Interagency Opportunities in Multi-Scale Modeling in Biomedical, Biological,
and Behavioral Systems

Program Solicitation 
NSF 04-607

   NSF Logo
   
   National Science Foundation
   Directorate for Engineering
         Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems
         Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems
         Division of Chemical and Transport Systems
         Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Innovation
         Division of Electrical and Communications Systems
   Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
         Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure
   Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
         Division of Mathematical Sciences
   NIH logo   National Institutes of Health
        National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
        National Cancer Institute
        National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
        National Institute on Drug Abuse
        National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
        National Institute of General Medical Sciences
        National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
        National Library of Medicine
   NASA logo   National Aeronautics and Space Administration
        Bioastronautics Research Division
   DOE logo   U.S. Dept. of Energy
        Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental
   Research
        Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing
   Research
   
   Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required):
   September 22, 2004
       
   Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
   November 09, 2004
       
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

   Program Title:
   
     Interagency Opportunities in Multi-Scale Modeling in Biomedical,
     Biological, and Behavioral Systems
     
   Synopsis of Program:
   
     The intent of this solicitation is to provide an opportunity for an
     interagency granting activity to promote the development and
     dissemination of tools to enhance computational modeling of
     biological, biomedical and behavioral sciences at multiple scales
     ranging from the molecular to population.  Multiple agencies are
     providing research funding in support of this solicitation.
     
   Cognizant Program Officer(s):
     * Semahat S. Demir, Program Director and Solicitation Coordinator,
       Directorate for Engineering, Division of Bioengineering &
       Environmental Systems, 565 S, telephone: (703) 292-7950, fax:
       (703) 292-9098, email: sdemir@nsf.gov
     * Ken P. Chong, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Civil & Mechanical Systems, 545 S, telephone: (703)
       292-8360, fax: (703) 292-9053, email: kchong@nsf.gov
     * Michael Plesniak, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Chemical & Transport Systems, 525 N, telephone: (703)
       292-8371, email: mplesnia@nsf.gov
     * Suvrajeet Sen, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Design, Manufacture, & Industrial Innovation, 550 S,
       telephone: (703) 292-7081, fax: (703) 292-9056, email:
       ssen@nsf.gov
     * Radhakishan Baheti, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Electrical & Communications Systems, 675 S, telephone:
       (703) 292-8339, fax: (703) 292-9147, email: rbaheti@nsf.gov
     * Paul J. Werbos, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Electrical & Communications Systems, 675 S, telephone:
       (703) 292-8339, fax: (703) 292-9147, email: pwerbos@nsf.gov
     * Vicki B. Booker, Program Director, Directorate for Computer and
       Information Science and Engineering, Division of Shared
       Cyberinfrastructure, 1122 N, telephone: (703) 292-4961, fax: (703)
       292-9060, email: vbooker@nsf.gov
     * Frederica Darema, Senior Science and Technology Advisor,
       Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering,
       Division of Computer and Network Systems, 1122 N, telephone: (703)
       292-8950, fax: (703) 292-9010, email: fdarema@nsf.gov
     * Kenneth Whang, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
       Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
       Intelligent Systems, 1125 S, telephone: (703) 292-5149, fax: (703)
       292-9073, email: kwhang@nsf.gov
     * Leland M. Jameson, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical
       & Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, 1025 N,
       telephone: (703) 292-4883, fax: (703) 292-9032, email:
       ljameson@nsf.gov
     * Thomas F. Russell, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical
       & Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, 1025 N,
       telephone: (703) 292-4863, fax: (703) 292-9032, email:
       trussell@nsf.gov
     * Grace Peng (NIH, NIBIB), Program Director, Division of Discovery
       Science and Technology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
       and Bioengineering, telephone: (301) 451-4778, email:
       penggr@mail.nih.gov
     * David Balshaw (NIH, NIEHS), Program Administrator, Center for Risk
       and Integrated Sciences, Division of Extramural Research and
       Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
       telephone: (919) 541-2448, email: balshaw@niehs.nih.gov
     * Milton Corn (NIH, NLM), Director, Division of Extramural Programs,
       National Library of Medicine, telephone: (301) 496-4621, email:
       cornm@mail.nlm.nih.gov
     * Dan Gallahan (NIH, NCI), Associate Director, Division of Cancer
       Biology, National Cancer Institute, telephone: (301) 435-5226,
       email: gallahad@mail.nih.gov
     * Yuan Liu (NIH, NINDS), Director, Computational Neuroscience and
       Neuroinformatics Program, National Institute of Neurological
       Disorders and Stroke, telephone: (301) 496-1917, email:
       liuyuan2@ninds.nih.gov
     * Peter Lyster (NIH, NIGMS), Program Director, Center for
       Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, National Institute of
       General Medical Sciences, telephone: (301) 451-6446, email:
       lysterp@mail.nih.gov
     * Lou Quatrano (NIH, NICHD), Program Director, Behavioral Sciences
       and Rehabilitation Engineering Technologies Program, National
       Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of
       Child Health and Human Development, telephone: (301) 402-4221,
       email: quatranl@exchange.nih.gov
     * Karen Skinner (NIH, NIDA), Deputy Director for Science and
       Technology Development, Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral
       Research, National Institute of Drug Abuse, telephone: (301)
       443-1887, email: skinner@nida.nih.gov
     * John Whitmarsh (NIH, NIGMS), Assistant Director, Center for
       Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, National Institute of
       General Medical Sciences, telephone: (301) 451-6446, email:
       whitmarj@nigms.nih.gov
     * Guy Fogleman (NASA), Director, Bioastronautics Research Division,
       Code UB, National Aeronautical and Space Administration,
       telephone: (202) 358-0220, email: guy.fogleman@nasa.gov
     * Bette Siegel (NASA), Enterprise Scientist, NASA Headquarters,
       Bioastronautics Research Division, 300 E Street, SW, Washington,
       DC, 20546, telephone: (202) 358-2245, email:
       bette.siegel@nasa.gov
     * Gary Johnson (DOE), Program Manager, Office of Advanced Scientific
       Computing Research, Department of Energy, telephone: 301-903-4361,
       email: garyj@er.doe.gov
     * David Thomassen (DOE), Program Coordinator, Office of Biological &
       Environmental Research, Office of Science, Department of Energy,
       telephone: 301-903-8521, email:
       david.thomassen@science.doe.gov
       
   Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
     * 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
     * 47.041 --- Engineering
     * 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
       
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: 20
     * Anticipated Funding Amount: $15,000,000 total, subject to
       availability of funds and quality of proposals
       
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

     * Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required.
       Please see the full text of this solicitation for further
       information.
     * Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: 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.
     * Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
       No limitation for NSF awards.  Other participating agencies may
       have indirect cost limitations.
     * Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.
       
C. Due Dates

     * Letters of Intent (required):
        September 22, 2004
       
     Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local
   time):
   November 09, 2004
       
Proposal Review Information

     * Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria.
       Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full
       text of this solicitation for further information.
       
Award Administration Information

     * Award Conditions: Additional award conditions apply. Please see
       the full text of this solicitation for further information.
     * Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply.
       Please see the full text of this solicitation for further
       information.
       
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 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
  
   With recent advances in information technology--fast and inexpensive
   computer power, global networking infrastructure, and comprehensive
   databases--modeling and simulation are becoming increasingly important
   engineering tools.  Major biology oriented modeling activities are now
   supported at most federal agencies under titles such as "Computational
   Biology," "Bioinformatics," "Quantitative Systems Biology,"
   "Biocomplexity," "Modeling at the Nanoscale", etc.  For the most part,
   these efforts have focused at a single level/scale, e.g.,
   genomic/proteomic, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, whole body,
   behavior, and population.  Less is being done to develop the tools,
   techniques, algorithms, and mathematical theory needed to integrate
   the continuum from the micro to the macro-scale in a seamless
   fashion.  Multi-scale modeling encompasses concepts of space, time and
   state space.  The different scales may be connected through parameters
   or coupling coefficients or by using novel numerical methods such as
   implicit solvers.
   
   Systems engineering encourages a non-reductionist approach to model
   development, beginning with the simplest possible model. The modeling
   process itself brings about an understanding of the underlying
   structures, as  components are modeled with mathematical and
   statistical concepts.  The minimal model then grows in complexity,
   driven by new hypotheses that may not have been apparent from the
   phenomenological descriptions.  The complexity is still minimalist,
   incorporating only the necessary components for enhancing the next
   level of model resolution. Multi-scale algorithms are expected to
   present unique problems for validation against data and
   observations.   The constitutive model parameters may be measured
   directly or may be inferred during the validation process, however,
   the propagation of error through these parameters present significant
   challenges for the modeler.  As well, the determination of
   conservation principles between scales requires a robust integration
   of theory with model design.
   
   This solicitation describes a collaborative effort among the National
   Science Foundation (CISE, ENG, MPS), the National Institutes of Health
   (NIBIB, NICHD, NIDA, NIGMS, NINDS, NCI,  NLM, NIEHS), the National
   Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U. S. Department of
   Energy (BER, ASCR).
   
   The intent of this interagency solicitation is to encourage the
   integrative systems engineering approach to multi-scale modeling,
   combining theoretical and computational approaches to:
   
   1) Formulate and validate novel computational and statistical methods
   and relationships for spanning multiple scales,
   
   2) Discover and/or investigate intermediate levels of organization
   above and below the currently established level of modeling expertise,
   
   3) Form novel collaborations among the research community focused on
   expanding the breadth of multi-scale modeling activities,
   
   4) Produce models applicable to biological processes, diseases,
   environmental exposures and human behavior patterns that can be
   tangibly demonstrated to be of practical utility to the community at
   large for research or educational purposes,
   
   5) Form a Consortium of Investigators for the purposes of information
   exchange, encouraging model intraoperability, model demonstration and
   evaluation, and discussion of critical issues pertaining to
   multi-scale modeling, and
   
   6) Form a platform for open source software sharing.
   
   This initiative builds upon discussions and outcomes from several
   workshops and working groups on modeling.  In April 2003, the NIBIB
   organized a working group comprised of program staff from 9 NIH
   institutes and 3 NSF directorates.  The Interagency Modeling and
   Analysis Group (IMAG) recognized that the modeling community is on the
   forefront of thinking across the biological continuum, rather than
   just focusing at one scale or level of resolution.  In addition IMAG
   identified a strong desire among modelers to form multi-disciplinary
   partnerships across varied research communities.  The group has
   continued to meet and has grown to the IMAG, representing 13 NIH
   components, 4 NSF directorates, NASA, 2 DOE components, 2 DOD
   components and USDA .  Several extramural workshops have addressed
   these issues:
     * NRC report on Dynamical Modeling of Complex Biomedical Systems
       (April 2001),
     * Digital Human Project Unified Ontology Planning Meeting (NSF, July
       2002, http://www.fas.org/dh/conferences/paper.php ),
     * Data and Collaboratories in the Biomedical Research Community
       (NCRR, September 2002),
     * BISTIC Roadmap Meeting (NIH, January 2003),
     * Data Management for Cell and Molecular Biology (NLM-NSF-DOE,
       February 2003, http://pueblo.lbl.gov/~olken/wdmbio ),
     * Model Systems for Neuroproteomics (NIDA, March 2003),
     * Digital Human/Digital Astronaut Planning Meeting (August 2003),
     * Information Processing in the Biological Organism (A Systems
       Biology Approach) (NSF, November 2003,
       http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Workshops/InfoProcess),
     * 1st BISTIC symposium (NIH, November 2003,
       http://www.bisti.nih.gov/2003meeting/),
     * Workshop on Simulation Based Engineering Science (NSF, April
       2004),
     * A Workshop on Transport Processes in Biomedical Systems
       (NSF-NIBIB, May 2004, http://www.psava.com/cts2004/intro.asp).
     * DOE Multiscale Mathematics Workshop (DOE, May 2004,
       http://www-fp.mcs.anl.gov/multiscale-workshop ).
       
  II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
  
   Multi-scale modeling deals with spanning scales from molecular to
   population and is expected to largely impact the understanding of
   biological processes and also further the predictive capability in
   biological, biomedical and environmental systems.  This is a nascent
   research effort in biology; hence the modeling research that will be
   supported under this initiative must have an impact on systems at
   least on two levels of scale.  It is expected that:
   
   1) Proposals will include establishing new collaborations between
   computational and/or modeling experts who have traditionally focused
   their models on the same system, but at different scales; or
   collaborations between computational and/or modeling experts and
   experimentalists currently working on a single experimental scale but
   for whom a multi-scale approach would be an appropriate complement to
   their ongoing research,
   
   2) New and novel theories and modeling approaches will be developed to
   bridge across scales, and
   
   3) The development of the multi-scale model will bring about new
   understanding of a system that would not have otherwise been achieved
   without the model.
   
   Examples are, but are not limited to:
     * Multi-scale molecular function from electronic structure to
       kinetics
     * From genotype to pathways to phenotype
     * Reaction-diffusion systems to cell function
     * Physiological and organ models that bridge scales from continuum
       macroscopic description to discrete molecular phenomena
     * 3D multi-scale modeling of complexity in engineered tissues
     * From genes to microbes to microbial communities
     * Mesoscale methods to bridge conventional modeling and imaging
       techniques at microscales with those at macroscales
     * Multiscale models that use small animal imaging techniques and
       data to infer large scale function in humans
     * Multiscale models that explore the heterogeneity within time and
       length scales, across state-space in relation to predicting
       disease
     * Methods for making the connection between continuum macroscale
       models (e.g., fluid) and discrete molecular phenomena (e.g.,
       molecular behavior)
     * Decision-making by combining real-time data with multi-scale
       modeling
     * Machine-mediated health-care delivery
     * Algorithmic tools for multi-scale modeling systems using
       optimization and simulation in time and space
     * Mechanics and materials aspects on multi-scale modeling
     * Pathways and networks for molecular interactions within and
       between cells and nanotools for measuring them
     * Organ scale field and flow measurements coupled to injury and to
       molecular expression and activity (coupling of field effects to
       molecular effects)
     * Simulation-based medicine modeled across multiple time and length
       scales for patient-specific treatment planning
     * Transport of small molecules, macromolecules, viruses and cells
       across the vascular barrier, through the tissue, into interstitial
       cells and into the nucleus and into lymphatics
     * More effective representation of the energetics of blood perfusion
       (for example, replacement of the Pennes equation for thermal
       analysis of biological tissue)
     * Better links between cellular transport processes and macroscopic
       thermal transport for cryogenic preservation and cryotherapies
     * Studies addressing the valuation of expected utility
       across behavioral, neural and economic models at various levels
     * Model reduction and systems identification methods for uncertain
       multi-scale dynamical systems
     * Multi-scale modeling of cell to cell communication and controls
     * Multi-scale models that link integrated physiological, organ and
       tissue models to large-scale state changes induced by
       environmental perturbations
       
   IMAG has agreed that the NSF format and review criteria  as described
   in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)  and the multiple agency (NIH,
   NASA and DOE) review criteria as described in Section VI of
   this solicitation will be used. PIs are strongly advised to pay
   attention to the proposal instructions described in the GPG,
   particularly those that refer to page limitations. On the NSF Cover
   Sheet, please be sure to indicate that the proposal is responding to
   the NSF Program Solicitation number at the top of this solicitation.
   A multi-disciplinary panel will be reviewing these proposals, and is
   scheduled to meet in the winter of 2005. Based on the panel reviews,
   each participating agency will then decide which of the proposals they
   wish to support.
   
   High priority will be given to projects that deal directly and
   explicitly with how to link multiple scales, as opposed to projects
   that deal with multiple scales separately.  Proposals will be returned
   without review if the three expectations described at the beginning of
   Section II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION in this solicitation have not
   been explicitly addressed in the Project Summary of the proposal.
   
   Investigators are expected to develop methods of validation using
   appropriate models, e.g., cell cultures, animal models or comparison
   with human subjects data and images.  Investigators are expected
   either to have access to computational resources, validation data and
   informatics expertise, or to propose focused data acquisition and
   database efforts.  The Budget should request funds for appropriate
   infrastructure and software development, and should include funds for
   the PI to attend a post-award and annual Consortium meetings.
   
   A programmatic goal is to promote open and interoperable software, and
   to have teams engage in concurrent software development efforts.  The
   benefits of these practices are expected to include, but are not
   limited to, improved functionality by linking disparate but
   scientifically appropriate software, reduction of redundant software
   efforts, efficient software reuse, and improvement in quality of
   software by opening the development process to more scientists.  Each
   investigator should include in the project description the software
   development practices they intend to use to achieve these
   goals.  Proposers should also include a dissemination plan that
   describes in detail how software to be developed and data to be
   generated will be made available for incorporation into the work and
   the explorations of other members of the community, including
   interoperability of software components between the proposed project's
   software and others, and ability to merge data produced by the project
   with other workers' databases and datasets.   The program is expected
   to promote these goals initially through the development of a
   knowledge base through which each investigator will contribute regular
   updates of their project.  Investigators will be expected to interact
   with cognizant program officials in the creation of this knowledge
   base.  The Consortium of Investigators and program officers will then
   be able to utilize this knowledge base to promote interaction between
   investigators.  As the program matures, it is expected that mature
   software engineering practices will be developed that will enable
   concurrent development, interoperability, and the sharing of software.
   Investigators are expected to budget for and plan software
   repositories, and associated software engineering efforts.
   
   There is no prescribed license format for software produced in this
   project.  However IMAG does have goals for software dissemination, and
   reviewers will be instructed to evaluate the dissemination plan
   relative to the following goals: 1) The software must be freely
   available to researchers and educators in the non-commercial,
   non-profit sector, such as institutions of education, research
   institutes, and government laboratories. 2) The terms of software
   availability must permit the commercialization of enhanced or
   customized versions of the software, or incorporation of the software
   or pieces of it into other software packages. 3) The terms of software
   availability must include the ability of researchers outside the
   Consortium to modify the open source code and to share modifications
   with other colleagues as well as with the Consortium.  A Consortium
   member must take responsibility for creating the original and
   subsequent "official" versions of a piece of software, and must
   provide a plan to manage the dissemination or adoption of improvements
   or customizations of that software by others. This plan must include a
   method to distribute other users' contributions such as extensions,
   compatible modules, or plug-ins. The proposal must include written
   statements signed by the officials of the proposing organizations
   responsible for intellectual property issues, to the effect that the
   organization supports and agrees to abide by the software
   dissemination plans put forth in the proposal (see Section V.A. "Full
   Proposal Instructions" in this solicitation).
   
   We expect the work funded under this solicitation to form a scientific
   Frameworks community for concurrent software development and
   dissemination.  This may involve development of community SourceForge
   repositories.  Among other activities, a post award Consortium meeting
   will be a forum for planning and executing the Frameworks.  This will
   apply, as appropriate, to software developed under the current
   solicitation, or even relevant software that has already been
   developed and deployed in the community.
   
  III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
  
   The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide
   (GPG) are eligible to submit proposals under this solicitation. This
   includes academic institutions, non-profit and for-profit
   organizations, industrial organizations, and government (federal,
   state, and local) laboratories.
   
   Before submitting a proposal, investigators must discuss their idea
   for a proposal with a member(s) of the IMAG (see the list of Cognizant
   Program Officers from each Agency in this solicitation).
   
  IV. AWARD INFORMATION
  
   The total estimated amount of funding available for inter-agency
   multi-scale modeling support is up to $15,000,000.  However, Agencies
   have no obligation to provide this amount of support if the quality of
   the proposals received does not justify such an expenditure, and/or
   sufficient funds are not available.
   
   Award sizes are expected to range from $100,000 to $500,000 in total
   costs per year (including indirect costs), with durations up to 3
   years.  Most awards will be on the smaller end of this range.
   Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size and
   duration are subject to the availability of funds.  Since the
   proposals will be submitted originally in the NSF format, they will
   not use the modular budget format currently used by the NIH. The
   maximum budgets of awards funded by the NIH will be $250,000 per year
   in direct costs.  The maximum budgets of awards funded by NSF will be
   $375,000 per year in total costs.  The maximum budgets of awards
   funded by NASA will be $500,000 per year total cost.  The maximum
   budget of awards funded by DOE will be $500,000 per year in total
   costs.
   
  V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
  
    A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
    
   Letters of Intent (required):
   
   Letters of intent must be submitted via fastlane
   (www.fastlane.nsf.gov). The letter of intent submission must
   include:
    1. The names and institutions/organizations of PIs, Co-PIs, and
       maximum 5 senior personnel
    2. The title of the proposal
    3. A 2500-character synopsis (abstract) of the proposal
    4. An initial request for primary and secondary assignments, i.e.,
       NSF Division, NIH Institute, NASA or DOE
    5. The name of the program officer(s) who has expressed an interest
       in the project (see Agency Contacts listed in this Solicitation).
       
   Letters of intent will be used by the program to guide the selection
   of reviewers.  PIs should not expect feedback on their letters of
   intent, beyond acknowledgment of their receipt.
   
   Full Proposal Instructions:
   
   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/cgi-bin/getpub?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 requested to indicate in the Project Summary which of
   the Participating Agencies or Departments have expressed an interest
   in their project.  Proposers are expected to prepare their proposals
   keeping in mind the budget limitations and review criteria specific to
   their agencies of interest (see Section VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW
   INFORMATION in this solicitation).
   
   The proposal must include written statements signed by the officials
   of the proposing organizations responsible for intellectual property
   issues, to the effect that the organization supports and agrees to
   abide by the software dissemination plans put forth in the proposal
   (see Section II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION in this solicitation). These
   should be submitted as supplementary documents in the FastLane
   proposal.
   
   Proposers are reminded to identify the program
   announcement/solicitation number (04-607) in the program
   announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet.
   Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the
   relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this
   information may delay processing.
   
    B. Budgetary Information
    
   Cost Sharing:
   
   Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program
   Solicitation.
   
   Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
   
   No limitation for NSF awards.  Other participating agencies may have
   indirect cost limitations.
   
    C. Due Dates
    
   Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
   
   Letters of Intent (required):
   
   September 22, 2004
       
   Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
   
   November 09, 2004
       
    D. FastLane Requirements
    
   Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this
   announcement/solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed
   instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are
   available at: https://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
   
  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 [58](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.
       
   Additional Review Criteria:
       The NIH Review Process
       The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our
       understanding of biological systems, improve the control of
       disease, and enhance health. In their evaluations of intellectual
       merit, reviewers will be asked to consider the following criteria
       that are used by NIH:
       Significance
       Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the
       application/proposal are achieved, how will scientific knowledge
       be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the
       concepts or methods that drive this field?
       Approach
       Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
       adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims
       of the project? Does the applicant/proposer acknowledge potential
       problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
       Innovation
       Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods? Are
       the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge
       existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
       Investigator
       Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry
       out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience
       level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if
       any)?
       Environment
       Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done
       contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed
       experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific
       environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there
       evidence of institutional support? (NOTE: Cost sharing is not
       required under this program solicitation. Any information in the
       application/proposal related to this criterion is not auditable.)
       Where applicable, the following items will also be considered:
       Protection of human subjects from research risk
       The involvement of human subjects and protections from research
       risk relating to their participation in the proposed research will
       be assessed.
       Inclusion of women, minorities and children in research
       The adequacy of plans to include subjects from both genders, all
       racial and ethnic groups
       (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific
       goals of the research will be assessed.  Plans for the recruitment
       and retention of subjects will also be evaluated.
       Care and use of vertebrate animals in research
       If vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the five
       items described under Section f of the PHS 398 research grant
       application instructions (rev. 5/2001) will be assessed
       (http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/section_1.html#f
       _vertebrate_animals).
       Budget
       The reasonableness of the proposed budget and the requested period
       of support in relation to the proposed research.
       The DOE Review Process
       The goal of research supported by DOE's Office of Science is to
       deliver the remarkable discoveries and scientific tools that
       transform our understanding of energy and matter and advance the
       national, economic, and energy security of the United States.
       The following criteria are used by DOE's Office of Science:
       (1) Scientific and/or technical merit or the educational benefits
       of the project;
       (2) Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach;
       (3) Competency of applicant's/proposer's personnel and adequacy of
       proposed resources;
       (4) Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget; and
       (5) Other appropriate factors, established and set forth by the
       Office of Science in a notice of availability or in a specific
       solicitation.
       Also DOE shall consider, as part of the evaluation, other
       available advice or information as well as program policy factors
       such as ensuring an appropriate balance among the program areas
       listed in 605.5(b) of this part.
       Selection of applications/proposals for award will be based upon
       the findings of the technical evaluations, the importance and
       relevance of the proposed application/proposal to the Office of
       Science's mission, and fund availability.
       The NASA Review Process
       NASA will accept the NIH review criteria provided to reviewers and
       will use the reviews to make funding decisions based on the merit
       review and NASA program relevance.
       Interagency Review Process
       The review panels will be required to consider all of the criteria
       listed above for the participating agencies, including NSF,  as
       well as the specific scientific guidelines detailed in this
       program solicitation.
       For all proposals reviewed, a summary rating and accompanying
       narrative will be completed and signed by each reviewer.  In all
       cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents.  The Panel
       will also give each proposal a numerical score reflecting its
       relative scientific merit.  If an Award, under this competition,
       is made by a participating Agency other than NSF, that Agency may
       disclose the entire composition of the Review Panel without
       revealing individual reviewers of a Proposal.  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.
       Program officers from participating units will meet as soon as
       possible after proposals have been reviewed to formulate a set of
       funding recommendations consistent with the goals of the program.
       In doing so, the program officers will consider panel
       recommendations and other appropriate concerns such as program
       relevance and breadth of impact.
       Those proposals selected for funding by NSF will be handled under
       the usual NSF processes. For those proposals that are selected for
       potential funding by participating NIH Institutes, the PI will be
       required to resubmit the original proposal and five copies on the
       PHS 398 application form directly to the Center for Scientific
       Review (http://www.csr.nih.gov/ ) at the NIH.  Applications
       sent via the USPS EXPRESS or REGULAR MAIL should be sent to the
       following address:
       
     Center for Scientific Review
     National Institutes of Health
     Suite 1040
     6701 Rockledge Drive MSC 7710
     Bethesda MD 20892-7710
       The application must be received by CSR referral office on or
       before March 10, 2005. Each of these applications must be
       accompanied by a cover letter that associates the application with
       the IMAG program. An applicant will not be allowed to increase the
       proposed budget or change the scientific content of the
       application in the resubmission to the NIH. These NIH applications
       will be entered into the NIH IMPAC II system. The results of the
       review will be presented to the involved National Advisory Council
       for the second level of review. Subsequent to the Council review,
       NIH Institutes will make their funding determination and selected
       awards will be made.  Subsequent grant administration procedures
       for NIH awardees will be in accordance with the policies of NIH.
       For those proposals selected for funding by DOE, the PI will be
       required to submit a forms package (not the proposal) through
       DOE's Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) that can be
       accessed on the Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site at
       http://www.sc.doe.gov/grants/grants.html. Applications
       packages should reference Continuing Solicitation for all
       Office of Science Programs Notice DE-FG01-04ER04-01 --Published
       October 27, 2003.   Application may be submitted at any time.
       For those proposals selected for funding by NASA the PI will be
       required to resubmit the cover sheet on the NASA Research
       Announcement form. NASA will assist the applicant/proposer in this
       process.
       
    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 also are
   administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and
   Conditions (CA-1). 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/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies 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/cgi-bin/getpub?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.
   
   Special Award Conditions:
   
   If an award is made by a participating Agency other than NSF, the
   conditions of that award will be made available before the award.
   
    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.
   
   For awards from participating Agencies other than NSF, reporting
   requirements will be provided before the award is activated.
   Progress reports from the PIs will be accessible to all cognizant
   program officers.
   
   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:
     * Semahat S. Demir, Program Director and Solicitation Coordinator,
       Directorate for Engineering, Division of Bioengineering &
       Environmental Systems, 565 S, telephone: (703) 292-7950, fax:
       (703) 292-9098, email: sdemir@nsf.gov
     * Ken P. Chong, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Civil & Mechanical Systems, 545 S, telephone: (703)
       292-8360, fax: (703) 292-9053, email: kchong@nsf.gov
     * Michael Plesniak, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Chemical & Transport Systems, 525 N, telephone: (703)
       292-8371, email: mplesnia@nsf.gov
     * Suvrajeet Sen, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Design, Manufacture, & Industrial Innovation, 550 S,
       telephone: (703) 292-7081, fax: (703) 292-9056, email:
       ssen@nsf.gov
     * Radhakishan Baheti, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Electrical & Communications Systems, 675 S, telephone:
       (703) 292-8339, fax: (703) 292-9147, email: rbaheti@nsf.gov
     * Paul J. Werbos, Program Director, Directorate for Engineering,
       Division of Electrical & Communications Systems, 675 S, telephone:
       (703) 292-8339, fax: (703) 292-9147, email: pwerbos@nsf.gov
     * Vicki B. Booker, Program Director, Directorate for Computer and
       Information Science and Engineering, Division of Shared
       Cyberinfrastructure, 1122 N, telephone: (703) 292-4961, fax: (703)
       292-9060, email: vbooker@nsf.gov
     * Frederica Darema, Senior Science and Technology Advisor,
       Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering,
       Division of Computer and Network Systems, 1122 N, telephone: (703)
       292-8950, fax: (703) 292-9010, email: fdarema@nsf.gov
     * Kenneth Whang, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
       Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
       Intelligent Systems, 1125 S, telephone: (703) 292-5149, fax: (703)
       292-9073, email: kwhang@nsf.gov
     * Leland M. Jameson, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical
       & Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, 1025 N,
       telephone: (703) 292-4883, fax: (703) 292-9032, email:
       ljameson@nsf.gov
     * Thomas F. Russell, Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical
       & Physical Sciences, Division of Mathematical Sciences, 1025 N,
       telephone: (703) 292-4863, fax: (703) 292-9032, email:
       trussell@nsf.gov
     * Grace Peng (NIH, NIBIB), Program Director, Division of Discovery
       Science and Technology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
       and Bioengineering, telephone: (301) 451-4778, email:
       penggr@mail.nih.gov
     * David Balshaw (NIH, NIEHS), Program Administrator, Center for Risk
       and Integrated Sciences, Division of Extramural Research and
       Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
       telephone: (919) 541-2448, email: balshaw@niehs.nih.gov
     * Milton Corn (NIH, NLM), Director, Division of Extramural Programs,
       National Library of Medicine, telephone: (301) 496-4621, email:
       cornm@mail.nlm.nih.gov
     * Dan Gallahan (NIH, NCI), Associate Director, Division of Cancer
       Biology, National Cancer Institute, telephone: (301) 435-5226,
       email: gallahad@mail.nih.gov
     * Yuan Liu (NIH, NINDS), Director, Computational Neuroscience and
       Neuroinformatics Program, National Institute of Neurological
       Disorders and Stroke, telephone: (301) 496-1917, email:
       liuyuan2@ninds.nih.gov
     * Peter Lyster (NIH, NIGMS), Program Director, Center for
       Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, National Institute of
       General Medical Sciences, telephone: (301) 451-6446, email:
       lysterp@mail.nih.gov
     * Lou Quatrano (NIH, NICHD), Program Director, Behavioral Sciences
       and Rehabilitation Engineering Technologies Program, National
       Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of
       Child Health and Human Development, telephone: (301) 402-4221,
       email: quatranl@exchange.nih.gov
     * Karen Skinner (NIH, NIDA), Deputy Director for Science and
       Technology Development, Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral
       Research, National Institute of Drug Abuse, telephone: (301)
       443-1887, email: skinner@nida.nih.gov
     * John Whitmarsh (NIH, NIGMS), Assistant Director, Center for
       Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, National Institute of
       General Medical Sciences, telephone: (301) 451-6446, email:
       whitmarj@nigms.nih.gov
     * Guy Fogleman (NASA), Director, Bioastronautics Research Division,
       Code UB, National Aeronautical and Space Administration,
       telephone: (202) 358-0220, email: guy.fogleman@nasa.gov
     * Bette Siegel (NASA), Enterprise Scientist, NASA Headquarters,
       Bioastronautics Research Division, 300 E Street, SW, Washington,
       DC, 20546, telephone: (202) 358-2245, email:
       bette.siegel@nasa.gov
     * Gary Johnson (DOE), Program Manager, Office of Advanced Scientific
       Computing Research, Department of Energy, telephone: 301-903-4361,
       email: garyj@er.doe.gov
     * David Thomassen (DOE), Program Coordinator, Office of Biological &
       Environmental Research, Office of Science, Department of Energy,
       telephone: 301-903-8521, email:
       david.thomassen@science.doe.gov
       
   For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
     * Marcia Rawlings, Information Technology Specialist, Directorate
       for Engineering, Division of Bioengineering & Environmental
       Systems, 565 S, telephone: (703) 292-7956, fax: (703) 292-9098,
       email: mrawling@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
   Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to
   be notified of new funding opportunities that become available.
   
   Other programs of interest from other IMAG agencies include:
   
   The NIH BISTIC initiatives:  http://www.bisti.nih.gov
   
   Human Brain Project initiatives:
   [100]http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neuroinformatics/index.cfm
   
   Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (NSF/NIH):
   [101]http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04514/nsf04514.pdf
   
   The NIGMS MIDAS Initiative:
   [102]http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/midas.php
   
   The Virtual Soldier (DARPA):  [103]http://www.virtualsoldier.net
   
   Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (DOE):
   [104]http://www.osti.gov/scidac/
   
   Genomics:GTL (DOE):  [105]http://www.doegenomestolife.org
   
   The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
   (CSREES) (USDA):  [106]http://www.csrees.usda.gov
   
   While all of the above have a significant modeling component, this
   program solicitation is the only computational initiative that is
   explicitly focused on multi-scale modeling.
   
  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 [107]http://www.nsf.gov
     * Location:
       
                   4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230
     * For General Information
       (NSF Information Center):
       
                               (703) 292-5111
     * TDD (for the hearing-impaired):
       
                               (703) 292-5090
     * To Order Publications or Forms:
       
                             Send an e-mail to:
                                      
                             [108]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.
   
ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

   The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission is to uncover new
   knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works
   toward that mission by conducting research in its own laboratories;
   supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities,
   medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the
   country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators;
   and fostering communication of medical information. The NIH institutes
   participating in this program contribute to NIH's mission through
   research efforts aimed at understanding, treating, and preventing
   disease states that involve or are related to the nervous system.
     * NIBIB promotes fundamental discoveries, design and development,
       and translation and assessment of technological capabilities in
       biomedical imaging and bioengineering, enabled by relevant areas
       of information science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, materials
       science, and computer sciences.
     * NINDS supports research on the healthy and diseased brain, spinal
       cord, peripheral nerves, and mechanisms underlying neurological
       and neuromuscular disorders.
     * NIDA supported research is aimed at increasing the understanding
       of the causes and consequences of drug abuse and addiction. NIDA
       supports a broad research program in basic and clinical research,
       neuroscience, epidemiology, behavioral sciences and services
       research.
     * NIEHS promotes research that will ultimately reduce the burden of
       human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes.  Integral
       to this effort is an understanding of the interrelation between
       environmental factors, individual susceptibilities and age.  The
       NIEHS achieves its mission through multidisciplinary biomedical
       research programs, prevention and intervention efforts, and
       communication strategies that encompass training, education,
       technology transfer, and community outreach.
     * NLM collects, organizes, and makes available biomedical science
       information to investigators, educators, and practitioners and
       carries out programs designed to strengthen medical library
       services in the United States. Its electronic data bases,
       including MEDLINE and MEDLINEplus are used extensively throughout
       the world by both health professionals and the public.
     * NIGMS supports basic biomedical research that is not targeted to
       specific diseases. NIGMS funds studies on genes, proteins, and
       cells, as well as on fundamental processes like communication
       within and between cells, how our bodies use energy, and how we
       respond to medicines. The results of this research increase our
       understanding of life and lay the foundation for advances in
       disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS also supports
       research training programs that produce the next generation of
       biomedical scientists, and it has special programs to encourage
       underrepresented minorities to pursue biomedical research careers.
     * NCI leads a national effort to eliminate the suffering and death
       due to cancer. Through basic and clinical biomedical research and
       training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a
       future in which we can prevent cancer before it starts, identify
       cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers
       through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically
       control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become
       manageable, chronic diseases.
     * NICHD research on fertility, pregnancy, growth, development, and
       medical rehabilitation strives to ensure that every child is born
       healthy and wanted and grows up free from disease and disability.
       
   For the latest information about NIH programs, visit the NIH website
   at [109]http://www.nih.gov/.
   
ABOUT THE National Aeronautics and Space Administration

   NASA's mission is to understand and protect our home planet, to
   explore the universe and search for life and to inspire the next
   generation of explorers as only NASA can. NASA has established a
   framework of six Strategic Enterprises to accomplish this mission.
   The enterprise that is involved in this research announcement is the
   Biological and Physical Research Enterprise (BPRE).  Within the BPRE
   research is conducted to support a safe human presence in space.
   
   For more information about BPRE
   see: [110]http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/
   
ABOUT THE US Department of Energy

   The Office of Science ([111]http://www.science.doe.gov/) is the single
   largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the
   United States, providing more than 40 percent of total funding for
   this vital area of national importance. It oversees - and is the
   principal federal funding agency of - the Nation's research programs
   in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences.
   
   The Office of Science manages fundamental research programs in basic
   energy sciences, biological and environmental sciences, and
   computational science. In addition, the Office of Science is the
   Federal Government's largest single funder of materials and chemical
   sciences, and it supports unique and vital parts of U.S.research in
   climate change, geophysics, genomics, life sciences, and science
   education.
   
   BER ([112]http://www.sc.doe.gov/ober/ober_top.html) develops the
   knowledge needed to identify, understand, anticipate, and mitigate the
   long-term health and environmental consequences of energy production,
   development, and use. As the founder of the Human Genome Project, BER
   continues to play a major role in biotechnology research and also
   invests in basic research on global climate change and environmental
   remediation.
   
   ASCR's ([113]http://www.sc.doe.gov/ascr/home.html) mission is to
   discover, develop, and deploy the computational and networking tools
   that enable scientific researchers to analyze, model, simulate, and
   predict complex physical, chemical, and biological phenomena important
   to the DOE. This research is changing the ways in which modern science
   is conducted.