NSF Collaborations in AI and Geosciences (CAIG)

NSF Collaborations in AI and Geosciences (CAIG) is sponsored by National Science Foundation. The NSF Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) program (NSF 25-530) funds interdisciplinary teams applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to Earth system science research.

NSF 25-530: Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version. NSF 25-530: Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

Program Solicitation NSF 25-530 U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Geosciences Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering Division of Information and Intelligent Systems Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division of Mathematical Sciences Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): Important Information And Revision Notes Proposers are strongly encouraged to contact program director(s) from the list of Cognizant Program Officers, in the Division(s)/Office(s) associated with the scientific discipline(s) for which the proposed AI developments would be applicable, to ascertain the appropriate focus and scope of intended proposal submissions.

Proposers should also carefully review program requirements for this solicitation. These include (but are not limited to) the following: Awards are expected to fund interdisciplinary teams of 2-3 lead collaborating Senior/Key Personnel and associated students, postdoctoral researchers, research software engineers, and/or similar staff (see Section III, Award Information).

Projects may be up to 3 years in duration (see Section III, Award Information). An individual may be designated as Senior/Key Personnel (which includes but is not limited to PI or co-PI) on at most two proposals per competition (see Section IV, Eligibility Information). The solicitation limits eligible proposing organizations (see Section IV, Eligibility Information).

To appropriately identify proposal submissions associated with this program, proposal titles should include "CAIG:" (see Section V. A, Proposal Preparation Instructions). Proposals submitted to this solicitation must address three Specific Requirements (see Section II, Program Description).

Text addressing these Specific Requirements should be provided in the Project Description section of the proposal and should be organized under a single subheading for "Program Specific Requirements" or individual subheadings for each of the three requirements listed (see Section V. A, Proposal Preparation Instructions).

In addition to being evaluated for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, proposals will be evaluated on how successfully they meet these three Specific Requirements (see Section VI. A, Merit Review Principles and Criteria).

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 Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) The Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) program seeks to advance the development and adoption of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) methods to increase scientific understanding of the Earth system.

The program supports projects that advance AI techniques and/or innovative uses of sophisticated or novel AI methods to enable significant breakthroughs in addressing geoscience research question(s) by building partnerships between experts in AI and Geosciences.

The key characteristic of a CAIG project is its potential to both answer important geoscience questions and improve AI techniques while also bringing together experts from both the AI and geoscience fields. Broadening Participation In STEM: NSF has a mandate to broaden participation in science and engineering, as articulated and reaffirmed in law since 1950.

Congress has charged NSF to “develop intellectual capital, both people and ideas, with particular emphasis on groups and regions that traditionally have not participated fully in science, mathematics, and engineering." 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.

Andrew A. Zaffos, GEO/RISE, Marion I. Dierickx, GEO/OPP, Sylvia J.

Spengler, CISE/IIS, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 47. 049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47. 070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 9 Estimated number of awards is the number of projects to be supported per competition.

The actual number of awards will be determined based on the results of the merit review process and availability of funds. Anticipated Funding Amount: $6,000,000 to $10,000,000 Anticipated funding amount is per competition. 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 sub-awards 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.

Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.

Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Prospective proposers from Other Federal Agencies and FFRDCs, including NSF sponsored FFRDCs, must follow the guidance in PAPPG Chapter I.E.2 regarding limitations on eligibility. 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: 2 An individual may be designated as Senior/Key Personnel (which includes but is not limited to PI or co-PI) on at most two proposals per competition . NSF's definition for "Senior/Key Personnel" is provided in PAPPG Exhibit II-3. These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently .

In the event that an individual exceeds the proposal submission limit, only the first two proposals received will be accepted. All additional proposals will be returned without review. The order proposals were received in will be assessed based on the earliest date and time of proposal submission recorded in the NSF system.

No exceptions will be made . Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research.

gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.

gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization’s local time): 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 NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), in partnership with the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), seeks to address grand challenge problems in the geosciences through innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) methods.

In this solicitation, the geosciences collectively refer to the academic research communities supported in the Divisions of Atmosphere and Geospace (AGS), Earth (EAR), and Ocean (OCE) Sciences, and in the Office of Polar Programs (OPP), within GEO. AI is defined here as any computer analysis where the results are algorithmically refined without human intervention.

AI methods have been identified as increasingly important tools for addressing grand challenge problems in the geosciences.

The 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, Next Generation Earth Systems Science at the National Science Foundation , identifies the need for an integrated approach to observation, computation, and modeling to accelerate convergence for significant scientific and educational goals.

The NASEM report identifies opportunities and challenges in applying AI approaches to analysis of large datasets from observations and model outputs to advance understanding of complex Earth systems. Some of these challenges require technical advances whereas others require new partnerships and capacity building.

On a technical level, AI models are often trained and tested on large datasets, which require data curation, storage, and specialized computational resources, such as graphics processing units (GPUs). NSF is addressing this technical challenge through a variety of initiatives.

Notable programs include the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem; the Services & Support (ACCESS) program; and the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) program. Geoscientists have not yet realized the full potential of these shared resources to carry out their AI applications.

Motivated by this issue, NSF's National Discovery Cloud for Climate (NDC-C) initiative is seeking to unite advanced computing, data, software, and networking resources to democratize and improve the usability of cyberinfrastructure for climate-related science and engineering.

In addition to these technical advances, geoscientists at all career stages require more opportunities to develop their awareness of AI and how to integrate it into their research. Building partnerships between the AI and geosciences communities is one method to overcome this challenge. NSF is fostering connections between these communities through its Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) program.

The Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) program supports projects that advance AI techniques and/or innovative uses of sophisticated AI methods to enable significant breakthroughs in addressing geoscience research question(s).

It is a partnership between GEO's Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education (GEO/RISE), CISE's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (CISE/IIS) and Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC), and MPS's Division of Mathematical Sciences (MPS/DMS).

The priority goals for the CAIG solicitation are to: Promote partnership between geoscientists and experts in mathematical sciences or computer science to address cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of the geosciences and AI.

Enable significant breakthroughs in geosciences research question(s) through advancement in AI techniques and/or innovative uses of sophisticated AI methods to overcome geoscience research challenge(s) or bottleneck(s). Build workforce capacity for using advanced AI methods in the geosciences through educational and broadening participation activities.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to contact program director(s) from the list of Cognizant Program Officers, in the Division(s)/Office(s) associated with the scientific discipline(s) for which the proposed AI developments would be applicable, to ascertain the appropriate focus and scope of intended proposal submissions.

In addition to responding to one or more of the Major Priorities described above, proposals submitted to this solicitation must address all three of the following Specific Requirements.

Text addressing these Specific Requirements should be provided in the Project Description section of the proposal and should be organized under a single subheading for "Program Specific Requirements" or individual subheadings for each of the three requirements listed (see Section V. A, Proposal Preparation Instructions).

In addition to being evaluated for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, proposals will be evaluated on how successfully they meet these requirements (see Section VI. A, Merit Review Principles and Criteria): Geosciences Advancement : Proposals must explicitly identify motivating science drivers and address how the proposed activities will advance geosciences research and/or education in response to these drivers.

Projects should demonstrate the potential to improve understanding of the Earth system with AI approaches and/or to lower barriers for using these approaches by others in the geosciences.

AI Impact : Proposals must describe the novel integration of AI methods, including any development of new methods, and justify how proposed activities overcome significant methodological and/or capacity bottlenecks that inhibit research progress in the geosciences.

Partnerships : Proposed projects should consist of interdisciplinary teams of 2-3 lead collaborating Senior/Key Personnel and associated students, postdoctoral researchers, research software engineers, and/or similar staff (see Section III, Award Information). Project teams should constitute meaningful partnerships between geoscientists and experts in AI, mathematics, statistics, computer science, and/or cyberinfrastructure.

Proposals should identify planned mechanisms for developing these partnerships, how partnerships will support the intended Geosciences Advancement and AI Impact, and how the partnerships will benefit all project participants, including pathways for cross-training students and other researchers in the methods to be pursued.

Utilizing Shared Computing Resources : This solicitation does not support the development of new computer hardware capabilities or significant hardware acquisition, nor does it support projects that are primarily intended to develop new cyberinfrastructure. PIs are encouraged to consider using the wide range of NSF-supported advanced computing, data, and analysis capabilities, which are described in PAPPG Chapter II. E.

7. PIs are also encouraged to explore emerging opportunities through NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), including the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot and the National Discovery Cloud for Climate .

Proposers may also request specific allocations for cloud computing in tandem with their proposal submission; this is described in further detail in the Proposal Preparation Instructions of this solicitation (Section V. A). Awards are expected to fund interdisciplinary teams of 2-3 lead collaborating Senior/Key Personnel and associated students, postdoctoral researchers, research software engineers, and/or similar staff.

Projects may be up to 3 years in duration. This program solicitation announces a 2025 and a 2026 competition for Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG) proposals. Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 9 Estimated number of awards is the number of projects to be supported per competition.

The actual number of awards will be determined based on the results of the merit review process and availability of funds. Anticipated Funding Amount: $6,000,000 to $10,000,000 Anticipated funding amount is per competition. 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 sub-awards 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.

Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.

Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Prospective proposers from Other Federal Agencies and FFRDCs, including NSF sponsored FFRDCs, must follow the guidance in PAPPG Chapter I.E.2 regarding limitations on eligibility. 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: 2 An individual may be designated as Senior/Key Personnel (which includes but is not limited to PI or co-PI) on at most two proposals per competition . NSF's definition for "Senior/Key Personnel" is provided in PAPPG Exhibit II-3. These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced in order to treat everyone fairly and consistently .

In the event that an individual exceeds the proposal submission limit, only the first two proposals received will be accepted. All additional proposals will be returned without review. The order proposals were received in will be assessed based on the earliest date and time of proposal submission recorded in the NSF system.

No exceptions will be made . V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A.

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

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

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov . The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number.

Full proposals submitted via Grants. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants. gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov . The complete text of the NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: ( https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ).

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

gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov . In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following: Collaborative Proposals.

All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research. gov. PAPPG Chapter II. E.

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

2 for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF. Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the PAPPG instructions. To appropriately identify proposal submissions associated with this program, proposal titles should include "CAIG:".

If cloud computing resources are being requested from CloudBank. org, then the keyword "CloudAccess" (one word without space) should be included at the end of the Overview section (before the section on Intellectual Merit) of the Project Summary page. More information on Cloud Computing Resource requests, including additional proposal preparation requirements for these requests, is provided below.

All proposals must explicitly address within the Project Description how the project meets all three Specific Requirements listed in the Program Description of this solicitation (Section II).

Text addressing these Specific Requirements should be provided in the Project Description section of the proposal and should be organized under individual subheadings for each of the three requirements listed (i.e., Geosciences Advancement, AI Advancement, and Partnerships).

Cloud Computing Resources : Proposals may request cloud computing resources to use public clouds such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Cloud computing resources described in proposals may be obtained through an external cloud access entity ( CloudBank ) supported by NSF's Enabling Access to Cloud Computing Resources for CISE Research and Education (Cloud Access) program.

Proposers should describe this request in a Supplementary Document including: (a) which public cloud providers will be used; (b) anticipated annual and total costs for accessing the desired cloud computing resources, based on pricing currently available from the public cloud computing providers; and (c) a technical description of, and justification for, the requested cloud computing resources.

The proposal budget should not include the costs for accessing public cloud computing resources via CloudBank. Proposers seeking CloudBank funds should include "CloudAccess" (one word without space) at the end of the list of keywords in the Project Summary (before the section on Intellectual Merit). Proposers may contact CloudBank for consultation on estimating the costs for using cloud computing resources.

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’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 1-800-381-1532 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/applicants . 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. Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.

gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants. gov. The completed application will be transferred to Research.

gov for further processing. The NSF Grants. gov Proposal Processing in Research.

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

gov how-to guide , and Grants. gov Submitted Proposals Frequently Asked Questions . Grants.

gov proposals must pass all NSF pre-check and post-check validations in order to be accepted by Research. gov at NSF. When submitting via Grants.

gov, NSF strongly recommends applicants initiate proposal submission at least five business days in advance of a deadline to allow adequate time to address NSF compliance errors and resubmissions by 5:00 p. m. submitting organization's local time on the deadline.

Please note that some errors cannot be corrected in Grants. gov. Once a proposal passes pre-checks but fails any post-check, an applicant can only correct and submit the in-progress proposal in Research. gov. Proposers that submitted via Research.

gov may use Research. gov to verify the status of their submission to NSF. For proposers that submitted via Grants.

gov, until an application has been received and validated by NSF, the Authorized Organizational Representative may check the status of an application on Grants. gov. After proposers have received an e-mail notification from NSF, Research. gov should be used to check the status of an application.

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

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

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

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

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

gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/ . Proposers should also be aware of core strategies that are essential to the fulfillment of NSF's mission, as articulated in . These strategies are integrated in the program planning and implementation process, of which proposal review is one part.

NSF's mission is particularly well-implemented through the integration of research and education and broadening participation in NSF programs, projects, and activities. 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.

The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria: What is the potential for the proposed