DMR-TMRP (Topical Materials Research Programs) is sponsored by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) - Division of Materials Research (DMR). Research supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena.

NSF 23-612: Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (DMR-TMRP) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version.

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 23-612: Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (DMR:TMRP) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Materials Research Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime Investigators are advised that the dates from April 15th to June 15th should, optimally, be avoided for submissions. Important Information And Revision Notes Additional requirements have been included for proposal preparation. Guidance on evaluating Data Management Plans is provided for PIs and reviewers, including a link to a DMR Data Management and Sharing Plan template .

Limitations are specified on the number of proposal submissions per fiscal year. (The NSF fiscal year begins October 1 st and ends September 30 th of the following year.) Exemptions to these limitations include submissions to the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) program.

This solicitation applies to the following DMR Topical Materials Research Programs: Biomaterials (BMAT), Ceramics (CER), Condensed Matter Physics (CMP), Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM), Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN), Polymers (POL), and Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC). The Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT) program has its own solicitation.

Proposers to CMMT must apply through solicitation NSF 23-611 . This solicitation follows the requirements of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) but has additional requirements. These are specified in Section II.

Program Description, Section IV. Eligibility Information, and Section V. Proposal Preparation Instructions.

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 at the time the proposal is 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.

Summary Of Program Requirements Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (DMR-TMRP) Materials Research is the field of science where physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering naturally converge in the pursuit of the fundamental understanding of the properties of materials and the phenomena they host.

Materials are abundant and pervasive, serving as critical building blocks in technology and innovation. Materials Research impacts life and society, as it shapes our understanding of the material world and enables significant advances spanning the range from nanoelectronics to health-related fields. The development and deployment of advanced materials are major drivers of U.S. economic growth.

Research supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena.

DMR awards enable understanding of the electronic, atomic, and molecular structures, mechanisms, and processes that govern nanoscale to macroscale morphology and properties; manipulation and control of these properties; discovery of emerging phenomena of matter and materials; and creation of novel design, synthesis, and processing strategies that lead to new materials with unique characteristics.

These discoveries and advancements transcend traditional scientific and engineering disciplines. Projects supported by DMR are not only essential for the development of future technologies and industries that address societal needs, but also for the preparation of the next generation of materials researchers. Eligibility rules apply for submissions; please see Section II.

Program Description, Section IV. Eligibility Information, and Section V. A Proposal Preparation Instructions 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. Nitsa Rosenzweig, Program Director, DMR/BMAT, Daniel Savin, Program Director, DMR/BMAT, Tomasz Durakiewicz, Program Director, DMR/CMP, Elizabeth K. Mann, Program Director, DMR/CMP, Paul A.

Lane, Program Director, DMR/EPM, Yaroslav Koshka, Program Director, DMR/EPM, Jonathan D. Madison, Program Director, DMR/MMN, DMR/CER, Andrew J. Lovinger, Program Director, DMR/POL, Christopher Ober, Program Director, DMR/POL, DMR/SSMC, Birgit Schwenzer, Program Director, DMR/SSMC, Douglas T.

Genna, Program Director, DMR/SSMC, Daryl W.

Hess, Program Director, DMR/CMMT, Alexios Klironomos, Program Director, DMR/CMMT, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Anticipated Funding Amount: 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. See "Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI" below. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: The NSF fiscal year begins on October 1 st and ends on September 30 th of the following year. The submission date of a proposal from an investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any of the programs covered by this solicitation cannot be within the same fiscal year as another proposal from the same investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any DMR-TMRP.

A list of DMR-TMRPs can be found at https://www. nsf. gov/funding/programs.

jsp? org=DMR , under "Topical Materials Research Programs." Failure to observe this submission constraint will lead to the offending proposal(s) being returned without review.

This restriction also includes proposals under Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI/ROA), Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E), international collaborative research programs, as well as any other type of proposal submitted directly to the TMRPs.

There are no limits to participating as Faculty Associate (as defined in PAPPG Exhibit II-3. A. 2) on multiple proposals concurrently under review.

In the rare case involving continued funding of two current DMR projects that are expiring in the same fiscal year an exception may be considered after consultation with the cognizant Program Officer(s).

Proposals for EAGER, RAPID, RAISE, and conferences, as well as supplemental funding requests for existing grants, are not subject to the limitations in this solicitation and may be submitted any time after consultation with and approval from the cognizant Program Officer(s).

EAGER/RAPID/RAISE and conference proposals, as well as requests for supplemental funding submitted without prior approval by a Program Officer will be returned without review.

CAREER proposals are exempt from the limitation on the number of proposals per fiscal year, as are proposals to non-TMRP programs within DMR, such as Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF), Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC), Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM), Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP), national facilities, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites.

The number of proposal submissions to divisions of NSF other than DMR is not limited. Only proposals that have been withdrawn do not count against the submission limit. 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. submitter's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime Investigators are advised that the dates from April 15th to June 15th should, optimally, be avoided for submissions.

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. Materials Research is the field of science where physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering naturally converge in the pursuit of the fundamental understanding of the properties of materials and the phenomena they host.

Materials are abundant and pervasive, serving as critical building blocks in technology and innovation. Materials Research impacts life and society, as it shapes our understanding of the material world and enables significant advances spanning the range from nanoelectronics to health-related fields. The development and deployment of advanced materials are major drivers of U.S. economic growth.

Research supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena.

DMR awards enable understanding of the electronic, atomic, and molecular structures, mechanisms, and processes that govern nanoscale to macroscale morphology and properties; manipulation and control of these properties; discovery of emerging phenomena of matter and materials; and creation of novel design, synthesis, and processing strategies that lead to new materials with unique characteristics.

These discoveries and advancements transcend traditional scientific and engineering disciplines. Projects supported by DMR are not only essential for the development of future technologies and industries that address societal needs, but also for the preparation of the next generation of materials researchers.

This solicitation covers submission of proposals to DMR Topical Materials Research Programs (these are also variously known as Individual Investigator Award (IIA) Programs, or Core Programs, or Disciplinary Programs).

Proposals are invited to the following Topical Materials Research Programs that are participating in this solicitation: Biomaterials (BMAT): [ Program Description ] Ceramics (CER): [ Program Description] Condensed Matter Physics (CMP): [ Program Description ] Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM): [ Program Description ] Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN): [ Program Description ] Polymers (POL): [ Program Description ] Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC): [Program Description ] Please note that the Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT) program is NOT participating in this solicitation as it is governed by its own solicitation.

Proposers to the CMMT program must apply through solicitation NSF 23-611 . Projects currently supported by DMR Programs can be found by using the NSF Awards Search engine at https://www. nsf.

gov/awardsearch/advancedSearch. jsp . Important Additional Information: All proposals submitted to these DMR-TMRPs (other than the following exceptions) must be submitted through this solicitation, otherwise they will be returned without review.

Exceptions are proposals through mechanisms that have their own solicitation, such as CAREER and RUI/ROA. CAREER proposals must be submitted to the CAREER program by the deadline date specified in the program solicitation.

RUI/ROA proposals have no deadline: they should be submitted through the RUI/ROA solicitation but are subject to the same submission constraints as other proposals submitted to the DMR Topical Materials Research Programs. Proposals under the following special categories are also welcome through this solicitation: Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) (see PAPPG Chapter II.

F ) Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions ( RUI/ROA ) Dear Colleague Letter: NSF and US-Israel Binational Science Foundation, NSF 20-094 Dear Colleague Letter: United States-Ireland-Northern Ireland R&D Partnership, NSF 20-064 Investigators are advised that the dates from April 15 th to June 15 th should, optimally, be avoided for submissions.

Proposals that fall outside the scope and mission of the Division of Materials Research or the Synopses of the participating DMR-TMRPs will be returned without review. If prospective investigators have questions, they are encouraged to consult with the cognizant Program Officer(s) well in advance of submission.

Prior to preparing any proposal for submission to the DMR TMRPs requesting funding through a discretionary mechanism, such as EAGER/RAPID, supplemental funding, or support for a conference/workshop, the PI must contact a TMRP Program Director to determine the appropriateness of the proposal for both the program and the particular type of proposal.

Proposals of these types and supplement requests submitted without prior approval by a TMRP Program Director will be returned without review. Supplemental funding is intended only for unanticipated opportunities that arise during the course of the project.

Projects anticipating the inclusion of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), or Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) activities should include those as part of the research proposal. Exceptions include the Career-Life Balance initiative , MPS AGEP-GRS Dear Colleague Letter and MPS-GRSV Dear Colleague Letter . Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 250 pending availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $66,000,000 Approximately $66,000,000 pending availability of funds. Average award sizes vary greatly among Programs since they may fund different proportions of standard vs. continuing grants. For specific information, Investigators may consult the individual Program or use the NSF Award Search engine at https://www.

nsf. gov/awardsearch/advancedSearch. jsp to search for awards by Program or Program Officer.

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. See "Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI" below. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: The NSF fiscal year begins on October 1 st and ends on September 30 th of the following year. The submission date of a proposal from an investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any of the programs covered by this solicitation cannot be within the same fiscal year as another proposal from the same investigator, whether as PI or co-PI, to any DMR-TMRP.

A list of DMR-TMRPs can be found at https://www. nsf. gov/funding/programs.

jsp? org=DMR , under "Topical Materials Research Programs." Failure to observe this submission constraint will lead to the offending proposal(s) being returned without review.

This restriction also includes proposals under Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI/ROA), Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E), international collaborative research programs, as well as any other type of proposal submitted directly to the TMRPs.

There are no limits to participating as Faculty Associate (as defined in PAPPG Exhibit II-3. A. 2) on multiple proposals concurrently under review.

In the rare case involving continued funding of two current DMR projects that are expiring in the same fiscal year an exception may be considered after consultation with the cognizant Program Officer(s).

Proposals for EAGER, RAPID, RAISE, and conferences, as well as supplemental funding requests for existing grants, are not subject to the limitations in this solicitation and may be submitted any time after consultation with and approval from the cognizant Program Officer(s).

EAGER/RAPID/RAISE and conference proposals, as well as requests for supplemental funding submitted without prior approval by a Program Officer will be returned without review.

CAREER proposals are exempt from the limitation on the number of proposals per fiscal year, as are proposals to non-TMRP programs within DMR, such as Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF), Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC), Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM), Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP), national facilities, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites.

The number of proposal submissions to divisions of NSF other than DMR is not limited. Only proposals that have been withdrawn do not count against the submission limit. 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.

Additional Requirements and Instructions : The following instructions supplement the NSF PAPPG and the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: Project Description : Investigators should briefly address the relationship of the present proposal to their currently funded projects or pending proposals and should explain how the work proposed under this solicitation is distinct. This information should be included in the Project Description.

Data Management Plan : This solicitation supports the emerging area of data-intensive materials research, including materials research driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Investigators are strongly encouraged to consider the process of digital data creation and to develop practices and an adequate plan for sharing software and data.

The Data Management Plan should explain how data created through the project will be made findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), as appropriate for the project and the created data. The Data Management Plan should be responsive to the guidance presented at the Division of Materials Research link under Requirements by Directorate, Office, Division, Program, or other NSF Unit, at https://www. nsf.

gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp. jsp . It is a reasonable expectation that data supporting published work will be freely available without request within a reasonable time from publication.

Further effective practices for making research data discoverable and citable have also been communicated in a Dear Colleague Letter from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, see https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=nsf22055 . Proposers should note that the Division of Materials Research has made available a Data Management and Sharing Plan Template to facilitate the creation of a responsive Data Management Plan.

Using the DMR template is not mandatory, but highly recommended. The template can be found here: https://www. nsf.

gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmpdocs/dmr_template. pdf Proposers are reminded that the Data Management Plan will be reviewed (see Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria below).

Suggested Reviewers : Investigators are requested to upload under Single-Copy Documents a list (with full names, affiliations, expertise, and email addresses) of at least four suggested reviewers who are experts in the particular field, are especially well-qualified to review the topic, and are at arm's length (i.e. they are not close friends, collaborators over the past 48 months, co-editors over the past 24 months, or have any other conflicts of interest listed in Exhibit II-2 of the NSF PAPPG.)

This list should also include the Principal Investigator's name and institution at the top of the page.

Revisions : For those proposals that are resubmissions of previously declined proposals by any NSF Program, Investigators are requested to upload under Single-Copy Documents a statement (maximum length one page) that discusses specifically how the present proposal has been modified in response to the comments of the reviewers, panel, and Program Officer (as the case may be).

Proposals that in the judgment of the Program Officer have not been substantially revised will be returned without review. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitter's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime Investigators are advised that the dates from April 15th to June 15th should, optimally, be avoided for submissions. 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. gov user support, call the Research. gov Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or e-mail rgov@nsf.

gov . 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. 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 of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports. A.

Merit Review Principles and Criteria The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge and enables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education.

To identify which projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes."

NSF makes every effort to conduct a fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects. 1. Merit Review Principles These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, by reviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommend proposals for funding and while overseeing awards.

Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply: All NSF projects should be of the highest quality and have the potential to advance, if not transform, the frontiers of knowledge. NSF projects, in the aggregate, should contribute more broadly to achieving societal goals.

These "Broader Impacts" may be accomplished through the research itself, through activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. The project activities may be based on previously established and/or innovative methods and approaches, but in either case must be well justified.

Meaningful assessment and evaluation of NSF funded projects should be based on appropriate metrics, keeping in mind the likely correlation between the effect of broader impacts and the resources provided to implement projects. If the size of the activity is limited, evaluation of that activity in isolation is not likely to be meaningful.

Thus, assessing the effectiveness of these activities may best be done at a higher, more aggregated, level than the individual project. With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregated level, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project.

Thus, individual projects should include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to document the outputs of those activities. These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of the criteria can better understand their intent.

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. The two merit review criteria are listed below.

Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (PAPPG Chapter II.

D. 2. d(i).

contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal). Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including PAPPG Chapter II. D.

2. d(i), prior to the review of a proposal. When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful.

These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate