Title: Science and Engineering Information Integration and
Informatics (SEIII)
Date: 06/20/05
Replaced: NSF 01-165
Science and Engineering Information Integration and Informatics (SEIII)
Program Announcement
NSF 04-528
Replaces Document NSF 01-156
[NSF Logo] National Science Foundation
Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
Engineering
Division of Information and Intelligent Systems
Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
March 04, 2004
December 15, 2004
December 15, annually
REVISIONS AND UPDATES
In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2005,
NSF has identified 23 programs that will offer proposers the option to
utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a
single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants
online.
Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program
Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and
submission of the proposal, please note the following:
A. Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals must be submitted
via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals
submitted:
* by one organization (and which include one or more subawards); or
* as separate submissions from multiple organizations.
Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in
response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be
requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit
these proposals via FastLane. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the
Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on
collaborative proposals.)
B. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types
of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted
via the NSF FastLane system.
The following Revisions and Updates were included in the original program
solicitation NSF 04-528:
The Dear Colleague Letter, "Proposal Submission Deadlines for the Division
of Information and Intelligent Systems [IIS]," (NSF 01-156 dated September
6, 2001) established two annual proposal submission deadlines, March 1 and
November 16. The Dear Colleague Letter is being replaced by individual IIS
program solicitations, each with one annual proposal submission deadline.
Please see the IIS Web site (http://www.cise.nsf.gov/iis) for additional
information.
Effective on the day this program solicitation is posted by NSF, the
deadline for Science and Engineering Information Integration and
Informatics proposals is March 4, 2004, December 15, 2004 and December 15,
annually, thereafter. Proposals submitted in anticipation of a November 16,
2003 deadline will be accepted and reviewed with those submitted for the
March 4, 2004 deadline.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Science and Engineering Information Integration and Informatics
(SEIII)
Synopsis of Program:
The Science and Engineering Information Integration and
Informatics (SEIII) program focuses on advancing the state of the
art in the application of advanced information technology to
science and engineering problems in specific domains, such as
astronomy, biology, the geosciences, public health and health
care delivery. Since many scientific problems have common needs
for information management and data analysis, the advancement of
these technologies is central to SEIII. Similarly, within
computer science, the study of complex distributed computer and
network systems requires the collection and analysis of timely,
accurate and reliable information. Although methods for the
analysis of scientific data and information will be supported by
the program, a special emphasis will be placed on domain-specific
and general-purpose tools for integrating information from
disparate sources. Such integration is a key step of many
projects yet is rarely addressed in full generality. The SEIII
program will have two separate components to address these
research areas: Science and Engineering Informatics (SEI) and
Information Integration (II).
Within this program, the NSF intends to support a group of
projects that will advance the understanding of technology to
enable scientific discovery, and that will creatively integrate
research and education for the benefit of technical specialists
and the general population.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
* James C. French, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
Intelligent Systems, 1125 S, telephone: (703) 292-8930, fax: (703)
292-9073, email: jfrench@nsf.gov
* Sylvia Spengler, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
Intelligent Systems, 1125 N, telephone: (703) 292-8936, fax: (703)
292-9073, email: sspengle@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
* 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Eligibility Information
* Organization Limit: None Specified.
* PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
* Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.
Award Information
* Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
* Estimated Number of Awards: 25 to 30
* Anticipated Funding Amount: $14,500,000
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
* Full proposals submitted via FastLane:
* Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply
Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov:
* NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and
Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply
(Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the
Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf) To
obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms
Package: click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov website, then
click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package
and Application Instructions link and enter the funding
opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the
NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button.
This solicitation contains information that supplements the
standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) proposal preparation
guidelines. Please see the full text of this solicitation for
further information.
B. Budgetary Information
* Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.
* Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
* Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.
C. Due Dates
* Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
March 04, 2004
December 15, 2004
December 15, annually
Proposal Review Information
* Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria apply.
Award Administration Information
* Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
* Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Program Requirements
I. Introduction
II. Program Description
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Award Information
V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
VI. Proposal Review Information
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
VII. Award Administration Information
A. Notification of the Award
B. Award Conditions
C. Reporting Requirements
VIII.Contacts for Additional Information
IX. Other Programs of Interest
I. INTRODUCTION
The efficiency and progress of the scientific enterprise has been
chronically hampered by inadequate access to appropriate data and tools for
analyzing and visualizing scientific data. Domain informatics specifically
recognizes the importance of domain-specific information and data, and
analysis methods necessary to support significant advances in data-driven
inquiry. The Science and Engineering Information Integration and
Informatics (SEIII) program supports research and related educational
programs with the goal of maximally exploiting data and information to
enable new scientific discovery in the areas of science and engineering
that are supported by the various Directorates of NSF.
The importance of a coordinated SEIII effort cannot be overstated. SEIII
seeks to catalyze and capitalize on synergies between general information
technology and domain-specific informatics. Data-driven inquiry requires
evaluating multiple competing hypotheses using multiple types of evidence
and relating new findings to the existing knowledge and literature in a
field. Throughout the nation and the world, huge quantities of data are
gathered at great expense; the scientific community as a whole is deluged
with new data from a variety of sources; yet each individual scientist sees
only a small fraction of this data. Widely dispersed, multidisciplinary
groups collaborating to enable scientific discovery produce large amounts
of incongruous data. The challenge for SEIII is to exploit these assets so
that science can be done more efficiently and to represent data in such a
way as to make it useful for discovery. In particular, the plethora of
data formats, interface protocols and vocabulary differences across
disciplines must be tamed.
Within the study of complex computer and network systems, requirements for
timely, accurate and reliable information integration are becoming
increasingly critical to ensure enhanced performance for existing
technologies such as the Internet and to enable new functionalities through
emerging ubiquitous information technologies such as sensors.
Our society relies on a well trained and diverse workforce to develop new
ideas and make the technical advances affecting its well-being. The SEIII
program supports activities directed toward improving the tools and
environment available to researchers and the use of the tools in
educational environments. The goal is to revolutionize the education of
researchers in science and engineering to accelerate the pace of knowledge
discovery for future generations.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Science and Engineering Information Integration and
Informatics (SEIII) program is to focus information technology research on
addressing problems that will enable scientific discovery via analysis of
large data sets or information resources. There are typically two steps in
this problem: the assembly of empirical data and other information, and
their subsequent analysis to generate or test hypotheses. Specifically,
this program encompasses two related components: (1) Science and
Engineering Informatics (SEI); and (2) Information Integration (II). The
SEIII program has the following two objectives.
1. Stimulation of multi-disciplinary research in Science and Engineering
Informatics (SEI) that addresses significant, real requirements of an
application domain. Understanding of the requirements should be derived
through collaboration with the domain scientists or engineers. An ideal
project will have three key elements:
a. A significant domain challenge;
b. A significant computer science problem that is a barrier to achieving
the domain challenge; and
c. Demonstrated expertise in these two aspects.
2. Information Integration (II) research that leads to a uniform
interface to a multitude of heterogeneous, independently developed data
sources. The goal is to free users from having to locate the data sources,
interact with each data source in isolation, and manually combine data from
multiple formats and multiple sources.
To take maximum advantage of these SEIII activities, innovative approaches
are needed in education so that capable students participate in research
and so that research results are quickly integrated into the educational
process.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Proposals are encouraged on methodologies and tools for the representation
and manipulation of large volumes of science or engineering data in
distributed or heterogeneous environments. In this context, projects in
two related areas are encouraged:
A. Science and Engineering Informatics (SEI)
1. Science and Engineering Data Models and Systems. Theoretical
foundations for the representation and manipulation of advanced data
types (e.g., temporal, spatial and image data, textual data, spectrum
data, engineering design data, materials data, chemical compounds,
sequences, graphs, user-defined objects with inheritance and
encapsulation, or declarative extensions); data/knowledge calibration
and validation; and handling and visualization of uncertainty in the
underlying data. Systems issues include system extensibility; rapid
prototyping support; development of user-transparent, multi-level
storage management (main memory through tertiary storage); multi-media
data indexing; partial match retrieval algorithms; archiving; and
version control. Research in this area must consider the special data
and information characteristics associated with a science or
engineering domain necessary to make a contribution to a particular
science or engineering problem.
2. Analysis of Science Databases and Information Resources. Topics span
computing environment transparency; establishing baseline patterns,
data examination, selection, analysis and manipulation of temporally
or spatially related data; knowledge discovery algorithms; information
extraction (e.g., from abstracts of publications), citation analysis,
scientific visualization; parallel model execution and
cross-validation on large volumes of data; automated knowledge
acquisition; incorporation of new knowledge into a system; and audit
trail provisions including data provenance. The research in this area
must be done in connection with a specific science or engineering
problem. Computer science problems are not excluded in this context.
It would be quite appropriate, for example, to propose a new method
for gathering and analyzing operational network data (the tool) with
the goal of supporting real-time network adaptation (the problem).
3. Analysis of Scientific and Engineering Images. A key research
challenge in many research problems is to derive measurements or
abstract features from 2-D, 3-D and multispectral images and to use
this derived information for generating or evaluating hypotheses.
4. Shared Resources Environments. The construction of shared, archived,
and documented data, publication, or software resources that can
accelerate the rate of scientific discovery.
The topics listed above are not intended to represent the complete set of
issues comprising the area; they are intended to be suggestive rather than
limiting.
Scope and Scale of Support of Science and Engineering Informatics (SEI)
The awards are anticipated to provide support for inter-disciplinary teams,
that is, researcher(s) in computer and information science and engineering
collaborating with domain scientist(s) or engineer(s). A typical award is
expected to be for 3 years, although awards of longer duration are
possible. The fiscal year 2004 plan includes $6.5 million for awards under
this part of the solicitation, contingent on the quality of projects
proposed and the availability of funds.
B. Information Integration (II)
Traditionally, an individual researcher developed hypotheses, designed
experiments to test these hypotheses, collected observational data, and
published results based on experiments. The data were often published in
print to allow others to build upon or verify the results. In nearly every
field of 21st century science and engineering, including all of the
disciplines funded by the NSF, research is now achieved by teams of
researchers analyzing data sets that are far too large to publish in
journals and sometimes collected independently by other scientists with
different goals in mind. The goal of information integration research is to
provide the necessary foundations to provide science and engineering
researchers seamless access to a multitude of independently developed,
heterogeneous data sources.
Information integration seeks to maximally exploit available information to
create new scientific knowledge. Effective information integration will
also enhance public education by facilitating comprehensive access to
distributed information resources. Even though the Information Integration
effort is directed specifically at science and engineering information, the
research results developed under this research activity are expected to be
broadly applicable to information of all kinds. The focus of this area is
integrating information, not manipulating it after the integration.
The information integration environment should have the following
capabilities:
* Integrate many different, disparate and possibly distributed sources;
* Support automated discovery of new data sources and information within
them;
* Facilitate configuration, management and system maintenance;
* Incorporate structured, semi-structured, text, image, video,
time-series, 3D images, citations, graphs, and data streams; and
* Provide flexible querying of the sources and the data.
Some of the specific challenges include:
1. Unifying Data Models and System Descriptions: There is a need to
develop stronger theoretical foundations for the representation and
integration of information of various types from extant data models
(e.g., temporal, spatial and image data, textual data, spectrum data,
engineering design data, materials data, chemical compounds,
sequences, graphs, user-defined objects) as well as the scientific
literature into conceptually coherent views. Specific topics include:
metadata management and integration; the automated collection of
metadata from instruments and processes that transform data,
ontologies and taxonomies; data/knowledge calibration; heterogeneity
of data type and format; scale of distributed systems; rapid
integration of new information sources. Research in this area must
consider the special data characteristics associated with science and
engineering disciplines.
2. Reconciling heterogeneous formats schemas and ontologies: The
fundamental problem in any data sharing application is that systems
are heterogeneous in many different aspects, such as different ways of
representing data and/or knowledge about the world, different
representation mechanisms (e.g., relational databases, legacy systems,
XML schemas, ontologies), different access methods and policies. In
order to share data among heterogeneous sources, approaches to form a
semantic mapping of their respective representations are needed to
avoid manual intervention in each step of converting and merging data
resources.
3. Web semantics: Data on the web needs to be defined and linked in a
way that it can be used by machines not just for display purposes, but
also for automation, integration and reuse of data across various
applications. Supported research topics will include frameworks for
describing resources, methods of automating inferences about web data
and resources, and the development of interoperable ontologies, mark
up languages and representations for specific scientific domains.
4. Decentralized data-sharing: Traditional data integration systems use a
centralized mediation approach, in which a centralized mediator,
employing a mediated schema, accepts user queries and reformulates
them over the schemas of the different sources. However, mediated
schemas are often hard to agree upon, construct and maintain. For
example, labs conducting geosciences research share their experimental
results with each other, but may do it in an ad hoc fashion. A similar
scenario is found in data sharing among government agencies.
Architectures and protocols that enable large-scale sharing of data
with no central control are needed.
5. Data-sharing on advanced cyberinfrastructure: Research topics will
include models for federating information resources in advanced grid
computing and/or Web services, integration and understanding of sensor
information, the collection of metadata from sensors including models
and tools to cope with the scale, pervasiveness, concurrency and
redundancy of sensor data. Effective integration of network management
information will be critical to enable basic networking functions such
as routing, overlay node placement, denial-of-service detection, and
fault recovery. The integration of network management information
will facilitate adapting network resources to changing conditions.
6. On-the-fly integration: Currently, data integration systems rely on
relatively static configurations with a set of long-lived data
sources. On-the-fly integration refers to scenarios where one wants to
integrate data from a source immediately after discovering it. We may
use a source only a few times for a particular set of tasks. The
challenge is to significantly reduce the time and skill needed to
integrate data sources so that scientists can focus on domain problems
instead of information technology problems.
7. Information Integration Resources: Proposals are encouraged that
create toolkits for data integration that can be shared among
researchers. These toolkits should remove the need for implementing an
entire data integration system from scratch for every project and will
facilitate large-scale collaborations. There will also be a need for a
small number of test beds to validate the techniques being pursued by
the funded projects in this theme area. More definite progress will be
made if competing techniques can be evaluated on a level playing
field. Thus, proposals for innovative test beds and evaluation
methodology are also encouraged.
Scope and Scale of Support of Information Integration (II)
The awards are anticipated to provide support for inter-disciplinary teams,
that is, researcher(s) in computer and information science and engineering
collaborating with domain scientist(s) or engineer(s). A typical award is
expected to be for 3-5 years. The fiscal year 2004 plan includes $8
million for awards under this part of the solicitation, contingent on the
quality of projects proposed and the availability of funds.
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Education to develop and maintain both a highly skilled SEIII workforce and
an informed populace is essential to the nation. To develop, maintain, and
enhance this critical educational infrastructure, all proposals must
include an educational component. Proposals must specifically describe
their educational contributions. Appropriate goals include integration of
research and education, promotion of knowledge transfer, reaching diverse
populations and promoting diversity.
Sample activities include: developing materials to integrate SEIII into
existing courses; providing access to science data, both raw and refined,
to the general public; mentoring faculty of K-12 institutions; creating
tutorial material to bring an understanding of the applicability of
state-of-the art information technology to specific scientific communities;
and developing online resources for faculty and students.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are
eligible to submit proposals under this program announcement/solicitation.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration
are subject to the availability of funds. The NSF anticipates making 25-30
Standard or Continuing Grants under this solicitation in FY 2004. The
estimated program budget for FY 2004 is $14.5 million.
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposal Instructions:
* Full proposals submitted via FastLane:
Proposals submitted in response to this program
announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in
accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available
electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper
copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications
Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from
pubs@nsf.gov.
Proposers are reminded to identify this program
announcement/solicitation number in the program
announcement/solicitation block on the NSF 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.
* Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov:
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via
Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with
the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation
and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete
text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the
Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:
(http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To
obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms
Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then
click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package
and Application Instructions link and enter the funding
opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the
NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies
of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the
NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by
e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
Supplemental Proposal Preparation Instructions For Use Whether Submitting
via either FastLane or Grants.gov:
Special attention should be paid to the following items when
submitting a proposal to SEIII Program:
Proposal Titles: To assist NSF staff in sorting proposals for
review, proposal titles should begin with "SEI:" or "II:",
corresponding to the major technical areas of the solicitation.
The title may be prefixed with "SEI+II:" when significant aspects
of both technical areas are involved. Proposals for SEI projects
involving applications in a particular scientific discipline may
also choose to give the label of the NSF directorate primarily
concerned with that research area [e.g., a title may begin with
"SEI(GEO):" or "SEI(BIO):"]. NSF will, however, make the final
decision on where to review each proposal.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted under this
Program Announcement.
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
March 04, 2004
December 15, 2004
December 15, annually
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
* For proposals submitted via FastLane:
Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via
FastLane are available at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user
support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail
fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general
technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system.
Specific questions related to this program
announcement/solicitation should be referred to the NSF program
staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this
announcement/solicitation.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized
Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the
proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal
certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal
Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide
the required electronic certifications within five working days
following the electronic submission of the proposal. Proposers
are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed
Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this
process are available on the FastLane Website at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov
* For proposals submitted via Grants.gov:
Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization
must register to create an institutional profile. Once
registered, the applicant�s organization can then apply for any
federal grant on the Grants.gov website.
The Grants.gov�s Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive
reference document that provides technical information about
Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft
Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is
available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In
addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guideprovides additional
technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via
Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov
Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email:
support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers
general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov.
Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be
referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section
VIII of this solicitation.
Submitting the Proposal. Once all documents have been completed,
the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit
the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding
opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The
AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The
completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane
system for further processing.
VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
Reviews 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, or adjacent
disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.
The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating
proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals
are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some
instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to
highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127,
Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the
Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance
of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals
submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to
ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making
funding decisions.
In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January
2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation
guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project
Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators
(PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within
the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader
impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the
Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.
Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do
not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project
Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and
processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of
broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.
The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed
below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information).
The criteria include considerations that help define them. These
considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given
proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria,
reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are
relevant to the proposal being considered 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
the 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?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making
funding decisions:
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 learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all
citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons
with disabilities -- is 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.
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons
outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the
proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation
will be reviewed by Ad Hoc and/or panel review.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or
decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the
proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate
a recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted
by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential
documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the
reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the
Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of
the decision to award or decline funding.
NSF is striving to be able to tell proposers whether their proposals have
been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time
interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation, or the
date of proposal receipt, whichever is later. The interval ends when the
Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.
In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals
recommended for funding will be 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 and Agreements 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 a 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
and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.
VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Notification of the Award
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a
Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. 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. (See section VI.A. for
additional information on the review process.)
B. Award Conditions
An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special
provisions applicable to the award 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 award conditions, such as Grant
General Conditions (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP)
Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that
may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement
awards are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement
Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC). Electronic
mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards 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 Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/. Paper copies of these documents may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the
NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpm.
The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone
number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may
be ordered through the GPO Website at http://www.gpo.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 the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to
submit a final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports
delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI and all
Co-PIs. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance
to assure availability of required data.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and
final project reports. This system 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. PIs will not be required to
re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in
earlier updates using the electronic system.
VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
* James C. French, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
Intelligent Systems, 1125 S, telephone: (703) 292-8930, fax: (703)
292-9073, email: jfrench@nsf.gov
* Sylvia Spengler, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
Intelligent Systems, 1125 N, telephone: (703) 292-8936, fax: (703)
292-9073, email: sspengle@nsf.gov
Other divisions within CISE and other Directorates within NSF are
interested in aspects of this solicitation. PIs are encouraged to designate
additional programmatic interest in their submissions to this solicitation.
For questions related to the use of Grants.gov contact:
* Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational
Representative (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from
Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of the application, please
contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.gov.
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
* Velma J. Swales, Lead Program Assistant, Directorate for Computer &
Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
Intelligent Systems, 1125 S, telephone: (703) 292-7845, fax: (703)
292-9073, email: vswales@nsf.gov
IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to
Programs is available electronically at
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs,
research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are
provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific
proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these
requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. 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, which is updated daily on
the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual
program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's
MyNSF News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/) to be notified of new
funding opportunities that become available.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Awardees 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 from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons
with disabilities to compete 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, although some programs may have special requirements that limit
eligibility.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the GPG Chapter II,
Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of
proposals.
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov
* Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
* For General Information (703) 292-5111
(NSF Information Center):
* TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090
* To Order Publications or Forms:
Send an e-mail to: pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone: (703) 292-7827
* To Locate NSF Employees: (703) 292-5111
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; 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 applicant 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.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. 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: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative
Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.
OMB control number: 3145-0058.
Policies and Important Links |Privacy|FOIA|Help|Contact NSF|Contact Web Master|SiteMap
[National Science Foundation]The National Science Foundation, 4201 Last Updated:
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 06/09/05
22230, USA Text Only
Tel: (703) 292-5111, FIRS: (800) 877-8339 |
TDD: (800) 281-8749
[Image]