Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the 2010
Project
for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 (NSF
09-514)
1/05/09
The Directorate for
Biological Sciences (BIO) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) announces its
intention to continue support of research to determine the functions of all
genes in the model plant Arabidopsis
thaliana by the year 2010.
Individual investigators or groups of investigators will be supported to
conduct creative and innovative, genome-wide or systems-level research designed
to determine, using all available means, the functions of Arabidopsis genes. In
the final two years, the Program will continue to support genome-wide analyses
and research on biological networks using high throughput methods and
integrating modeling with experimental data.
In Fiscal Years 2009 and
2010, proposals are especially encouraged, but not limited to, the following
thematic areas:
1) Metabolic
biology, particularly relevant to energy capture and use
2) Adaptation to
the environment
3) Multi-scale
analysis of genome evolution and genetic systems
Four changes were made
from the 2007 solicitation:
·
This is the
terminal solicitation for the last two competitions of the 2010 Project program.
·
Proposals
should be submitted to the 2010 Project through the disciplinary cluster whose
thematic focus is most closely related to the project.
·
The
description of the thematic focus areas has been modified in response to
community input.
·
Only one
appendix is now required, which should describe the data management
plan.
SUBMISSION TARGET DATES:
February
19, 2009; January 12,
2010
The official guidelines
for submission of 2010 Project proposals can be found in the 2010 Project
Program Solicitation (NSF 09-514), available on the NSF web site (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5337). The following questions and answers are
intended to be helpful supplements to the program guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the 2010
Project:
Proposal
Preparation and Submission
1. Question:
How do I decide to which program in BIO I should submit my 2010 Project
proposal?
You should submit the
proposal to the core program whose thematic focus is most closely related to the
project. Please read the program descriptions and if necessary consult with one
or more Program Directors to identify the most appropriate program at https://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=BIO.
Program Directors will make the final assignment to the panel where it will be
most competitive.
2. Question:
I am not sure whether I should submit my proposal as a 2010 Project or as
a regular proposal. To whom should I direct this
question?
You can contact a Program
Director in the core program of your interest by phone or email. You can also contact the 2010 Project
Working Group by email to bio-2010@nsf.gov. Contact information can be found
at:
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5337&org=NSF
Because you need to submit
your proposal to a specific program at the NSF, you should identify the Program
Director of that program for questions concerning the scope of research being
reviewed by that specific program.
3. Question:
Can a project extend beyond the year 2010?
Yes. Projects may extend for up to 4
years. However, the award duration
for proposals to build community resources may not exceed 3 years.
4. Question: Can I request an extension for
submission?
NO--not for the 2009 target date! Because the target date is fairly late
in the grant cycle, late submissions cannot be accepted.
5. Question:
Can I submit a 2010 Project proposal and a proposal for consideration by
the same core program?
In general, a Principal
Investigator cannot submit multiple proposals with overlapping research
objectives. However, if the projects
are clearly different, you can submit a 2010 Project proposal and a regular
research proposal to the same program.
However, it is recommended that you contact a Program Director in the
core program to discuss this possibility as both proposals are likely to be
reviewed by the same panel.
6. Question: Can I submit a proposal to develop
community resources in FY 2010?
Development of specific
resources for the Arabidopsis community will no longer be a priority for funding
through the 2010 Project in FY 2010.
However, excellent resource proposals with broad and transformative
impact, including ones that emphasize the use of Arabidopsis, can still be
submitted to BIO as they fall into the priorities of different Programs at the
NSF,.
7. Is
special documentation required for a 2010 Project proposal?
The only specific
documentation required for a 2010 proposal is that the title of the proposal
should begin with “Arabidopsis 2010:” and a Data Management Plan (1 page only)
should be included in the Supplementary Documents.
All submissions should
follow the guidelines of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide posted on Oct 1, 2008 (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_index.jsp)
and the instructions in the 2010 solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf09514).
8. Is
a separate “Management Plan” required?
A separate “Data
Management Plan” for the proposal IS required (as also indicated in answer to
question 7 above). This is to be a maximum of one page. Information that should
be included can be found at:
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09514/nsf09514.htm
9. Question: How should letters of collaboration or
general letters of support be included in the
proposal?
The following
section of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide should be followed concerning letters of
collaboration.
(iv) Unfunded
Collaborations
“Any substantial collaboration with
individuals not included in the budget should be described and documented with a
letter from each collaborator, which should be provided in the supplementary
documentation section of the FastLane Proposal Preparation Module. Collaborative
activities that are identified in the budget should follow the instructions in
GPG Chapter II.D.4.”
Letters of endorsement are not allowed.
10. Question: Who do I contact if I have
questions?
If you have questions
about the goals of the 2010 Project, please contact the 2010 Project Working
Group by email to bio-2010@nsf.gov.
Because you need to submit
your proposal to a specific program at the NSF, you should identify the Program
Director of that program for questions concerning the scope of research being
reviewed by that specific program.
Review
Process
1.
Question: Where will my proposal be reviewed?
Proposals WILL NOT be
reviewed by a separate “2010 Project” panel. Rather, proposals will be reviewed along
with all other proposals asking similar or related biological questions by a
disciplinary panel determined by the scientific area. The mail reviewers as well
as the panelists will receive special instructions with information about the
priorities of the 2010 Project. You
should identify the program that you feel to be most appropriate to the subject
of your research and submit the proposal directly to that program. Proposals
will be accepted in all divisions of the BIO Directorate. Reviewing abstracts of
funded research and discussing your proposal with Program Directors is the best
way to determine where to direct your proposal. If necessary, due to
program-wide considerations, your proposal may be reviewed by a different group
than you specify. Final assignment of your proposal can be viewed through Fast
lane.
2.
Question: When will I hear about the final
recommendation?
Final recommendations
should be made by June 2009. You
can also login to FastLane for updates regarding the 2010 Project
competition.
General
Questions about the 2010 Project
Question:
What happens to the 2010 Project after 2010?
The 2010 Project will end
after the competition in FY 2010.
In FY 2008, two workshops were held by the Arabidopsis and broader plant
communities to identify the future directions for the Arabidopsis community (http://arabidopsis.org/portals/masc/workshop2020.pdf
and http://arabidopsis.org/portals/masc/2020_European_Vision.pdf).
Both workshops recognized the importance of using Arabidopsis research and
knowledge to the problems of economic and environmental importance. The
recommendations of these workshops were used to identify the thematic focus
areas described in the solicitation that covers the FY 2009 and 2010
competitions, the final two competitions for the 2010 Project. In addition, aligning the thematic focus
areas with those of the core programs should allow for a smooth transition of
the funded projects to the core programs starting in FY
2011.