Title: Plant Genome Comparative Sequencing Program (PGCSP)
Date: 03/20/06

Plant Genome Comparative Sequencing Program (PGCSP)

Program Solicitation
NSF 06-555

[NSF Logo]   National Science Foundation
             Directorate for Biological Sciences
                   Division of Biological Infrastructure

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

     June 16, 2006

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Plant Genome Comparative Sequencing Program (PGCSP)

Synopsis of Program:

     The goal of this program is to support the development of genome
     sequence resources that would contribute to a conceptual
     framework for the interpretation of the structure, function and
     evolution of genomes of economically important plants. Projects
     are solicited that focus on a biological question that is enabled
     by the proposed sequence resources and was unanswerable with
     existing resources. Proposers must provide clear justification
     for the plant or plants selected and the type of resource to be
     generated. Projects should also advance the goals of the Plant
     Genome Research Program (PGRP).

     Types of sequence resource to be supported include, but are not
     limited to, whole genome sequences of varying coverage, survey
     sequences (including gene-enriched and end sequences of large
     insert clones), as well as Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). Plant
     sequencing targets may include, but are not limited to, key nodes
     of plants in the tree of Life, members of a specific taxon, genus
     or family, or intraspecific populations.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Jane Silverthorne, Program Director, Directorate for Biological
     Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 690 N, telephone:
     (703) 292-8470, fax: (703) 292-9063, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Rita A Teutonico, Deputy Division Director, Directorate for Biological
     Sciences, Division of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, 655 S,
     telephone: (703) 292-8440, fax: (703) 292-9061, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Gary Thompson, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences,
     Division of Integrative Organismal Biology, 685 S, telephone: (703)
     292-8423, fax: (703) 292-9153, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Saran Twombly, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences,
     Division of Environmental Biology, 635 N, telephone: (703) 292-8133,
     fax: (703) 292-9064, email: cswg@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.074 --- Biological Sciences

Eligibility Information

   * Organization Limit: Proposals may only be submitted by U.S. academic
     institutions, U.S. non-profit research organizations including
     museums, research laboratories, professional societies and similar
     organizations in the U.S. that are directly associated with
     educational or research activities, and consortia of only the eligible
     organizations listed here. A proposal from a multi-institutional
     consortium must be submitted by the lead organization as a single
     proposal. When a consortium submits a proposal, a single principal
     investigator must be designated as the project director and a single
     organization must accept overall management responsibility including
     the management of any intellectual property issues. Organizations
     ineligible to submit to this program solicitation cannot receive
     subawards.
   * PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
   * Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.

Award Information

   * Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant or Cooperative
     Agreement
   * Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 10 - Up to 10 awards of up to
     $2,000,000 per year for up to 2 years, pending availability of funds.
   * Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000 Up to $5,000,000 in FY 2006
     and up to $5,000,000 in FY 2007 will be allocated to this program,
     pending availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

   * Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains
     information that deviates from the standard Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)
     proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of this
     solicitation for further information.

B. Budgetary Information

   * Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.
   * 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. submitter's local time):
          June 16, 2006

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 Plant Genome Research Program announces its intention to support
development of sequence resources that would contribute to a conceptual
framework for the interpretation of the structure, function and evolution
of genomes of economically important plants. The Plant Genome Comparative
Sequencing Program (PGCSP) is specifically soliciting proposals that focus
on biological questions that would be enabled by a particular sequence or
sequences. Sequence resources may include, but are not limited to, whole
genome sequences, survey sequences, and physical maps.

The Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) began in FY 1998 as part of the
National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI). The overall goals of the Plant
Genome Research program are to support basic research in plant genomics and
to accelerate the acquisition and utilization of new knowledge and
innovative approaches to understanding fundamental biological processes in
plants. The focus is on plants of economic importance and plant processes
of potential economic value. For the past eight years, the NSF Plant Genome
Research Program has followed the long-range plans for the NPGI and,
working closely with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of
Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and more recently the US
Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Aeronautic
and Space Agency (NASA), the NSF Program has contributed to tremendous
advances in plant genomics and plant sciences.

The PGRP is currently following the second five-year plan (National Plant
Genome Initiative: 2003-2008;
http://www.ostp.gov/NSTC/html/npgi2003/index.htm) published in January 2003
by the Interagency Working Group on Plant Genomes, the group that oversees
the NPGI. This plan builds on the significant advances made since the start
of the NPGI and charts a course for advancing the frontiers of plant
science through genomics research. Proposers are strongly encouraged to
consult this plan for guidance regarding program goals prior to submission
of a proposal.

Proposals to sequence non-plant, plant-associated organisms are not
eligible for support. Proposals to sequence plant-associated microbes
should be sent to the NSF/USDA Joint Program on Microbial Sequencing
(http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5688&org=MCB). You are
strongly encouraged to contact a PGCSP Program Director (cswg@nsf.gov) to
determine the suitability of your proposal for this program prior to
submission.

Simultaneous submission of proposals to this program and another federal
agency is permissible with prior written approval of the agencies involved
(for example, the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute Community
Sequencing Program: point of contact is Dr. Daniel Drell at
daniel.drell@science.doe.gov). A proposal from the same submitter that is a
duplicate of, or substantially similar to, a proposal already under
consideration by NSF will be returned without review.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The goal of the PGCSP is to support the development of sequence resources
that would contribute to a conceptual framework for the interpretation of
the structure, function and evolution of the genomes of economically
important plants. In the eight years since the NPGI began, there has been a
considerable increase in the publicly available plant sequence resources,
including a wealth of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), as well as whole
genome sequences for Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Populus
trichocarpa. Additional whole genomes sequences are under way for Medicago
truncatula, Solanum lycopersicon, Zea mays, and Vitis vinifera. The DOE
Community Sequencing Program has also supported the ongoing sequencing of
Mimulus guttatus, Selaginella moelendorffii, Physcomitrella patens, Sorghum
bicolor, Capsella rubella, Arabidopsis lyrata, and Triphysaria. However,
despite this dramatic increase in plant sequence information, there is
still a tremendous need for additional sequences to enable researchers to
effectively address fundamental questions in plant biology through
comparative approaches.

The PGSCP is specifically soliciting proposals that focus on biological
questions that would be enabled by a particular sequence or sequences. In
this way, the program will lead to the strategic addition of plant
sequences. For example, if the goal of a project is to compare the
structure and function of a network of genes across a genus or a family,
specific species and sequence types would be selected and justified based
on the type of analysis proposed. Similarly, if the goal is to understand
natural variation within a species, the type of sequence and degree of
coverage would be justified on the basis of the analysis proposed. In all
cases, it should be explained why the resources are essential to the
specific question being posed. Proposers are encouraged to consider the
available resources and to leverage existing resources as much as possible.
If other projects are under way that have overlapping goals, including
international projects, proposers should present a clear plan for
coordination. Projects that have a potentially broad impact will be given
priority for funding.

Given the focus of addressing a specific biological question or questions,
the proposed analysis of the project data will play a critical role
determining the value of the project outcomes. Proposals must describe
clearly how the sequence data will be analyzed and disseminated. To have
the greatest impact possible, it is essential that the outcomes of projects
be made accessible widely and in a format that is best suited for
integration into existing community databases. Beyond deposit of sequence
data and trace files in GenBank, projects must also plan to provide
assemblies, maps, annotations and the like to the appropriate community
database(s) such as Gramene, MaizeGDB, TAIR, or LIS. Proposers should
consult with the database staff prior to submission the type of information
that will be provided, the format, and a letter of support from the
database staff detailing plans. If additional funds are required to support
database activities, they should be included in the proposal budget.

Types of Sequence Resources

A wide range of sequence resources are eligible for support, including but
not limited to: whole genome sequences of varying fold coverage; survey
sequences, including gene-enriched and Bacterial Artificial Chromosome
(BAC)-end and fosmid-end sequences; and ESTs.

Resources developed should be forward-compatible with any future sequencing
efforts. Where appropriate, support may also be requested for development
of physical maps.

Sequencing Targets

The plant genome or genomes selected for sequencing should be justified on
the basis of a biological question that would be enabled by the resources
to be developed. In addition, the type of resource to be developed (whole
genome sequence or survey sequence) should be clearly justified in the
context of the biological question. Phylogenetic comparisons are welcome
but should be justified and proposed at a scale appropriate to the
biological question posed. In all cases, the relevance to the goals of the
PGRP should be clearly justified and the relationship to existing resources
stated. Existing resources should be leveraged where appropriate.

Sequencing targets may include, but not be limited to:

   * Key nodes or groups of plants in the Tree of Life that would enable
     researchers to answer specific biological questions relevant to the
     goals of the PGRP
   * Members of a specific taxon, genus or family
   * Intraspecific populations

Proposers are strongly encouraged to contact a PGCSP Program Director
(cswg@nsf.gov) prior to submission to determine the suitability of the
proposal for this program.

Additional Considerations

   * All data must be released in a timely manner and be accessible to all.
     Where appropriate, sequence data should be released according to the
     Bermuda/Ft. Lauderdale Agreement (see http://www.genome.gov/10506537).
     Plans for release of other data types must be clearly spelled out.
   * If appropriate, access to the plant and nucleic acid materials to be
     sequenced should be described. If plant material that requires a
     permit for collection or use is to be sequenced, the proposal should
     clearly state the status of any requests. Where appropriate,
     preliminary data indicating that high molecular weight nucleic acid
     isolation is feasible from the sequencing targets should be presented.
   * In order to broaden participation, the Directorate for Biological
     Sciences (BIO) particularly encourages proposals involving
     collaborations between institutions and research
     universities/organizations including Minority-Serving Institutions
     (MSI) such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU),
     Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUP), Hispanic-Serving Institutions
     (HSI), and community colleges.
   * PGCSP projects offer an ideal opportunity to train young scientists at
     the interface of modern sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, and
     evolutionary biology, and to promote increased participation by
     members of underrepresented groups. All proposals are expected to
     integrate research and education, taking advantage of opportunities
     unique to the project. Training and outreach activities should be
     integrated into the research plan commensurate with the scale and
     scope of the project.
   * Private industry has already made significant investments in plant
     genome research. Innovative collaborations with industry are
     encouraged when they advance the goals of the proposed project. Funds
     awarded under this solicitation cannot be used to support industrial
     partners, and release of data and information must comply with the
     requirements set out in this solicitation. Requests for funding to pay
     for commercial fee-for-service sequencing are permitted. However, a
     draft of the sequencing contract must be provided with the proposal
     that includes specific information about what will be delivered as
     well as a timetable for sequence production.
   * International research collaborations are welcomed. When applicable,
     proposed research activities should be coordinated with similar
     efforts in other countries to maximize efficiency and avoid
     unnecessary duplication of effort. However, foreign participants
     should secure support for their component of the collaboration from
     their own national programs.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Organization Limit: Proposals may only be submitted by U.S. academic
institutions, U.S. non-profit research organizations including museums,
research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations in
the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research
activities, and consortia of only the eligible organizations listed here. A
proposal from a multi-institutional consortium must be submitted by the
lead organization as a single proposal. When a consortium submits a
proposal, a single principal investigator must be designated as the project
director and a single organization must accept overall management
responsibility including the management of any intellectual property
issues. Organizations ineligible to submit to this program solicitation may
not receive subawards.

PI Eligibility Limit: None specified

Limit on Number of Proposals: None specified

IV. AWARD INFORMATION

It is anticipated that $5,000,000 will be available in FY 2006 and
$5,000,000 in FY 2007. NSF expects to make 5-10 awards of up to $2,000,000
per year for up to 2 years, pending availability of funds and the quality
of proposals. Awards will be made either as standard or continuing grants,
or cooperative agreement. Awardees are expected to attend the Annual Plant
Genome Awardee Meeting at NSF.

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/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper copies of
the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone
(703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

The following instructions deviate from the GPG guidelines.

Project Summary (maximum 1 page): The project summary should consist of
three separate parts in the following order:

  1. A list of senior personnel (PI, Co-PIs, key-collaborators) along with
     their home organizations.

  2. A summary of the scientific objectives and approaches.

  3. Expected broader impacts of the proposed research.

     Both the scientific aspects and the anticipated broader impacts
     must be addressed or the proposal will be returned without
     review. Please read the Important Notice from the Director of
     NSF, which can be found at
     http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/iin127/imptnot.pdf.

Project Description (maximum 15 pages): In addition to the standard
description in the GPG, the guidelines below should be followed, noting
that the page allowances listed are part of the overall 15-page maximum:

     Progress Report (2 pages): Groups that have received prior
     funding for developing plant genome sequence resources should
     include the grant title and number, the funding agency, and a
     summary of exactly what has been released or developed (e.g.
     information about the status of a map, or bases sequenced and
     deposited in GenBank as finished sequence, the number of
     sequences which are in the process of being sequenced, sequence
     read lengths and quality scores).

     Research Plan: Describe the goals of the project, scientific and
     technical approaches, including informatics and information
     management where appropriate, with expected outcomes.
     Descriptions must be sufficiently detailed to allow adequate
     review.

     DNA substrate and sequencing strategy: Include the source of the
     DNA (genomic DNA, BAC clones), the method of library preparation,
     and any other pertinent information. Describe the overall
     strategy to be used and the key anticipated outcomes.

     Sequence Quality and Quantity: The discussion of sequence quality
     and quantity should contain the following elements:

        * The overall approaches to be used (for example, whole genome
          shotgun, fosmids, BACs, selected genomic regions).
        * The type(s) of sequence to be generated (e.g. Phase I, Phase
          II, or Phase III).
        * For shotgun projects, the number of attempted sequence reads
          to be performed and anticipated read lengths (in bases of
          phred20, or equivalent, quality).
        * The anticipated amount of shotgun sequence to be delivered
          including such metrics as the number of successful sequence
          reads, total phred20 bases, paired end rate, where
          applicable, and fold coverage as appropriate.
        * Timetable for and location(s) of sequence production.
        * Steps to be taken to evaluate sequence quality, and the
          quality metrics to be used.
        * If appropriate, plans for assembly, finishing, and
          annotation, including how the sequence will be assembled
          onto a genome map, and how gaps will be captured or closed.
        * Summary sequencing costs: Provide the following information
          in tabular form for each type of sequence to be generated.
          Cost estimates should include direct costs for labor and
          materials, total number of attempted and successful
          sequencing reads budgeted, anticipated sequence read length
          (in phred20 bases), anticipated paired end rate, estimated
          cost of library preparation, estimated cost per phred20
          base, and estimated cost per finished base

     Plan to Integrate Research and Education: The proposal should
     include a thoughtful training/educational component that takes
     advantage of unique and specific opportunities the proposed
     project would provide. The following items must be included: (1)
     a well designed plan to increase participation of members of
     under-represented groups that is specific to the proposed
     project, (2) an education plan for project trainees, and (3) a
     description of how these plans are integrated with the proposed
     research plan. A clear and realistic discussion of how the plan
     will be implemented should be included in the proposal. Simply
     describing general policies at the investigators' organizations
     will not be sufficient.

References Cited: Follow the GPG guidelines for all references cited.
Indicate with an asterisk any cited publications that resulted from prior
research funded by NSF for the PI, or Co-PI.

Biographical Sketches: (2 pages each): Biographical sketches following the
GPG guidelines must be listed for the PI, Co-PIs and each of the Senior
Personnel listed on the Project Summary page.

Proposal Budget: Provide yearly budgets and a summary budget for the
duration of the proposed project. When subawards are involved, yearly and
summary budgets are required for each subaward. A Budget Justification
(maximum 3 pages per budget and subaward budget) must be provided. A
careful and realistic budget will add to the overall strength of a
proposal. Funds for facility construction or renovation may not be
requested. Funds to cover the cost of attendance of one project
representative at each year's annual awardee meeting in Arlington, VA
should be requested.

Current and Pending Support: Current and Pending Support following the GPG
guidelines must be listed for the PI, Co-PIs and each of the Senior
Personnel listed on the Project Summary page.

Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources: Provide a description of
available facilities and priorities for its use. For projects requiring
additional equipment, justify the need for these resources in the context
of the work proposed.

Special Information and Supplementary Documentation: Include the following
materials, clearly labeled (A-1, A-2, etc.), and submit them under the
&ldquo;Supplementary Documents&rdquo; section of FastLane:

(A-1) Sharing of Results and Management of Intellectual Property (maximum 5
pages): Describe the management of intellectual property rights related to
the proposed project, including plans for sharing data, information, and
materials resulting from the award. This plan must be specific about the
nature of the results to be shared, the timing and means of release, and
any constraints on release. The proposed plan must take into consideration
the following conditions where applicable:

   * Sequences must be released to GenBank according to the currently
     accepted community standard (Bermuda and Ft. Lauderdale agreements),
     following the current guidelines for quality assessment (see
     http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10506537). For large-insert
     clone projects, it is expected that DNA sequence assemblies of 2kb or
     greater will be deposited in GenBank within 24 hours of generation.
     For whole genome shotgun projects, sequence traces are to be deposited
     to the NCBI Trace repository within one week of production, with whole
     genome assemblies deposited in GenBank as soon as possible after the
     assembled sequence has met the quality evaluation criteria stated in
     the Project Description. Deposited data should be available to all for
     use without restriction.
   * If the proposed project produces additional resources (libraries,
     software, etc.), these should be made available as soon as their
     quality is checked to satisfy the specifications approved prior to
     funding. The timing of release should be stated clearly in the
     proposal. The resources produced must be available to all segments of
     the scientific community, including industry and the international
     community. A reasonable charge is permissible for distribution, but
     the fee structure must be outlined clearly in the proposal. If
     accessibility differs between industry and the academic community, the
     differences must be clearly spelled out. If a Material Transfer
     Agreement is required for release of project outcomes, the terms must
     be described in detail.
   * When the project involves the use of proprietary data or materials
     from other sources, the data or materials resulting from research
     supported by this program must be readily available without any
     restrictions to the users (no reach-through rights). The terms of any
     usage agreements should be stated clearly in the proposal.
   * Budgeting and planning for short-term and long-term distribution of
     the project outcomes must be described in the proposal. If a fee is to
     be charged for distribution of project outcomes, the details should be
     described clearly in the proposal.
   * In case of a multi-organizational proposal, the lead organization is
     responsible for coordinating and managing the intellectual property
     resulting from this award. Organizations participating in
     multi-organizational projects should formulate a coherent plan for the
     project prior to submission of the proposal.
   * Please note that key project personnel may be required, prior to an
     award decision, to submit copies of any intellectual property
     agreements or material transfer agreements they have signed, or are
     planning to sign, that would impact the unrestricted and timely
     distribution of the outcomes of the research funded though this
     program.

(A-2) Management Plan (maximum 3 pages): The management plan should include
plans for internal means of communication, coordination of data, and
information management across the project, evaluation, and assessment of
progress, as well as allocation of funds and personnel. Each investigator's
role should be described and a table summarizing the role of each
investigator provided. The exact time commitment of each key project member
should be indicated in the management plan, regardless of any request for
his/her salary from NSF. A project timetable with yearly goals should be
provided that includes benchmarks for the major anticipated outcomes and
expected dates for their release.

(A-3) Sequencing Provider Profile (maximum 10 pages): Please provide the
following information for all participating sequence providers:

   * Total annual sequencing capacity.
   * A list of ongoing projects with the capacity and time committed to
     each.
   * The proportion of production sequencing dedicated to whole genome
     shotgun and BAC-based shotgun reads.
   * The average length of production sequencing reads (in bases of
     phred20, or equivalent, quality) and the average usable read length.
   * The amount of data deposited in a public database (bases deposited in
     a public nucleotide sequence database and reads deposited in a trace
     archive). All of this sequence must be available to reviewers.
   * The provider's total current monthly production capacity based on an
     average of the last six months of sequencing, including the number of
     attempted and successful reads, the number of base pairs per read of
     at least phred20 (or equivalent) quality, and the frequency of double
     ended reads, if appropriate.
   * The internal metrics (e.g., reads per month, failed lanes, base pairs
     per lane) used to evaluate and manage progress.
   * Sequence assembly experience at all scales (large-insert clones
     through whole genomes), including any draft genome assemblies
     deposited in public databases.
   * Finishing process (if appropriate), from draft-level sequence or whole
     genome shotgun assemblies, including gap closing and building of
     contiguous finished sequence.
   * The amount of finished genomic sequence in finished base pairs
     produced in the last 12 months and how much of this has been deposited
     in a public database. All of this sequence must be available to
     reviewers.
   * Procedures used to check the quality of sequences and assemblies at
     each scale produced.

(A-4) Letters of collaboration: Letters from collaborators who are not
requesting funds from the proposal should be attached, describing the
nature of the collaboration and the source of their support. General
letters of support are not allowed.

Color Images (if applicable): Be advised that NSF cannot accommodate the
printing of color images as part of proposal submission through the
FastLane system, and submitted proposals that require the use of color or
of very high resolution photographic images will necessitate additional
steps. Further instructions will be provided after the proposal has been
received.

Any material not specifically requested or in excess of the page allowances
will be removed prior to review. It is the submitting organization's
responsibility to ensure that the proposal is compliant with the
guidelines. Non-compliant proposals may be returned without review.

Single Copy Documents: Correspondence to the program not intended to be
sent to reviewers such as the Conflict of Interest Document, a list of
potential reviewers, or confidential materials, can be sent through the
&ldquo;Single Copy Document&rdquo; section of FastLane.

Conflict of Interest Document (no page limit): This document should be
provided in table or spreadsheet form only, and should be sent as a single
document through the Single Copy Document section of FastLane at the time
of proposal submission. The document should consist of a list, in the form
of a single alphabetized table, with the full names (Last name, first name,
middle initial) of all people having a conflict of interest with any senior
personnel (PI and Co-PIs) and any named personnel member whose salary is
requested in the project budget. Conflicts to be identified are (1) Ph.D.
thesis advisors or advisees, (2) collaborators or co-authors for the past
48 months, including postdoctoral advisors or advisees, and (3) any other
individuals or organizations with which the investigator has financial ties
(please specify type). Members of current Advisory Committees who receive
reimbursement for travel or honoraria should be included in this last
category.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (06-555) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the
proposal Cover Sheet. 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 by NSF in proposals submitted under this
Program Solicitation.

C. Due Dates

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

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

     June 16, 2006

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: 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 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 proposers whether their proposals have
been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time
interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation, or the
date of proposal receipt, whichever is later. 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 are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement
Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC). 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.

Consistent with the requirements of OMB Circular A-16, Coordination of
Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities, and the Federal
Geographic Data Committee, all NSF awards that result in relevant
geospatial data must be submitted to Geospatial One-Stop in accordance with
the guidelines provided at: www.geodata.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/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=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/.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/. Paper copies of these documents may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.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:

   * Jane Silverthorne, Program Director, Directorate for Biological
     Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 690 N, telephone:
     (703) 292-8470, fax: (703) 292-9063, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Rita A Teutonico, Deputy Division Director, Directorate for Biological
     Sciences, Division of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, 655 S,
     telephone: (703) 292-8440, fax: (703) 292-9061, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Gary Thompson, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences,
     Division of Integrative Organismal Biology, 685 S, telephone: (703)
     292-8423, fax: (703) 292-9153, email: cswg@nsf.gov

   * Saran Twombly, Program Director, Directorate for Biological Sciences,
     Division of Environmental Biology, 635 N, telephone: (703) 292-8133,
     fax: (703) 292-9064, email: cswg@nsf.gov

All email correspondence regarding PGCSP should be sent to cswg@nsf.gov.

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

   * Lauren Kitchen, Science Assistant, Directorate for Biological
     Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, 690 N, telephone:
     (703) 292-8470, fax: (703) 292-9063, email: biofl@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
MyNSF News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/) to be notified of new
funding opportunities that become available.

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

        * Location:                        4201 Wilson Blvd.
                                           Arlington, VA 22230
        * For General Information          (703) 292-5111
          (NSF Information Center):
        * TDD (for the hearing-impaired):  (703) 292-5090

        * To Order Publications or Forms:

               Send an e-mail to:          pubs@nsf.gov

                 or telephone:             (703) 292-7827

        * To Locate NSF Employees:         (703) 292-5111

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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