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 Officer: Dr Thomas Spence, Directorate for Geosciences, Room 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 INFORMATIONType of award anticipated: Standard Grant
Number of awards anticipated in FY 99: 10-15 awardsAmount 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
Preproposal requirements: None
Proposal preparation instructions: Standard NSF Grants Proposal Guide
instructions
Deviations from standard (GPG) proposal preparation instructions: None
Cost sharing/matching requirements: Standard GPG requirements
Indirect cost (F&A) limitations: None
Other budgetary limitations: None
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 grants conditions anticipated: None anticipatedSpecial reporting requirements anticipated: None
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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 announce-ment 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.
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 ActivitiesBroadening 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 CriteriaProposals 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.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 ele-ctronically on NSF’s Web site at: www.nsf.gov Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone 301.947.2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.govC. 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: http://www.nsf. gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf97100
CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries about MMIA may addressed to:
Dr. Janie Fouke
Engineering
703.306.1320, e-mail: jfouke@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 www.nsf.gov/stratare/egch/mmia. 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.govOther 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.govThe 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
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: https://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 96-154)