Title: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Documenting Endangered
Languages Program (DEL)
Date: 9/4/2015
NSF 15-116
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Documenting Endangered Languages
Program (DEL)
1. I would like to submit a proposal to the DEL program. Does my
research fit with your program?
The [1]DEL Program Solicitation is the best place to start to get a
good sense of DEL's program goals. Another excellent source is
[2]NSF's Awards Search feature. If you do an Advanced Search, then
it is possible to restrict the search to DEL awards by entering
7719 in the Element Code. To view only DEL Doctoral Dissertation
Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG), you need to also enter
"Doctoral Dissertation" in the Keyword box in addition to using the
Element Code 7719. To obtain information about research projects
that have recently been funded by the program, go to the [3]DEL
Program Website and click on the "What Has Been Funded" link at the
bottom of the website. These sources together should provide a good
sense for the type of research that is funded by the program. To
view DEL awards funded by our program partner, National Endowment
for the Humanities (NEH), go to the [4]NEH Funded Projects Query
Form and under "Grant Program," search on either "Documenting
Endangered Languages - Fellowships" or "Documenting Endangered
Languages - Preservation" to get a list of awards funded by NEH. If
you are still unsure whether your research fits with the program,
you are then welcome to email a one-page (single-spaced)
description of your project idea to the DEL Program Director,
listed on [5]DEL's program website, for additional guidance.
2. Can I get a copy of a successful NSF proposal from you?
Please do not contact the DEL Program to request copies of
proposals. Copies of awarded proposals may be obtained via a
Freedom of Information (FOIA) request; however, there may be
applicable fees. Personal and proprietary information will be
removed from the proposal documents before they are released. See
[6]NSF's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act website
for more information.
However, the National Endowment for the Humanities, a DEL partner,
does host a [7]DEL website with examples of recently funded
projects. Please note that NEH choses a specific suite of proposals
to fund each year thus the sample of example proposals is not
representative of everything funded through the DEL program.
3. I am an independent scholar, how can I get registered in FastLane?
On [8]FastLane's main website, click the "Registration Information"
link then click on the "New Organization and FastLane Contact
Registration" link and perform a search using your name. When no
organization is found according to your search criteria, a screen
is displayed with a New Organization Request form as well as a New
Individual Registration button. Click the "New Individual
Registration" button and complete and submit this form. Print the
"Registration Request Submitted for Approval" screen, sign it, and
send the signed form to NSF using one of the options provided.
4. The DEL program has a September 15th deadline. How do I submit a
proposal and is it possible to be a little late submitting it?
Deadline dates are firm. Proposals must be submitted by 5 PM,
proposer's local time. For additional information, see Chapter 1.F
of the [9]Grant Proposal Guide.
If you are preparing a proposal as a PI affiliated with an
organization: Grant the Sponsored Projects Office representatives
(SPOs) access to view/edit/submit your proposal via the "Allow SRO
Access" button on FastLane's Proposal Actions screen.
+ Click on the "Allow SRO Access" button on the Proposal Actions
screen.
+ Click on the "Go" button next to Allow SRO to view, edit, and
submit proposal.
+ Return to [10]FastLane's home page.
Below are the steps that an SPO at your organization can take to
sign and submit the proposal (if the SPO also has AOR
authorization).
+ Click on "Research Administration" on the top menu bar.
+ On the login screen, type your Last Name, NSF ID, and FastLane
password and then click on the "Log In" button.
+ From the Research Administration screen, select
"Proposals/Supplements/File Uploads/Withdrawals".
+ Under the All Documents List, click on the "Submit" link
associated with your proposal's Temp ID.
+ Scroll down the screen and review the certification
information then click on the "Sign and Submit" button at the
bottom of the page.
+ A screen should then be displayed with a box showing
confirmation that your proposal was successfully submitted to
the NSF, the date and time of the submission, the NSF official
proposal number assigned to it, verification that your
signature has been recorded, and an "OK" button that you
should click on.
Note: SRO stands for Sponsored Research Office which is now
referred to as the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO). Pressing the
"Allow SRO Access" button automatically sends an email notification
to each SPO in the PI's organization. If the SPO who submits the
proposal is also designated as an Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR), the proposal will be signed at the same time
it is submitted. If the SPO does not have the permissions to
perform AOR functions, the institution's AOR has 5 business days
from the date of FastLane submission to electronically sign the
proposal. (Grant Proposal Guide changes for release in January 2016
include requiring the AOR signature at the time of proposal
submission).
If you are submitting the proposal as an individual applicant (not
affiliated with an organization): You act as the SPO and AOR and
can both submit and sign your proposal. On the Proposal Actions
screen, you should select your proposal and then click on the
"Submit" button. This displays the Certification Screen for AORs
or Individual Applicants. Scroll down and review the certification
information and then click on the "Sign and Submit" button at the
bottom of the screen. A screen should then be displayed confirming
that your proposal was successfully submitted to the NSF, the date
and time of the submission, the NSF official proposal number
assigned to it, and verification that your signature has been
recorded.
If you are an individual applicant and after selecting your
proposal on the Proposal Actions screen you do NOT see the "Submit"
button, check your "Edit PI Information" screen and ensure that it
is identical to the awardee institution listed on the Coversheet of
your proposal (i.e., change it if necessary).
5. What are the most common proposal compliance mistakes made by PIs?
NSF has implemented new features for automated compliance checking
in the FastLane system. A PI should check his or her proposal for
compliance before submitting it. See Exhibit II-1: Proposal
Preparation Checklist under Chapter 2.D of the [11]Grant Proposal
Guide. Below are some of the common compliance issues we have seen
with DEL proposals.
+ Missing Current & Pending Support form for each Co-PI and
Senior Personnel. Each submission must include a declaration
of all current and pending proposals of the PI, Co-PIs, and
all other Senior Personnel listed on the proposal. The current
submission counts as a pending proposal.
+ The Biographical Sketch is not in the correct format. The
Biographical Sketch:
o Should be no more than two pages
o Should be submitted for each individual identified as
Senior Personnel
o Must adhere to the Biographical Sketch guidelines.
Information on the Biographical Sketch guidelines can be
found in Chapter II.C.2.f of the [12]Grant Proposal
Guide.
+ The References Cited Form should include only the works cited
in the Project Description. This would include scholarly
works, news articles, and websites. Do not provide website
URLs in the Project Description. Links to databases and
archives can be cited in the Project Description and the URLs
should be provided under the References Cited Form.
+ Name and Address in registration systems are not identical.
Your name and address in your SAM (System for Award
Management) registration should be identical to that in
FastLane. If your institution has made any submissions through
Grants.gov, your institution will be registered in SAM. You
can read more about SAM registration on the [13]Grants.gov
Applicants Step 2: Register with SAM webpage. If you are an
individual applicant, you do not need SAM registration.
+ The institution does not have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number. To submit a proposal, your institution
must have a DUNS number. You can use the [14]Online DUNS
Request Portal to receive one free of charge. Allow for
several days to get your registration in DUNS complete. If you
are an individual applicant, you do not need a DUNS number.
6. Should I upload a budget for a DEL Fellowship?
DEL Fellowship applicants must include a Budget with a Budget
Justification. The total amount of the Fellowship should be entered
on the Budget Form under the section for Senior Personnel. The
Budget Justification may simply state that the requested amount
will go towards Fellowship activities. However, it is beneficial to
the applicant to include some information either in the Project
Description or Budget Justification of how critical elements of the
project will be funded, e.g., international travel, payment to
consultants, recording equipment, and archiving costs.
7. Do I need to submit IRB clearance documentation?
If human participants are involved, a proposal cannot be
recommended for an award without a current Human Subject Review
clearance document. If your institution does not have an Internal
Review Board (IRB) to review proposed work with human subjects, you
should contact your Sponsored Projects Office (SPO). NSF
regulations give grantee institutions the responsibility for
setting up "Institutional Review Boards" (IRBs) to review research
protocols and designs and ensure the protection of the rights of
human subjects. You can learn more about NSF IRB requirements by
accessing the [15]NSF Human Subjects website.
If you are an unaffiliated individual, you might approach the IRB
of a local university or organization in your area and inquire as
to whether they are willing to review your protocol for research
involving human subjects. Alternatively, there are for-profit
"independent IRBs" that will review such protocols for a fee.
8. What special documentation do I need to submit if my institution is
a New Awardee (an institution that has not received a major award
from NSF in the past 5 years)?
New Awardee institutions must be reviewed for accounting system
adequacy. Let your Program Officer know if your institution has not
received an award in the past 5 years. If your institution is a new
awardee, NSF will review your institution for accounting system
adequacy. In anticipation of that review, it is advisable to gather
documents in the [16]New Awardee Checklist. Please note: awards
from other federal agencies do not guarantee that your institution
will count as an established awardee for NSF purposes.
9. How can I track my application once it is submitted?
It is highly recommended that you check the status of your proposal
after submission. If the proposal was submitted via FastLane, you
may view its status by accessing [17]FastLane, clicking on the
"Proposals, Awards and Status" top line menu option, logging in as
a PI, clicking on the "Proposal Functions" link and then clicking
on the "Proposal Status" link. If the proposal was submitted via
Grants.gov, you may monitor its status by accessing Grants.gov,
clicking on the "Applicant Login" link, clicking on the
"Applicants" top line menu option and then on the Applicants page,
clicking on the "Track your Application" link.
References
1. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf15567
2. http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
3. http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12816&org=BCS
&from=home
4. http://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspx
5. http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12816&org=BCS
&from=home
6. http://www.nsf.gov/policies/foia.jsp
7. http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/documenting-endangered
-languages
8. http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/
9. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
10. http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/
11. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
12. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
13. http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization
-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html
14. http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform
15. https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/human.jsp
16. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pnag/pnag151.pdf
17. http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/