NSF Core Documents and Online Resources for Proposal Preparation and Post-Award Activities Jeffrey G. Ryan School of Geosciences Former NSF Program Director ( EHR: ); review panelist ( 31 times so far: 14 programs ); principal investigator ( currently: four active NSF-funded projects; ~$3.3 M as PI or Co-PI since 2005 )

Important online places to visit re: NSF funding (informational website of the National Science Foundation, the place where all its solicitations are officially “published.” (the NSF online business system for proposal construction, submission, and review) (the ‘new wing’ of the NSF online presence, where all project reporting now occurs)

The two documents you’ll all need to get familiar with if you want to submit a proposal to NSF: Proposals and Awards Policy and Procedures Guide (PAPPG): NSF 15-1 – Includes the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG): the governing document for proposal submissions to the NSF The Proposal Solicitation for your Program – Solicitations can (and often do) contain guidance and groundrules that are above and beyond the general submission guidance in the GPG General rule of thumb: if it’s not explicitly defined in the solicitation, you follow the guidance in the GPG

The Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Where the page length, font and spacing requirements for NSF proposals are defined! – [Pointer: don’t EVER use their minimum font size – bigger is better!!] All the Foundation-wide groundrules/non- negotiables for proposal construction are defined – Go here to ask technical questions about your proposal FIRST, before your Program Director Worth a read each year: “Significant Changes and Clarifications…” (the things USF may not be “up” on – and even your NSF PD might not fully get…)

New GPG requirements for proposals: ALL Project Descriptions must include a section entitled “Broader Impacts of the Proposed Project” Results from Previous NSF Support section: MUST be included if you have NSF support in the last five years – May only list ONE closely related project if you have more than one. Must list Intellectual Merits and Broader Impacts for the project Must include full citations for publications EITHER in the Project Description OR in References Cited section

New GPG requirements for proposals: NSF Biosketch: new guidelines for what can/cannot be included and section headings – Used both to asses your qualifications AND to identify Conflicts of Interest in reviewers New, Required Supplemental Documents – Data Management Plan About the public availability of NSF-supported data… – Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (IF your proposal includes postdoctoral support)

New GPG requirements for proposal budgets: Participant Support Costs – – New PAPPG language re: who can be eligible as participants is creating considerable confusion among USF OR&I staff, PI’s and even some NSF PD’s Key constraint: a “participant” may not be an “employee” of the PI institution – Non-financial renumeration for participants must be detailed and will be closely scrutinized!

New GPG requirements for Supplemental Documents Data Management Plans Postdoctoral mentoring Plans NO MORE letters of Support – ONLY Letters of Collaboration – Brief statements of commitment to collaboration on the proposed project and the terms thereof No editorial comments on proposal quality or PIs, etc.

In the GPG: the “new” NSF Review Criteria Intellectual Merits and Broader Impacts (still…), but re-stated – Broader Impacts: All about Societal Benefits… Education Collaborations/partnerships, national and international Social good of discoveries – Both are to be evaluated in a similar fashion

Inside NSF Fastlane: Where you go to submit proposals Where you go to review proposals – How to be an NSF proposal reviewer… Where you go to participate in review panels – New at NSF : Virtual Panels as a common practice! – Still doing them live (they fly you to DC…)

Some Fastlane changes: Project Summary: Now comprises three dialogue boxes (Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts, Summary), but still has a one page limit. Current and Pending Support – Either generate a listing for each project, or upload a pdf ALL extramurally funded projects should be listed – Key review concern: PI time commitments…

Fastlane Post-Award activities Project Notifications and Requests – No Cost Extensions First one is automatic (PI Approved) Subsequent ones require PD approval Be sure to do ALL No-cost extensions at least 45 days prior to project end date (earlier is better!) – If you don’t extend, the $$ go away… PI changes or temporary departures (illness or other…) Supplemental funding requests (on active awards: REU, ROA, other…)

Big NSF change: Project Reports no longer in Fastlane! is now the location where Project Reports functionality for NSF awards is located! Login is the same as your NSF login Maintains same records of your active grants and award history Ultimately – research.gov will replace Fastlane as the NSF “portal” for PI’s and institutions (still a way’s off…)

For any NSF award: 3 different kinds of Project Reports are required: Annual Report – opens 90 days from end of project year. Findings, activities, involved personnel are reported. Final Report – opens on project end date, due 90 days after project end. Full project findings, activities, publications/products, personnel. Project Outcomes Report – opens on project end date, due 90 days after project end. A report for the general public on the key outcomes of the project, written for laymen.

Other questions re: proposal construction, submission, interfaces w/ NSF staff…. Communication with Program Director (how, when, what…) Timetable for proposal review… Dealing with “no”…. (turning “no” into “yes”…) Limited submission programs (MRI, S-STEM, others) USF review process… Using your USF proposal submission support network effectively ???