Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

 

Due to an NSF realignment, activities funded by the EPSCoR program are reported within the Office of Internations and Integrative Activities, CFDA number 47.079, effective 05/20/2013.

Deleted 04/02/2020 (Archived.) 47.081 Agency: National Science Foundation PROJECT GRANTS Not Applicable. National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq. EPSCoR eligibility is based on two primary considerations: (1) a jurisdiction's demonstrated commitment to develop its research bases and to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research conducted at its universities and colleges, and (2) a jurisdiction's most recent three-year history of research funds awarded by NSF relative to the Foundation's total research budget for the same period.

Regarding the second consideration, a jurisdiction is eligible to participate in EPSCoR programs if its level of research support is equal to or less than 0.75 percent of the total NSF research budget for that same period. Adjustments are made in the rare instances where a single large NSF-funded national or international facility skews the data. Not applicable. Proposals must be signed electronically by an official authorized to commit the institution or organization in business and financial affairs and who can commit the organization to certain proposal certifications. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-21 (2 CFR Part 220) for educational institutions, A-87 (2CFR Part 225) for State and local government, and A-122 (2 CFR Part 230) for nonprofit organizations. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program. Preapplication coordination may be required. Environmental impact information may be required for this program. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. By electronic submission via FastLane or Grants.gov or a formal proposal, and in some programs, a preliminary proposal, describing the planned project and the proposed amount of the grant. For guidelines, see specific funding opportunities and the Grant Proposal Guide: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub summ.jsp?ods key=gpg. NSF staff members review and evaluate all proposals based on a set of criteria established by the National Science Board and, if applicable, solicitation-specific review criteria. In most cases reviews are undertaken with the advice of scientist, engineers, educators and other appropriate persons who are specialist in the fields covered by the proposals. NSF makes awards on a competitive basis. Notification of an award is transmitted electronically to the submitting organization by a NSF Grants and Agreements Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines. After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The time interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation. The principal investigator may request, in writing, within 90 days of a declination or return, that NSF reconsider its action in declining or returning any proposal application. A renewal proposal competes with all other proposals and must be developed fully as though the proposer is applying for the first time. Renewal proposals must be submitted at least six months before additional funding is required or consistent with an established deadline, target date or submission window. Principal investigators are encouraged to discuss renewal proposals with the NSF Program Officer prior to submission. Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposals preparation requirements. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer’s discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal.

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

The two NSB-approved 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 proposals being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgments. Relevant questions are: (1) What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?; (2) How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields?; (3) How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.); (4) To what extend does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts; (5) How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?; (6) Is the sufficient access to resources?; (7) What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?; (8) How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning?; (9) How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?; (10) To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?; (11) Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding?, and (12) 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 – Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens – women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities – is essential to 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. Funds may be used to pay the costs of conducting research, product development, resources, tools and services, as salaries and wages, equipment and supplies, travel, publication costs, other direct costs, and indirect costs. Primary responsibility for general supervision of all grant activities rests with the grantee institution. Funds may be be used for purposes other than those specified in the proposal. No program reports are required. No cash reports are required. Annual Project Reports should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the end of the current budget period. Within 90 days following the expiration of the award, a Final Project Report and a Project Outcomes Report for the General Public must be submitted. Grantees are required to report the status of funds received from NSF on a quarterly basis through the submission of a Federal Financial Report (FFR). Information about reporting requirements is contained in the Award and Administration Guide:
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub summ.jsp?ods key=aag. Expenditure reports are required at the end of the project. No performance monitoring is required. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Records, supporting documents, statistical records, and other records pertinent to a grant must be retained by the grantee for a period of 3 years from submission of the Final Project Report. Special record keeping requirements may apply to fellowships. This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements. Mandatory cost sharing will only be required for NSF programs when explicitly authorized by the NSF Director, the National Science Board, or legislation. In those rare instances, cost sharing requirements will be clearly identified in the program solicitation. Inclusion of voluntary, committed cost sharing is prohibited.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program. Award durations of up to 5 years. Method of awarding assistance: Standard or continuing grant, or cooperative agreement. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum. None. Simona Gilbert 4201 Wilson Blvd., Stafford I, Ste 935, Arlington, Virginia 22230 Email: sgilbert@nsf.gov Phone: 7032927216 Fax: 7032929040 http://nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=oia 49-0100-0-1-251. (Project Grants) FY 12 Not Available; FY 13 Not Separately Identifiable(Exp: program realigned to OIIA); and FY 14 Not Separately Identifiable(Exp: program realigned to OIIA ) - 1) FY 2011 Obligations are the FY 2011 Appropriations Actuals;
2) FY 2012 Obligations estimates are the FY 2012 NSF Current Plan; and
3) FY 2013 Obligations are found within the Office of International and Integrative Activities. Range Low $100,000
Range High $20,000,000
Average $1,640,000. NSF Website: www.nsf.gov; 48 CFR Chapter 25; 45 CFR Chapter VI; Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide:
(http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub summ.jsp?ods key=papp), which incorporates the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) and Award & Aministration Guide (AAG). Fiscal Year 2012: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2013: Award search available on the NSF website: http://www.nsf.gov/awarsearch/. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available