

Applicants must be: U.S. citizens, nationals, or legally admitted permanent resident aliens; may not have earned the doctoral degree more than 18 months prior to the deadline; must propose a research and training plan in microbial biology; may not have previously received a Federal research grant; may not submit a research and training plan duplicated in another NSF proposal; and may not have been involved in the research before June 1 of the deadline year.

The awards are given to individuals only. One application is permitted per person. There is no limit to the number of applicants that an institution may host.

AWARD INFORMATION

PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) of the National Science Foundation offers postdoctoral research fellowships in selected areas of biology to provide opportunities for recent doctoral scientists to obtain additional training, to gain research experience under the sponsorship of established scientists, and to broaden their scientific horizons beyond their research experiences during their undergraduate or graduate training. These fellowships are further designed to assist new scientists to direct their research efforts across traditional disciplinary lines and to avail themselves of unique research resources, sites, and facilities, including foreign locations.

The remarkable abundance and diversity of microbial life on Earth only recently has been appreciated for its equally remarkable potential to yield new knowledge about basic biological processes and practical benefits to society. By conservative estimates, less than 5% of the viral, bacterial, archaeal, fungal, microalgal and protozoan species that inhabit this planet has been described, compared to over 80% of plant and animal species. Research to explore and characterize this diversity is having profound effects on our understanding of biological adaptation including the evolution and limits of life on our planet, on our ability to monitor and restore the environment, on the development of valuable new resources for biotechnology, and on the study of fundamental biological interactions. Because of the remarkable variety of skills and knowledge that these studies demand, microbial diversity provides an important focus for training the next generation of basic and applied researchers.

To explore and analyze this reservoir of biological diversity requires training a new generation of microbial biologists in microbial systematics, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and genetics. In addition, recent surveys of academic and industrial employers of microbiologists have shown the need to equip microbiologists with necessary skills. These necessary skills include: the ability to use genomic analysis and the techniques of molecular biology; facility with computers and new instrumentation; and, the ability to communicate and network results and ideas with other investigators in real time.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

To address these needs, the Directorate for Biological Sciences announces this comprehensive Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Microbial Biology to support training and research on the basic biology of protozoan, microalgal, fungal, archaeal, bacterial, and viral species that are not generally considered to be model organisms, e.g., E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevesiae, TMV. The use of model organisms in comparative studies with non-model organisms is not excluded. Studies of the interactions of these microbes among each other and with plants and animals, e.g., symbiosis, may also be supported. Applicants are reminded that BIO does not support research with disease-related goals, including the etiology, diagnosis, or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction in human beings or animals. Animal or plant models of such conditions or the development or testing of drugs or other procedures for their treatment also are not eligible for support. Applications that do not fall within the purview of the Directorate for Biological Sciences or do not meet the requirements of this program announcement will be returned without review.

ELIGIBILITY

NSF postdoctoral fellowships are awards to individuals, and applications are submitted directly by the applicant to the NSF. Fellows must affiliate with an appropriate research institution and are expected to devote themselves full time to the fellowship activities for the duration of the fellowship. At the conclusion of the fellowship, a Fellow who accepts a tenure-track appointment at a U.S. institution eligible to receive NSF funds may apply for a research starter grant.

You are eligible to apply for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Microbial Biology if you meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

1. You are a citizen, national, or lawfully admitted permanent resident alien of the United States at the time of application.

2. You have earned the doctoral degree no earlier than eighteen (18) months prior to the deadline for your application, or plan to earn this degree before January 1 following the deadline (in 2003, the deadline will be January 1, 2005).

3. You are proposing a research and training plan in microbial biology and your host institution is not your doctoral degree granting institution.

4. You have not been, or are not at the time of your application, a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on a Federal research grant of more than $20,000, not including pre- or postdoctoral fellowships.

5. You (either singly or with another listed principal investigator) have not submitted, nor will concurrently submit, the proposed research to NSF for support. If, in BIO's judgment, you have submitted substantially similar research in another application to NSF, including research proposals, regardless of who is named principal investigator, the fellowship application will be returned without review.

6. If you are seeking support for an ongoing project, you were not engaged in this research before June 1 of the year of application.

 

AWARD INFORMATION

The NSF expects to make approximately 20 Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology awards per year, from a budget of approximately $2 million per year, depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds. Fellowship awards are for $50,000 per year for two or three years. The anticipated date of awards is July in the year following the application deadline.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR FELLOWSHIP INSTITUTION AND SPONSORING SCIENTIST(S)

A. Location of Work

Research and training supported by Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology may be conducted at any appropriate U.S. or foreign host institution. Appropriate institutions include colleges and universities, government and national laboratories and facilities, and privately-sponsored nonprofit institutes and museums. Private and public for-profit organizations may be suitable if they provide an institutional contribution to cover the institutional and special allowances (see below). This fellowship is one of the mechanisms through which BIO offers support for Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), NSF 98-142. Reference the GOALI announcement at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf98142/nsf98142.htm.

Because one of the objectives of the program is to broaden the perspectives and experiences of the Fellows, careful consideration should be given to the selection of the Sponsoring Scientists and host institutions.

The NSF encourages Fellows to gain international experience by selecting foreign hosts for at least part of the tenure of the fellowship. Preference will be given to applicants who choose foreign locations and those moving to new institutions and research environments with which they have not had prior affiliation.

B. The Sponsoring Scientist(s)

The Fellow must affiliate with a host institution during the entire tenure of the fellowship. The applicant is responsible for making prior arrangements with the host institution and Sponsoring Scientist(s). Regardless of the number of sponsors or locations, the fellowship application requires a single Sponsoring Scientist statement. If more than one sponsor is proposed, one must be named lead sponsor and information from all must be integrated into a single Sponsoring Scientist statement. Likewise, if more than one site is proposed, the Sponsoring Scientist statement must integrate all sponsors and locations in a single statement. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of modern biology, it is expected that dual sponsorship will be common. An important basis for judging the suitability of the host institution is the degree to which the Sponsoring Scientist statement describes and offers a research environment and mentoring opportunity that could be difficult to achieve without fellowship support.

If a fellowship is offered, the applicant may be requested to provide documentation from the host institution that the terms and conditions of the fellowship are acceptable and that the Fellow will be provided adequate space, basic services, and supplies.

Any changes in location or sponsorship after an award is made must be approved in advance in writing by the BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer.

DURATION/TENURE AND STIPEND/ALLOWANCES

  1. Duration and Tenure
  2. The fellowship is normally for 24 continuous months. Longer tenure of 36 months may be granted when a Fellow spends more than a year abroad and/or the project requires more than 24 months and the longer duration is adequately justified in the application. Tenure begins on the first of the month only and may commence at the Fellow's request between July of the initial award year and January of the following year. Interruptions in tenure or extensions without additional cost to NSF are permitted only for extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the Fellow. Fellowships cannot be renewed or supplemented.

  3. Stipend and Allowances

The total fellowship amount is $50,000 per year and consists of three separate types of payments. A monthly stipend of $3,000 is paid directly to the Fellow as an electronic funds transfer into a personal account at a financial institution. A research allowance of $9,000 per year is paid as a lump sum to the Fellow in the same manner for expenses directly related to the conduct of the research, such as materials and supplies, subscription fees and recovery costs for databases, travel, and publication expenses. An institutional allowance of $5,000 per year is paid to the host institution for fringe benefits, including health insurance payments for the Fellow, and for partial reimbursement of expenses incurred in support of the Fellow, such as space, equipment, and general-purpose supplies. There are no allowances for dependents.

APPLICATION PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Application Preparation Instructions
Applications to the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology require electronic submission via the NSF FastLane system. Only one application is permitted per person. The fellowship application consists of many parts, requiring input from Sponsoring Scientists and references, and NSF's FastLane servers get very busy around deadlines. Therefore, applicants are advised to begin the application procedures well in advance of the deadline and to submit the application as soon as possible. FastLane procedures allow applicants to work on parts of the application and to save them for future completion.

All page limits include pictures, figures, tables, etc. Applicants are urged to take special care to strictly adhere to page limitations, font size, and margins. Proposals that do not conform to the requirements are returned without review.

Applicants are advised that FastLane does not permit the submission of incomplete or late applications. Only complete and timely applications will be accepted. Incomplete applications are returned without review. A complete submission requires coordination between the applicant, the sponsoring scientist(s), and the references and includes all of the following items:

1. An application package completed by the applicant consisting of:

2. The Sponsoring Scientist(s’) statement. FastLane submission of the Sponsoring Scientist(s)’s statement is required.

3. Two reference reports (one from the doctoral advisor and another from a scientist who knows the applicant well). FastLane submission of the reference reports is required.

NOTE: An access code is used to provide secure access to the forms for preparing and submitting the reference reports and the Sponsoring Scientist(s’) statement. It limits access to only those to whom the applicant gives the access code and links the reference reports and statement to the application.

Research and Training Plan

The research and training plan addresses what the applicant hopes to accomplish during the fellowship period and how it relates to her/his career goals. The plan is submitted as a PDF file via FastLane. When printed out, it must not exceed 5 pages, including all figures, tables, pictures, etc., with 2.5-cm margins and a font no smaller than Courier New 10. The research and training plan consists of: 1) an introduction or background section; 2) a statement of research objectives, methods, and significance; 3) training objectives; 4) an explanation of how the fellowship activities will enhance the applicant's career development; and 5) a justification of the choice of Sponsoring Scientist(s) and host institution(s). If 36 months are requested, a justification must be provided in the research and training plan. An applicant may not propose to continue current research and training activities under the fellowship if (s)he has been engaged in this research prior to June 1 of the year of the application.

Some applications may require other documentation before the final decision can be made, e.g., animal care certificates, government permits, letters of collaboration, and commitments from private sources. The research and training plan should provide general information on these matters and address the availability of these documents. Applicants must submit the information when requested by the BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer.

   B. Budgetary Information

The fellowship application does not require an itemized budget.

   C. Application Due Dates

Applications MUST be submitted by 5:00 p.m., submitter’s local time, on the first Monday in October in 2000 through 2003, using NSF’s FastLane postdoctoral fellowship application.

   D. FastLane Requirements

Using NSF’s FastLane to prepare and submit the application, reference reports, and Sponsoring Scientist(s)’ statement requires specific software. Please consult www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm for details on the current requirements.

NOTE: Early submission is strongly recommended. Heavy usage of FastLane within the 2 days before a deadline is typical. NSF cannot control heavy system use and delays in transmission as the deadline approaches.

FastLane Instructions for Applicants

To access FastLane, go to the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov then select "FastLane," or go directly to the FastLane home page at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/.

Once you are in FastLane:

1) Click on Postdoctoral Fellowships

2) Click on Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Application Package

3) Click on Prepare New Application Package

4) Select Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology

5) Click on Continue button

Follow the directions as presented on the screen.

FastLane Instructions for Sponsoring Scientists

The applicant must provide his/her assigned Access Code to the Sponsoring Scientist before the Statement can be completed on FastLane at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov. To access the Statement, click on Postdoctoral Fellowships. Click on Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Sponsoring Scientist Statement. Enter the applicant’s Access Code (provided by the applicant) and choose a password, then provide the requested information.

FastLane Instructions for Authors of Reference Reports

To prepare and submit the reference reports, authors must have the applicant’s assigned Access Code. Access FastLane (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov). Click on Postdoctoral Fellowships. Click on Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Reference Reports. Enter the applicant’s Access Code (provided by the applicant) and choose a password, then provide the requested Reference Report.

Questions may also be directed by e-mail to biofl@nsf.gov or to 1-800-673-6188.

 

APPLICATION 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. 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, adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal, etc.

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?

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. PIs should address this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making funding decisions.

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. PIs should address this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making funding decisions.

B. Merit Review Process

Evaluation and Selection of Fellows

Applicants are evaluated on their ability, accomplishments, and potential as evidenced by the Curriculum Vitae and reference reports. The research and training plan is evaluated on its scientific merit, its feasibility, its significance in generating new biological knowledge, and its impact on the career development of the applicant. Other important evaluative factors are the suitability and availability of the Sponsoring Scientist(s) and host institution(s), including colleagues and facilities.

Applications will be reviewed by an advisory panel of scientists convened to review only fellowship applications. The advisory panel will be representative of a wide-range of microbiological subfields. In some cases, mail reviews are needed to supplement the expertise of the advisory panel. Each application will be reviewed by three panelists then discussed by the full panel. The panelists will be asked to formulate a recommendation as to whether or not NSF should support the application.

The BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer is assigned to manage the proposal’s review and will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation. The NSF will select the Fellows on the basis of the panel's recommendations, staff review, program priorities, a consideration of the effect of the selections on the infrastructure of biology in the U.S., and the NSF's education and human resource goals. The BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer will be able to tell applicants whether their applications have been declined or recommended for funding within six months for 95 percent of applicants. The time interval begins on the application deadline and ends when the division director accepts the BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer’s recommendation.

In all cases, after final programmatic approval has been obtained, award recommendations are then 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. Applicants 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 grantee who makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants Officer does so at his or her own risk.

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

  1. Notification of the Award
  2. Official notification of a fellowship award is made by letter to the Fellow by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA).

    Applicants are requested to send address and phone changes to dbimb@nsf.gov. After April 15, following the deadline date, inquiries about status of applications may be addressed to the BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer at dbimb@nsf.gov.

    Offers for fellowships will be made by e-mail to successful applicants by the Program Officer in April following the deadline date. All applicants will receive an explanation of the review process and verbatim copies of reviews without the identity of the reviewers. The review information is mailed to unsuccessful applicants with a notification letter in May or June. The review information is mailed to successful applicants with the official award letter, after an offer has been extended and accepted.

  3. Grant Award Conditions
  4. 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, see below; and, (5) this NSF program announcement incorporated by reference in the award letter.

    NSF claims no rights to any inventions or writings that may result from its fellowship awards. However, Fellows should be aware that NSF, other Federal agencies, or private parties may acquire such rights through other grant support. Applicants are encouraged to discuss institutional policies on intellectual property rights with the host institution before submitting an application. Applicants should also discuss the policies of the Sponsoring Scientist regarding which materials and projects must remain with the host institution, and which can be released to the Fellow at the end of the fellowship. Before commencing work, Fellows at foreign institutions should be aware that specific provisions regarding allocations of intellectual property rights apply to particular countries.

    Fellows are obligated to include an acknowledgment of NSF support and a disclaimer in any publication arising from the fellowship-supported research.

    Fellows are expected to agree to complete, timely, and open sharing of data and material. By submitting an application, all participants agree to NSF guidelines on sharing of findings, data, and other research products.

  5. Reporting Requirements

For all fellowships, the Fellow must submit an annual project report to the BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer within 90 days of the anniversary of the start date.

Within 90 days after termination of the fellowship, the Fellow is required to submit a final project report and a termination certificate. Failure to provide final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of subsequent pending proposals for the Fellow.

STARTER RESEARCH GRANT

Fellows who elect to pursue an academic career and accept a tenure-track position at a U.S. institution eligible to receive NSF funding following their fellowships may apply for a research starter grant. The one-year, nonrenewable starter award is to assist the Fellow in establishing an independent research program. Starter grants are not fellowships but research support that are assigned to research programs in BIO for scientific review and decision by the cognizant NSF Program Officer. The starter grant cannot be extended or supplemented. It is for a maximum of $50,000 total costs and requires matching on a 2:1 (institution to NSF) basis. Funds provided by neither NSF nor the matching funds can be used for PI salary, renovations of laboratory or office space, or indirect costs. The funds are to be used for expenses directly related to the conduct of research. Fellows will be given information on how to apply for a research starter grant when the fellowship is offered.

CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

General inquiries should be made to the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Microbial Biology, Ms. Carter Kimsey, BIO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Officer, Room 615, Division of Biological Infrastructure, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, telephone (703) 292-8470 e-mail: ckimsey@nsf.gov. For technical assistance with FastLane, please send an e-mail message to biofl@nsf.gov.

OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding opportunities 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. The NSF Guide to Programs only is available electronically, at <http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp>. 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 E-Bulletin, available electronically on the NSF Web site at: <http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin/>. 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) are available to provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to conduct NSF-supported projects. Contact the program coordinator listed earlier for information.

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) 292-5090 or through FIRS 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.

 

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on the application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified applicants and may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process; to the institution the nominee, applicant or fellow is attending or is planning to attend or is employed by for the purpose of facilitating review or award decisions, or administering fellowships or awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing data regarding applicants or nominees as part of the proposal 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 from this system may be merged with other computer files to carry out statistical studies the results of which do not identify individuals. Notice of the agency's decision may be given to nominators, and disclosure may be made of awardees' names, home institutions, and fields of study for public information purposes. For fellows or awardees receiving stipends directly from the government, information is transmitted to the Department of the Treasury to make payments. See System of Records, NSF-12, "Fellowships and Other Awards," 63 Federal Register 265 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary; however, failure to provide full and complete information may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer; Division of Administrative Services; National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA 22230.

Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 47.074 – Biological Grants

OMB No.: 3145-0023
NSF 99-142 (electronic dissemination only)