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

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)

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

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)

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

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

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”…

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

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 SAMPLE BUDGET

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

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

Indirect Costs  Also called F&A (Facilities & Administration) or OverheadF&A  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.

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 SAMPLE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

Justifying Resource Requests  Personnel  Describe what role each person will perform on the project:  Try to avoid implying 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.

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

Avoiding Accounting Problems  Compliance issues: cost accounting standards for computers, office supplies, clerical help.cost accounting standards  It is critical to explain why the request is: essential to the project and beyond the scope of what the university typically provides to its faculty members.