Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring

Presidential Awards for Excellence in
Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Mentoring (PAESMEM)
PROGRAM SOLICITATION

National Science Foundation
Directorate for Education & Human Resources
Division of Undergraduate Education
Full Application Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
October 05, 2011
June 06, 2012
First Wednesday in June, Annually Thereafter

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REVISION NOTES
Note the following changes:
•
•
•

The program has changed from a grant for future efforts to an award bestowed for
past work.
Former recipients of the PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Eligibility has been expanded to include any US citizen or permanent resident who
has done exemplary measurable mentoring of students.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring
Synopsis of Program:
The PAESMEM Program seeks to identify outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance the
participation of groups (i.e., women, minorities, and persons with disabilities) that are
underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The awardees serve
as leaders in the national effort to develop fully the nation's human resources in science,
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technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program
website for any updates to the points of contact.
•

Dennis Davenport, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4659, email:
ddavenpo@nsf.gov

•

Richard A Alo, Program Director, 835N, telephone: (703) 292-4634, email:
ralo@nsf.gov

•

Philis L Hauser, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5104, email: phauser@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
•

47.076 --- Education and Human Resources

Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 16 -- Approximately 16 awards will be made in each
nomination round. These will be distributed over the individuals and organizations as is
appropriate in a given round.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $160,000 for new awards in each fiscal year pending the
availability of funds
Eligibility Information
Organization Limit:
None Specified
PI Limit:
An individual nominee (Individual) must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Nominees
may be federal government employees except for those identified in the U.S. Code Title 5.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/usc_sup_01_5_10_III_20_C_30_45_40_I.html
Individuals must have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring, and effective
guidance to a significant number of underrepresented students at the K-12, undergraduate,
graduate education level, including post doctoral fellows during a minimum of five years.
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Nominations for the individual award must clearly delineate the achievements of the
individual as separate from those of the institution or organization.
Former Individual award recipients of the PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Limit on Number of Applications per Institution:
None.
Multiple programs or individuals from the same institution may be nominated. However
each program or individual may be nominated only one time per competition.
Former Organizational award recipients of the PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Limit on Number of Applications per PI: 1
The PI is the nominee and only one nomination per individual or program will be considered.
An individual may self nominate. No Co-PI is necessary.
Application Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Application Preparation Instructions
•

Letters of Intent: Not Applicable

•

Preliminary Application Submission: Not Applicable

•

Full Application Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information
that supplements the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures
Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) application preparation guidelines. Please
see the full text of this solicitation for further information

B. Budgetary Information
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Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is
prohibited.

•

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
No indirect costs are allowed.

•

Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable

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C. Due Dates
•

Full Application Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
October 05, 2011
June 06, 2012
First Wednesday in June, Annually Thereafter

Application Review Information Criteria
Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review
considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
Award Administration Information
Award Conditions: Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this
solicitation for further information.
Reporting Requirements: None

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Program Requirements
I.
II.

Introduction
Program Description

III.

Award Information

IV.

Eligibility Information

V.

Application Preparation and Submission Instructions
A.
Application Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
D.
FastLane Requirements

VI.

NSF Application Processing and Review Procedures
A.
NSF Merit Review Criteria
B.
Review and Selection Process

VII.

Award Administration Information
A.
Notification of the Award
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B.
C.
VIII.
IX.

Award Conditions
Reporting Requirements

Agency Contacts
Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The White House has established the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science,
Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) program. The program, administered
on behalf of the White House by the National Science Foundation, seeks to identify
outstanding individual mentoring efforts or organizational programs designed to enhance the
participation of groups underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics. The awardees serve as exemplars to their colleagues and are leaders in the
national effort to more fully develop the nation's human resources in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. Nominations to honor individuals and organizations are
invited for the competition for these annual awards.
It is expected that each award will be used to continue the recognized activities. However,
the award recognizes and underscores the mentoring achievement of the nominee. The
individual or organizational program must have served in the described mentoring role for at
least five years prior to nomination. In addition to the award, each awardee will be invited to
Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony, recognition events, and meetings with leaders in
Federal sector education and research, and focused workshops addressing effective
mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. The awardees will be honored at a
White House ceremony.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Only one award will be made to a single organization or an individual at that organization per
annual competition. Nominations may only be considered for one of the two categories of
award, either "individual" or "organizational," but not both. Nominations for an "individual
award" must clearly delineate the achievements of the individual as separate from those of
the organization; nominations for an "organizational award" must reflect the achievements of
the organization as distinct from those of individuals. For this program, post doctoral
mentoring goes beyond support for maximizing research skills and productivity to include
critical professional guidance in preparing for success in whatever career path is chosen.

III. AWARD INFORMATION
The number of awards is subject to the availability of funds; however, an estimated 16 new
awards in each fiscal year is expected. The awards are standard grants in the amount of
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$10,000 each. The award will be accompanied by a commemorative Presidential certificate.
It is expected that each award will be used to continue the recognized activity. However, the
award recognizes and underscores the mentoring achievement of the nominee. Only one
award will be made to an organization (Individual or Organizational award) per competition.
As in the past, it is anticipated that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will
contact nominees recommended for awards. The Program Director will contact all nominees
that are recommended for declination.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Organization Limit:
None Specified
PI Limit:
An individual nominee (Individual) must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Nominees
may be federal government employees except for those identified in the U.S. Code Title 5.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/usc_sup_01_5_10_III_20_C_30_45_40_I.html
Individuals must have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring, and effective
guidance to a significant number of underrepresented students at the K-12, undergraduate,
graduate education level, including post doctoral fellows during a minimum of five years.
Nominations for the individual award must clearly delineate the achievements of the
individual as separate from those of the institution or organization.
Former Individual award recipients of the PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Limit on Number of Applications per Organization:
None.
Multiple programs or individuals from the same institution may be nominated, however each
program or individual may be nominated only one time per competition.
Former Organizational award recipients of the PAESMEM award are not eligible.
Limit on Number of Applications per PI: 1
The PI is the nominee and only one nomination per individual or program will be considered.
An individual may self nominate. No Co-PI is necessary.
Additional Eligibility Info:

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V. APPLICATION PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Application Preparation Instructions
Full Application Preparation Instructions: Nominees must submit applications in response
to this Program Solicitation via the NSF FastLane system.
•

Full applications submitted via FastLane

Applications must be submitted electronically. Organizations, PIs, and Co-PIs should all be
registered in FastLane. Become familiar with the use of the FastLane system well in advance
of the deadline.
For Applications Submitted Via FastLane:
Before starting an application in FastLane, an applicant must register as an Individual
Researcher. This means that the applicant functions as his or her own institution, and the
application must be submitted in FastLane by the applicant, not by the applicant's
institutional Sponsored Research Office (SRO). This also means that the applicant serves as
his or her own SRO for purposes of any research administration functions in FastLane.
To Register as an Individual/Independent Researcher
1.

Go to the FastLane Home Page

2.

Click Registration Information on the left

3.

Click New Organization and FastLane Contact Registration

4.

Type xxxx in the Organization Name search box and click Organization Search

5.
Click New Individual Registration. Complete all required information and click
Submit.
6.

Print the form, sign and date, and click Continue.

7.
Follow the on-screen instructions to submit the completed form by fax or by email as
an attachment.
Cover Sheet:
For self-nominations, the nominee is the PI. No Co-PI is necessary.
For nominations, the nominee is the PI, the nominator (person making the nomination) is
the Co-PI.

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When filling out the cover sheet, it is important to indicate the program announcement
number. If necessary, you may also choose "DUE: Division of Undergraduate Education"
from the list of divisions, and "PRES AWDS FOR EXCELL IN SCI" from the list of
programs in the "NSF Unit Consideration" section.
Also, on the cover sheet in the "Title of Proposed Project" field, the submitter must
indicate the submittal category, "INDIVIDUAL" or "ORGANIZATIONAL," as the first
word in the application title followed by the name of the individual or organization.
Project Summary: Summary of the mentoring work describing the activity cited in support
of the nomination, and to be supported by the award, if funded. The Project Summary must
clearly address in separate statements (within the one-page summary): the intellectual merit
of the activity and the broader impacts resulting from the activity.
Project Description: A clear statement of the work cited in support of the nomination,
including the vision, objectives and philosophy of the mentoring program and its long-term
significance; the specific mentoring methods and procedures (the actions performed); and
documentation (quantitative and qualitative) not to exceed a maximum of 8 pages.
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INDIVIDUALS
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•

•
•

•

•
•

The number and diversity of students or post-docs personally mentored;
Tracking data of mentored students or post-docs; which may include success rates,
graduation rates, percentage matriculating to the next educational level, papers
published, etc.
The successes of students mentored in pursuit of degree objectives and the quality of
academic performance;
Demonstrated achievement of the nominee in assisting students to understand how
the educational system works and promoting their advancement in the educational
continuum in STEM;
Affording students effective academic/research experience, sustained academic
support systems, and strategies leading to successful matriculation and degree
completion in science, mathematics and engineering fields;
Substantive achievements of the nominee in changing the educational system to
enable improved performance and advancement for underrepresented students; and
Demonstrated innovations that are replicable on a national level.

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR ORGANIZATIONS
•
•

•
•

The number and diversity of students or post-docs mentored;
Tracking data of mentored students or post-docs; which may include success rates,
graduation rates, percentage matriculating to the next educational level, papers
published, etc.
The successes of students mentored in pursuit of degree objectives and the quality of
academic performance;
Demonstrated organization sustainability;
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•
•
•

Special elements of the organization that have increased student retention and/or
graduation rates;
Demonstrated organizational successes in the advancement or promotion of the
educational or career development of mentees in STEM; and
Demonstrated innovation that is replicable on a national level.

References Cited: Reference information is not required for citations identified in the
nomination. If no citation is identified, write “Not Applicable”.
Biographical Sketches: A biographical narrative of the individual nominee or of the
organizational nominee. This is NOT a vita.
Include:
•
•
•
•

Mentoring accomplishments
Teaching accomplishments
List and brief description of Awards received
Personal mentoring history

Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources: Write "Not Applicable"
Special Information and Supplementary Documentation: Letters supporting the
nomination (a maximum of 5) should be submitted as supplementary documentation. Except
as specified, programmatic documentation must be included as part of the project description,
if it is relevant to determining the quality of the proposed nomination.
Data Management Plan: Write "Not Applicable"
Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (Populated with NSF
Number at Clearance) in the program solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal
to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this requirement is critical to
determining the relevant application processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information
may delay processing.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:
No indirect costs are allowed.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
This program provides an award of $10,000 to awardees. The following budget items should
be included:
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Line item A (FastLane): the nominee (PI) should appear as senior personnel;
Line item G6 (FastLane): Other Direct Costs: record $10,000
For the budget justification, write "Funds are to be used by the PI".
C. Due Dates
•

Full Application Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
October 05, 2011
June 06, 2012
First Wednesday in June, Annually Thereafter

•

For Applications Submitted Via FastLane:

Before starting an application in FastLane, an applicant must register as an Individual
Researcher. This means that the applicant functions as his or her own institution, and the
application must be submitted in FastLane by the applicant, not by the applicant's
institutional Sponsored Research Office (SRO). This also means that the applicant serves as
his or her own SRO for purposes of any research administration functions in FastLane.
To Register as an Individual/Independent Researcher
1.

Go to the FastLane Home Page

2.

Click Registration Information on the left

3.

Click New Organization and FastLane Contact Registration

4.

Type xxxx in the Organization Name search box and click Organization Search

5.
Click New Individual Registration. Complete all required information and click
Submit.
6.

Print the form, sign and date, and click Continue.

7.
Follow the on-screen instructions to submit the completed form by fax or by email as
an attachment.
Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of preparation and submission
via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane
user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov.
The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the
10

FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to
the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.
D. FastLane Requirements
Nominees are required to prepare and submit all applications for this program solicitation
through use of the NSF FastLane system. Detailed instructions regarding the technical
aspects of application preparation and submission via FastLane are available at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane
Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers
general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions
related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s)
listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational
Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the
required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a
listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications
within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Further
instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at:
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp.

VI. NSF APPLICATION PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES
Applications received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will
be reviewed if they meet NSF application preparation requirements. All applications 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 application. 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 application and/or persons they would
prefer not review the application. 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
application.
A. NSF Merit Review Criteria
All NSF applications 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 application. While proposers must address both merit review criteria,
11

reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the
application being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgements.
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 the prior
work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or
potentially transformative 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?
Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available
electronically on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf.
Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral researchers supported on the project, as
described in a one-page supplementary document, will be evaluated under the Broader
Impacts criterion.
NSF staff also 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 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.

Additional Review Criteria:
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What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
Were the mentoring activities innovative within the context of the institution or level
of students being mentored? Did the PI provide assessment to prove the mentoring
activities were successful? Were data included which tracked the students beyond the
mentoring activities? Were successes of the students related to the mentoring
activities? Are the mentoring activities sustainable or institutionalized? How well
qualified is the nominee (individual or team)? How well conceived and organized is
the mentoring 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?
Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral researchers supported on the project, as
described in a one-page supplementary document, will be evaluated under the
Broader Impacts criterion.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications submitted in response to this announcement will be reviewed by Panel Review.
Reviewers will be asked to write a review giving strengths and weaknesses of the
application. The Program Officer assigned to manage the application's review will consider
the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.
After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors,
the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the
application should be declined or recommended for award. A summary rating and
accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases,
reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the
names of the reviewers, are sent to the nominee by the Program Officer. In addition, the
nominee will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the application recommended
for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of
business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or
other agreement. Nominees are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may
make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of
funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary
discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A nominee who makes financial or personnel
13

commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants
and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Notification of the Award
It is anticipated that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will contact
nominees recommended for awards.
B. Award Conditions
The PAESMEM program is administered by NSF on behalf of the White House. A list of
recommendations is submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) by NSF. It is anticipated that OSTP will contact nominees recommended for awards.
This informal notification is not a guarantee of an eventual award. Initial contact may be in
reference to White House clearance information.
The planning of the awards ceremony is independent of the awards notification. The timing
of the ceremony must be carefully coordinated with the White House calendar and in the past
there has not been a fixed annual date for the awards ceremony.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS
Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See
program website for any updates to the points of contact.
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
•

Dennis Davenport, Program Director, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4659, email:
ddavenpo@nsf.gov

•

Richard A Alo, Program Director, 835N, telephone: (703) 292-4634, email:
ralo@nsf.gov

•

Philis L Hauser, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5104, email: phauser@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
•

FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.

IX. OTHER INFORMATION
The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF
Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this
Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, National Science
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Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service designed to keep potential proposers
and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications,
important changes in application and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF
Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail when new
publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this
service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the NSF web site.
Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal governmentwide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new
mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the
purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national
health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science
and engineering."
NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this
through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12
school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations
throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to
academic institutions for basic research.
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training
projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives
several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates
no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain
oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports
cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international
scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special
assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported
projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding
preparation of these types of proposals.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing
impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or
general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at
(800) 877-8339.
The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.

15

The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United
States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and
education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF
publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at
http://www.nsf.gov
•

Location:

•

For General Information
(NSF Information Center):

•

TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090

•

To Order Publications or Forms:
Send an e-mail to:

•

4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA
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(703) 292-5111

nsfpubs@nsf.gov

or telephone:

(703) 292-7827

To Locate NSF Employees:

(703) 292-5111

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS
The information requested on the application materials is solicited under the authority of the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the
selection of qualified applicants and may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff
assistants as part of the review process, and to government contractors as necessary to
complete assigned work, and to a court or party in a court or Federal administrative
proceeding if the government is a party.
Notice of the decision may be given to nominators, and disclosure may be made of awardees’
names, home institutions, and field of study for public information purposes including press
releases. See Systems of Records, NSF-12, "Fellowships and Other Awards," 63 Federal
Register 265 (January 5, 1998).
Submission of the information is voluntary; however, failure to provide full and complete
information may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an
information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0035. Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate
and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this
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burden, to:
Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230

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