Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) NSF 17-085: Removal of Deadlines for the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program in ENG/CBET

Beginning July 20, 2017, the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program will accept proposals at any time throughout the year. There will no longer be any restriction on when an unsolicited proposal can be submitted for consideration to the Program.

By accepting proposals at any time, investigators will have more time to prepare proposals and build strong collaborations; think more creatively without the pressure of a deadline; and (if desired) propose more complex, interdisciplinary projects that have the potential to dramatically advance science. Spreading proposal submissions more evenly over the year may also reduce the burden on investigators, reviewers, and submitting institutions.

All proposals will undergo panel review, as is the present practice. Proposals also will be considered for ad hoc reviews, as deemed necessary.

Program Officers will schedule panels as needed depending on the submissions received.

No, as is normal under NSF policy.

No change in average time to decision and release of reviews is expected with this transition to open submission.

If deadlines exist for other programs, the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program will work with those programs to co-review in the same manner as is currently done for proposals that are shared between programs. If a proposal is submitted for co-consideration with another program that operates with deadlines, PIs are encouraged to consult with both the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program and the other program to seek guidance on the best time to submit the proposal. This should help avoid delays in review.

Any declined proposal is subject to a 12-month moratorium period from its submission date. Any proposal on the same topic with the same or similar goals is also subject to the 12-month moratorium period. Principal Investigators are reminded to note PAPPG Chapter IV.E, which states, "A declined proposal may be resubmitted, but only after it has undergone substantial revision. A resubmitted proposal that has not clearly taken into account the major comments or concerns resulting from the prior NSF review may be returned without review."

Exceptions to the moratorium are at the discretion of the Program, but will only be allowed if the Program finds a compelling scientific timeliness reason. Reasons related to personnel or facility availability are not generally considered suitable cause to grant an exception.

There is no limit to the number of pending proposals a PI can have within the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program at any given time. However, each proposal must be significantly different from the others in order to be considered for review. Proposals that appear to represent the same topics or the same or similar goals to another that is already pending with the program will be returned without review. The date and time stamp of submission will be used to determine which proposal was submitted first to the program.

No. The CAREER Program and others will continue to accept proposals once a year, by the deadlines stated in their respective solicitations. Proposals that are submitted to the wrong program will be returned without review. Any questions about where a proposal belongs should be addressed to the Biological and Environmental Interactions of Nanoscale Materials Program Director prior to submission.

No, there is no requirement, although as is currently the case, PIs should contact a Program Officer if they have questions or are proposing a large or complex proposal that may need special consideration.