Title: Human-Computer Interaction
Date: 09/29/03
Replaced: NSF 01-156


Human-Computer Interaction

Program Solicitation
NSF 03-610
Replaces Document NSF 01-156

[NSF Logo]   National Science Foundation
             Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
             Engineering
                   Division of Information and Intelligent Systems



Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

     January 8, 2004

     December 6, 2004

     December 6 annually thereafter

REVISIONS AND UPDATES

The Dear Colleague Letter, "Proposal Submission Deadlines for the Division
of Information and Intelligent Systems [IIS]," (NSF 01-156 dated September
6, 2001) established two annual proposal submission deadlines, March 1 and
November 16.  The Dear Colleague Letter is being replaced by individual IIS
program solicitations, each with one annual proposal submission deadline.
Please see the IIS Web site (http://www.cise.nsf.gov/iis) for additional
information.

Effective on the day this program solicitation is posted by NSF,
the deadline for Human-Computer Interaction proposals is January 8, 2004
and December 6 annually thereafter. Proposals submitted in anticipation of
a November 16, 2003 deadline will be accepted and reviewed with those
submitted for the January 8, 2004 deadline.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Human-Computer Interaction

Synopsis of Program:

     The Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program supports research
     and related education activities fundamental to the design and
     evaluation of systems that mediate between computers and humans,
     and which will lead to the creation of tomorrow's exciting new
     user interface software and technology. The program's ultimate
     objective is to transform the human-computer interaction
     experience, so the computer is no longer a distracting focus of
     attention but rather an invisible tool that empowers the
     individual user and facilitates natural and productive
     human-human collaboration. HCI research topics include, but are
     not limited to: development and formal experimental evaluation of
     foundational models and theories; augmented cognition and novel
     uses of computer technologies in education; multi-media and
     multi-modal interfaces in which combinations of text, graphics,
     gesture, movement, touch, sound, etc. are used by people and
     machines to communicate with one another; intelligent interfaces;
     information visualization; virtual and augmented reality;
     immersive environments; wearable, mobile, and ubiquitous
     computing; and new I/O devices. Because such research is highly
     interdisciplinary in nature, HCI projects often have synergies
     with other programs within the IIS Division and across NSF.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Ephraim Glinert, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
     Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
     Intelligent Systems, 1115 N, telephone: (703) 292-8930, email:
     eglinert@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Eligibility Information

   * Organization Limit: None Specified.
   * PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
   * Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.

Award Information

   * Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
   * Estimated Number of Awards: 14
   * Anticipated Funding Amount: $4,000,000

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

   * Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Standard GPG Guidelines apply.

B. Budgetary Information

   * Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required.
   * Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
   * Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.

C. Due Dates

   * Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

          January 8, 2004

          December 6, 2004

          December 6 annually thereafter

Proposal Review Information

   * Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria apply.

Award Administration Information

   * Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
   * Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

     Summary of Program Requirements

  I. Introduction

 II. Program Description

III. Eligibility Information

 IV. Award Information

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

 VI. Proposal Review Information
       A. NSF Proposal Review Process
       B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard

VII. Award Administration Information
       A. Notification of the Award
       B. Award Conditions
       C. Reporting Requirements

VIII.Contacts for Additional Information

 IX. Other Programs of Interest

I. INTRODUCTION

The Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program will play a leading role in
the creation of tomorrow's exciting new user interface software and
technology, by supporting the broad spectrum of fundamental research that
will ultimately transform the human-computer interaction experience so the
computer is no longer a distracting focus of attention but rather an
invisible tool that empowers the individual user and facilitates natural
and productive human-human collaboration.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The dramatic difference between modern computer interfaces and what people
took for granted just a few short years ago is testimony to the central
role of HCI in computing. As problems are solved and new technologies
become practical, research issues in HCI evolve over time. Current thrusts
that are drawing a lot of attention include virtual and augmented reality,
immersive environments, and wearable, mobile, and ubiquitous computing of
all kinds. Yet exciting as such topics may be, they represent but the tip
of the HCI iceberg!

It is impossible to exhaustively enumerate the scope of HCI in a few
paragraphs, so we bring just a few examples to illustrate the field's
diversity. An area of particular relevance at this time is the design of
interfaces to robotic systems, which are still typically primitive and
unnatural, because the human controlling the robot has to perform
operations that do not readily map onto the actions s/he wishes to achieve.
For tomorrow's education, we need new ways to present information in
non-static ways (e.g., text that is "alive" and can move/change over time).
For collaborative research and design projects, it remains to be determined
how best to exploit handheld PDAs as the next step beyond the laptop, and
new ways to integrate computer technology (including cameras, sensors, and
projectors of various kinds) with traditional media such as paper and
physical models.

A long-time goal of HCI researchers has been to integrate "intelligence"
into software systems. At the very least, this would allow simple or
repetitive tasks to be handled automatically. Ultimately, however, we would
like tomorrow's computers to be able to reason about the tasks they need to
do, to learn from experience so that they do better tomorrow than they did
today, and to automatically configure the user interface based on user
preferences and needs, the peripheral devices available, and constraints
imposed by the physical environment in which the system and user need to
interact; such objectives unfortunately remain for the most part elusive.

Perhaps the most often-cited deficiency of HCI to date has been a lack of
effective models and theories, which could predict a priori how well a
proposed system will work before it is actually implemented and, more
generally, inform future research efforts. The HCI program is especially
eager to support projects whose aim is to correct this shortcoming. While
all proposals submitted to the program are expected to include experimental
validation of results where possible and appropriate, the program
encourages proposals whose focus is on rigorous experimental exploration of
timely issues.

The program from time to time funds workshops whose purpose is to help
define future research directions. Requests for support of events at
leading technical conferences, where students can come together to learn
from one another and be exposed to the breadth and depth of the HCI
universe, are encouraged. Proposals to HCI may include requests to support
undergraduate students taking part in the research, as well as for
equipment that is necessary to the successful conduct of the project and
otherwise unavailable to the PI.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are
eligible to submit proposals under this program announcement/solicitation.

IV. AWARD INFORMATION

In Fiscal Year 2004, the anticipated funding amount is $4,000,000. The
estimated number of awards in the program will be 14.  The estimated
duration of these awards is up to three years.

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration
are subject to the availability of funds.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:

Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the
GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (03-610) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the NSF
Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance
with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal
processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay
processing.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program
Announcement.

C. Due Dates

Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

     January 8, 2004

     December 6, 2004

     December 6 annually thereafter

D. FastLane Requirements

Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this
announcement/solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed
instructions for proposal 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 announcement/solicitation should be referred to the
NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this
announcement/solicitation.

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. Proposers
are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover
Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this process are available on
the FastLane Website at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov

VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

A. NSF Proposal Review Process

Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with
expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education
project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the
oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at
the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate
reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with
the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from
non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent
disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.

The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating
proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals
are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some
instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to
highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127,
Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the
Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance
of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals
submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to
ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making
funding decisions.

In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January
2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation
guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project
Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators
(PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within
the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader
impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the
Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.

Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do
not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project
Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and
processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of
broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.

The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed
below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information).
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
     the 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
     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.

B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard

All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons
outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the
proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation
will be reviewed by Ad Hoc and/or panel review.

Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or
decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the
proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate
a recommendation.

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 Principal Investigator/Project Director by the
Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of
the decision to award or decline funding.

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 date of receipt. The interval ends when the Division
Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.

In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals
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. Proposers 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 Principal
Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel 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

Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a
Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations
whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the
cognizant NSF Program Division administering the program. Verbatim copies
of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided
automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See section VI.A. for
additional information on the review process.)

B. Award Conditions

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special
provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2)
the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which
NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals
or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in
the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant
General Conditions (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP)
Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that
may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement
awards also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement
Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred
way to transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail
capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of
Grants and Agreements.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be obtained
from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by
e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the
NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for
sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office
(GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription
information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO
Website at http://www.gpo.gov.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants),
the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program
Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period.

Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to
submit a final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports
delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI and all
Co-PIs. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance
to assure availability of required data.

PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and
final project reports. This system permits electronic submission and
updating of project reports, including information on project participants
(individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications, and
other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to
re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in
earlier updates using the electronic system.

VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

   * Ephraim Glinert, Program Director, Directorate for Computer &
     Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information and
     Intelligent Systems, 1115 N, telephone: (703) 292-8930, email:
     eglinert@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

   * Michele R. Johnson, Program and Technology Specialist, Directorate for
     Computer & Information Science & Engineering, Division of Information
     and Intelligent Systems, 1115 N, telephone: (703) 292-8930, fax: (703)
     292-9073, email: mrjohnso@nsf.gov

IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to
Programs is available electronically at
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs,
research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are
provided in each chapter.

Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific
proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these
requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in
NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to
Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on
the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual
program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's
Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified
of new funding opportunities that become available.

Related Programs:

   * Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science (NSF 03-600)
   * Digital Society and Technologies (NSF 03-611)

Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science; Digital Society and
Technologies; Human Language and Communication; Robotics and Computer
Vision; Universal Access

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for
conducting their project activities and preparing the results for
publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such
findings or their interpretation.

NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons
with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with
Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of
race, color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance
from NSF, although some programs may have special requirements that limit
eligibility.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the GPG Chapter II,
Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of
proposals.

 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

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PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may
be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the
proposal review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or
obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the
administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers
and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to
other government agencies needing information as part of the review process
or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or
party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is
a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the
Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer
reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50,
"Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal
Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and
Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission
of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, 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 OMB control
number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average
120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative
Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.

OMB control number: 3145-0058.

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