Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes (NSF 23-606)

Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes (NSF 23-606) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). Supports national mathematical research institutes that advance fundamental research and address problems in other disciplines. This grant opportunity aims to fund efforts to strengthen research infrastructure across the mathematical sciences community.

NSF 23-606: Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Not currently accepting proposals This program is awaiting a new solicitation and is not currently accepting proposals.

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 23-606: Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes 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 Mathematical Sciences Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Important Information And Revision Notes This program solicitation invites proposals for new institute projects from U.S. sites as well as renewal proposals from any of the U.S.-based institutes that have previous funding from NSF.

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 Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes are national resources that aim to advance research in the mathematical sciences through programs supporting discovery and dissemination of knowledge in mathematics and statistics and enhancing connections to related fields in which the mathematical sciences can play important roles.

Institute activities help focus the attention of some of the best mathematical minds on problems of particular importance and timeliness. Institutes are also community resources that involve a broad segment of U.S.-based mathematical sciences researchers in their activities.

The goals of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes program include advancing research in the mathematical sciences, increasing the impact of the mathematical sciences in other disciplines, and expanding the talent base engaged in mathematical research in the United States. 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.

Joanna Kania-Bartoszynska, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 8 Anticipated Funding Amount: $40,000,000 Up to this amount will be initially available for this activity in FY 2025, subject to availability of funds and quality of proposals.

Award amounts are anticipated to range from approximately $2. 5 million per year to $6 million per year for up to five years. 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. Multi-institutional consortia are permitted, but a single entity must accept overall management responsibility. There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits. 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: 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): 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 Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. The Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports a number of research institutes in the mathematical sciences.

The goals of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes program include advancing research in the mathematical sciences, increasing the impact of the mathematical sciences in other disciplines, and expanding the talent base engaged in mathematical research in the United States. Institutes have proven to be an effective means of achieving these goals.

Two institutes were established in 1980; since then, the portfolio of Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes has evolved, and DMS now supports several U.S.-based institutes. Further information about DMS-supported institutes is available through the web site http://www. mathinstitutes.

org/ .

Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes are large-scale projects that collectively have several important impacts: Institutes advance research in the mathematical sciences, encourage research that is timely and potentially transformative, and assist rapid and broad dissemination of new ideas; Institutes focus effort and excellence in the mathematical sciences, operating on a national scale to reach across the mathematical disciplines, to explore emerging frontiers of those disciplines, and to engage with scientific opportunities in other fields; Institutes provide intellectual infrastructure for research collaborations within the mathematical sciences and at the interface of the mathematical sciences and other disciplines; Institutes increase the impact of the mathematical sciences in other disciplines by sponsoring interdisciplinary activities and enhancing synergistic approaches to significant scientific problems; Institutes provide opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows to interact with leading researchers; Institutes support the exchange of information with business, industry, government, and national laboratories, providing access to expertise in the mathematical sciences; Institutes demonstrate leadership in promoting broad participation in the mathematical sciences enterprise; Institutes provide opportunities for outreach to the scientific community and the public at large; Institutes play an important role in fostering international collaborations.

The mathematical sciences have gone through a period of spectacular growth and excitement. New ideas have been developed within the discipline and some significant long-standing open problems have been solved. At the same time, the mathematical sciences have been embraced as an enabling technology in many areas of application, from the physical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and artificial intelligence technologies.

The Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes have played an important role in these developments, and this role is expected to grow. The Division of Mathematical Sciences invites proposals for projects that contribute to this important, influential activity. This competition welcomes new projects from U.S. sites as well as renewal proposals from any of the U.S.-based institutes that have had previous funding from NSF.

The Division of Mathematical Sciences intends that awards resulting from this competition will be five-year continuing grants and that renewal proposals following those awards may be submitted to the next competition in this series, circa FY 2029.

The Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks proposals for Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes that will advance research in the mathematical sciences, increase the impact of the mathematical sciences in other disciplines, and expand the talent base engaged in mathematical research in the United States.

DMS is particularly interested in proposals that are creative, demonstrate vision, and involve the fullest spectrum of the mathematical sciences appropriate to the proposed institute's mission. The structure of a proposed institute is unspecified.

The Division of Mathematical Sciences encourages prospective applicants to consider the structure of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes currently supported by the Division and, where appropriate, to propose alternative structures that complement the existing ones and increase the potential to transform the mathematical sciences landscape. The following considerations should inform the proposed activity.

While hosting a DMS research institute confers benefits on a hosting organization, DMS intends research institute activity to be first and foremost a service to the mathematical sciences community as a whole. Proposals centered on the interests or advancement of a particular institution are not appropriate for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes program.

Mathematical Sciences Research Institute activities are expected to involve the mathematical sciences community on a national, if not international, scale. Institute activities should reflect broad community involvement, not only in participation but also in genesis of programmatic activities. Institute programs must be open to applications from members of the entire relevant constituency across the nation.

Proposals should include detailed plans to recruit and involve participants from a wide range of institution types, demographic types, and career seniority. Proposals should include description of an explicit mechanism for selection of program organizers and program participants that is open and aims to reflect such balance.

It is expected that institute activity will be subject to direction and oversight by distinguished governing boards. Such governing boards must be constituted broadly, with membership across the relevant community, and proposals should describe the mechanisms by which governing boards will be appointed and through which oversight will be conducted.

DMS particularly values the research institutes for their ability to reach a much wider community of U.S. mathematical scientists than those directly supported by DMS through its Individual Investigator grant programs. Proposed projects should include explicit mechanisms to ensure the participation and support of U.S.-based mathematical scientists without other sources of grant support.

While institute programs will often naturally involve foreign participants, the bulk of DMS funding for participants in institute programs is expected to support U.S.-based participants, reflecting the investment of U.S. federal funds in Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes.

While institute activities are expected to center on advancing research in the mathematical sciences and related fields, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes also play a significant role in the training through research involvement of the next generation of mathematical scientists. Proposals should include plans for the involvement of students and postdoctoral associates in institute activities, as appropriate.

Knowledge Dissemination and Outreach It is anticipated that Mathematical Sciences Research Institute activities will catalyze new discoveries. To enhance this process of discovery, institutes are expected to disseminate outcomes of programmatic activities, and proposals should include plans for such dissemination.

In addition to their primary goals in research advancement and workforce development, Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes can provide unique and highly visible venues for outreach to the general public as well as to the scientific community broadly, and proposals should include ideas for potential outreach activities.

Projects on the scale of Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes call for regular, ongoing evaluation to monitor and evaluate progress in meeting goals, to provide feedback, and to suggest potential changes and improvements. Mathematical Sciences Research Institute awards are subject to specific reporting requirements about the programmatic activities and the participants involved.

In addition, proposals should describe plans for formative evaluation during the course of the institute activities and for summative evaluation of progress toward the institute's goals. In short, a proposal should describe the vision for the proposed institute as a national resource; the challenges motivating this vision; and the rationale for an institute to address these challenges.

It should define the mission and goals of the proposed institute; describe how these goals will be achieved, together with appropriate measures to evaluate progress toward these goals; and make a compelling case for the institute's national scope and anticipated impact on the mathematical sciences.

It should indicate the governance and management structure of the proposed institute; describe the process of generating, selecting, and evaluating the activities of the proposed institute; and give criteria for the selection of participants and the allocation of funds.

It should address the ways in which training of the next generation of mathematical scientists will be integrated with the research program of the proposed institute; and discuss plans for outreach activities and the dissemination of knowledge generated at the proposed institute.

Proposals from existing institutes seeking renewal under this solicitation must describe both the institute's past accomplishments and its plans for future development. Up to eight awards will be made, depending on the quality of the submissions and the availability of funds. A total amount of up to $40 million may be available in FY 2025 for this activity.

Award amounts are anticipated to range from approximately $2. 5 million per year to $6 million per year for up to five years. Awards are expected to be continuing grants; funds are released annually subject to approval by DMS and the availability of funds.

In Year 5, institutes are welcome to submit a renewal proposal for a subsequent five years of funding. A renewal proposal may be funded depending on the results of prior support and merit review, always subject to the availability of funds. The review of renewal proposals will emphasize evaluation of the results under prior support as well as plans for future activity.

At the conclusion of the review of a renewal proposal, DMS will inform the awardee whether DMS finds that the institute's activities warrant renewal for an additional five-year period, or whether a plan must be put into effect for phase-out of DMS support. Renewal proposals may be funded with phase-out awards of duration fewer than five additional years.

However, it is anticipated that except in unusual circumstances the first renewal proposal for a well-functioning newly-created institute will receive an additional five years of support. 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. Multi-institutional consortia are permitted, but a single entity must accept overall management responsibility. There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits. 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. Full proposals must conform to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) requirements, with the following modifications: Any multi-institutional collaboration must be submitted as a single proposal with subawards.

The project description is subject to page limits as described below, which will be strictly enforced.

The Project Description, limited to 30 pages total, consists of each of the following topics: The intellectual focus of the proposed institute; the rationale for the proposed institute, its mission and goals, and its expected impact; plans for future growth and resource development; proposed steps toward developing its role as a national resource; and results of prior NSF support of the institute if applicable.

(This section is not to exceed 20 pages total including results of prior NSF support, which may take up to 5 pages.) A tentative schedule of scientific activities, with plans for Year 1 and a provisional schedule for Years 2 and 3. Plans for a new institute should reflect a "ramp-up" period of up to two years, with a full complement of activities no later than the beginning of Year 3 of the award.

A separate section labeled "Broader Impacts" addressing 1) plans for human resource development, including the selection and mentoring of student and postdoctoral participants, as appropriate, and the selection and involvement of researchers at all career levels, as well as other broader impacts of the project, 2) plans for outreach and for dissemination of outcomes, 3) other broader impacts of the project.

Provide a five-year budget for the proposed activity. For new institute proposals, this budget should reflect a ramp-up of the institute's activities during Years 1 and 2, with a full complement of activities implemented no later than the beginning of Year 3.

The Budget Justification section should take whatever space is necessary to provide a breakdown of planned expenditures in composite budget categories such as Participant Support Costs, including projected headcounts for participants. The budget should include funds to support travel to an annual PI meeting for two members of the institute's leadership team.

Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources Include a description of the facilities (including any laboratories or computational facilities) that will be made available for the institute activities.

Supplementary Documentation In addition to the requirements specified in the PAPPG, submit Supplementary Documents containing the following information: Governance and Management The governance and management structure of the proposed institute, including a list of individuals who have agreed to serve as members of a governing board or advisory council; mechanisms for fiscal and management oversight by a governing board or other group; plans for governing/advisory-board membership terms and succession; mechanisms for focusing the proposed institute's activities; mechanisms for choosing programs, selecting participants, and allocating funds; mechanisms for recruitment, selection, and appointment involved in institute leadership succession and other leadership changes; and rationales for the proposed management practices.

(This section is not to exceed 5 pages total.) A Management Plan describing the duties and expected contributions of each individual in the institute leadership team. (This section is not to exceed 5 pages total.)

A plan reflecting the institution's approach to broadening participation and leveraging the full spectrum of talent in STEM; a description of how this plan will be implemented; and an outline of how its outcomes will be measured. (This section is not to exceed 5 pages total.)

Measures to evaluate progress toward the proposed institute's goals; and a plan for quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness and impact of the proposed institute's activities. (This section is not to exceed 5 pages total.)

Any letters of collaboration documenting arrangements of significance for the proposed project, including commitments for space, faculty and staff positions, equipment, and access to facilities. Letters of support or endorsement and letters of a laudatory nature for the proposed project are not acceptable. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Other Budgetary Limitations: Award amounts are anticipated to range from approximately $2. 5 million/year to $6 million/year for proposals submitted in response to this solicitation. Budget Preparation Instructions: The Budget Justification section should provide a breakdown of planned expenditures in composite budget categories such as Participant Support Costs, including projected headcounts for participants.

For new institute proposals, the 5-year budget should reflect a ramp-up of the institute's activities during Years 1 and 2, with a full complement of activities implemented no later than the beginning of Year 3. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): 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 1-800-673-6188 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 all proposals against two criteria: Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.