scientific-skills/research-grants/references/nsf_guidelines.md
Mission: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense
Annual Budget: ~$9-10 billion
Website: https://www.nsf.gov
Key Characteristics:
NSF uses two equally weighted criteria for all proposals:
Definition: The potential to advance knowledge
Evaluation Questions:
Writing Strategy:
Definition: The potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes
Evaluation Questions:
Critical Point: Broader Impacts are NOT an afterthought. They carry equal weight with Intellectual Merit and must be substantive, specific, and measurable.
Five Pillars of Broader Impacts (address at least one substantively):
Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning
Example: "We will develop a 10-module online course on computational genomics, incorporating data from this project, to be offered to 500+ students annually across 15 partner institutions. Course materials will be open-access and include Jupyter notebooks for hands-on analysis."
Broaden participation of underrepresented groups (in STEM)
Example: "We will establish a summer research program for 8 undergraduates annually from 4 partner HBCUs, providing stipends, housing, and year-round mentoring. Program will include professional development workshops and pathways to graduate school."
Enhance infrastructure for research and education
Example: "We will develop and maintain an open-source software platform for analyzing spatial transcriptomics data, with comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and user support forum. Software will be deposited on GitHub and indexed in bio.tools."
Disseminate to enhance scientific and technological understanding
Example: "We will partner with the City Science Museum to create a hands-on exhibit on AI and climate modeling, reaching 50,000+ annual visitors. Exhibit will include interactive simulations and bilingual materials. We will also host quarterly 'Science Saturdays' for local K-12 students."
Benefit society
Example: "Our drought prediction models will be integrated into USDA's decision support system, benefiting 15,000+ farmers in the Southwest. We will work with extension agents to provide training and accessible interfaces for non-technical users."
Common Broader Impacts Mistakes:
Required Structure (NSF mandates three labeled sections):
Overview (first paragraph):
Intellectual Merit:
Broader Impacts:
Formatting: Must use section headings exactly as shown above
No required structure, but typical organization:
Introduction / Background (1-2 pages)
Research Objectives (0.5-1 page)
Research Plan / Methodology (8-10 pages)
Broader Impacts (1-2 pages)
Results from Prior NSF Support (if applicable, up to 5 pages)
Formatting Requirements:
Required NSF Format (as of 2023 PAPPG):
Section A: Professional Preparation
Section B: Appointments and Positions
Section C: Products (up to 5 most relevant to proposal)
Section D: Synergistic Activities (up to 5)
Required for all proposals (as of 2023 PAPPG)
Must address:
NSF Expectations:
Required if funding postdocs
Must address:
Eligibility: Tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty who have not yet received tenure, within 6 years of PhD (or equivalent)
Requirements:
Key Elements:
Review Criteria: Same two criteria (Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts) but with emphasis on:
Common CAREER Mistakes:
Structure: Multiple proposals submitted separately from different institutions, reviewed as a single project
Requirements:
Budget: Each institution submits own budget for their portion
Review: Reviewed together as single integrated project
Benefits: Brings together complementary expertise and resources
Purpose: Support time-sensitive research opportunities
Examples:
Requirements:
Submission: Contact program officer first, then submit proposal
Purpose: Support exploratory work on untested, but potentially transformative, ideas
Requirements:
Key: Must be truly exploratory and high-risk, not incremental
Personnel:
Fringe Benefits: Follow institutional rates
Equipment: Items ≥$5,000 per unit
Travel:
Participant Support Costs: For workshops, training, conferences
Other Direct Costs:
Indirect Costs (F&A): Institutional negotiated rate applies to modified total direct costs (MTDC)
NSF Policy: Cost sharing is not required and should not be voluntary
Exceptions: Some programs require cost sharing (check program solicitation)
When Included: Must be documented, verifiable, auditable, and necessary for project
Varies by program:
Submission Windows: NSF deadlines are typically 5 PM submitter's local time
Research.gov or Grants.gov: NSF accepts both
Process:
Timeline: Typically 6 months from submission to decision
Steps:
Review Formats:
Number of Reviewers: Typically 3-5 reviewers per proposal
Possible Decisions:
Feedback: Panel summary and individual reviews provided regardless of outcome
Success Rates: Vary by program, typically 15-30%
Appropriate:
How to Contact:
Good Questions:
Avoid:
No Formal Resubmission Category: NSF treats resubmissions as new proposals
Can Resubmit:
No Introduction Section: Unlike NIH, NSF doesn't have formal resubmission response
Strategy:
Tracking: Proposals reviewed previously may be assigned same reviewers (sometimes)
✅ Start with specific aims/objectives - Crystal clear research goals ✅ Make broader impacts substantive - Specific activities, not platitudes ✅ Use figures effectively - Conceptual diagrams, preliminary data, timelines ✅ Be realistic about scope - Achievable within 3-5 years ✅ Address both review criteria explicitly - Don't make reviewers search ✅ Get external feedback - Mock review before submission ✅ Follow formatting requirements exactly - Auto-rejection for non-compliance ✅ Explain jargon and acronyms - Panel members may not be in your subfield ✅ Integrate research and education - Show natural connections ✅ Demonstrate team qualifications - Track record in proposed area
❌ Don't exceed page limits - Automatic return without review ❌ Don't use smaller fonts in figures - Must be legible ❌ Don't make broader impacts generic - "Train students" is not enough ❌ Don't ignore prior NSF support - Must report if you've had NSF funding ❌ Don't be overly ambitious - Reviewers will see through unrealistic plans ❌ Don't skip data management plan - Required for all proposals ❌ Don't forget biosketches for all personnel - Common mistake ❌ Don't submit at deadline - Technical issues happen ❌ Don't ignore program solicitation - Requirements vary by program ❌ Don't assume reviewers know your work - Provide context
Key Takeaway: NSF values both scientific excellence (Intellectual Merit) and societal benefit (Broader Impacts) equally. Successful proposals demonstrate innovative, feasible research that advances knowledge while contributing to education, diversity, infrastructure, or societal well-being in specific, measurable ways.