Biophotonics (NSF 23-535)

Biophotonics (NSF 23-535) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

NSF 23-535: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows | 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 23-535: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows Posted: December 15, 2022 for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to this program solicitation.

Download the solicitation (PDF, 1. 6mb) National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Second Tuesday in April, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes PI eligibility is expanded to include non-tenured and tenured Assistant and Associate professor ranks (or equivalent ranks). Budgetary Limitations are expanded to allow for travel funds allocated for the host collaborator.

The fellowship provides opportunities for extended or periodic collaborative visits to the selected host site. RII Track-4:Fellows Advancing Science and Technology (RII Track-4: FAST) is renamed to RII Track-4:@NASA. All NASA Centers are eligible to participate in the RII Track-4:@NASA sub-track.

The number of allowable proposals per institution is increased from three to four in both RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NASA. 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 EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide.

EPSCoR jurisdictions that are eligible for Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) competitions are listed in the RII Eligibility table, which can be found here . Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness.

EPSCoR RII Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development in STEM and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels.

EPSCoR RII Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research centers.

The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site.

Through collaborative research activities with the host site, Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions.

The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. The benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows offers the following two sub-tracks: While the two tracks are similar in achieving the same goals, RII Track-4:NSF is open to a broad community and RII Track-4:@NASA focuses on faculty from institutions with high enrollments of students from underrepresented populations in STEM (See Section "IV.

Eligibility Information" for more details) to collaborate with researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research centers. PIs who are eligible for both tracks may apply for only one track per competition cycle.

In both sub-tracks, the RII Track-4 provides opportunities for the participation of one trainee, who must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled full-time in an accredited degree program, or a postdoctoral researcher from an EPSCoR jurisdiction. Staff members, such as technicians or lab assistants could be considered as trainees when properly justified.

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. Jose Colom-Ustariz, NSF, telephone: (703) 292-7088, email: jcolom@nsf.

gov Chinonye Whitley, NSF, telephone: (703) 292-8458, email: cwhitley@nsf. gov Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, NSF, telephone: (703) 292-8246, email: pbentzvi@nsf. gov Ali Shaykhian, NASA, telephone: (321) 289-0512, email: Agency-EPSCoR-RII-Track-4@mail.

nasa. gov Dawn M. Martin, NASA, telephone: (321) 747-8093, email: Agency-EPSCoR-RII-Track-4@mail.

nasa. gov Jeppie Compton, NASA, telephone: (321) 867-6988, email: Agency-EPSCoR-RII-Track-4@mail. nasa.

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. 075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences 47. 076 --- STEM Education 47.

079 --- Office of International Science and Engineering 47. 083 --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) 47.

084 --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 40 Estimated Number of Awards Per Track: Anticipated Funding Amount: $12,000,000 Anticipated Funding Amount Per Track: RII Track-4:NSF: $9,000,000 RII Track-4:@NASA: $3,000,000 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: EPSCoR jurisdictions that are RII-eligible for the FY 2023 RII Track-4 competition are listed in the FY 2023 RII Eligibility table, which can be found here . Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows: Institutions of higher education (Ph. D.

-granting and non-Ph. D. -granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions.

Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.

Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities.

These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an Office of Sponsored Projects) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

In addition, for the RII Track-4:@NASA opportunity, PIs must be employed by an institution that is from at least one of the four categories: Minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other institutions that enroll a significant percentage of students from underrepresented populations as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and Native American-serving non-tribal institutions; Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.

D. /D. Sci.

degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years; Institutions of higher education that are dedicated to serve students with disabilities, as listed in Table 1, page 5 , of NSF's 2008 Broadening Participation report ( https://nsf-gov-resources. nsf. gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.

pdf ); Degree-granting women's colleges, as listed in the U.S. Department of Education Digest of Education Statistics ( https://nces. ed. gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_312.

30. asp ). Principal Investigators must either: hold a non-tenured faculty position at a degree-granting institution of higher education; or a faculty member who hold long-term positions outside of the tenure track regardless of their position title or rank.

be in an early-career, career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization; hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position) at an institution that is eligible to submit as described under "Who May Submit Proposals;" or For the faculty category of applicants, the faculty ranking should be determined by the faculty rank at the proposal's deadline date.

For some NASA research facilities, PIs and trainees must be U.S. Citizens, unless otherwise specified. Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible for research opportunities at NASA centers. Additional eligibility restrictions for both tracks are as follows: Only single-PI proposals will be considered.

No co-PIs should be included in the proposal. Persons who hold transitional fixed-term postdoctoral appointments are not eligible to apply as PI, even if their organizations classify such appointments as 'faculty' for administrative purposes. In all cases, the required letter from the PI's supervisory administrator should verify the PI's eligibility relative to these criteria.

For submissions from a Primarily Undergraduate Institution a letter from the institution's Authorized Organizational Representative certifying their status as such is required. See Section V. A.

below for further information. The PI may hold or accept fellowships of equal caliber (i.e., similar intent, funding level, and or prestige) concurrently with a Track-4 Fellow award. Any questions regarding PI eligibility should be directed toward the cognizant Program Officers listed above.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: A maximum of four proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction. A maximum of four proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction.

In the case that the institution is eligible to submit both RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NASA proposals, a maximum total of eight proposals, including a maximum of four RII Track-4:NSF proposals and four RII Track-4:@NASA proposals, may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in a RII-eligible jurisdiction.

If more than the maximum allowable proposals are submitted from any single institution, all proposals from that institution are subject to return without review. The organization's Sponsored Projects Office is required to ensure that the above requirements are met. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An investigator may serve as PI on only one proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

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: "Off campus" indirect cost rates may apply. Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Second Tuesday in April, Annually Thereafter 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. The mission of EPSCoR is to assist the National Science Foundation in its statutory function "to strengthen research and education in science and engineering throughout the United States and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education."

EPSCoR goals are to: Catalyze the development of research capabilities and the creation of new knowledge that expands jurisdictions' contributions to scientific discovery, innovation, learning, and knowledge-based prosperity; Establish sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, training, and professional development pathways that advance jurisdiction-identified research areas and workforce development; Broaden direct participation of demographically diverse individuals, institutions, and organizations in the project's science and engineering research and education initiatives; Effect sustainable engagement of project participants and partners, the jurisdictions, the national research community, and the general public through data-sharing, communication, outreach, and dissemination; and Impact research, education, and economic development beyond the project at academic, government, and private sector levels.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows Developing the full potential of EPSCoR jurisdictions' science and engineering research workforce is critical to the long-term competitiveness of the jurisdictions and the nation overall.

To realize this potential, it is often worthwhile for researchers to spend periods of time at other institutions, forming deep collaborative connections that can be sustained for many years throughout their careers.

The benefits of such an experience may be particularly valuable to those researchers who are not yet firmly established in their careers or who have had a pause in research activity and are looking to relaunch back into active research.

This EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows solicitation provides an opportunity for early career and non-tenured and tenured assistant/associate professor faculty to establish strong collaborations with the option to spend extended or periodic time (e.g., one, two, or three-month summer extended visit) at the nation's premier research facilities.

The fellowship period may be used to initiate new collaborative relationships, to expand existing partnerships in ambitious new directions, or to make use of unique equipment not available at the PI's home institution. Successful fellowships will positively impact and potentially transform the recipient's research career trajectory.

This fellowship support is intended to provide opportunities for PIs to establish collaborations and work at facilities of national prominence that would not otherwise be possible without the fellowship.

EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows Tracks This solicitation offers two tracks: While they are similar in achieving the same goals, RII Track-4:NSF is open to a broad community, and RII Track-4:@NASA focuses on PIs from specific institutions of higher education with high enrollments of students from underrepresented populations in STEM (See Section "IV.

Eligibility Information" for more details) to collaborate with scientists at NASA's research centers. PIs who are eligible for both tracks may apply for only one track per competition cycle. The support should contribute to both the PI's research capacity and to the improvement of their institution's scientific competitiveness more broadly.

RII Track-4:@NASA provides support to further develop the individual research potential of early career, non-tenured, and tenured faculty and researchers, including those at the assistant or associate (or equivalent) professor rank through collaborative activities, including extended or periodic visits (e.g., one, two, or three-month summer extended visit) to the selected NASA Center.

This initiative is a joint effort coordinated by NSF EPSCoR and NASA EPSCoR specifically focusing on Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that primarily serve students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM, including those from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, those with disabilities, and women.

In addition to minority-serving institutions, two-year colleges and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) are encouraged to submit. NSF and NASA aim to recognize efforts to build research capacity and transform the career trajectories of investigators at institutions that are historically under-served and to further enhance their individual research potential through collaborative activities.

Through this opportunity, RII Track-4:@NASA awardees will receive an additional $60,000 from NASA to support their research at the home institution; this fund is awarded through the NASA EPSCoR, Research Infrastructure Development (RID) cooperative agreements, coordinated through the designated jurisdiction's director, and should help to build the awardees' research infrastructure and capacity.

Fellowship awardees will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing knowledge, benefit from access to unique NASA equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions of importance to science and technology.

The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. Awardees will have the opportunity to collaborate with NASA Mentors who serve as research collaborators, or technical monitors. The NASA EPSCoR office will coordinate the logistical requirements to conduct the visit(s) at NASA sites.

Awardees will be able to leverage the expertise gained through working with NASA Engineers/Scientists to build capacity at their home institution. The Fellow and the NASA Engineers/Scientists are encouraged to work together to generate peer-reviewed publications and professional conference presentations sharing their research accomplishments. The fellowship is contingent upon matching the applicant with a NASA Engineer or Scientist.

Review the https://www. nasa. gov/stem/epscor/rii-track-4/index.

html for details related to the matching process. Keywords : Early Career Investigator, Mid-Career Investigator, Professional Development, Fellowship The primary driver for this opportunity is the desire to increase the competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible institutions by catalyzing and strengthening the research programs of their talented faculty.

Over the long term, EPSCoR investments are expected to result in sustained improvements in the individual research competitiveness of its awardees and to stimulate broader improvements to the research capacity of the awardees' institutions and jurisdictions. Proposals must demonstrate in a compelling way that each of these goals will be met.

Awards will provide support for applicants to travel and spend up to six months at a premier research facility within the United States and its territories (the "host site"); salary support will be provided. In addition, each award will provide support for the PI to travel to the host site, including both transportation and living expenses for the duration of the required visit(s).

Up to six total months of salary support and travel expenses may also be requested for one additional trainee such as an undergraduate or graduate student, a postdoctoral or a technical staff member of the PI's Institution, to work with the PI and complete the planned activities.

Additional support will be allowed to cover other travel and direct costs that are specifically associated with the fellowship project (e.g., purchasing supplies, shipping, publication costs, equipment, facility fees, attendance at conferences and related costs, etc.). Please see the "Budgetary Limitations" for greater details.

Expectations for Successful Proposals Successful RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NASA proposals will present exciting, vibrant fellowship ideas that will positively impact and potentially transform the PI's individual career trajectory. Proposals will be evaluated for the extent to which a fellowship has the potential to positively transform the PI's individual career trajectory.

Fellowships are also expected to impact the PI's research field, potential scientific discoveries, institution, and jurisdiction.

All proposals should include well-defined, reasoned, and organized research objectives that could be driven by specific research questions or hypotheses, motivation, and context for the work to be conducted, the PI's specific research activities at the host site, and a discussion of how the benefits gained from the fellowship will be sustained beyond the award period.

Note that clear specifications of research goals, activities, expected outcomes, and a project timetable are requirements for successful proposals. It is also crucial that the proposal explain clearly how the PI's research program would specifically benefit from the fellowship mechanism – identifying what specific opportunities will be made possible via the PI's collaborations and visit(s) to the host site.

Benefits to the Home Institution and/or Jurisdiction The direct benefits of RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NSF fellowships are expected to be to the PI's individual research career trajectory. However, consistent with its programmatic focus on jurisdictional research capacity, NSF and NASA EPSCoR expects successful fellowships to also yield benefits to the PI's home institution and/or jurisdiction.

Narrative text that describes how improving the PI's individual research capacity will directly raise her/his institution's overall capacity must be included. It is expected that successful fellowships will include more proactive efforts to leverage the fellowship experience to achieve increased institutional or jurisdictional benefits.

PIs are encouraged to present creative approaches for achieving this desired outcome within the overall constraints of the fellowship mechanism. Partnership Considerations As stated in the overview, this opportunity is intended to provide support for PIs to collaborate with facilities of national prominence that would not otherwise be possible without the fellowship.

For this reason, the project description should include narrative text that explains why the interactions could not occur without the large injection of fellowship funding intended to support the collaboration. An extended visit/relocation or a number of short periodic visits of the PI to the host institution is considered a primary feature of this fellowship activity.

A host site located within the PI's current institutional system is not allowed. It is expected that the PI will complete, as minimum, a one-month extended visit to the host institution, or an equivalent of several periodic visits totaling one month over the duration of the award. In addition, the fellowship is focused on creating new partnerships, advancing existing partnerships, or moving in new research directions.

For this program, work with the PI's prior graduate or postdoctoral advisor is not encouraged unless the PI proposes to move in a new and independent research direction. If the fellowship does not meet the goal of moving in a research direction that is independent from the research of a prior graduate or postdoctoral advisor, the proposal should include narrative text that explains the fellowship's benefits to the PI.

RII Track-4:NSF Guidance for Letters Proposals must include letters, as described below in "Additional Guidance for RII Track-4:NSF" and "Additional Guidance for RII Track-4:@NASA". The award duration for fellowships will be for a maximum of 24 months. For planning purposes, PIs should assume that the award start date will be approximately nine months after the proposal deadline date.

Eligible Host Organizations for RII Track-4:NSF Host sites may be academic institutions, government laboratories, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), or commercial or non-profit research centers.

A PI proposing to visit a government laboratory, or a similar site, with a policy that requires the submission of a proposal for the use of instrumentation is expected to describe a plan for securing access to this equipment within the proposal's project description. Host sites must be located within the United States or its territories. Only a single host site may be identified in the proposal.

PIs are not allowed to split their fellowship period between two or more host sites. Eligible Host Organizations for RII Track-4:@NASA Applicants must contact the NASA EPSCoR coordinator through the Agency-EPSCoR-rii-track-4@mail. nasa.

gov expressing their interest; additional information, including NASA's research interests, can be found through the link https://www. nasa. gov/stem/epscor/rii-track-4/index.

html . Matching Process for RII Track-4:@NASA A NASA mentor must be identified, and collaboration must be established to move forward with the proposal process. The applicants must email their CVs, contact information, and research interest to the NASA EPSCoR coordinator.

Once a research topic is identified, the NASA EPSCoR coordinator will facilitate research discussions and collaborations with the NASA Mentor. In some cases, PIs may have prior research collaboration with NASA Scientists/Engineers, this information should be shared with the EPSCoR coordinator to proceed with possible match.

The PI is required to include a letter of from the primary research collaborator or a letter from the NASA EPSCoR coordinator, in the proposal package. Please see section V. A for additional information and guidance.

RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NASA awards will be made as standard grants. The award amount will not exceed $300,000 for Track-4:NSF and $360,000 for RII Track-4:@NASA (additional $60K provided by NASA). Project duration is limited to 24 months.

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: EPSCoR jurisdictions that are RII-eligible for the FY 2023 RII Track-4 competition are listed in the FY 2023 RII Eligibility table, which can be found here .

Proposals may only be submitted by organizations located in RII-eligible jurisdictions, as follows: Institutions of higher education (Ph. D. -granting and non-Ph.

D. -granting), acting on behalf of their faculty members, that are accredited in and have a campus in the United States, its territories or possessions. Distinct academic campuses (e.g., that award their own degrees, have independent administrative structures, admissions policies, alumni associations, etc.) within multi-campus systems qualify as separate submission-eligible institutions.

Not-for-profit, non-degree-granting domestic U.S. organizations, acting on behalf of their employees, that include (but are not limited to) independent museums and science centers, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations that are directly associated with the Nation's research or educational activities.

These organizations must have an independent, permanent administrative organization (e.g., an Office of Sponsored Projects) located in the United States, its territories, or possessions, and have 501(c)(3) tax status.

In addition, for the RII Track-4:@NASA opportunity, PIs must be employed by an institution that is from at least one of the four categories: Minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other institutions that enroll a significant percentage of students from underrepresented populations as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and Native American-serving non-tribal institutions; Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two-year colleges, that award associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and/or master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.

D. /D. Sci.

degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years; Institutions of higher education that are dedicated to serve students with disabilities, as listed in Table 1, page 5, of NSF's 2008 Broadening Participation report ( https://nsf-gov-resources. nsf. gov/2022-03/nsf_frameworkforaction_0808.

pdf ); Degree-granting women's colleges, as listed in the U.S. Department of Education Digest of Education Statistics ( https://nces. ed. gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_312.

30. asp ). Principal Investigators must either: hold a non-tenured faculty position at a degree-granting institution of higher education; or a faculty member who hold long-term positions outside of the tenure track regardless of their position title or rank.

be in an early-career, career-track position at an eligible non-degree-granting organization; hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position) at an institution that is eligible to submit as described under "Who May Submit Proposals;" or For the faculty category of applicants, the faculty ranking should be determined by the faculty rank at the proposal's deadline date.

For some NASA research facilities, PIs and trainees must be U.S. Citizens, unless otherwise specified. Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible for research opportunities at NASA centers. Additional eligibility restrictions for both tracks are as follows: Only single-PI proposals will be considered.

No co-PIs should be included in the proposal. Persons who hold transitional fixed-term postdoctoral appointments are not eligible to apply as PI, even if their organizations classify such appointments as 'faculty' for administrative purposes. In all cases, the required letter from the PI's supervisory administrator should verify the PI's eligibility relative to these criteria.

For submissions from a Primarily Undergraduate Institution a letter from the institution's Authorized Organizational Representative certifying their status as such is required. See Section V. A.

below for further information. The PI may hold or accept fellowships of equal caliber (i.e., similar intent, funding level, and or prestige) concurrently with a Track-4 Fellow award. Any questions regarding PI eligibility should be directed toward the cognizant Program Officers listed above.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: A maximum of four proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction. A maximum of four proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in an RII-eligible jurisdiction.

In the case that the institution is eligible to submit both RII Track-4:NSF and RII Track-4:@NASA proposals, a maximum total of eight proposals, including a maximum of four RII Track-4:NSF proposals and four RII Track-4:@NASA proposals, may be submitted in response to this solicitation by any single organization in a RII-eligible jurisdiction.

If more than the maximum allowable proposals are submitted from any single institution, all proposals from that institution are subject to return without review. The organization's Sponsored Projects Office is required to ensure that the above requirements are met. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An investigator may serve as PI on only one proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

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 . 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. The following instructions are specific to proposals submitted to the Research Infrastructure Improvement Program Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows competition and supplement the NSF