Symbiosis, Defense and Self-recognition Program (SDS)

Symbiosis, Defense and Self-recognition Program (SDS) is sponsored by NSF Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS). Supports research on processes mediating both antagonistic and beneficial symbiotic interactions, as well as mechanisms of self/non-self recognition within and between species.

NSF 13-600: Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) | 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 13-600: Division of Integrative Organismal Systems Posted: September 4, 2013 Download the solicitation (PDF, 1.

5mb) National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences Division of Integrative Organismal Systems Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p. m. proposer's local time) : Third Friday in January, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time): First Friday in August, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes Program Name and D escription Changes Two of the programs in the Physiological and Structural Systems (PSS) Cluster have changed. The former Processes, Structures and Integrity Program (PSI) has been renamed the Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program (PMB).

The Organism Environment Interactions (OEI) has been renamed the Integrative Ecological Physiology Program (IEP). The names and descriptions were updated to better reflect the program priorities.

The Division will continue to provide opportunities outlined in NSF 12-093 (Dear Colleague Letter: Beyond the Genome) for mid-career researchers/scientists to acquire new skills to use genomics and bioinformatics tools and/or novel technologies to answer organismal questions.

Especially encouraged are applications from investigators trained in whole organism physiology, developmental biology and the evolution of developmental processes, nervous system development, structure, and function, physiological processes, functional morphology, symbioses, interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic environments, and animal behavior.

Applications for workshop support to provide training in the use of modern techniques and approaches, e.g. genomics and bioinformatics, for organismal research are also encouraged.

In FY 2014, IOS intends to provide support for workshops and research coordination network proposals that explore the opportunities and bottlenecks to increasing our understanding of the relationships between organismal genomes and the wide range of possible phenotypes and phenomes.

The Division continues to encourage submissions from all qualified researchers, including junior investigators, investigators at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), investigators in Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states, and investigators who are underrepresented minorities.

Applicants are expected to include anticipated support for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in the full proposal. Post-award requests for supplemental funding should only be made for unanticipated opportunities that arise after an award is made.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) ( NSF 15-1 ), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after December 26, 2014.

The PAPPG is consistent with, and, implements the new Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) (2 CFR § 200). Summary Of Program Requirements Division of Integrative Organismal Systems The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) supports research aimed at understanding why organisms are structured the way they are and function as they do.

Proposals should focus on organisms as a fundamental unit of biological organization. Principal Investigators (PIs) are encouraged to apply systems approaches that will lead to conceptual and theoretical insights and predictions about emergent organismal properties.

Areas of inquiry include, but are not limited to, developmental biology and the evolution of developmental processes, nervous system development, structure, and function, physiological processes, functional morphology, symbioses, interactions of organisms with biotic and abiotic environments, and animal behavior. Proposals are welcomed in all areas of science supported by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.

All investigator-initiated proposals to the core programs in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems must now be invited based on merit review of preliminary proposals. There is a single submission deadline with a limit of 2 preliminary proposals per investigator per year as PI or Co-PI in response to this solicitation. Please see the GPG for definition of roles for PI and Co-PI.

There are no limits on the number of proposals you can participate on as collaborator. The PI/Co-PI limits apply only to this solicitation and do not pertain to proposals submitted in response to other NSF solicitations. Unsolicited full research proposals are no longer accepted into the IOS Core Programs.

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. Behavioral Systems Cluster, Program Directors, Developmental Systems Cluster, Program Directors, Neural Systems Cluster, Program Directors, Phys.

& Struct.

Systems Cluster, Program Directors, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 200 Anticipated Funding Amount: $55,000,000 pending 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: 2 In a given year, an individual may participate as a PI or co-PI on no more than two preliminary proposals submitted in response to this IOS Core Program Solicitation.

Preliminary proposals in excess of the limit for any person will be returned without review in the reverse order received. "PI" and "co-PI" refer to the role an individual would play in a full proposal (including all parts of a Collaborative Research Proposal). See Exhibit II-7: Definitions of Categories of Personnel in the GPG for the definition of proposer roles.

It is the responsibility of the submitters to confirm that the entire team is within the eligibility guidelines. Participating in a proposal as a collaborator does not count towards this limit, including investigators who contribute services for a fee (e.g., sequencing) or are the PI on a subaward. Thus, the number of proposals on which an investigator can be listed as collaborator is unlimited.

Changes in the team post-submission to meet the eligibility limits will not be allowed.

This limit does not pertain to proposals to other solicitations (e.g., Research Coordination Networks, Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants, CAREER, Plant Genome Research Program, Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development) or to core programs in other BIO Divisions (Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Biological Infrastructure, Environmental Biology).

However solicitations may have their own limit guidelines so be sure to review those carefully for details. Please consult the IOS website ( https://www. nsf.

gov/div/index. jsp? div=IOS ) for answers to frequently asked questions.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposals: Submission of Preliminary Proposals is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

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 Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.

m. proposer's local time) : Third Friday in January, Annually Thereafter Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

proposer's local time): First Friday in August, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria Merit Review 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 Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply. Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. IOS supports research aimed at improving our understanding of organisms as integrated units of biological organization.

The Division welcomes diverse approaches to research addressing organismal questions, and especially encourages integrative and interdisciplinary perspectives on complex problems in organismal biology. The goal is to predict why organisms are structured the way they are and function as they do.

Projects that innovatively apply approaches that combine experimentation, computation, and modeling, and which lead to new conceptual and theoretical insights and testable predictions about integrated organismal properties, including the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes, or genomes and phenomes are particularly encouraged.

Research that integrates data across spatial/temporal/biological scales, leads to transformative methods, tools and resources, and/or seeks breakthroughs in the areas of phenotypic plasticity and organismal resilience will be given high priority for funding throughout the division.

However, research motivated by relevance to human health or addressing the mechanisms of human disease is not appropriate for the Division and will be returned without review. IOS continues to support projects that provide unique educational and training opportunities for the next generation of researchers, scientific educators and scientifically literate citizens.

In order to address the Broader Impacts review criterion, proposals can contain the development of innovative educational, broadening participation, and outreach activities, or substantive participation in existing institutional infrastructure for education, training and outreach. Successful proposals often demonstrate close integration of the scientific and educational goals.

Proposals are welcomed in all areas of science supported by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, including projects that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Please read the cluster descriptions below and then discuss any questions about the potential fit of a project to one of the clusters with the Program Director you believe is most closely associated to your field of interest.

Please consult the IOS web page ( https://www. nsf. gov/div/index.

jsp? div=IOS ) for information about Program Directors associated with each programmatic area. This interaction can be a critical aspect for ensuring that your proposal is assigned to the most appropriate program for review.

The core scientific programs in IOS are organized into four Clusters: Behavioral Systems Cluster The Behavioral Systems Cluster consists of the Animal Behavior Program which supports research in the area of integrative animal behavior to understand how and why individuals and groups of animals do what they do in nature.

Research in this area occurs in field, laboratory and captive environments and covers a wide range of scientific fields and levels of analysis to study the development, mechanisms, adaptive value, and evolutionary history of behavior.

The Cluster encourages species specific and comparative studies as well as modeling and theoretical approaches that use animal systems to discover and explore overarching principles of the biology of behavior and to advance a fully integrated understanding of the behavioral phenotype from genes to ecosystems.

The Cluster supports these goals through the core program in Animal Behavior and the Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant program (DDIG). Developmental Systems Cluster The Developmental Systems Cluster supports research aimed at understanding how interacting developmental processes give rise to the emergent properties of organisms.

Systems level approaches to understanding these processes at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels of organization, combining the use of molecular, genetic, biochemical, and physiological techniques as well as techniques from outside biology are encouraged.

The Developmental Systems Cluster is also particularly interested in understanding how emergent properties result in the development of complex phenotypes and lead to the evolution of developmental mechanisms.

Proposals should be submitted to one of the three programs below: The Plant, Fungal and Microbial Developmental Mechanisms Program supports research that addresses developmental processes in plants from algae to angiosperms, microbes and fungi. The Animal Developmental Mechanisms Program supports research that seeks to understand the processes that result in the complex phenotypes of animals.

Because different organisms may be more amenable to certain approaches than others, analyses of development in a wide range of different species are encouraged. Proposals directed to study the development of the Nervous System should be submitted to the Organization Program of the Neural Systems Cluster (see below).

The Evolution of Developmental Mechanisms Program supports research to discover the developmental processes that are shared by all organisms, and also those processes that produce diversity (phenotypic variation within a species and/or between species). For example, the program is interested in elucidating how gene networks are modified to generate different phenotypic outcomes.

Understanding these processes will likely require inter-disciplinary and collaborative approaches using a wide range of organisms. The Neural Systems Cluster focuses on the basic functions of the nervous system and its interactions with the physical and social environments. The neuronal mechanisms underlying organismal responses and adaptation to an ever-changing biosphere are also of interest.

The Cluster encourages the use of comparative species approaches to better understand how organisms perceive their environment, transduce that information in the nervous system and respond appropriately. Projects supported by the Neural Systems Cluster span multiple levels of analysis ranging from the molecular and cellular to the complex behavioral aspects of organisms functioning in their natural environments.

The use of comparative and evolutionary studies, as well as the development of novel theoretical, computational, and transdisciplinary approaches to guide and instruct experimental design, are particularly encouraged. Interdisciplinary research in neuroscience at the interfaces of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and engineering is also supported.

Proposals should be submitted to one of the three programs below, each of which reflects one of three conceptual domains in neurobiology: The Organization Program supports research focused on how the nervous system is organized along developmental, genetic, molecular and cellular lines; exploring developmental mechanisms and determining how experiential/environmental interactions affect the basic structural and functional characteristics of the nervous system.

The Activation Program supports research focused on how signals from the external environment activate the nervous system to produce motor responses; investigating how the internal state of the organism reaches a decision threshold, integrates sensorimotor responses, and triggers an action.

The Modulation Program supports research focused on how various factors modulate the nervous system to produce complex behavior, and how that complex behavior, in turn, feeds back to have an impact on the nervous system; examining basic neural mechanisms underlying neuroendocrine and neuroimmune function, learning and memory, biological rhythms, and other complex behavior.

Physiological and Structural Systems Cluster The Physiological and Structural Systems (PSS) Cluster supports research to advance understanding of physiological mechanisms and functional morphology. PSS supports hypothesis- and discovery-based research encompassing a wide range of approaches at levels of organization from molecules to populations.

The Cluster encourages submission of proposals aimed at identifying fundamental design principles of physiological and structural systems and at understanding why particular patterns of morphology and physiological mechanisms have evolved and how they are integrated at the level of the whole organism. The Cluster encourages modeling and theoretical approaches to augment experimental approaches.

Multidisciplinary research at the interfaces of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and engineering is encouraged. Normally, the PSS Cluster will not consider projects that are primarily focused on environmental toxicology or endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Proposals should be directed to one of the three programs described below: The Symbiosis, Defense and Self-recognition Program (SDS) supports research on processes mediating both antagonistic and beneficial symbiotic interactions, as well as mechanisms of self/non-self recognition within and between species.

The program welcomes proposals on the dynamics of initiation, transmission, maintenance and dissolution of these complex associations, including studies of metabolic interactions, immune defenses (especially involving comparative studies, new systems or novel mechanisms), host-symbiont regulation, and recognition, signaling, communication, and reciprocal responses among interacting species.

Integrative approaches and attention to emergent effects of symbiotic interactions are encouraged. All aspects of symbiosis are supported, including commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, host-pathogen interactions, and mechanisms of foreign organelle acquisition.

The Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program (PMB) supports research on the physiological and structural features that contribute to life processes in plants, animals, microbes, and other organisms.

Broad thematic areas include, but are not limited to sensing and signaling mechanisms, transport, energetics and metabolism, growth and development, stress adaptation mechanisms, biomaterials, muscle physiology, endocrinology, biomechanics, functional morphology, coordination of reproductive processes, gas exchange, circulation and osmoregulation.

Systems approaches that predict or reveal the nature of coordination among functional processes and/or structural components as a means to further the understanding of organismal integrity are particularly encouraged. The Integrative Ecological Physiology Program (IEP) supports research on the structural and physiological traits of organisms that underlie their capacities to live in various ecological settings.

A central focus of the program is research on physiological mechanisms underlying organism responses to biotic and abiotic components of their environments. The program seeks proposals framed in explicit ecological or evolutionary contexts, and therefore projects may address time scales ranging from the short-term to evolutionary.

Projects focused on understanding how genetic, biochemical, morphological and physiological processes integratively result in the capacities of organisms to live in dynamic environments are encouraged. The IEP Program particularly encourages proposals focused on using physiological traits to improve predictive models of organismal responses to global change.

Research in Undergraduate Institution (RUI) Proposals The core programs will accept Research in Undergraduate Institution (RUI) proposals. RUI submissions must start with a preliminary proposal submission and be received by the deadlines listed in this IOS solicitation. Information on the scope of RUI projects and the format of these proposals can be found at https://www.

nsf. gov/funding/pgm_summ. jsp?

pims_id=5518&from=fund . Research Coordination Network (RCN) Proposals The core programs will accept Research Coordination Network (RCN) Proposals. RCN proposals do not start with a preliminary proposal and instead should be submitted at the full proposal deadline listed in this IOS solicitation.

Information on the scope of RCN projects and the format of these proposals can be found at https://www. nsf. gov/funding/pgm_summ.

jsp? pims_id=11691 . A two-stage review process is now in use for all IOS core programs, including RUI proposals: Preliminary Proposals: All proposers must submit a preliminary proposal that outlines the major goals of the project including the components described below.

Preliminary proposals will typically be reviewed by a panel of outside experts. The Program Directors will communicate the decision to Invite/Not Invite full proposals via FastLane and these decisions will be based on the panel recommendations and additional portfolio considerations. Invite/Do Not invite decisions are binding.

Full Proposals: Invited full proposals will receive ad hoc and/or panel review at the discretion of the Program, as described in Section VI of this Solicitation. Full proposals that were not invited (except as noted for RCN) will be returned without review.

This solicitation does not apply to conference and workshop proposals, requests for supplemental funding, RAPID or EAGER applications, all of which should be submitted following the standard guidelines outlined below by selecting "In response to GPG" on the proposal coversheet and then selecting the "RAPIDs, EAGERs, Workshops, Conferences, Other" Category from the pull-down menu.

CAREER proposals are likewise not covered by this solicitation. Additional CAREER proposal information can be found here: https://www. nsf.

gov/funding/pgm_summ. jsp?

pims_id=503214 Supplemental Funding Requests The target date for most IOS programs for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS), and Research Opportunity Award (ROA) supplement requests as well as proposals for Conferences, Symposia and Workshops (Meetings) is March 1 annually (or next business day if that is a weekend or holiday).

See https://www. nsf. gov/bio/supp.

jsp and https://www. nsf. gov/div/index.

jsp? div=IOS for guidance on preparation of requests for supplemental funding. Please note that supplemental funding is intended for unanticipated opportunities only and should be justified on this basis .

Requests for support of planned REU, RET, RAHSS, and ROA activities should be included in the invited full proposal budget. See https://www. nsf.

gov/funding/pgm_summ. jsp? pims_id=5517&org=IOS for additional guidance on budget preparation.

Conferences, Workshops, and Symposia IOS supports conferences, symposia, and workshops in areas of science supported by IOS that bring experts together to discuss current research, to expose other researchers or students to new research methods, and to discuss future directions. Conferences will be supported only if equivalent results cannot be obtained at regular meetings of professional societies or the established conference series.

For Guidance on preparing Proposals for Conferences, Symposia and Workshops (Meetings) visit https://www. nsf. gov/bio/ios/confworkshopguidance.

jsp . Proposers are encouraged to contact a Program Director about the suitability of the proposed activity for IOS support prior to submission. EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) The EAGER funding mechanism may be used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches.

This work may be considered especially "high risk-high payoff" in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives.

These exploratory proposals may also be submitted directly to an NSF program at any time, but the EAGER mechanism should not be used for projects that are appropriate for submission as "regular" (i.e., non-EAGER) NSF proposals. PI(s) must contact the NSF Program Director(s) whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic prior to submission of an EAGER proposal.

This will aid in determining the appropriateness of the work for consideration under the EAGER mechanism; this suitability must be assessed early in the process. For guidelines, see the most recent version of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide ( https://www. nsf.

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

Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) The RAPID funding mechanism is used for proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events.

PI(s) must contact the NSF Program Director(s) whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic before submitting a RAPID proposal. This will facilitate determining whether the proposed work is appropriate for RAPID funding. For guidelines, see the most recent version of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide ( https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=gpg ). Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Up to 200 awards per year, pending availability of funds Anticipated Funding Amount: $55,000,000 pending availability of funds Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: 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: 2 In a given year, an individual may participate as a PI or co-PI on no more than two preliminary proposals submitted in response to this IOS Core Program Solicitation. Preliminary proposals in excess of the limit for any person will be returned without review in the reverse order received.

"PI" and "co-PI" refer to the role an individual would play in a full proposal (including all parts of a Collaborative Research Proposal). See Exhibit II-7: Definitions of Categories of Personnel in the GPG for the definition of proposer roles. It is the responsibility of the submitters to confirm that the entire team is within the eligibility guidelines.

Participating in a proposal as a collaborator does not count towards this limit, including investigators who contribute services for a fee (e.g., sequencing) or are the PI on a subaward. Thus, the number of proposals on which an investigator can be listed as collaborator is unlimited. Changes in the team post-submission to meet the eligibility limits will not be allowed.

This limit does not pertain to proposals to other solicitations (e.g., Research Coordination Networks, Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants, CAREER, Plant Genome Research Program, Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development) or to core programs in other BIO Divisions (Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Biological Infrastructure, Environmental Biology).

However solicitations may have their own limit guidelines so be sure to review those carefully for details. Please consult the IOS website ( https://www. nsf.

gov/div/index. jsp? div=IOS ) for answers to frequently asked questions.

Additional Eligibility Info: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Academic institutions located in the US: US universities and colleges located in the US. Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations in the US associated with educational or research activities. Consortia of only the eligible organizations listed above.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Preliminary Proposals (required): Preliminary proposals are required and must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system, even if full proposals will be submitted via Grants.

gov. 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 email from nsfpubs@nsf. gov . The following exceptions and additions to the GPG guidelines apply to preliminary proposals submitted to this Program: Submission of a Preliminary Proposal is required to be eligible for invitation for a Full Proposal.

Preliminary proposals that are not compliant with the guidelines may be returned without review. It is the submitting organization's responsibility to ensure that the preliminary proposal is compliant with all applicable guidelines. For projects with multiple PIs that would be submitted as Collaborative Research Proposals, the preliminary proposal should be submitted by ONLY the lead institution.

The title should begin with the phrase "IOS Preliminary Proposal: Collaborative Research:" The collaborative partners should be indicated in the list of personnel on the first page of the Project Description (see below). Preliminary proposals must contain the items listed below and adhere strictly to the specified page limitations. No additional information may be provided as an appendix or by links to Web pages.

Figures and tables must be included within the applicable page limit. All elements of the proposal, including legends and tables, must meet the formatting requirements for font, font size, characters per inch, margins, etc. as specified in the GPG, Chapter 2, Sections A-B .

In brief, proposals should have 1" margins all around the page, no more than 6 lines of text per inch, and use no smaller than 10 point font (except in figures when absolutely required). No adjustments to line spacing, kerning, margins, or other layout options can be used to circumvent the established page limitation.

Preliminary proposals that fail to adhere to these formatting and page limitation requirements may be returned without review. Preliminary proposals should contain an overview of the proposed research with sufficient detail to allow assessment of the major ideas and approaches to be used, as well as the broader impacts of the proposed research.

Preliminary proposals must include the following components: Applicants must include the documents below (prepared in accordance with standard NSF formatting guidelines). Cover Sheet: Select the program solicitation number from the pull-down list. The IOS Programs will automatically appear.

Check the box indicated for the preliminary proposal. Entries on the Cover Sheet are limited to the Principal Investigator and a maximum of four-co-principal investigators.

The box for "Beginning Investigator" on the proposal Cover Sheet must be checked if either the Principal Investigator [PI] or one of the co-Principal Investigators [co-PIs] is an individual who has not been a PI or co-PI on a Federally-funded award with the exception of doctoral dissertation, postdoctoral fellowship or research planning grants. The sum of $2 should be entered on the budget line to allow correct FastLane processing.

For more FastLane instructions, see section V. D. below.

Title of Proposed Project: Title should begin with the prefix "IOS Preliminary Proposal:..." followed by any additional acronyms (e.g. Accomplishment Based Renewal "ABR:", or Research in Undergraduate Institutions "RUI:",), if applicable. Project Summary (1 page): Project Summaries must include three sections: Overview, Statement on Intellectual Merit and Statement on Broader Impacts.

The summary should be written in the third person, informative to those working in the same or related field(s), and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader. Preliminary proposals that do not separately and explicitly address the overview and both intellectual merit and broader impacts in the Project Summary will not be accepted by FastLane or will be returned without review . Project Description.

Maximum 5 pages total, containing the following two sections: Section I. Personnel (This section is limited to one page. Any remaining space should be left blank.)

Provide a list of project personnel, including PI(s), co-PI(s), and other project personnel, whether from proposed collaborative research proposals (inter-institutional) or sub-awards, plus each person's institutional affiliation, title, status on the full proposal (i.e., PI, co-PI, subaward lead, other personnel), and one sentence describing that person's role(s) in the project. Section II.

Project (This section is limited to four pages. The use of the sub-sections listed below is recommended, organized as appropriate.) 1.

"Conceptual Framework" or "Objectives" or "Specific Aims" 2. "Rationale and Significance" or "Background" 3. "Hypotheses" or "Research Question (s)" 4.

"Research Approach" or "Experimental Plan" or "Research Design" 5. "Broader Impacts" (This section is now explicitly required in the GPG) References Cited (maximum 3 pages) See GPG for format guidelines . Biographical Sketches (2-page limit for each) should be included for each person listed on the Personnel page.

It should include the individual's expertise as related to the proposed research, professional preparation, professional appointments, five relevant publications, five additional publications, and up to five synergistic activities. Advisors, advisees, and collaborators should not be listed on this document, but in a separate combined conflict of interest template described below.

Please Note: The requirement to omit advisors, advisees, etc. is a deviation from the normal GPG rules. No budget should be submitted ; however, please enter $2 in the Requested Amount box on the FastLane Cover Sheet (this entry allows correct FastLane processing). Combined Conflict of Interest document .

The template found at https://www. nsf. gov/bio/ios/ioscoitemplate.

xlsx , contains a total of five tabs. Please read the Instructions carefully and follow guidance. Using the template, compile an Excel Workbook that identifies conflicts of interest (COIs) for all persons listed on the Personnel page (i.e., Section I) of the Project Description.

Conflicts to be identified are (1) Ph. D. dissertation