How to Obtain NSF Grants Review of Proposal Pieces

1. How to Obtain NSF Grants Review of Proposal Pieces A workshop providing information on the process of applying for external research awards. Sponsored by USF Office of Research

2. Pieces of an NSF Proposal • Cover sheet (you input RFP, co-PIs) • Certification page (automatic) • Recommended Reviewers (optional) • PI Demographics (automatic) • Project Summary (There are rules…) • Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts (both MUST be addressed) • Table of Contents (automatic)

3. Pieces of an NSF Proposal: Part 2 • Project Description • 15 pages, single-spaced, font style (5 are acceptable) and size specified in the Grant Proposal Guide • What goes here? Read the Solicitation!! • Project Goals and Objectives • Hypotheses to test (“hypothesis-driven science”) • Significance to the discipline • Relation to PIs longer-term goals and previous work • Relation to state of knowledge of the field

4. Pieces of an NSF Proposal: Part 3 • Project Description, continued: • Research methodologies • Clear statement of work to be undertaken • Relation to PIs longer-term goals and previous work • Previous NSF-supported work (required if you have been PI on RELEVANT NSF grants) • NSF Award No., duration, funds awarded • BRIEF statement of project activities and results (one short paragraph unless it’s relevant to your proposed project…) • Publications/presentations (*can be in References Cited)

5. Pieces of an NSF Proposal: Back Pages • References Cited (ONLY what’s cited!*) • Biographical Sketches (2 page) • Budget with budget justification • Current and pending support (all sources) • Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources • Supplemental Documents (if allowed, w/ PD permit) *including publications/presentations from Results from Previous NSF Support

6. Biographical Sketches: NSF • Maximum of 2 pages - tailor to project! • Education • UG Inst. Major Degree and Year • Grad Inst. Major Degree and Year • Post Doc I. Area Inclusive dates • Professional Appointments • Up to 5 project- related publications • Up to 5 other publications • Synergistic activities • Recent Collaborators, All Advisors, All Advisees

7. Project Summary Tips • Brief and to the point - sort of like a paper abstract… • Intellectual merit and Broader Impacts - must be addressed, or returned w/o review! (Best approach: two paragraphs…) • Project Objectives • Fit to program goals • General plan for research with design/method • No jargon or abbreviations • No summaries of previous work • Should be understandable to a general scientific audience • If you get an award, this is what gets used in reports to Congress, so nothing “cute”…

8. NSF Project Review Criteria:Two Required Parts of Project Summary • Intellectual Merit • Importance of project to advancing knowledge • Qualifications of proposer and team • Creativity and originality • Organization, resources, likelihood of success • Broader Impacts • Advancing discovery coupled with education/training • Attending to underrepresented groups • Enhancing infrastructure and social networks (nationally and internationally) • Disseminating knowledge and benefiting society

9. What Goes In a Budget? All costs related to activities on the project: • Personnel (w/ fringe benefits, tuition, etc.) • Equipment • Travel (usually national, can be international (extra requirements…)) • Participant Support Costs • Materials & Supplies; Publication Costs • Subawards • Indirect Costs • Justification • SAMPLE BUDGET

10. Grant Personnel • Salaries + Fringe (+ insurance) • Principal Investigators; Co-PIs; Senior Personnel • Undergraduate / Graduate Students tuition • Technicians, Programmers, Non-clerical staff • Consultants • Clerical Staff are usually not allowed.

11. Direct Costs • Equipment (cost sharing may be required) • However, Cost sharingshould be avoided if possible. • Travel • Participant Support Costs • Conferences/Workshops • Human Subjects • Materials & Supplies; Publication Costs • Subawards/Subaccounts • Office Supplies are typically not allowed. • Grant Personnel

12. Indirect Costs • Also called F&A(Facilities & Administration) or Overhead • The rate applies to MTDC or Modified Total Direct Costs: • MTDC= Direct costs – tuition – equipment- subcontract amounts • Represents costs of space, copiers, research office personnel, and other available university supplies and services • Type and location of research can affect IDC rate. • Affiliate, off campus research • Check the agency guidelines for any stipulations about indirect costs.

13. Budget Justification/Narrative • Expectation to justify requests • Requirement to address compliance issues including cost accounting standards and effort • Chance to provide extra details or explain atypical requests • Extra opportunity to explain details of project • SAMPLE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

14. Justifying Resource Requests • Personnel • Describe what role each person will perform on the project: • Try to avoidimplying a university cost share. • Use language like: One month of salary is requested for the PI who will oversee all aspects of the project. • If no funding is requested, describe a role: The Co-PI will serve as a mentor to the graduate students. • Avoid overly specific time/effort estimates.

15. Justifying Resource Requests • Supply a brief summary of why the resources are essential to the project • Why you need the equipment, supplies, etc. • How the travel will benefit the project (especially important for international requests) • What types of materials are needed (cannot include routine office supplies) • Publications costs and tuition need little/no explanation

16. Avoiding Accounting Problems • Compliance issues: cost accounting standardsfor computers, office supplies, clerical help. • It is critical to explain why the request is: essentialto the project and beyond the scopeof what the university typically provides to its faculty members.