NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)

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2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference

Join the National Science Foundation for the Spring 2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held June 5, 2023 2:00 PM ET  to June 8, 2023 4:00 PM ET.. 

Registration will open on Wednesday, May 10 at 12PM EST.

Just like the in-person grants conferences, the NSF Virtual Grants Conference is a must, especially for new faculty, researchers and administrators.

Highlights include:

• New programs and initiatives
• Proposal preparation 
• NSF's merit review process 
• NSF directorate sessions 
• Award management topics 
• Conflict of interest policies 
• NSF systems updates 

The NSF Grants Conference is designed to give new faculty, researchers, and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will provide up-to-date information about policies and procedures, specific funding opportunities and answer attendee questions. 

Revised NSF Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Formats - Now Available in SciENcv and on the NSF Website

NSF PAPPG 23-1 

The NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) contains the National Science Foundation’s policies and procedures applicable to proposal preparation, award management, and award closeout.  The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023. Significant changes include:

• • Revisions to incorporate Research.gov as the replacement for FastLane for proposal preparation and submission.
  • Information about the use of Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) and the BAA Management System (BAAM).
  • Revisions to the certification for Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) for proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023, which expands the training to faculty and other senior personnel as well as requires specific training mandated by the America COMPETES Act, as amended.
  • Use of Concept Outlines as a submission type and the Program Suitability and Proposal Concept Tool (ProSPCT).
  • Revisions to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support formats to include certifications from the individual (as required by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act,  Section 223) regarding information being accurate, current, and complete.
  • Requirement for NSF program officers to request updated Current and Pending Support information prior to making a funding recommendation, in accordance with the NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance.
  • Requirements for use of SciENcv for the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support documents.
  • Implementation of Build America, Buy America statutes.
  • New sections on Research Security and Scientific Integrity.  
  • Requirement for proposers to provide a certification regarding Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus and Off-Site Research.
    • A new box will appear on the Cover Sheet titled Off-Campus or Off-Site Research
    • For purposes of this requirement, off-campus or off-site research is defined as data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft. 
    • For each proposal that proposes to conduct research off-campus or off-site, the AOR must complete a certification that the organization has a plan in place for that proposal regarding safe and inclusive working environment.
    • The plan itself is not submitted to NSF as part of the proposal.
    • The plan must describe how the following types of behavior will be addressed: 
      1. 1. Abuse of any person, but not limited to harassment, stalking, bullying or hazing of any kind, whether the behavior is carried out verbally, physically, electronically, or in written form; or
         2. Conduct that is unwelcome, offensive, indecent, obscene, or disorderly.
    • The plan should identify steps the proposing organization will take to nurture an inclusive off-campus or off-site working environments , e.g., trainings; processes to establish shared team definitions of roles, responsibilities, and culture, e.g., codes of conduct; and field support, such as mentor/mentee support mechanisms, regular check-ins, and/or developmental events.  A good starting point for SBU Investigators would be the Stony Brook University Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
    • The plan should consider communications within the team and to the organization, minimizing singular points within the communications pathway (e.g., a single person overseeing access to a single satellite phone), and any special circumstances such as the involvement of multiple organizations or the presence of third parties in the working environment should be taken into account.  The process or method for making incident reports as well as how any reports received will be resolved should also be accounted for.  In developing your plan, SBU Investigators should refer to the Office of Equity and Access Policies and Procedures page.

Additional Updates Include:

• Functionality has been added in the Research.gov Proposal Submission System for proposers to provide updated current and pending (other) support information requested by NSF program officers prior to making funding recommendations. Refer to PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h.(ii).
• A new Post Award Disclosure of Current Support and In-Kind Contributions notification has been added. Access this new request using the Notification & Requests link under Awards & Reporting on the Research.gov My Desktop page. Refer to PAPPG Chapter 9.C.

(Updated 1/30/23; Originally posted 12/8/22)

FASTLANE Decommissioning

• Effective with implementation of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1) on January 30, 2023, FastLane will be removed as a submission option from all funding opportunities. 
• Limited FastLane proposal capabilities such as proposal file updates and budget revisions will remain available for FastLane-submitted proposals until September 29, 2023. This includes proposals submitted to NSF via Grants.gov on or before November 18, 2022.
• FastLane submitted and in-progress proposals and supplemental funding requests will not be transferred to Research.gov; however, the reviews and summaries for proposals submitted in FastLane will remain available in Research.gov. Authorized Organizational Representatives, Sponsored Projects Officers, Principal Investigators (PIs), and co-PIs should download or print FastLane submitted and in-progress proposals and supplemental funding requests by the September 29, 2023, deadline if they wish to have copies of the documents currently in FastLane. 
• Refer to the FastLane Decommissioning page for additional information. NSF will be updating the referenced page on an ongoing basis.

(Posted 1/30/23)