Dear Colleague Letter: Special Guidelines for Submitting Collaborative Proposals Under the US NSF/CISE/CCF - US-Israel BSF International Opportunity
September 14, 2015 Dear Colleague: SCOPEThe US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Research Cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between US and Israeli research communities and sets out the principles by which jointly supported activities might be developed. The MOU provides for an international collaboration arrangement whereby US researchers may receive funding from the NSF and Israeli researchers may receive funding from the BSF. The NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation are pleased to announce a US-Israel collaborative research opportunity between BSF and the CISE Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF). The goal is to help reduce some of the current barriers to working internationally. Through a lead agency model, NSF/CISE and BSF will address these issues by allowing US and Israeli researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process. PROCESS SUMMARYAs described in detail below, this program is intended to encourage collaborations by US and Israeli researchers focused on research in the foundations of computing and communication. NSF will fund the US researchers and BSF will fund the Israeli researchers. Proposals must be responsive to the scope of research described in the current CCF Core Programs solicitation, and be submitted to the Small category (up to $500,000 over 3 years for the NSF-funded portion). US researchers should obtain pre-approval from NSF before submission. US and Israeli collaborative researchers must each submit the identical research description to NSF and BSF (respectively), with each budgeting for their own participants, and including a copy of the budget for the counterparts. US participants must consent to the release of unattributed reviews to BSF. All proposals will be reviewed by NSF; those selected for funding will result in separate agreements with NSF (for US researchers) and BSF (for Israeli researchers). Proposals will be accepted for collaborative research in areas at the intersection of NSF/CISE and BSF as set out below:
Any topic within scope for the CCF Core Programs solicitation is within scope for funding through this collaborative research opportunity. Proposals are expected to adhere to the remit, funding limits, and grant durations for the BSF and NSF programs from which the funding is sought and must represent an integrated collaborative effort. This document provides guidelines for the preparation, submission, review, and award of NSF-BSF collaborative proposals. During an initial 2-year period, both agencies will evaluate the interest and success of the activities. Proposers are advised that all documents submitted to NSF or BSF may be shared with the other agency in order to implement the two-way agency activities. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION
PEER REVIEWNSF-BSF collaborative proposals will be reviewed alongside all other unsolicited or standard proposals received in the same competition and will not undergo a separate or special review process. Proposals will be reviewed in accordance with NSF's review criteria; reviewers are asked to evaluate research on both its intellectual merit and broader impacts. FUNDING DECISIONSFunding recommendations resulting from the NSF merit review process will be discussed with the partner agency (BSF). However, it is assumed that the BSF will fund all the Israelis whose U.S. collaborators are funded by the NSF, subject to the availability of funds. The lead agency (NSF) will use its usual internal procedures to determine whether a proposal will be awarded or declined. Funding decisions are subject to the availability of funds. All proposers will be advised whether their proposal has been recommended for funding or will be declined. Proposers will receive copies of the reviewers' unattributed comments and, where applicable, a panel summary. Should a proposal be declined for funding, proposers should refer to the respective agency resubmission policies. Award letters will identify that the award for joint international research is made in collaboration between NSF and BSF. Because the participating organizations have different funding cycles, it is possible that some projects will have delayed start dates in order to wait until funds become available. POSTAWARD CONSIDERATIONSAwardees will be expected to comply with the award conditions and reporting requirements of the agencies from which they receive funding. Awardees will be required to acknowledge both NSF and BSF in any reports or publications arising from the grant. Extensions and supplements will be considered by participating agencies using standard procedures. Requests for changes to awards pertaining to changes in scope in research or changes or delays to the research will be discussed with other involved funding agencies before a mutual decision is reached. |