ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery (ACED)

ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery (ACED) is sponsored by NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation. Supports projects that leverage advanced computing to accelerate scientific discovery, including applications of Bayesian inference.

NSF 24-541: ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery (ACED) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .

All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects. NSF 24-541: ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery (ACED) Posted: February 13, 2024 To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering Division of Information and Intelligent Systems Division of Computing and Communication Foundations Division of Computer and Network Systems Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Directorate for Biological Sciences Division of Biological Infrastructure Division of Environmental Biology Division of Integrative Organismal Systems Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Directorate for Engineering Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Mathematical Sciences Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Innovation and Technology Ecosystems Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization’s local time): Emerging Ideas Proposals Only Important Information And Revision Notes Deadlines for Discovery Proposals have been revised. Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements ACED: Accelerating Computing-Enabled Scientific Discovery (ACED) The ACED program seeks to harness computing to accelerate scientific discovery, while driving new computing advancements.

The intent is to catalyze advancements on both sides of a virtuous cycle that: (a) benefit scientific disciplines through computational technologies and (b) foster novel computing technologies that will enable advances beyond the specific use cases or domains originally targeted. The program seeks continuous collaborations between at least two groups of researchers.

One group is expected to consist of researchers in computing, which, for the purposes of this solicitation are those disciplines that are supported by the Core Programs of National Science Foundation's (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate.

The other group of researchers are expected to represent another scientific or engineering discipline, which, for the purposes of this solicitation, are defined as those supported within existing programs of the following NSF directorates: Biological Sciences , Engineering , or Mathematical and Physical Sciences .

The ACED program solicits proposals in two tracks: Track I: Emerging Ideas Proposals: This track is intended to support speculative multidisciplinary projects that explore bold new research directions. The goal of these projects should be to obtain preliminary results, refine the overall research plan based on these results, and garner insights into whether these advances generalize beyond the targeted use case or domain.

Projects are limited to $500,000 in total budget, with durations of up to 18-24 months. Proposals accepted in 2024 Deadline Date. Track II: Discovery Proposals: The objective of this track is to support transformative interdisciplinary research that will significantly advance both computing and the scientific discipline(s) to be studied.

Proposals should clearly identify the scientific problem(s) to be addressed; the specific computing techniques to be developed; and be supported by preliminary collaborations and/or results that demonstrate the potential of the proposed ideas. Projects are limited to $750,000 per year for a duration of up to 4 years for a total budget of up to $3,000,000. Proposals accepted in 2025-2026 Deadline Dates.

Broadening Participation in STEM: NSF recognizes the unique lived experiences of individuals from communities that are underrepresented and/or underserved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the barriers to inclusion and access to STEM education and careers.

NSF highly encourages the leadership, partnership, and contributions in all NSF opportunities of individuals who are members of such communities supported by NSF. This includes leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding; serving as peer reviewers, advisory committee members, and/or committee of visitor members; and serving as NSF leadership, program, and/or administrative staff.

NSF also highly encourages demographically diverse institutions of higher education (IHEs) to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities on behalf of their research and education communities. NSF expects that all individuals, including those who are members of groups that are underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM, are treated equitably and inclusively in the Foundation's proposal and award process.

NSF encourages IHEs that enroll, educate, graduate, and employ individuals who are members of groups underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM education programs and careers to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities, including leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding.

Such IHEs include, but may not be limited to, community colleges and two-year institutions, mission-based institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), women's colleges, and institutions that primarily serve persons with disabilities, as well as institutions defined by enrollment such as Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

"Broadening participation in STEM" is the comprehensive phrase used by NSF to refer to the Foundation's goal of increasing the representation and diversity of individuals, organizations, and geographic regions that contribute to STEM teaching, research, and innovation. To broaden participation in STEM, it is necessary to address issues of equity, inclusion, and access in STEM education, training, and careers.

Whereas all NSF programs might support broadening participation components, some programs primarily focus on supporting broadening participation research and projects. Examples can be found on the NSF Broadening Participation in STEM website. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing.

See program website for any updates to the points of contact. Christopher C. Yang, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-8111, email: ACED@nsf.

gov Accelerating Computer Enabled Discovery, telephone: (703) 292-8930, email: ACED@nsf. gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 47. 049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47.

070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47. 074 --- Biological Sciences 47.

084 --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 42 Approximately 30 Track I awards are anticipated in year one, and approximately 12 Track II awards are anticipated over the next two years, subject to availability of funds and quality of proposals received.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $15,000,000 Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. Interdisciplinary teams are expected to include at least one researcher from a CISE discipline and one researcher from another NSF discipline.

By the submission deadline, any PI or co-PI must hold either: a tenured or tenure-track position, or a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position Be at a US-based campus of an organization eligible to submit to this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting organization.

Individuals with primary appointments at for-profit non-academic organizations or at overseas branch campuses of US IHEs are not eligible. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An investigator may participate as Principal Investigator (PI) or co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) in no more than one (1) proposal submitted in response to any category of this solicitation per deadline. These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to be fair and consistent.

In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, the proposal with the earliest date and time of proposal submission will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=pappg . Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.

gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m. submitting organization’s local time): Emerging Ideas Proposals Only Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria.

Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration Information Standard NSF award conditions apply.

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. Scientific discovery and computational advancements have long been intertwined, catalyzing mutual progress. Scientific exploration has driven computing innovations, and the resulting technologies have enabled new scientific advances, fueling a virtuous cycle of discovery.

Supercomputing arose to meet the challenge of performing massive numeric simulations in the sciences; the World Wide Web (WWW) was initiated to share scientific data from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN); and the Human Genome Project provides an example of novel systems thinking that led to new, collaborative ways of tackling grand challenges in genetics and beyond.

In turn, these scientific endeavors motivated further advancements in computer algorithms, architectures, and systems, with areas of application extending far beyond the original scientific targets. Recent breakthroughs continue to demonstrate the intertwined nature of progress across computing and science.

AI systems have been used to predict a protein's 3D structure solely from its primary sequence; automated reasoning tools have been used to resolve Keller's long-unproved conjecture in geometry; and computational analysis has been used to create unprecedented telescopic imagery, including of the Sagittarius A* black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Such examples point to an opportunity to facilitate the next leap forward in harnessing computing to accelerate scientific discovery, inspiring reciprocal innovations in computing, which may benefit a broad set of domains.

The ACED program seeks to catalyze reciprocal advancements that: (a) accelerate scientific discoveries through computational technologies and (b) foster novel computing technologies that will enable advances beyond the specific use cases or domains originally targeted.

While there are active research communities developing new computing technologies for workflows, use cases, and problems within specific domains, there are relatively few cases where technological innovations are purposely designed to be transferred across disciplinary boundaries.

The co-evolution of the scientific method and the next generation of computing techniques has the potential to generalize across multiple scientific domains, leading to parallel advances in the sciences and computing. A key objective of the ACED program is to grow an interdisciplinary research community to accelerate advancements in computer-enabled scientific discovery.

The program seeks continuous collaborations between two groups of researchers. The first group consists of researchers in computing, which, for the purposes of this solicitation, is broadly defined as any research topic supported in the Core Programs of NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate.

The second group of researchers represent scientific disciplines, which, for the purposes of this solicitation, are defined as topics supported within existing programs of the following NSF directorates: Biological Sciences , Engineering , or Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Proposals that make strong advances primarily on one side of this relationship are not in scope.

Proposals that seek to apply existing computing techniques without intent to develop fundamental advances that leverage characteristics of the underlying scientific domain are also not in scope. Recent reports and workshops from the National Academies of Sciences and others highlight the need for interdisciplinary research at the confluence of computing and scientific discovery.

Each underscores the significant opportunities for computer-enabled scientific discovery across diverse technological and scientific domains.

To further explore opportunities for co-innovation, NSF supported a series of community-driven workshops in 2023 around five high-level, interrelated themes: data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence; computational modeling and digital twins; smart sensing and analytics; rigorous and reproducible scientific reasoning; and automated, programmable, and self-driving laboratories.

The ACED program solicits ambitious and innovative projects that seek to (a) accelerate scientific discoveries through computational technologies and (b) foster novel computing technologies that will enable advances beyond the specific use cases or domains originally targeted.

Projects should address specific challenges that include overcoming technological bottlenecks; accelerating scientific workflows; improving performance, productivity, reliability, and reproducibility; and/or facilitating knowledge sharing and interoperability.

A non-exhaustive list of representative research questions that might be explored is included below: What novel in situ or remote sensing techniques are needed to enable efficient, accurate scientific data collection, unlocking new scientific frontiers?

Examples include sensing at diverse resolutions and temporal and spatial scales; smart sensing technologies that operate in extreme conditions with low or intermittent power and/or connectivity; privacy-preserving sensor technology, dual or multi-purpose sensing infrastructure; and novel biosensors, quantum sensors, and nanosensors.

What new data curation, aggregation, and analytics techniques are needed to enable predictable, high-accuracy learning and inference based on large volumes of heterogenous sensor data?

Examples include novel approaches to data aggregation, curation, and quality assessment of rich multi-modal scientific data; novel machine learning methods for predictable inference over multi-modal scientific data novel methods of data; new approaches to distributed and federated learning at the edge; advanced privacy-enhancing technology methods for complex scientific data; and efficient and secure cloud computing.

What novel and generalizable artificial intelligence techniques are needed to accelerate scientific discovery?

Examples include novel natural language processing approaches for systematic scientific literature review; new generative methods in the small-data regime common in many scientific scenarios; novel large language models for generating hypotheses and designing experiments; new machine learning approaches for more accurate predictions and decision-making from numerical, imaging and text data; and novel computer vision for visual data analysis.

What new methods are needed to ensure correctness, reliability, robustness, reproducibility, safety, and efficiency of workflow across multiple scientific domains?

Examples include domain-specific programming languages for specification and multi-scale modeling; formal analysis, validation, and verification for finding erroneous, unspecified, or unexpected behaviors in models or processes; compilers for correct-by-construction translation and optimization; and proof checking and hypothesis generation (e.g., via interactive theorem provers).

What are the theoretical foundations and technological innovations needed to enable digital twins that far exceed the capabilities of traditional modeling and simulation frameworks?

Examples include real-time, multi-scale data assimilation from disparate sources; physics-based and data-driven modeling that accounts for complexity, scale, and uncertainty; dynamic, high-precision, high-speed simulation capabilities; advanced visualization using virtual, augmented, and extended reality; and frameworks to enable interoperability among diverse twins.

What is needed to enable programmable scientific laboratories that are partially or fully automated, with or without scientists in the loop, to allow faster and more efficient ways to design and conduct experiments?

Examples include methods that can dramatically shorten the time between iterations of experiments; high fidelity, computationally tractable simulation to guide experimentation; identification of experiments that are most amenable to automation and directly support the data needs for new methods; and autonomous systems that make it possible to conduct experiments that are too dangerous for human technicians.

The ACED program solicits proposals in two tracks: Track I: Emerging Ideas Proposals: Projects are limited to $500,000 in total budget, with durations of up to 18-24 months. This track is intended to support speculative projects that explore bold new research directions.

The goal of a Track I project should be to explore feasibility, including methods and preliminary results; refine the overall research plan based on these results; and garner insights into whether these advances generalize beyond the particular use case or domain.

Proposing teams are expected to have required expertise in computing and another scientific or engineering discipline, which in this solicitation is defined as those in the following NSF directorates: Biological Sciences , Engineering , or Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Further outreach activities to other computing and scientific domains are also encouraged.

New collaborative efforts are highly encouraged; teams do not need preliminary results or a track record of collaboration to apply. Track II: Discovery Proposals: Projects are limited to $750,000 per year for a duration of up to 4 years, for a total budget of up to $3,000,000.

The objective of this track is to support collaborative interdisciplinary research projects that, based on preliminary results, have demonstrated the potential to significantly advance both computing and another scientific discipline(s).

Track II proposals should clearly identify the scientific problem(s) to be addressed; make an effective case for why solving these problems would be significant in accelerating scientific discovery; and describe the specific computing research needed to address the associated problems. Proposing teams are expected to have preliminary results that demonstrate the potential of the proposed research.

Proposals should (if appropriate) include a plan for developing a substantial field demonstration, along with a detailed evaluation plan that discusses the scope of applicability, trade-offs, and limitations. Track I awardees are not obligated to submit Track II proposals in the future. An ACED Track I award is not required for the submission of a Track II proposal.

ACED PI Meeting: ACED aims to grow a new interdisciplinary research community. In this spirit, the program plans to host an in-person PI meeting in the fall of 2025, with participation from all funded PIs, along with other representatives from the research community, government, and industry.

For each ACED award, at least one collaborating PI focusing on computing and at least one PI focusing on the another scientific area must attend the PI meeting. Travel to this annual meeting in Alexandria, VA should be budgeted in the proposal submission for proposals in both tracks.

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 42 Approximately 30 Track I awards are anticipated in year one, and approximately 12 Track II awards are anticipated over the next two years, subject to availability of funds and quality of proposals received.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $15,000,000 Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. Interdisciplinary teams are expected to include at least one researcher from a CISE discipline and one researcher from another NSF discipline.

By the submission deadline, any PI or co-PI must hold either: a tenured or tenure-track position, or a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position Be at a US-based campus of an organization eligible to submit to this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting organization.

Individuals with primary appointments at for-profit non-academic organizations or at overseas branch campuses of US IHEs are not eligible. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An investigator may participate as Principal Investigator (PI) or co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) in no more than one (1) proposal submitted in response to any category of this solicitation per deadline. These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to be fair and consistent.

In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, the proposal with the earliest date and time of proposal submission will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made. V.

Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Full Proposal Preparation Instructions : Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research. gov or Grants.

gov. Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=pappg . Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov .

The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number. Full proposals submitted via Grants. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.

gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov .

The complete text of the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: ( https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=grantsgovguide ). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants. gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button.

Paper copies of the Grants. gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov .

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following: Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research. gov. PAPPG Chapter II.

E. 3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals. See PAPPG Chapter II.

D. 2 for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF. Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the PAPPG instructions.

Contributions to Computing and Scientific Discovery: All ACED Emerging Ideas and Discovery proposals must contain a separate section in the Project Description titled "Contributions to Computing and Scientific Discovery" to describe the novel contributions to both the computing and the scientific discipline and how these advances could generalize to other scientific domains.

Proposing teams are expected to have required expertise in computing and at least one other scientific discipline. Discovery proposals must make a convincing case that the collaborative contributions of the project team will be greater than the sum of each of their individual contributions.

Collaboration Plan: All ACED Emerging Ideas and Discovery proposals must contain a detailed Collaboration Plan submitted as a supplementary document that should not exceed two pages. Proposals that do not include a Collaboration Plan will be returned without review .

The Collaboration Plan must be labeled "Collaboration Plan" and must include: 1) the specific roles of the collaborating PIs, co-PIs, other Senior Personnel and paid consultants at all organizations involved; 2) how the project will be managed across institutions and disciplines; 3) identification of the specific collaboration mechanisms that will enable cross-discipline scientific integration (e.g., workshops, graduate student exchange, project meetings at conferences, use of videoconferencing and other communication tools, software repositories, etc.) and/or cross-institution; and 4) specific references to the budget line items that support these collaboration mechanisms.

Proposal Titles: Proposal titles must begin with ACED , followed by a colon and the title of the project (i.e., ACED: Title ). If you submit a proposal as part of a set of collaborative proposals, the title of the proposal should begin with Collaborative Research followed by a colon, then ACED followed by a colon, and the title.

For example, if you are submitting a collaborative set of proposals, then the title of each would be Collaborative Research: ACED: Title. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization’s local time): Emerging Ideas Proposals Only D. Research.

gov/Grants. gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via Research. gov: To prepare and submit a proposal via Research.

gov, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www. research. gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop?

_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=research_node_display&_nodePath=/researchGov/Service/Desktop/ProposalPreparationandSubmission. html . For Research.

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The Research. gov Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the Research. gov system.

Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity. For Proposals Submitted Via Grants. gov: Before using Grants.

gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants. gov website.

Comprehensive information about using Grants. gov is available on the Grants. gov Applicant Resources webpage: https://www.

grants. gov/web/grants/applicants. html .

In addition, the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide (see link in Section V. A) provides instructions regarding the technical preparation of proposals via Grants.

gov. For Grants. gov user support, contact the Grants. gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.

gov . The Grants. gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.

gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation. Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants. gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted.

The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants. gov. The completed application will be transferred to Research. gov for further processing.

The NSF Grants. gov Proposal Processing in Research. gov informational page provides submission guidance to applicants and links to helpful resources including the NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide , Grants. gov Proposal Processing in Research. gov how-to guide , and Grants.

gov Submitted Proposals Frequently Asked Questions . Grants. gov proposals must pass all NSF pre-check and post-check validations in order to be accepted by Research.

gov at NSF. When submitting via Grants. gov, NSF strongly recommends applicants initiate proposal submission at least five business days in advance of a deadline to allow adequate time to address NSF compliance errors and resubmissions by 5:00 p.

m. submitting organization's local time on the deadline. Please note that some errors cannot be corrected in Grants.

gov. Once a proposal passes pre-checks but fails any post-check, an applicant can only correct and submit the in-progress proposal in Research. gov. Proposers that submitted via Research. gov may use Research.

gov to verify the status of their submission to NSF. For proposers that submitted via Grants. gov, until an application has been received and validated by NSF, the Authorized Organizational Representative may check the status of an application on Grants.

gov. After proposers have received an e-mail notification from NSF, Research. gov should be used to check the status of an application. VI.

NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF requirements, for review.

All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process.

Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional.

Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending final action on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards.

A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposal and award process (and associated timeline) is included in PAPPG Exhibit III-1. A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/ . One of the strategic objectives in support of NSF's mission is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions must recruit, train, and prepare a diverse STEM workforce to advance the frontiers of science and participate in the U.S. technology-based economy.

NSF's contribution to the national innovation ecosystem is to provide cutting-edge research under the guidance of the Nation's most creative scientists and engineers. NSF also supports development of a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce by investing in building the knowledge that informs improvements in STEM teaching and learning.

NSF's mission calls for the broadening of opportunities and expanding participation