National Science Foundation

Division of Contracts, Policy & Oversight

4201 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22230

July 12, 1995

Dear Colleagues:

We have published a new updated version of the NSF Grant Policy

Manual (GPM)(NSF 95-26) effective October 01, 1995. This

document supersedes the prior version of the GPM (NSF 88-47)

including the nine transmittal memoranda issued since July 1989.

This revision of the GPM is part of our effort to facilitate

easier access and use of NSF grant policy guidance. The GPM has

been reorganized to follow the NSF award cycle from issuance and

administration of an award through closeout. Information on a

particular topic has been consolidated, to the extent possible,

into one location. As part of this consolidation, information

which duplicates that already provided in other NSF policy

issuances has been eliminated. For example, NSF guidance

regarding proposal preparation, submission and review has now

been consolidated in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). A

revision of the GPG should also be available in the near future.

In addition, this issuance of the GPM also implements revised

administrative guidelines issued by the Office of Management and

Budget (e.g., OMB Circular A-110) as well as makes necessary

changes for conformance with previously issued NSF policies,

practices and procedures. Other sections have been revised, as

appropriate, for clarity.

The complete text of the GPM (as well as other NSF policy

documents) is available electronically on NSF's Science and

Technology Information System (STIS). In the near future, the

GPM also will be available on the NSF Home Page in both Microsoft

Word and html formats. In addition, two documents have been

developed to assist in use of the revised Manual. Enclosure 1

contains a table of contents which lists the section numbers in

the new GPM and the corresponding section numbers from the

previous version. Enclosure 2 identifies the significant overall

and section-by-section changes.

Please address any questions or comments about the GPM to the

Division of Contracts, Policy & Oversight, Policy Office on 703-

306-1243 or by e-mail to policy@nsf.gov.

Robert Hardy

Division Director

Enclosures:

1. Correlation of New and Old Section Headings of the GPM

2. NSF Grant Policy Manual Summary of Significant Changes

3. NSF 95-26, Grant Policy Manual