Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (Program Solicitation NSF 24-587)

Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (Program Solicitation NSF 24-587) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF) - National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). This grant program is designed to advance analytic and methodological research in support of understanding the science and technology (S&T) enterprise.

NSF 24-587: Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Not currently accepting proposals This program is awaiting a new solicitation and is not currently accepting proposals.

Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements . All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects.

NSF 24-587: Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (NCSES S&T) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): Third Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter Third Tuesday in June, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes 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 Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (NCSES S&T) The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is one of the thirteen principal federal statistical agencies within the United States.

It is responsible for the collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting and dissemination of objective, statistical data related to the science and technology (S&T) enterprise in the United States and other nations that is relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers, policymakers and the public.

NCSES uses this information to prepare a number of statistical data reports including Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering and the National Science Board's biennial report, Science and Engineering (S&E) Indicators .

The Center would like to enhance its efforts to support analytic and methodological research in support of its surveys as well as promote the education and training of researchers in the use of large-scale nationally representative datasets.

NCSES welcomes efforts by the research community to use NCSES or other data to conduct research on the S&T enterprise, develop improved survey methodologies that could benefit NCSES surveys, explore alternate data sources that could supplement NCSES data, create and improve indicators of S&T activities and resources, strengthen methodologies to analyze S&T statistical data, and explore innovative ways to communicate S&T statistics.

To that end, NCSES invites proposals for individual or multi-investigator research projects, doctoral dissertation improvement awards, conferences, experimental research, survey research and data collection, and dissemination projects under its program for Research on the Science and Technology Enterprise: Indicators, Statistics, and Methods (NCSES S&T).

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.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 5 Based on the quality of proposals and the availability of funds, NSF expects to make 5 to 10 awards each year.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $1,500,000 subject to the availability of funds Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Standard research proposals: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

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.

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposals: Doctoral Degree granting IHEs accredited in, and having a campus located in, the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Standard research proposals: No special restrictions or limits.

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposals: The dissertation advisor must be listed as the Principal Investigator and the student must be listed as the co-Principal Investigator. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply.

The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=pappg . Full Proposals submitted via Grants.

gov: NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.

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

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

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

submitting organization’s local time): Third Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter Third Tuesday in June, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) is responsible for the collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting and dissemination of objective, statistical data related to the science and technology (S&T) enterprise in the United States and other nations. This information should be relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers, policymakers and the public.

NCSES uses this information to prepare a number of statistical data reports as well as analytical reports related to the characteristics of scientists and engineers, including the National Science Board's biennial report, Science and Engineering (S&E) Indicators.

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act codifies the role of NCSES in supporting research using the data that it collects and its role in research methodologies related to its work. The legislation specifies the responsibilities of NCSES in supporting the education and training of researchers who use large-scale data sets, such as the ones NCSES now collects.

The following activities form the core of NCSES work: The collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of statistical data related to the United States and other nations; Support of research that uses NCSES data; Methodological research in areas related to its work; and Education and training of researchers in the use of large-scale nationally representative data sets.

NCSES welcomes proposals for research, conferences, and studies to advance the understanding of the S&T enterprise and encourage development of methods that will improve the quality of our data.

Research could include: improved approaches to indicator construction and presentation, new S&T indicator development, strengthening of data collection methodologies and privacy protection to improve surveys that collect S&T data, investigations of alternate data sources to study S&T topics, analyses to inform STEM education and workforce policy, and innovations in the communication of S&T statistics.

NCSES encourages proposals that analyze NCSES data or NCSES data in conjunction with those from other sources but does not limit the work to the analysis of the data it collects.

Potential topics for consideration include but are not limited to: Improving analytical techniques to produce better indicators of issues related to: (1) the characteristics of scientists and engineers, (2) the demand, supply, and career pathways of science and engineering personnel, including those without bachelor’s degrees (3) outcomes and impacts of research and development (R&D) expenditures in various sectors, countries, and fields including emerging science and technology fields, (4) estimates of current and near-term future S&T resources; and (5) measures of U.S. competitiveness in S&T.

Developing new data, analyses, and/or indicators of the globalization of science, engineering, and technology, as well as analyses leading to a better understanding of the changing global economy. This could include: international comparisons of S&T capabilities and activities, indicators of international education and mobility of scientists and engineers, and foreign investment in S&T activities.

Improving data collection methodologies for S&T surveys and censuses, including those conducted by NCSES. Such studies could research improvements in the target population, sample frame, and sample design, focusing on coverage and sampling error. Also included are developments of new data collection techniques and operational efficiencies such as adaptive survey design and passive data collection.

Studies focused on the respondent experience and reduction in respondent burden such as modular survey design are also relevant. Improving analysis and data processing methodologies for NCSES data by researching topics such as imputation techniques, privacy protections, or data consistency with related surveys or administrative data.

This research could also involve investigations of linkage of alternate data sources to supplement NCSES data and reporting. Pursuing innovations in the dissemination of S&T statistics to encourage communication of the information in a timely and user-friendly fashion. This could include interactive visualizations, studies of user needs, and new reporting formats for indicators.

NCSES encourages proposers to use NCSES data for their research.

NCSES conducts the following surveys for which data are available: Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) Science and Engineering Workforce Early Career Doctorates Survey (ECDS) Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey (NTEWS) Survey of Postdocs at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers Government Funding for Science and Engineering S urvey of Federal Funds for Research and Development Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions Survey of State Research and Development Expenditures Higher Education Research and Development Higher Education Research and Development Survey (HERD) Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities Annual Business Survey (ABS) Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD) Federal Facilities Research and Development Survey FFRDS Research and Development Survey Nonprofit Research Activities Survey (NPRA) For a broad overview of all of the surveys see: https://www.

nsf. gov/statistics/srvyoverview/overview. cfm To explore public use data, see: https://ncsesdata.

nsf. gov/explorer . If proposers expect to use existing datasets, the proposal should indicate what those datasets are and whether the proposer expects to be able to acquire the data.

Some NCSES datasets do require special procedures to acquire data. Information about data access can be found here: Explore Data | NSF - National Science Foundation . Restricted Use Data Licensing NCSES grants licenses to securely access restricted use microdata files under certain conditions.

Licenses are only needed for microdata not available in public use files .

Restricted use microdata licenses are available from NCSES for the following: Early Career Doctorate Survey (ECDS) National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG) Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT) Integrated File Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR)/SDR Longitudinal (LSDR) Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)/Doctorate Record File (DRF) The process of applying for access to NCSES data is evolving.

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 called for the federal government to establish a standard application process (SAP) through which agencies; the Congressional Budget Office; state, local, and tribal governments; researchers; and other individuals, as appropriate, may apply for access to restricted use microdata. In response, the federal statistical system developed the SAP Portal at www. researchdatagov.

org . The SAP Portal is a Web-based metadata catalog and application portal that serves as the “front door” to apply for restricted use data from any of the 16 principal federal statistical agencies and units for evidence building purposes. To learn more about the SAP, please visit the SAP overview Web page.

The SAP Portal provides prospective applicants with a comprehensive metadata catalog for over 1,300 restricted use data assets from the federal statistical agencies and accepts applications requesting access to these assets. Users with questions about arrangements for use of restricted use data or questions about existing applications should contact NCSES directly at NCSES_Licensing@nsf. gov .

How to Request Access to Restricted Use Data from NCSES Prior to beginning the restricted use application process, we encourage individuals to explore NCSES’s publicly available data products. NCSES makes data available through our online data tools, data tables, data profiles, and public use microdata files. For more information about all these publicly available options, please visit NCSES's Explore Data Web page.

If an individual’s research or policy questions cannot be informed using publicly available data products, NCSES allows individuals employed at a U.S. based institution or organization the opportunity to apply for access, through the SAP Portal , to restricted use data files for select statistical research projects at NCSES’s Secure Data Access Facility and through the Federal Statistical Research Data Centers.

Below are the steps associated with requesting access to NCSES restricted use data. Discover data: Explore the SAP Portal metadata catalog to identify available NCSES microdata to inform research and policy questions. Submit an application: Submit a request for access to NCSES restricted use data through the SAP Portal .

The Application Instruction Manual provides step-by-step instructions to submit an application requesting access to restricted use data. The manual is available through the SAP Portal's “Help” dropdown menu. Receive an application determination: After an application is submitted through the SAP Portal, NCSES will review the application in adherence with the review criteria outlined in the SAP policy .

Applicants will receive an application determination notification through the SAP Portal. Submit data security requirements: For approved applications, NCSES will contact the applicant to provide instructions on the data security requirements needed to gain access to the restricted use data. The completion and submission of the NCSES data security requirements will take place outside of the SAP Portal.

Obtain help: For questions about the data or the application process, please contact NCSES at NCSES_Licensing@nsf. gov . Researchers are often interested in matching NCSES data to other non-NCSES data sources.

Individuals interested in matching data should review the NCSES Policy on Matching Non-NCSES Data to Restricted Use Data Sets (35 KB) to better understand how NCSES considers these requests. The goal of having a restricted-use data License is to maximize the use of statistical information while protecting individually identifiable information from disclosure.

NCSES' core mission areas are: The collection, acquisition, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of statistical data on science, engineering, technology and research and development related to the United States and other nations; Support of research that uses NCSES data; Methodological research in areas related to its work; and Education and training of researchers in the use of large-scale nationally representative data sets Alignment with NCSES Mission Proposals that do not target one or more of NCSES' core mission areas will be returned without review.

The NCSES program overlaps with many other research activities and areas at NSF. Researchers with projects that do not meet specific NCSES criteria might consider other NSF programs and activities.

Those programs that may be of particular interest to NCSES researchers are: Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact (SoS: DCI), Methodology, Measurement and Statistics (MMS), Science of Organizations (SoO), Science and Technology Studies (STS), SBE Science of Broadening Participation (SBE SBP), and Partnerships for Innovation (PFI).

As noted in the section on Award Conditions, recipients will make a virtual presentation to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics to report on their activities at the conclusion of their work.

NCSES Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) help to defray direct costs associated with conducting research, including data set acquisition, original data collection, additional statistical or methodological training, meeting with scholars associated with original datasets, and fieldwork away from the student's home campus.

Dissertation Advice to Students As a general rule, proposals that review well are those that clearly state a central research question, make an argument that engages and/or debates relevant literature, specifies the data the student will gather and the analytic procedures the student will apply to those data. Additionally, strong proposals state what the researcher expects to find or show through the research.

When preparing the proposal, write clearly and concisely. Reviewers will be selected from a variety of specialty areas so it is possible that one or more reviewers will not specialize in your particular area of research. Defining key terms and keeping your proposal free of jargon will ensure that all reviewers will be able to understand your proposal and evaluate it fairly.

Based on the quality of proposals and the availability of funds, NSF expects to make 5 to 10 awards each year. IV. Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Standard research proposals: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

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.

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposals: Doctoral Degree granting IHEs accredited in, and having a campus located in, the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Standard research proposals: No special restrictions or limits.

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposals: The dissertation advisor must be listed as the Principal Investigator and the student must be listed as the co-Principal Investigator. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Full Proposal Preparation Instructions : Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.

gov or Grants. gov. Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=pappg . Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.

gov . The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number. Full proposals submitted via Grants.

gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants. gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.

gov . The complete text of the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.

gov website and on the NSF website at: ( https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.

gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants. gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.

gov . 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. Data Management and Sharing Plan To ensure efficient accessibility of new data, metrics and indicators that are developed via this solicitation, all research proposals that develop new data must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Proposers must adhere to NSF's general data policy (see Data Management and Sharing Plan for SBE Proposals ). Data developed from NCSES restricted-use datasets may not be shared publicly and will reside with NCSES at the end of the research period for additional dissemination by NCSES. Proposers should also apply the following requirements as appropriate.

Requirements for the Data Management and Sharing Plan for data developed from NCSES datasets: ­Statement regarding where any new or linked data will be archived. At a minimum, the proposal should include a letter of support from the specified data center. ­Identification of the data management point of contact and the person who is responsible for submitting the data, metadata and other documentation.

­Clear indication of which data are to be shared in the research community. Such data must be made available through an openly accessible data management system as soon as data are collected and verified. In some cases, the data that are developed or linked to NCSES data will be sensitive in nature.

Proposers may request an exemption from the NCSES NSF program officer for those data. The request for exemption must clearly state why the data cannot be disseminated. In some cases, proposers might indicate a reasonable time period within which the data must be privately held.

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant Proposals Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant proposals submitted to NCSES should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines for regular research proposals specified in the PAPPG. NCSES DDRIG proposals have additional requirements that are specified below. Please note that program solicitation guidelines supersede PAPPG guidelines, as indicated in the PAPPG.

Project Duration: 12 months with possibility of renewal (with additional funding) based on progress toward completion. Project Budget: Dissertation grants are generally for $15,000 or less although higher levels of funding are possible with justification.

Funds are for expenses associated with conducting the dissertation research (e.g., data collection, field work, payment to subjects, survey expenses, software, microfilm, data transcription, file creation and data merging, travel, and expenses incurred at sites away from the student’s home institution). The grant does not support stipend, salary, or tuition reimbursement.

Neither the PI (the dissertation advisor) nor any of the co-PIs (including the dissertation student) should be listed in Section A (Senior/Key Personnel) on the Budget, since DDRIG proposals do not provide funds for salaries or stipends for the doctoral student, the dissertation advisor, or other faculty advisors.

Therefore, their names should be manually removed from Section A on the budget to avoid construal as voluntary committed cost sharing, which is not permitted. Proposal Title: This should begin with, "Doctoral Dissertation Research: ... ” PI: The dissertation advisor must be listed as the Principal Investigator.

The dissertation student must be listed as the co-Principal Investigator. Project Summary: Each proposal must contain a summary of the proposed project not more than one page in length. The Project Summary consists of an overview, a statement on the intellectual merit of the proposed activity, and a statement on the broader impacts of the proposed activity.

The intellectual merit portion should include, minimally, background information on the research (theory, prior research), research hypotheses and/or questions, and a description of methods and expected findings. The broader impacts portion might address such questions as: How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding? How does the work promote teaching, training, or learning?

What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society? Project Description: Must not exceed 10 single pages. Do not send transcripts and letters of recommendation but include any questionnaires or survey guides for original data collection as supplementary documents.

Results from Prior NSF Support section: Not required for DDRIG proposals. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization’s local time): Third Tuesday in January, Annually Thereafter Third Tuesday in June, Annually Thereafter D. Research.

gov/Grants. gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via Research. gov: To prepare and submit a proposal via Research.

gov, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www. research. gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop?

_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=research_node_display&_nodePath=/researchGov/Service/Desktop/ProposalPreparationandSubmission. html . For Research.

gov user support, call the Research. gov Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail rgov@nsf. gov .

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

Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity. For Proposals Submitted Via Grants. gov: Before using Grants.

gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants. gov website.

Comprehensive information about using Grants. gov is available on the Grants. gov Applicant Resources webpage: https://www.

grants. gov/web/grants/applicants. html .

In addition, the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide (see link in Section V. A) provides instructions regarding the technical preparation of proposals via Grants.

gov. For Grants. gov user support, contact the Grants. gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.

gov . The Grants. gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.

gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation. Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants. gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted.

The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants. gov. The completed application will be transferred to Research. gov for further processing.

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/ . 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.