Research on Education and Learning (REAL)

Research on Education and Learning (REAL) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). Funds interdisciplinary research to advance understanding of learning processes, including special education.

NSF 13-604: Research on Education and Learning (REAL) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .

All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects. NSF 13-604: Research on Education and Learning (REAL) Posted: September 6, 2013 Replaces: NSF 10-516 , NSF 12-542 , NSF 12-552 Download the solicitation (PDF, 0.

6mb) National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human Resources Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional) (due by 5 p. m. proposer's local time) : Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time): Important Information And Revision Notes This solicitation has been revised to incorporate into the Other Information section a newly issued publication jointly developed by the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education entitled, Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development .

The Guidelines describe six types of research studies that can generate evidence about how to increase student learning. Research types include those that generate the most fundamental understandings related to education and learning; examinations of associations between variables; iterative design and testing of strategies or interventions; and assessments of the impact of a fully-developed intervention on an education outcome.

For each research type, there is a description of the purpose and the expected empirical and/or theoretical justifications, types of project outcomes, and quality of evidence. The Guidelines publication can be found on the NSF website with the number NSF 13-126 ( https://nsf-gov-resources. nsf.

gov/pubs/2013/nsf13126/nsf13126. pdf? VersionId=Q_gbdvjhLu9vQTRmQY.

ex3Md4dnJ5LL9 ). A set of FAQs regarding the Guidelines are available with the number NSF 13-127( https://nsf-gov-resources. nsf.

gov/pubs/2013/nsf13127/nsf13127. pdf? VersionId=oHQOKysGhw5JLkogfSsJeE7uBqZGJhwN ).

Grant proposal writers and PIs are encouraged to familiarize themselves with both documents and use the information therein to help in the preparation of proposals to NSF. REAL represents the substantive foci of three previous EHR programs: Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE), Research in Disabilities Education (RDE), and Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE).

This solicitation replaces NSF 10-516, NSF 12-542, and NSF 12-552; details regarding integration and revision of each can be found in the body of this solicitation. The first sentence of the Project Summary should indicate the project type (i.e., early, middle and late- stage empirical, synthesis, fostering interdisciplinary research in education (FIRE), or conference/workshop).

In part II, under Program Description, Elements of REAL Proposals, the solicitation provides additional detail on expectations for research design and methodology for all proposals to REAL.

Summary Of Program Requirements Research on Education and Learning (REAL) The Research on Education and Learning (REAL) program represents the substantive foci of three previous EHR programs: Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE), Research in Disabilities Education (RDE), and Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE).

What is distinctive about the new REAL program is the emphasis placed on the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to (a) understand, (b) build theory to explain, and (c) suggest interventions (and innovations) to address persistent challenges in STEM interest, education, learning, and participation.

The program supports advances in research on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning and education by fostering efforts to explore all aspects of education research from foundational knowledge to improvements in STEM learning and learning contexts, both formal and informal, from childhood through adulthood, for all groups, and from the earliest developmental stages of life through participation in the workforce, resulting in increased public understanding of science and engineering.

The REAL program will fund research on, human learning in STEM; learning in STEM learning environments, and broadening participation research. 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.

Address questions to REAL program officers, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Education and Human Resources Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 45 new awards per year (across a mix of all research areas and including all types of awards). Anticipated Funding Amount: $51,000,000 for new awards, pending the availability of funds.

Who May Submit Proposals: The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E. 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: Submission of Letters of Intent is optional.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. 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://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: Not Applicable Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time) : Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

proposer's local time): Proposal Review Information Criteria Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria apply. Award Administration Information Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply. Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

About the Education and Human Resources Directorate The National Science Foundation (NSF) is charged with promoting the vitality of the nation's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research and education enterprises. As part of this mission, the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) has primary responsibility for providing national, research-based leadership in STEM education.

The mission of EHR is to advance excellence in U.S. STEM education at all levels and in all settings (both formal and informal) through the support of research and development and the preparation of a diverse workforce of scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians and educators.

Within EHR's overall charge, the role of the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) is to advance innovative and transformative research and development, and evaluation of learning and teaching in all STEM disciplines.

The Research on Education and Learning (REAL) program supports advances in research on STEM learning and education by fostering efforts to explore all aspects of education research resulting in foundational knowledge to improve STEM learning and learning contexts, both formal and informal, from childhood through adulthood, for all groups, and from the earliest developmental stages through participation in the workforce.

The program represents the substantive foci of three previous EHR programs: Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE), Research in Disabilities Education (RDE), and Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE).

The new REAL program emphasizes the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to (a) understand, (b) build theory to explain, and (c) suggest interventions to increase participation in STEM education, learning, and workforce participation. The research REAL supports advances the frontiers of understanding about how more people learn, and use more STEM, more effectively.

To do this, REAL projects are grounded in theory, ask well formulated research questions, employ relevant data and analytic techniques, and contribute to the growing body of literature on STEM education.

REAL projects focus on learning of STEM content and practices and bring together the expertise, literatures, methods and learning priorities of the entire range of scientific communities represented by the NSF research directorates as well as EHR.

REAL also supports research on efforts to make that knowledge available to other researchers, education developers, leaders and practitioners so that research is used broadly to improve STEM education. To achieve these goals, REAL funds research that: Addresses basic, foundational research questions about STEM learning and/or education using rigorous standards for theory, methods, and analysis.

Such projects must be deeply rooted in STEM content and knowledge building practices . Develops innovative research methods, measures, and conceptual models to test theory, to measure existing or emerging phenomena that address critically important issues in STEM education.

Investigates educational phenomena operating in and across learning environments to understand what works, for whom, why, and under what conditions, to inform future implementation possibilities and opportunities. Explores lessons that can be learned in context or through practice to enhance basic knowledge and theoretical findings.

Such implementation research would answer theoretical questions while using real world contexts to gather data. REAL research advances the frontiers of knowledge about STEM learning and participation across the following overlapping areas: Research on Human Learning in STEM .

REAL seeks to provide the foundational knowledge necessary to improve and to advance STEM learning and education for all populations (including students of all ages, parents, and teachers), in all contexts (formal, informal and technological) across the life course. To this end REAL supports research combining theory, techniques, and perspectives from a wide range of disciplines and contexts.

Proposals may address topics including, but not limited to: the neural bases of STEM learning, the cognitive bases of such learning (how people learn in and across STEM disciplines and settings); the affective dimensions of learning (what motivates and sustains learner interest in STEM and what fosters engagement and persistence); education policy and policy-relevant research grounded in the cognitive and social conditions of STEM learning; along with the development of methods, models and measures; and the use of new and existing datasets (including large-scale datasets).

Research on Learning in STEM Learning Environments . REAL supports projects that investigate how learning in organizations (schools, classrooms museums, systems, work places, and technologies of any type) can make fundamental and far-reaching improvements in a range of learning outcomes. REAL research attends to the interfaces between teaching and learning and the mediation of STEM learning (see e.g., National Research Council, 2012d).

To this end REAL supports research on: (1) the alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment; (2) the development of diagnostic and performance assessments; and (3) design based iterative research around implementation of new models of teaching and learning. Broadening Participation Research .

REAL supports the investigation of issues underlying the differential learning and participation of members of groups underrepresented in STEM fields. Underrepresented groups may include (but are not necessarily limited to) women and girls, people with disabilities, and/or underrepresented minorities, i.e., (e.g., African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.)

, and students from rural or lower socio-economic backgrounds. REAL seeks to catalyze the knowledge building through research that informs the development of interventions to impact learning, persistence, and success in STEM for members of various groups under specific conditions and in specific contexts.

Proposers must document the STEM disciplinary underrepresentation of the groups they wish to study and place the proposed work in the broader context of STEM education and workforce participation in the U.S. This effort is in collaboration with and complements similar research tracks in the various programs in the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) in EHR and the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Science (SBE) as outlined in the Dear Colleague Letter "Stimulating Research Related to the Science of Broadening Participation" (NSF 13-020) ( https://www.

nsf. gov/pubs/2013/nsf13020/nsf13020. pdf ).

Research in Disabilities Education . The Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) track supports fundamental and implementation research about learners (of all ages) with disabilities in STEM. This track encourages efforts to understand and address disability-based differences in STEM education and workforce participation.

Fundamental research projects typically address areas such as stereotype threat, an individual's identity (e.g. STEM and disability identity), underlying attention and physical barriers that impact STEM learning, and the societal and organizational characteristics that influence learning and educational pathways.

Implementation research projects typically address such areas as inclusive educational practices, universally designed STEM curricula, assistive technology, and supportive learning and/or educational environments. Implementation projects are expected to be experimental and/or quasi-experimental studies.

Projects must employ evidence-based educational exemplars, have a strong theoretical base, and be justified by relevant educational, disability, and social science research. Research on Gender in Science and Engineering .

The Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) track supports efforts to understand and address gender-based differences in STEM education and workforce participation through education and implementation research that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic STEM workforce.

Typical projects will contribute to the knowledge base addressing gender-related differences in learning and in the educational experiences that affect student interest, performance, and choice of careers; how pedagogical approaches and teaching styles, curriculum, student services, and institutional culture contribute to causing or closing gender gaps that persist in certain fields.

The Fostering Interdisciplinary Research in Education Program (FIRE) is an eligible proposal type for investigators particularly interested in collaboration and in growing their interdisciplinary research skills. It is described in more detail later in this solicitation.

Special Emphases (fiscal 2014) : Within the three research areas described above (human learning of STEM content; learning in STEM learning environments; and broadening participation research), in FY2014 the program also calls for proposals in the following three areas: Research on advancing the assessment of STEM learning and 21 st century STEM skills (cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal) and teacher practices to support that learning (NRC, 2012 a & b).

Research on STEM learning for undergraduates to advance current knowledge by leveraging insights from DUE programs and the Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) agenda (NRC, 2012c). Research on the use and impact of technology on STEM learning.

Innovative learning systems research (ILSR) explores opportunities for promoting and assessing learning made possible by new technologies, ways to help learners capitalize on those opportunities, and ways of using technology to promote deep and lasting learning of content, practices, skills, attitudes, and/or dispositions needed for engaged and productive citizenship.

This effort complements other research and development occurring in the Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and other EHR programs, including the Cyberlearning: Transforming Education program.

Elements of REAL Proposals High quality REAL proposals should address the following elements: Linkages to theory and extant research in the field : All research proposals should be located in a body of literature to which a contribution would be made. They should identify the disciplinary (or interdisciplinary) and conceptual framework for the study.

They should include a discussion of the theory or theories grounding the research or the concepts or framework of interest. The program will allow descriptive studies of phenomena that could lead to the development of a theory or model or that contribute to theory.

Research plan : Proposals should include research questions and/or testable hypotheses that reflect the current state of knowledge in the area and the theory or conceptual framework being used. The proposal should discuss in detail the methods used to answer the research questions and/or test the hypotheses posed, along with the types of data to be collected and methods for data collection.

Methods should directly link to the theory or theories being used. If a population sample is used, this should be described along with the rationale for sample selection, and the investigator's access to the sample.

The proposal should address whether the design is premised on special needs and interests due to educational level, gender, race, ethnicity, economic status, or disability, and to what extent data will be disaggregated for multiple characteristics.

Contributions to implementation (where applicable): Proposals to conduct research on implementation should highlight implications for subsequent enactments of the intervention paying particular attention to subjects, measures, application of the treatment and settings.

Contributions to knowledge : Proposals should include a coherent and persuasive chain of reasoning that shows how the research claims will be warranted and how the results have the potential to add new insights to the conceptual and/or methodological knowledge bases.

Communication strategy : Proposals should include a strategy for reaching a broad audience for the findings of the project including, where appropriate, scholars, practitioners, and public audiences. The potential results of the proposed research are expected to be of sufficient significance to merit peer-review and broader publication.

(For additional information on dissemination and communication see the resources available from the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Center for Public Engagement with Science & Technology ; and the Dissemination and Communication Resources available from the Center for Advancing Research & Communication.)

Data management plan : Consistent with REAL's interest in supporting secondary analyses of extant data, projects proposing original data collection are required to plan to archive and provide access to relevant data and supporting materials where feasible and consistent with data protection policies and procedures.

(For additional information on NSF Data Sharing Policy and Data Management Plan Requirements see the Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results .) Objective external feedback : Proposals should include a strategy for ongoing objective external feedback using benchmarks, indicators, logic models, roadmaps or other evaluative methods to document progress toward goals, objectives and outcomes defined in the proposal.

All projects are expected to track and report their accomplishment of proposal targets for broader impacts and intellectual merit. This objective external feedback can be provided through a number of vehicles: the advisory board, or through a formal evaluation. A plan for such soliciting objective external feedback should be documented in the proposal.

REAL supports a wide range of research activities. The bulk of the portfolio is comprised of empirical investigations that address basic, fundamental research questions with direct and immediate, or indirect and long-term implications for STEM learning and education improvement.

This includes projects that: (1) explore lessons that can be learned in context or through practice to enhance basic knowledge and theoretical findings; (2) investigate educational phenomena operating in and across learning environments to understand what works, for whom, why, and under what conditions, to inform future implementation possibilities and opportunities; (3) leverage theories of organization, institutional change, and leadership in analyzing factors which support and constrain implementation that achieves intended change in STEM learning outcomes; and (4) generate knowledge about human, social, and/or institutional capacity to enhance STEM learning and workforce participation.

REAL seeks to fund both empirical research that involves the collection of new data, and secondary analyses that leverage extant state, national, international or other databases. Substantively, these research projects may fall within or cut across any of the Research Areas described above.

In addition, REAL supports research to develop innovative research methods, metrics, and conceptual models to measure existing and emerging phenomena, and test theory that informs core scientific questions about STEM education and learning.

Three levels of funding and durations are available to support these investigations: (1) Early Stage Research proposals have a maximum total award size of $500,000 and a maximum duration of 3 years; (2) Middle Stage Research proposals have a maximum total award size of $1,500,000 and a maximum duration of 3 years; (3) Later Stage Research proposals have a maximum total award size of $2,500,000 and a maximum duration of 5 years.

The stages refer to the maturity of the proposed work, the size and scope of the empirical effort, as well as the capacity of the interdisciplinary team to conduct the proposed research. As noted above, a hallmark of the REAL portfolio is the multidisciplinary nature of the research REAL supports.

In addition to supporting projects rooted in a broad array of scientific literatures, REAL seeks to foster interdisciplinary approaches within individual projects.

To this end, REAL invites Fostering Interdisciplinary Research in Education (FIRE) proposals for projects that facilitate scholars crossing disciplinary boundaries to acquire the skills and knowledge that would improve their abilities to conduct rigorous research on STEM learning and education.

FIRE proposals must: (1) have both a research and a professional development component; and (2) include one individual who will serve as the mentor and one individual who will be mentored. (There is no restriction about whether the mentor is designated as the PI and the mentee as the co-PI, or vice versa, except as allowed by the submitting organization; other personnel and co-PIs are also allowed.)

Awards are open to investigators who have received a doctoral degree in a disciplinary STEM field outside of education proper and wish to pursue research in learning and education, or who have received a doctoral degree from an educational research program and wish to complement their expertise with training in a disciplinary STEM field outside of education.

For the purposes of evaluating FIRE proposals, REAL defines non-education STEM fields as those communities largely represented by a program at NSF in the directorates of Biological Sciences (BIO), Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), Geosciences (GEO), Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS), or Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), or the Office of Polar Programs (OPP).

The maximum award size for FIRE projects is $500,000, with duration of 3 years. REAL also supports a small number of synthesis projects and conferences and workshops related to the goals of the program. Synthesis proposals seek support for the synthesis and/or meta-analysis of existing knowledge on a topic of critical importance to STEM learning and/or education, or for the diffusion of research-based knowledge.

Investigators are permitted to propose workshops and other meetings as one of the means of completing the syntheses and diffusing the research-based knowledge that is developed. Additional emphasis will be placed on the proposed dissemination plan. Maximum award size for Synthesis proposals is $300,000 (total) for duration of up to two years.

Conference and Workshop proposals seek support to conduct well-focused conferences or workshops related to the goals of the program. Budgets are expected to be commensurate with the duration of the event and the number of participants. Proposals should include a conceptual framework for the conference, draft agenda, possible participant list, and the outcomes or products that will result.

Conference and workshop proposals are evaluated on an ad hoc basis and so may be submitted at any time (not only to the competition deadline), generally at least one year in advance of when the event would be held. Investigators are encouraged to contact a Program Officer prior to submission. Typical costs are $25,000 to $75,000.

Please see the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG Section II. D.) for additional information about conference and workshop proposals.

National Research Council. (2012a). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21 st century .

Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21 st Century Skills, J. W. Pellegrino and M.

L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. National Research Council. (2012b).

A framework for K-12 science education practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas . Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. National Research Council. (2012c).

Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering . Committee on the Status, Contributions, and Future Directions of Discipline-Based Education Research. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. National Research Council (2012d). Monitoring progress toward successful K-12 STEM education: A nation advancing?

Committee on the Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education. Board on Science Education and Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NSF expects to make standard or continuing grant awards. Pending the availability of funds, the estimated number of awards will be 64 new awards in FY 2014. Approximately 10 Early Stage Research, 20 Middle Stage Research, 8 Later Stage Research, 10 Synthesis, 6 FIRE, and 10 Conference and Workshop awards will be funded.

The anticipated funding available for new awards in FY 2014 for REAL is $51,000,000. The maximum award amount for Early Stage Research projects is $500,000, with duration of up to three years. The maximum award amount for Middle Stage Research projects is $1,500,000, with duration of up to three years.

The maximum award amount for Later Stage Research projects is $2,500,000, with duration of up to five years. The maximum award amount for Synthesis projects is $300,000, with duration of up to two years. The maximum award amount for FIRE projects is $500,000, with duration of up to three years.

The maximum award amount for Conferences and Workshops is $75,000. IV. Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E.

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 Letters of Intent (optional): A Letter of Intent (LOI) is optional .

LOIs are due on or before the October 25, 2013. The LOI must contain (1) a proposed title; (2) the names of Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators, including organizational affiliations and departments; (3) a list of the partnering institutions; (4) a brief synopsis (limited to 250 words) describing the proposed project in sufficient detail to permit selection of reviewers.

LOIs will not be used to encourage or discourage the submission of full proposals. They will be used only to help NSF plan for the merit review process, and they are nonbinding. Thus, changes may be made between the submission of the LOI and submission of the full proposal.

Letter of Intent Preparation Instructions: When submitting a Letter of Intent through FastLane in response to this Program Solicitation please note the conditions outlined below: Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) Submission is not required when submitting Letters of Intent Submission of multiple Letters of Intent is not allowed 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 nsfpubs@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://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) 292-7827 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 the NSF FastLane system.

Chapter II, Section D. 4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals. Important Proposal Preparation Information: FastLane will check for required sections of the full proposal, in accordance with Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) instructions described in Chapter II.

C. 2. The GPG requires submission of: Project Summary; Project Description; References Cited; Biographical Sketch(es); Budget; Budget Justification; Current and Pending Support; Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources; Data Management Plan; and Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan, if applicable.

If a required section is missing, FastLane will not accept the proposal. Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the GPG instructions. If the solicitation instructions do not require a GPG-required section to be included in the proposal, insert text or upload a document in that section of the proposal that states, "Not Applicable for this Program Solicitation."

Doing so will enable FastLane to accept your proposal. Please note that per guidance in the GPG, the Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed activities. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, you can decide where to include this section within the Project Description.

Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited Budget Preparation Instructions: The budget must include funds to support travel to annual PI meetings Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional) (due by 5 p. m. proposer's local time) : Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time): D. FastLane/Grants.

gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane: To prepare and submit a proposal via FastLane, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www. fastlane. nsf.

gov/a1/newstan. htm . For FastLane user