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Annual Report Procedures

Dennis Wise/University of Washington

IUCRCs with active awards need to report annually, and requirements depend on when the award was made.

For Awards Made in 2021 and Later

IUCRC annual reports should be submitted electronically no later than 90 days prior to the end of the current budget period to allow adequate time for the cognizant Program Officer to review and approve the report. It is advisable to submit your report by July 1.

Please follow Research.gov instructions for NSF project reports.

IUCRCs with active awards made in 2021 and after (solicitation NSF 20-570 or later) must also cover these additional aspects in the submitted annual (or final) report:

  • Accomplishments: Major activities, significant results, key outcomes, transfer of technology and/or creation of intellectual property, other achievements and dissemination of results.
  • Workforce development outcomes: Training, professional development, placement and hiring of faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows in support of the science and engineering workforce.
  • Startup support: Companies started/spun-out from the Center’s site.
  • Research products: Publications in peer-reviewed journals, books/book chapters, datasets, models, software, inventions, juried conference papers, licenses, conference presentations, patents, technologies, thesis/dissertations, websites, etc.
  • Participating personnel: "Participants" must include all individuals who contributed to the Center activities for the performing period, such as students, faculty, researchers, postdocs, collaborators, and Industry Advisory Board (IAB) member organizations.

Furthermore, under the “Special Requirements” section in Research.gov, Centers must provide:

  • SRO Memberships Certification, to be submitted by Lead site only.
  • Center Director’s Report, to be submitted by Lead site only: A summary up to 5 pages on the Center’s past performance and updated strategic plan for the future, any new Site additions, Center’s impacts on the participating institutions, stakeholder participation, and feedback from Members, students, and faculty.

    The report should also cover these aspects related to the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts of the Center’s activities.

    Intellectual Merit
    • The degree to which the Center met and exceeded the IUCRC financial and membership requirements during the past year.
    • Success in the Center’s communications strategy to recruit Members and academic partners and communicate with the general public and discussion of modifications in the strategy to increase Center membership and impact.
    • The extent to which research results were transferred to Members, including the generation of new Intellectual Property (IP) from Center activities, if applicable, and the plan to support other new ventures in the sector of interest.
    • The extent of economic or societal impact achieved over the year.
    • The effectiveness of the synergistic integration and collaborative efforts of all Sites in Center activities.
    • Success of the Center’s strategy for growing and achieving self-sustainability by the time of its year of graduation.
    Broader Impacts
    • The effectiveness of the planned Center and Sites outreach activities in communicating with the public and Center stakeholders, as well as industry.
    • Success in identifying, mentoring, and engaging students from diverse groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM disciplines.
    • Success in recruiting and mentoring, if applicable, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups in STEM.
    • The number and quality of opportunities offered to students and postdocs to work closely with industry mentors and IAB companies, and the placement of students in IAB organizations or other companies in the sector.
    • Societal impact of the Center’s research, education, and outreach activities.

  • Site Research Projects Summary, to be submitted by each site: A summary (up to 1 page for each project in which the Site participated) on the project’s goals, research tasks, key milestones, metrics/deliverables, developing results or outcomes, project budget, and personnel.

For Awards Made Prior to 2021

IUCRC annual reports should be submitted electronically no later than 90 days prior to the end of the current federal fiscal year to allow adequate time for the cognizant Program Officer to review and approve the report. It is advisable to submit your report by July 1.

Please follow Research.gov instructions for NSF project reports.

IUCRCs should cover these areas in their annual (or final) report:

  • Activities, findings, and impacts.
  • Research products: Publications in peer-reviewed journals, books/book chapters, datasets, models, software, inventions, juried conference papers, licenses, conference presentations, patents, technologies, thesis/dissertations, websites, etc.
  • Participating personnel: “Participants” must list all individuals who contributed to the Center activities for the performing period, such as students, faculty, researchers, collaborators, postdocs, and Industry Advisory Board (IAB) member organizations.

Furthermore, under the “Special Requirements” section in Research.gov, Centers must provide:

  • SRO Memberships Certification, to be submitted by all IUCRC Site awardees.
  • Evaluator report, the evaluator is also referred to as the “assessment coordinator” in NSF solicitation 17-516.
  • Center Director's report: The Center Director is expected to provide a brief (5 pages maximum) annual report on the state of the overall Center, assessing the current health and targeted growth of the Sites, faculty participation rates and overall satisfaction with Center activities amongst the students and faculty as well as the impact within the institutions. Center Director’s report must be uploaded with each Site annual report.

Annual Survey Data

In addition to the annual report, all centers are required to provide data annually to NSF and its authorized representatives (contractors or grantees). This data is used by NSF as appropriate in support of the program. Data that a given center provides as well as aggregate data across all centers is made available to that center as a management tool. Updates by centers to their center data are required annually. Data for the last complete fiscal year should be submitted via the mechanisms provided by NSF or its contractors no later than September 30. Centers are responsible for submitting this information after the award expires for their final fiscal year of activity. These indicators are both quantitative and descriptive.

  • Quantitative information from the most recently completed fiscal year such as:
    • Number and diversity of students, faculty, and industrial members involved in the center
    • Degrees granted to students involved in center activities
    • Amounts and sources of income to the center
    • Lists of patents, licenses, and publications created

  • Operating budget and total funding
    • Total funding
    • NSF IUCRC funding received
    • Other NSF funding received
    • Additional support broken down by Industry, State, University, Other Federal, Non-federal, and other support

  • Capital and in-kind support
    • Equipment
    • Facilities
    • Personnel
    • Software
    • Other support

  • Human resources
    • Researchers (number of faculty scientists and engineers, number of non-faculty scientists and engineers)
    • Students (number of graduate and number undergraduate)
    • Administration, number of full and part time professional and clerical staff
    • Information about broadening participation on the above with plans to increase broadening participation, if necessary

  • Center Director descriptors
    • Position and rank of the Director
    • Status of tenure
    • Name and position of the person to whom the Center Director reports
    • Estimate of the percent of time the director devotes to center administration, other administration, research, teaching, other

  • Center outcomes
    • Students receiving degrees and type of degree earned
    • Students hired by industry by type of degree
    • Publications
      • Number with center research
      • Number with IAB members
      • Number of presentations

  • Intellectual property events
    • Invention disclosures
    • Patent applications
    • Software copyrights
    • Patents granted and derived or both
    • Licensing agreements
    • Royalties realized