Research in Support of the National Space Weather Program (NSWP)

Research in Support of the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds basic and applied research aimed at advancing the goals of the National Space Weather Program. Administered by the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, this program supports studies of solar and geomagnetic phenomena and their effects on Earth's near-space environment.

Eligible applicants include U.S. institutions such as universities and research organizations. Full proposals are due annually in January. Note: This solicitation (NSF 07-520) has been archived and is no longer accepting new submissions.

NSF 07-520: Research in Support of the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. NSF 07-520: Annual Solicitation for Research in Support of the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) Download the solicitation (PDF, 0. 5mb) This document has been archived.

National Science Foundation Directorate for Geosciences Division of Atmospheric Sciences Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m. proposer's local time): January 16, Annually Thereafter A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) NSF 09-1 was issued on October 1 2008 and is effective for proposals submitted on or after January 5 2009.

Please be advised that the guidelines contained in NSF 09-1 apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity. Proposers who opt to submit prior to January 5 th 2009 must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 09-1. One of the most significant changes to the PAPPG is implementation of the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act.

Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include as a separate section within the 15-page project description a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not include a separate section on mentoring activities within the Project Description will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II. C.

2. d for further information).

Summary Of Program Requirements Research in Support of the National Space Weather Program Cognizant Program Officer(s): Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Anticipated Funding Amount: pending the availability of funds Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not Applicable Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not Applicable Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

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

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://nsf-gov-resources.

nsf. gov/pubs/policydocs/grantsgovguide607. pdf?

VersionId=DoqBPFn6OVhp6ApOGBjmjWjgH3uNJ5ub ) Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required under this solicitation. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

proposer's local time): January 16, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations 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. An effective National Space Weather Program requires a strong commitment to basic research in many areas of space-related science.

Emphasis will be placed upon understanding the fundamental physical processes that affect the state of the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere, while focusing on answering research questions that will improve the ability to specify and predict conditions in the space environment.

Although any proposal meeting the above criteria will be considered, several basic research areas address significant gaps in our present understanding and represent particular challenges in achieving Space Weather goals: Understanding and prediction of processes affecting solar activity and the propagation of resulting solar effects to the Earth via the solar wind; Coupling between the solar wind and the magnetosphere and between the magnetosphere and ionosphere; The origin and energization of magnetospheric plasma; The triggering and temporal evolution of storms and substorms; Improved global ionospheric specification and forecast of the evolution of ionospheric irregularities, including the onset of low latitude ionospheric irregularities, with particular emphasis on those processes affecting communication and navigation systems; Improved specification of thermospheric dynamics and neutral densities; Validation and enhancement of space weather models to improve specification and prediction capabilities, with emphasis on the application of data assimilation techniques; and Advanced remote sensing instrumentation for improved detection and/or understanding of key space weather phenomena.

Modelers who wish to implement and run codes at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) in order to accomplish any of the above objectives may include these activities in their proposals. For a description of the CCMC see http://ccmc. gsfc.

nasa. gov/ . Proposers should make it clear which part of the total proposed effort relates to, or is dependent on, the CCMC.

Researchers who currently have grants from NSF may request a supplement to allow them to utilize the CCMC facilities. See the Grant Proposal Guide instructions on submitting a supplement request. Further information about the CCMC may be obtained by contacting the CCMC Director at Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr. Michael Hesse, (301) 286-8224.

IV. Eligibility Information The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide , Chapter I, Section E. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 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 Grants. gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

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

Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf. gov . Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number in the program solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation.

Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing. 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://nsf-gov-resources.

nsf. gov/pubs/policydocs/grantsgovguide607. pdf?

VersionId=DoqBPFn6OVhp6ApOGBjmjWjgH3uNJ5ub ). 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) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@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 the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.

3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals. Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time): January 16, Annually Thereafter D. FastLane/Grants.

gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane: Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: https://www. fastlane. nsf.

gov/a1/newstan. htm . For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.

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

Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal.

Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: https://www. fastlane. nsf.

gov/fastlane. jsp . For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.

gov: http://www. grants. gov/CustomerSupport .

In addition, the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding 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 the NSF FastLane system for further processing. VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements.

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 who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the 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. A. NSF Merit Review Criteria All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort.

In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. The two NSB-approved merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include considerations that help define them.

These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgements. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?

How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.)

To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?

What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?

To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.

pdf . NSF staff also will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions: Integration of Research and Education One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions.

These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.

Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -- 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.

Additional Review Criteria: Relevance to the Goals of the National Space Weather Program In addition to the general NSF review criteria, proposals will be evaluated according to their relevance to the National Space Weather Program.

Proposals should benefit and advance the NSWP, and contribute to the goal of mitigating the adverse effects of space weather by providing timely, accurate, and reliable space environment observations, specifications and forecasts. Special consideration will be given to research which holds the promise for improving operational space weather capabilities within five years.

Proposals that include CCMC-related activities will be evaluated on their appropriateness for the CCMC, the level of effort required to implement and test the models, and the likelihood for eventual transition to Space Weather operations. B. Review and Selection Process Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.

Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.

After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months.

The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation. A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer.

In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement.

Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer.

A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk. VII. Award Administration Information A.

Notification of the Award Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator.

(See Section VI. B. for additional information on the review process.)

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1); * or Research Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter.

Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail. *These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at https://www.

nsf. gov/awards/managing/award_conditions. jsp?

org=NSF . Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf. gov .

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=aag . C.

Reporting Requirements For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.

PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational) publications; and, other specific products and contributions.

PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to: For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact: FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf. gov . For questions relating to Grants.

gov contact: Grants. gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants. gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.

gov . https://www. nsf.

gov/mynsf/ . The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations.

The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects.

See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D. 2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals. The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information.

TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339. The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111. The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at https://www. nsf. gov 4201 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22230 (NSF Information Center) : TDD (for the hearing-impaired): To Order Publications or Forms: Privacy Act And Public Burden Statements The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended.

The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress.

The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party.

Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004).

Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions.

Send comments regarding the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer Division of Administrative Services National Science Foundation Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314