NSF Grant Guidelines
The following NSF Proposal Information was taken directly from Proposal Guide NSF 04-2.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The proposal must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for publication, not more
than one page in length. It should not be an abstract of the proposal, but rather a self-contained
description of the activity that would result if the proposal were funded. The summary should be
written in the third person and include a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It
must clearly address in separate statements (within the one-page summary): (1) the intellectual
merit of the proposed activity; and (2) the broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity.
(See the following section for further descriptive information on the NSF merit review criteria.)
It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as
possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.
IMPORTANT: Proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the one page
Project Summary will be returned without review.
REVIEW CRITERIA
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. For example, proposals for large facility projects also might be subject to special review criteria outlined in the program solicitation.
The two merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions, and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which he/she is qualified to make judgments.
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students, and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
The following is a statement in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 00-2) in III.A. Review Criteria, reproduced here in full: "Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens - women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities - are essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports."
It is our understanding from discussions with NSF personnel that proposals for workshops and conferences will not be funded without serious and substantial attention to this issue.
Please note that the policy of the NSF below pertains only to the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and not the NSF as a whole.
BACKGROUND
Between 1976 and 1996 the fraction of total B.S./B.A degrees awarded to women in the Biological Sciences increased from 31 to 50%; at the Ph.D. level the fraction increased from 20 to 40%. In view of these statistics, it would be only under the most extenuating circumstances that the NSF Biological Sciences Division would support conferences, meetings, workshops, or international congresses that have no women on the program.
POLICY
To ensure that barriers to full participation by women are examined and removed, BIO programs recommending awards for meetings that do not include women among the invited speakers must describe the actions taken by the Principal Investigator to identify qualified individuals and must provide an explanation for the omission. It will be the responsibility of the Division Director to monitor that this evaluation is completed.