Beginning March 18, 2013, the National Science Foundation FastLane system will begin automated compliance checking of all sections of proposals required in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The required sections include: Project Summary; Budget Justification; Project Description; Current and Pending Support; References Cited; Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources; Biographical Sketch(es); Data Management Plan; Budget; Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (if applicable).
Proposal submission instructions for conferences, symposia, or workshops; international travel grants; or program solicitations may deviate from the GPG instructions. If the submission instructions do not require one of the above sections to be provided, proposers will need to insert text or upload a document in that section of the proposal that states, “Not Applicable.”
Additionally, proposers providing Biographical Sketches and/or Current and Pending Support information for Principal Investigators (PIs), co-PI(s), or Senior Personnel in a single PDF file associated with the PI must insert text or upload a document in that section of the proposal that states, “Not Applicable,” for any co-PI or Senior Personnel, so that FastLane will accept the proposal.
PIs will receive a warning message if any of the GPG-required sections is missing, however, the PI will still be able to submit the proposal to the Sponsored Project Office. If SPO attempts to submit a proposal that is missing any of the GPG-required sections, FastLane will prevent submission to NSF. SPO must obtain all required sections and then submit the proposal in FastLane by the NSF deadline.
Proposals submitted through Grants.gov must include all GPG-required sections or include a document stating that the section is “Not Applicable.”
For additional information, see Automated Compliance Checking of NSF Proposals. NSF is hosting an NSF Proposal Submission and Project Report Update - Webinar on March 8 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm PST; contact NSF to participate.
