Title: Biological Research Collections (BRC)
Date: 03/21/05
Replaced: NSF 04-571
Biological Research Collections (BRC)
Program Solicitation
NSF 05-575
Replaces Document NSF 04-571
[NSF Logo] National Science Foundation
Directorate for Biological Sciences
Division of Biological Infrastructure
Full Proposal Target Date(s):
July 15, 2005
Fourth Friday in July
annually thereafter
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Biological Research Collections (BRC)
Synopsis of Program:
The Biological Research Collections Program provides support for
biological collection enhancement, computerization of
specimen-related data, research to develop better methods for
specimen curation and collection management, and activities such
as symposia and workshops to investigate support and management
of biological collections. Biological collections supported
include those housing natural history specimens and jointly
curated collections such as frozen tissues and other physical
samples, e.g. DNA libraries and digital images. Such collections
provide the materials necessary for research in a broad area of
biological sciences.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
* Mark Farmer, BRC Program Director, Directorate for Biological
Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, telephone: (703)
292-8470, fax: (703) 292-9063, email: dbibrc@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
* 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
Eligibility Information
* Organization Limit: Proposals are accepted from U.S. organizations,
including colleges and universities that maintain research
collections, natural history museums including herbaria, and other
collections administered by independent organizations or by state,
county, or local governments; non-federal and non-profit research
organizations that maintain collections; and field stations, marine
laboratories, botanical gardens, zoological parks, and aquaria that
maintain research collections that document biological diversity. The
size of an organization is not a factor in determining eligibility.
* PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
* Limit on Number of Proposals: In any single round of the BRC
competition, only one proposal may be submitted from any individual
collection within an organization. Organizations that house multiple
collections, submitting proposals from more than one collection,
should engage in internal planning activities in order to prioritize
the needs of the several collections such that the organization does
not submit a multiplicity of proposals to any one BRC competition.
Award Information
* Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
* Estimated Number of Awards: 20 to 25 - per year.
* Anticipated Funding Amount: $6,000,000 annually contingent upon
availability of funds. The maximum that may be requested in a proposal
is $500,000 per award.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
* 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 by NSF.
* Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
* Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please
see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
C. Due Dates
* Full Proposal Target Date(s):
July 15, 2005
Fourth Friday in July
annually thereafter
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: 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 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
Collections of biological specimens are necessary for many types of
research in biological sciences, including one of the most essential
activities, the identification of species. The Biological Research
Collections Program (BRC) is the principal source of federal support for
enhancement of these collections. Of particular importance is the
contribution that BRC provides in meeting needs for improvements in
infrastructure and computerization of large and disparate datasets.
Typically, collections are housed at organizations with programs in
systematics and other biodiversity-related research. These organizations
have collections that have been built over many years and contain thousands
or even millions of specimens. Natural history collections contain records
of life on earth that are unique and irreplaceable, including specimens of
extinct species and temporal information on changes in the ranges of native
and introduced species.
In addition to the natural history collections, recent advances in
biological sciences have created new kinds of research materials that are
collected or created by researchers, deposited at a public site, and
distributed to the research community. Examples would include genome
samples such as arrayed BAC (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome) libraries or
a collection of DNAs from endangered species linked to voucher specimens.
The BRC will support improvement of these new types of collections as well.
Our planet is rapidly being modified by human development, and natural
history collections are an enormously valuable source of biological
information. The Biological Research Collections Program is a critical
component in the rapidly expanding research activities related to
biodiversity in particular, and to biological sciences in general.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Biological Research Collections Program provides support for biological
collection enhancement, computerization of specimen-related data, research
to develop better methods for specimen curation and collection management,
and activities such as symposia and workshops to discuss management of
biological collections and other subjects designed to improve service to
the research community. Biological collections supported include those
housing natural history specimens and jointly curated collections such as,
frozen tissues, other physical samples (e.g. digital images) and DNA
samples (e.g., BAC libraries). Such collections provide the materials
necessary for a substantial amount of research on biodiversity, including
that on evolutionary relationships, comparative genomics, ecosystem
functioning, and biological conservation.
Voucher collections, such as those maintained by some academic departments,
field stations, and marine laboratories are also eligible if it is shown
that use of the collections justify the investment, there is a long-term
commitment to maintain the collection, and curatorial support is adequate.
BRC supported projects include those that deal directly with specimens of
organisms, parts of organisms, or direct artifacts of organisms (e.g.,
recorded sounds, fossilized footprints). Also eligible are organism-based
collections that maintain associated specimens and data documenting the
environmental context of the primary organism (e.g. soil and water samples,
temperature and precipitation records, specimen-based geographic
information) or the genomic context of the organism (e.g. frozen tissue,
DNA). Collection portions of organisms must be properly vouchered. Projects
to computerize card files of observational records or literature sources
(that is, the computerization of existing card files of literature sources,
observation records, or other library items) are not eligible for support.
Please note that BIO does not normally provide support for disease-oriented
research, including work on the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of
physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction in human beings or
animals.
Types of Support
The Biological Research Collections Program provides support for collection
enhancement which may include improvements in storage units or the
incorporation of specimens from other organizations, collection
computerization projects that digitally capture specimen-related data or
improve the usefulness of the collection (e.g., by georeferencing data),
research on methods to improve curation of specimens or management of
collections, and scientific conferences, symposia, and workshops that
investigate the management and broader impacts of collections and
associated data. Projects should be designed so that the most reasonable
economy of scale and cost- and time-efficiency can be achieved.
Most awards are for enhancement of the infrastructure of a research
collection such as the purchase of new specimen cases and installation
costs, curatorial supplies, new curatorial and technical assistance
specifically designed to effect the proposed improvements for the duration
of the proposed project. Specialized items that are components of a large
system (e.g. specimen cabinets and compactors) are considered as equipment
under the BRC program guidelines. Computerization projects generally
include the equipment (hardware, software) and supplies (storage media), as
well as salary for new personnel specifically required to complete a
scientifically sound and well-circumscribed project. Research to develop
improved curatorial practices or more efficient collection management
practices may also be supported. It is expected that such projects will
lead to improved, direct user access to collection data via standard
Internet protocols. BRC does not provide support to defray ordinary
operating expenses, or for the purchase of specimens, or for
creating/establishing a new collection, or support related to the
improvement of libraries or archives. Organizations receiving specimens
collected through other research activities (e.g. Biodiversity Surveys &
Inventories; Tree of Life; or PEET) should have an agreement with the
researcher[s] to prepare the specimens and database them (including
geo-referencing) in a format compatible with the receiving collection prior
to deposit.
Support provided by the BRC program is restricted to costs for the proposed
project which are above the financial capabilities of the collection, based
on the normal operating expenses received from the organization. Projects
proposed for BRC support should be clearly focused, have a strong
scientific rationale, and be designed to be completed within the time frame
proposed. BRC does not support the acquisition of specimens through
purchase, nor does it fund collecting expeditions, nor the improvement of
libraries or archives. Building renovation associated with collection
improvement will not be supported by BRC, but may be provided by the
submitting organization as an indication of organizational commitment to
the long-term housing of the collections.
In any single round of the BRC competition, only one proposal may be
submitted from any individual collection within an organization.
Organizations that house multiple collections, submitting proposals from
more than one collection, should engage in internal planning activities in
order to prioritize the needs of the several collections such that the
organization does not submit a multiplicity of proposals to any one BRC
competition.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Organization Limit: Proposals are accepted from U.S. organizations,
including colleges and universities that maintain research collections,
natural history museums including herbaria, and other collections
administered by independent organizations or by state, county, or local
governments; non-federal and non-profit research organizations that
maintain collections; and field stations, marine laboratories, botanical
gardens, zoological parks, and aquaria that maintain research collections
that document biological diversity. The size of an organization is not a
factor in determining eligibility.
PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
Limit on Number of Proposals: In any single round of the BRC competition,
only one proposal may be submitted from any individual collection within an
organization. Organizations that house multiple collections, submitting
proposals from more than one collection, should engage in internal planning
activities in order to prioritize the needs of the several collections such
that the organization does not submit a multiplicity of proposals to any
one BRC competition.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
Proposals submitted to the BRC Program typically are for projects that
range from one to three years. The BRC program expects approximately $6
million annually contingent upon availability of funds. The maximum that
may be requested in a proposal is $500,000. Numbers of awards and average
award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Also, please
see the NSF website for the Biological Research Collection program at
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5448&org=DBI for a current
listing of awards and examples of the range and scope of projects
supported.
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
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/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.
The following information provides instructions that supplement the Grant
Proposal Guide.
Project Summary (maximum: one page)
Summarize the proposed collection improvement, computerization, techniques
research, or other activity and its impact on the use of the collection and
its information resources by science and other sectors of society,
long-term management, and public outreach capabilities of the collection.
Project Description (maximum: 15 pages, inclusive of tables and
illustrations)
1. Results from Prior NSF Support (maximum: 5 of the 15 pages of text):
Summarize the results of the most recent collection improvement award that
the collection has received from NSF in the preceding 5 years, even if the
current Principle Investigator (PI) was not associated with the collection
at that time. If the collection has not received an award in the previous 5
years, then a previous award to the PI within the past 5 years that was not
collection-related but that is most closely allied to the current proposal
should be described.
2. Special requirements for BRC projects include evidence of the
collection's importance to research or biological conservation on a
regional, national, or international scale, long-term commitment by the
home organization to the collection in terms of staffing and operational
support, and information related to the management of the collection. All
proposals must demonstrate an organizational commitment to adequate
staffing and operating support that will result in long-term maintenance of
the specimens, collections and associated data. Support from BRC will not
be provided to defray ordinary operating expenses. The proposal should
state how the value of the collection will be enhanced by support from the
BRC Program and how its contributions will further advances in the
biological sciences.
Information should be provided for the following:
(a) Taxonomic breadth. When applicable, proposals must clearly specify the
taxonomic groups housed in the collections for which support is being
sought and provide estimates of the numbers of specimens or lots, numbers
of species, and information on the geographic areas, oceanographic regions,
or stratigraphic horizons from which specimens were collected.
(b) Value of the collection for scientific research and resource
management. Indicators of value, in addition to taxonomic breadth, include
measures of use by the scientific community such as numbers of specimen
loans, visitors to the collection, data requests, and publications based on
the specimens in the collection, the number of type specimens, age of the
collection, and presence of extinct or rare species. Internet accessibility
to collection data (including web hits), growth and use of the collection
over at least the last five years should be described.
(c) Urgency. Urgent needs for support should be clearly identified.
Long-term protection of specimens with their associated data is the primary
concern of the BRC Program. Of particular importance to the program is the
ability to meet special needs that arise from rapid expansion or unique
opportunities. Common sources of such needs are biotic surveys of
endangered habitats that produce large numbers of specimens, opportunities
to salvage a collection that otherwise would be lost, and the creation of
new types of collections (such as frozen tissues) that accompany other
areas of growth in science (such as genomics).
(d) Education and outreach. Biological collections contribute to our
understanding and appreciation of the diversity of life, and serve many
functions in addition to providing materials essential to biological
research. They provide resources for the training of biologists working on
extant and fossil taxa, as well as materials for classroom displays, museum
exhibits and other outreach programs for the general public. Contributions
of the collections to education and outreach activities should be clearly
identified in the proposal.
3. The following supporting data should be included in a concise tabular
format:
(a) size, composition, and areas of taxonomic, geographic and/or geologic
concentration;
(b) rate of growth over the past five years;
(c) degree and range of use in research, education and other activities
over the past five years (e.g. number and type of loans, number of
visitors, data requests and other pertinent statistics, arranged according
to professional or student use);
(d) research impact over the past five years (e.g. tabulate the number of
publications or other products, arranged by professional or student, that
are based on specimens in the collection, and provide up to five
particularly significant examples).
4. A management plan must be included within the project description of the
proposal. The plan must delineate the tasks and responsibilities, and
outline a timetable for completion of the project. If a collection is being
relocated due to new facility construction or renovation of an existing
facility, a construction timeline including the expected date of
construction completion must be included in the management plan. Letters of
support from appropriate organizational representatives are encouraged. For
support related to the acquisition of orphaned collections, documentation
of ownership must be provided. These letters can be provided in the Special
Information and Supplementary Documentation section. Also, clearly describe
a sound, scientific rationale for incorporating the particular collection,
providing evidence of how the addition will strengthen the existing
collection.
5. In organizations that house multiple collections, submitting more than
one proposal, the plan for prioritizing the needs of the several
collections and the longer term commitments should be included. This
information can be provided in the Special Information and Supplementary
Documentation section.
6. Requests for personnel support should include a detailed task analysis
to justify the personnel funding required for the duration of the proposed
project. For those projects involving the installation of major storage
systems or other major pieces of equipment a timetable for installation,
floor plans, and floor loading analyses must be provided. This information
can be provided in the Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
section.
7. Proposals related to development of electronic databases must describe
the hardware and software to be used, the data model and elements of the
database, mechanisms for quality control of data entry, capacity for
expansion, internet accessibility, strong evidence of awareness of
community information management standards, computerization and
interoperability approaches, and plans for permanent maintenance of the
database. All data entered during a BRC-funded project must be made
available over the internet during the course of the project (exceptions
may include sensitive data such as localities for endangered species) and
provisions must be made to account for the long term, publicly available,
preservation of data. Quality assurance for species identifications,
testing the accuracy of data entry, statements on georeferencing protocols,
and a searchable database or metadata format should be included in the
description.
8. Proposals must address the anticipated broader impacts of the proposed
activities beyond the scientific community use. Use by the scientific
community is part of the intellectual merit of the proposal. Broader
impacts should address education, importance to groups outside the
scientific community, such as the public or land use managers, increased
outreach to underrepresented groups in the field, etc. Examples of broader
impacts can be found on the NSF web site at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf032/bicexamples.pdf .
9. All proposals must include a description of the collection's policies
(including those concerning loans, accessions, deaccessions, and collecting
permits), protocols and user charges or fees that govern acquisitions,
loans, and access to the specimens and the Internet-based availability of
the information associated with them. All submitting organizations must
demonstrate their commitment to collection staffing and normal operating
support that are adequate for the regular use, growth, care, and management
of the collection. Normal collection operations include specimen
acquisition resulting from the research activities of the collection's
curators and other associated staff or from the acceptance of donated
materials, maintenance of those collections, answering loan and data
requests, pursuing specimen-based research, and accommodating visiting
researchers. Support from the BRC Program may not be requested to defray
these ordinary operating costs. Such documentation and letters of support
may be included in the Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
section.
10. Dissemination of Results: Description of the plans for advising the
biological research community and the general public of the avenues of
access to a collection and its associated data, publication of a new
curatorial or collection management practice, or the outcome of
discipline-wide workshops should be included as appropriate.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (05-575) 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 by NSF in proposals submitted under this
Program Solicitation.
Other Budgetary Limitations:
Maximum budget that can be requested from NSF is $500,000 per award.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
Provide a cost-breakdown and narrative justification for budgeted items. At
least two vendor quotes for items of equipment and supplies that total more
than $10,000 should have been obtained. Reasons for choosing a particular
vendor should be described in this section. Present discrete task analyses
to justify the number, duration and percent effort of current personnel,
and for those additional personnel specifically required for the duration
of the proposed project. Other costs should be related to the proposed
project. Specialized items that are components of a larger system (e.g.
specimen cabinets and compactors) are considered as equipment under the BRC
program guidelines.
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Full Proposal Target Date(s):
July 15, 2005
Fourth Friday in July
annually thereafter
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 (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:
Key Review Criteria:
* Taxonomic breadth (if applicable)
* Value of the collection
* Urgency
* Evidence of planning by, and priorities of, the parent
organization
* Education and outreach
* Interoperability, openness and long-term preservation of
electronic databases
* Attention to standard protocols of the field
* Management plan and task analyses
* Long-term maintenance of the collection
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 Panel review. Site visits may be conducted
if necessary .
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/awards/managing/. 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/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:
* Mark Farmer, BRC Program Director, Directorate for Biological
Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, telephone: (703)
292-8470, fax: (703) 292-9063, email: dbibrc@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
* FastLane Helpdesk answers general technical questions, telephone:
800-673-6188, email: fastlane@nsf.gov
* The Divisional FastLane Contact answers policy/solicitation questions,
Elaine Franklin, Science Assistant, Division of Biological
Infrastructure, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: biofl@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.
Programs at NSF related to BRC include Biodiversity Surveys & Inventories,
Living Stock Collections, Systematic Biology, PEET, Tree of Life, and
Biological Databases and Informatics. The Biodiversity Surveys &
Inventories (BS&I) Program in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
supports basic collecting and identification activities that are designed
to discover and document the species-level diversity of all forms of life
on earth. BS&I requires that specimens and other biological samples
collected be deposited at organizations with natural history collections
and be available for scientific research. These collections should only be
accepted if databased and georeferenced in the format required by the
receiving collection. They should also be properly prepared. The Living
Stock Collections Program supports repositories of research organisms,
genetic stocks, and seeds as well as cell lines, and DNA clones that are
associated with the whole organisms in the collection. The Systematic
Biology Program supports research focused on understanding the phylogenetic
relationships among organisms and the evolutionary patterns of genomic,
morphological, ecological, and other characteristics of organisms. Much of
the material for this research is housed in organizational collections. The
Biological Databases and Informatics Program supports new approaches to the
management of biological knowledge that render the collection, maintenance,
dissemination and query of information of greater utility to the scientific
community. Co-funding opportunities exist with these and other programs
within the Foundation.
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.
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