Title: METHODS AND MODELS FOR INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT
Research Opportunity Related to the NSF Global
Change Research Program
Date: March 1, 1999
Replaces: NSF 96-154
METHODS AND MODELS
FOR INTEGRATED
ASSESSMENT
Research Opportunity Related to the
NSF Global Change Research Program
_________________________________________
Announcement of Special Funding Opportunity
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 21, 1999
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Methods and Models For Integrated Assessment
Research Opportunity Related to the
NSF Global Change Research Program
Announcement of Special Funding Opportunity
Submission Deadline:
May 21, 1999
INTRODUCTION
Methods and Models for Integrated Assessment (MMIA) is a funding
opportunity for global change research at the National Science
Foundation (NSF). Assessing the combined influence of multiple
systems is central to understanding important issues such as
global environmental change, large-scale technological change, and
international socio-political evolution. Integrated assessment
refers to approaches for examining the complex interactions among
Earth's physical, biological, and human systems. The integrated
assessment approach involves the use of quantitative models and
other methods to understand individual component systems and their
interactions, with particular emphasis on how changes in one or
more component systems will impact other systems. The goal of the
MMIA competition is to support methodological research that will
advance the design and conduct of integrated assessments.
Federal agencies participating in the U.S. Global Change Research
Program (US/GCRP) have identified integrated assessment as an
important approach for providing information to policy and
decision makers. In addition to providing information about the
dynamics of change, integrated assessments will assist policy
makers by providing a framework for identifying and evaluating
likely consequences of different environmental policies.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In concert with other US/GCRP agencies, NSF has established MMIA
to sponsor high-quality, fundamental and methodological research
that advances the development of methodologies and models that
will integrate or couple multiple component systems. NSF
encourages participation and collaboration of researchers from all
appropriate scientific and engineering disciplines, including the
mathematical sciences. In FY 1997, NSF awarded approximately $3.4
M through the special MMIA competition. Funding in FY 1999 is
anticipated at approximately the same level, depending on
availability of funds.
A review of MMIA proposals will be conducted in the Spring of
1999. Evaluation of proposals for this special competition will
include reviews by external experts and by a multidisciplinary
panel. Evaluation of proposals will be based on the standard NSF
evaluation criteria noted below. Proposals submitted for this
competition must be received no later than May 21, 1999.
Proposals should describe research intended to improve methods for
integrated assessment. Because of the nature of this research,
NSF expects most awards in this category to be interdisciplinary
in scope and to focus on the linkages among multiple human and
natural systems with reference to high priority global change
policy issues (such as national economic welfare, international
technological change, or regional ecological impacts). Examples
of research in this category include rigorous modeling methods and
algorithms that link or couple atmospheric, ecological, and socio-
economic systems; validation of the models and sensitivity
analysis of the data; statistical approaches to combining
information, including substantive knowledge, models, and data;
treatment of uncertainty and risk in integrated systems;
development of integrated assessment model building and validation
techniques; approaches to prediction for large-scale, complex, and
stochastic systems; and development and testing of methods that
integrate formal analysis and modeling with deliberation such as
gaming, policy exercises, and simulation exercises.
Proposals addressing the integration or coupling of multiple
systems are expected to indicate the scientific merit of the
proposed research, and the policy relevance of the anticipated
results. They may also propose specific activities, such as
workshops and briefings, to foster interactions and
communications between the policy and research communities.
Although participation by researchers in specific disciplines is
not required, the Foundation encourages investigators to
demonstrate substantial contributions from the mathematical,
statistical, natural, and social sciences in their research plans.
MMIA projects that will produce data and information that can be
used by other global change researchers must include a special
information and supplementary documentation section (Proposal
Section I) titled "Data and Information Availability." Section I,
described on page 13 of the Grants Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 99-2,
is not counted in the 15-page Project Description limitation.
This discussion, not to exceed four pages, should describe the
data and information products, the management plans for their
validation, quality control and archiving, and the costs for these
activities.
ELIGIBILITY
The MMIA program will consider research proposals from all
approved categories of proposers as described in the Grants
Proposal Guide. Proposers from For-profit organizations and other
Federal Agencies (including Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers), however, should contact one of the program
representatives listed at the end of this announcement before
preparing a proposal for submission. Collaborative proposals can
be submitted by two or more institutions. One institution should
serve as the lead institution and should include copies of all
budgets, cover sheets, and information for all investigators.
Twenty copies of the proposal are needed.
AWARD INFORMATION
Under this announcement, NSF solicits proposals for up to three
years and expects to make grants at a wide variety of award size
and duration. It expects to fund approximately 10 to 15 awards
depending on the quality of submissions and availability of funds.
Approximately $3 million will be available for this initiative in
FY1999. Anticipated date of awards: September 1999.
PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions.
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general
guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 99-2.
The complete text of the GPG (including electronic forms) is
available electronically on the NSF Web site at:
. 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.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement number
(NSF 99-86) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the
NSF Form 1207, "Cover Sheet for Proposal to the National Science
Foundation." Compliance with this requirement is critical to
determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure
to submit this information may delay processing.
B. Proposal Due Dates.
For paper submission of proposals, the paper copies of the
proposal MUST be received by 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, May
21, 1999. Copies of the proposal must be made and submitted to
NSF according to the normal procedures for paper proposals
identified in the GPG.
For electronic submission of proposals, the proposal MUST be
submitted by 5:00 PM, local time, May 21, 1999. Copies of the
signed proposal cover sheet must be submitted in accordance with
the instructions identified below.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. For proposals submitted
electronically via the NSF FastLane Project, the signed proposal
Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) should be forwarded to the following
address and received by NSF by May 28, 1999:
National Science Foundation
DIS-FastLane Cover Sheet
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
A proposal may not be processed until the complete proposal
(including signed cover sheet) has been received by NSF.
Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for
this competition.
C. FastLane Requirements.
The NSF FastLane system is available for electronic preparation
and submission of a proposal through the Web at the FastLane Web
site at . The Sponsored Research
Office (SRO or equivalent) must provide a FastLane Personal
Identification Number (PIN) to each Principal Investigator (PI) to
gain access to the FastLane "Proposal Preparation" application.
PIs that have not submitted a proposal to NSF in the past must
contact their SRO to be added to the NSF PI database. This should
be done as soon as the decision to prepare a proposal is made.
In order to use NSF FastLane to prepare and submit a proposal, the
following are required:
Browser (must support multiple buttons and file upload)
- Netscape 3.0 or greater
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater
PDF Reader (needed to view/print forms)
- Adobe Reader 3.0 or greater
PDF Generator (needed to create project description)
- Adobe Acrobat 3.01 or greater
- Aladdin Ghostscript 5.10 or greater
A list of registered institutions and a FastLane registration form
are located on the FastLane Web page.
For paper submission of proposals, the delivery address must
clearly identify the NSF announcement number under which the
proposal is being submitted. For FastLane submission of proposals
the Directorate for Geosciences should be indicated as the NSF
Organizational Unit.
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Merit Review Criteria.
Review 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, 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 Program, 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.
Additional Review Criteria
Proposals are expected to indicate the scientific merit of the
proposed research and the policy relevance, if any, of the
anticipated results. Supplementary documentation is requested for
projects that will produce data and information useful for other
global change research.
B. Merit Review Process.
Most of the proposals submitted to NSF are reviewed by mail
review, panel review, or some combination of mail and panel
review. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement will
be reviewed by mail and panel review.
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other
persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field
represented by the proposal. Reviewers will be asked to formulate
a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. A
program officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will
consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a
recommendation. In most cases, proposers will be contacted by the
program officer after his or her recommendation to award or
decline funding has been approved by his or her supervisor, the
division director. This informal notification is not a guarantee
of an eventual award. NSF will be able to tell applicants whether
their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding
within six months for 95 percent of proposals in this category.
In those cases where a proposal is being considered for joint
funding by separate divisions, directorates, or agencies, NSF will
be able to inform applicants within nine months in 95 percent of
proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal deadline or
target date or from the date of receipt, if deadlines or target
dates are not used by the program. The interval ends when the
division director accepts the 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. Proposers 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 principal investigator or
organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the
absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF
Grants Officer does so at its own risk.
AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Notification of the Award.
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization
by a Grants and Agreements Officer in the Division of Grants and
Agreements (DGA). 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.
B. Grant Award Conditions.
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, such as Grant General
Conditions (NSF GC-1)* or Federal Demonstration Partnership Phase
III (FDP) Terms and Conditions* and (5) any NSF brochure, program
guide, announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated
by reference in the award letter. Electronic mail notification is
the preferred way to transmit NSF grants 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: . Paper copies may be obtained from the
NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone 301.947.2722 or by e-
mail from pubs@nsf.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 expiration of a grant, 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 a new electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, which 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. Reports will continue to be required annually and
after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will not need to re-
enter information previously provided, either with the proposal or
in earlier updates using the electronic system.
Effective October 1, 1998, PIs are required to use the new
reporting format for annual and final project reports. PIs are
strongly encouraged to submit reports electronically via FastLane.
For those PIs who cannot access FastLane, paper copies of the new
report formats may be obtained from the NSF Clearinghouse as
specified above. NSF expects to require electronic submission of
all annual and final project reports via FastLane beginning in
October, 1999.
D. New Awardee Information.
If the submitting organization has never received an NSF award, it
is recommended that the organization's appropriate administrative
officials become familiar with the policies and procedures in the
NSF Grant Policy Manual which are applicable to most NSF awards.
The "Prospective New Awardee Guide" (NSF 97-100) includes
information on: Administration and Management Information;
Accounting System Requirements and Auditing Information; and
Payments to Organizations with Awards. This information will
assist an organization in preparing documents that NSF requires to
conduct administrative and financial reviews of an organization.
The guide also serves as a means of highlighting the
accountability requirements associated with Federal awards. This
document is available electronically on NSF's Web site at:
.
CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries about MMIA may addressed to:
Dr. Thomas Spence
Project Coordinator
Directorate for Geosciences
Phone: 703.306.1502,e-mail: tspence@nsf.gov
or a representative of one of the participating directorates:
Dr. Keith Crank
Mathematical and Physical Sciences
703.306.1885, e-mail: kcrank@nsf.gov
Dr. Cheryl Eavey
Social, Behavioral,
and Economic Sciences
703.306.1729, e-mail:ceavey@nsf.gov
Dr. Edward T. Elliot
Biological Sciences
703.306.1479, e-mail: eelliot@nsf.
Dr. Jay Fein
Geosciences
Division of Atmospheric and Earth Sciences
703.306.1527, e-mail: jfein@nsf.gov
Dr. Janie Fouke
Engineering
703.306.1320, e-mail: jfouke@nsf.gov.
Dr. Richard Lambert
Geosciences
Division of Ocean Sciences
703.306.1583, e-mail: rlambert@nsf.gov
Dr. Michael Ledbetter
Office of Polar Programs
703.306.1029, e-mail:
mledbett@nsf.gov
Identical information on the MMIA funding opportunity is available
on the NSF homepage. The direct address is
. Awards lists for the
FY 1995, FY 1996, and FY 1997 and other related information are
also available at this address.
NSF also maintains an electronic mailing list of individuals
interested in MMIA and other related funding opportunities.
Additions, deletions, or changes should be sent by e-mail:
mmia-ext-request@nsf.gov.
Other Federal agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, etc.) have been working
with NSF to advance research on integrated assessments related to
global change. Potential investigators may wish to obtain
information about related funding opportunities in these agencies.
For questions related to use of FastLane, contact Brian Dawson,
FastLane Project Officer, 703. 306.1553, e-mail: mmia@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. Beginning in fiscal year 1999, the NSF
Guide to Programs only will be available electronically. Many NSF
programs offer announcements concerning specific proposal
reqirements. 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:
. The direct URL for recent issues of the
Bulletin is . Subscribers
can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service to find out what
funding opportunities are available.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
__________________________________________________________________
GENERAL INFORMATION
Program Name: Methods and Models for Integrated Assessment
Short Description/Synopsis of Program:
This initiative is intended to enhance interdisciplinary and
cooperative activities and research leading to sound and
scientifically based integrated assessments of the impacts of
global change. Assessing the combined influence of multiple
systems is central to understanding important issues such as
global environmental change, large-scale technological change, and
international socio-political evolution. Integrated assessment
refers to the complex interactions among Earth's physical,
biological, and human systems. Integrated assessments use
quantitative models and other methods to understand individual
component systems and their interactions with particular emphasis
on how changes in one or more component systems will impact other
systems.
Cognizant Program 705, telephone 703.306.1502, e-mail:
tspence@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.:
47.050, Geosciences; 47.049, Mathematical and Physical Sciences;
47.074, Biological Sciences; 47.075, Social, Behavioral, and
Economic Sciences; and 47.078, Polar Programs.
ELIGIBILITY
The Program will consider proposals from all categories of
proposers as described in the NSF Grants Proposal Guide
(NSF 99-2).
AWARD INFORMATION
Type of award anticipated: Standard Grant
Number of awards anticipated in FY 99: 10-15 awards
Amount of funds available: Approximately $3 million
will be available in FY 99
Anticipated date of award: September 1999
PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letter of Intent requirements: None
Preproposal requirements: None
Proposal preparation instructions: Standard NSF Grants Proposal
Guide instructions
Supplemental proposal preparation instructions: Proposals
addressing integration or coupling of multiple systems should
indicate the policy relevance of the anticipated results, and
should include supplementary information related to the data and
information resulting from the proposal.
Deviations from standard (GPG) proposal preparation instructions: None
Budgetary Information
Cost sharing/matching requirements: Standard GPG requirements
Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None
Other budgetary limitations: None
FastLane Requirements
FastLane proposal preparation requirements: FastLane use encouraged
FastLane point of contact: Brian Dawson, FastLane Project
Officer, telephone 703.306.1553, e-mail: mmia@nsf.gov
Deadline/Target Dates
Full Proposal Deadline: 5:00 PM, ET, May 21, 1999
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
Merit Review Criteria: Standard National Science Board
approved criteria
AWARD ADMINISRATION INFORMATION
Grand Award Conditions GC-1
Special grant conditions anticipated: None anticipated
Special reporting requirements anticipated: None
ABOUT 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 on behalf of all qualified scientists,
engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages
women, minorities and persons with disabilities to participate
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 (some programs may have special requirements
that limit eligibility).
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable
persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. (For
more information, see Section V.G.)
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 about NSF programs, employment or general
information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 306-0090, FIRS at 1-800-
877-8339.
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; and 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 proposer 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.
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:
Reports Clearance Officer
Information Dissemination Branch
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
OMB# 3145-0058
NSF 99-86 (Replaces NSF 96-154)
YEAR 2000 REMINDER
In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997,
Subject: Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of
their responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that
the NSF activity being supported is not adversely affected by the
Year 2000 problem. Potentially affected items include: computer
systems, databases, and equipment. The National Science
Foundation should be notified if an awardee concludes that the
Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its ability to carry
out an NSF funded activity. Information concerning Year 2000
activities can be found on the NSF web site at:
http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 47.050,
Geosciences; 47.049, Mathematical and Physical Sciences; 47.074,
Biological Sciences; and 47.075, Social, Behavioral, and Economic
Sciences, and 47.078, Polar Programs.
OMB #3145-0058
NSF 99-86
(Replaces NSF 96-154)