Title: Centers for Chemical Innovation Phase I   (CCI-I)
       Formerly known as Chemical Bonding Centers (CBC)
Date: 01/17/08
Replaced: NSF 07-509





Centers for Chemical Innovation Phase I   (CCI-I)
Formerly known as Chemical Bonding Centers (CBC)

Program Solicitation
NSF 08-536

Replaces Document(s):
NSF 07-509



[NSF Logo]  National Science Foundation

            Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
                 Division of Chemistry



Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local
time):

     April 17, 2008

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

     July 25, 2008

REVISION NOTES

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, NSF has identified
programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to
prepare and submit proposals, or will require that proposers utilize
Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single
Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

In response to this program solicitation, proposers may opt to submit
proposals via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Centers for Chemical Innovation Phase I  (CCI-I)
     Formerly known as Chemical Bonding Centers (CBC)

Synopsis of Program:

     The CCI Program is designed to support the formation of centers
     that can address major, long-term basic chemical research
     problems that have a high probability of both producing
     transformative research and leading to innovation.  Appropriate
     research problems are high-risk but potentially high-impact and
     will attract broad scientific and public interest.  Centers are
     expected to be agile structures that can respond rapidly to
     emerging opportunities and make full use of cyberinfrastructure
     to enhance collaborations.  Center teams may include researchers
     from disciplines other than Chemistry and from academia,
     industry, government laboratories and international
     organizations.  CCIs are expected to integrate research,
     education, and outreach and to include a plan to broaden
     participation to under-represented groups.  Proposals should
     contain a compelling strategy for achieving demonstrable impact
     in all of these areas.

     The CCI program is a two-phase program. The Phase I review
     process consists of a preliminary proposal that will be peer
     reviewed, followed by an invited full proposal to explore
     development of a Phase I CCI.  Phase I CCI's receive significant
     resources to develop the scientific, educational, innovation and
     management aspects of a CCI before requesting Phase II funding.
     Phase I proposals funded in FY 2008 will seek Phase II funding in
     FY 2011.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Katharine Covert, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4950, email:
     kcovert@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Standard Grant or Continuing Grant

Estimated Number of Awards:    6

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $3,000,000  in FY 2008, subject to the
availability of funds

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums,
          observatories, research labs, professional societies and
          similar organizations in the U.S. associated with
          educational or research activities.
        * Universities and Colleges: Universities and two- and
          four-year colleges (including community colleges) located
          and accredited in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty
          members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic
          institutions.

PI Limit:

     An investigator may participate (as a PI or senior personnel) in
     only one CCI-I proposal and associated pre-proposal submitted to
     this competition. It is the responsibility of the PI to insure
     that all senior personnel do not appear on more than one CCI-I
     proposal or more than one pre-proposal.  Should any of these
     individuals appear on more than one CCI-I proposal or
     pre-proposal, all such proposals will be returned without
     review.  The PI must be affiliated with a U.S. academic
     institution or non-profit research organization. Other
     investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions,
     non-profit research organizations, industry, government
     laboratories and international organizations. Unaffiliated
     scientists may also be eligible for support under a proposal
     submitted by an eligible organization.  CCI award funds may not
     go directly to industry, government laboratories or international
     organizations.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

     Only one proposal and associated pre-proposal may be submitted
     per eligible PI.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

   * Letters of Intent: Not Applicable

   * Preliminary Proposals: Submission of Preliminary Proposals is
     required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further
     information.

   * Full Proposals:

        * Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award
          Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)
          Guidelines apply. 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.

        * Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov
          Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of
          NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF
          Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov
          website and on the NSF website at:
          http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf)

B. Budgetary Information

   * Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required under this
     solicitation.

   * Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  Not Applicable

   * Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please
     see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

C. Due Dates

   * Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's
     local time):

          April 17, 2008

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

          July 25, 2008

Proposal 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:   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. Award Information

 IV. Eligibility Information

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

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

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

VIII.Agency Contacts

 IX. Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION

The Division of Chemistry is initiating a fourth round of Phase I
competition for its Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) program, formerly
known as the Chemical Bonding Centers (CBCs) program, to nurture innovative
approaches to addressing intellectual challenges in basic chemical research
and education with the potential for broad societal impact.  CCIs will
provide the opportunity for especially able and ambitious groups of
investigators to share a commitment toward solving a "big problem" in an
atmosphere having a high tolerance for risk and within a structure
permitting considerable agility.  A workshop at NSF, "New Mechanisms for
Support of High-Risk and Unconventional Research in Chemistry," explored
mechanisms for encouraging and supporting such initiatives.  A report of
the workshop can be obtained at
http://www.mrl.uiuc.edu/docs/nsfgmwfinal.pdf

The Division of Chemistry expects to make awards in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008
to support activities in the Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI)
Program.  The CCI Program competition consists of two phases.  The review
process for Phase I begins with submission of a Preliminary Proposal that
describes a center concept, a schematic model for the research to be
carried out, and a group of initiating participants (PI and other senior
personnel who may or may not be co-PIs but have agreed to participate on
the project). There is no funding associated with this preliminary
proposal, but meritorious preliminary proposals will be invited to submit
a Full Proposal.  CCI Phase I Full Proposals will outline center goals as
well as plans to address critical CCI elements, within the CCI Phase I
resources of $500,000/yr for three years.  NSF Chemistry expects to fund up
to six new Phase I awards in FY 2008. Those development teams which receive
Phase I funding will be eligible to participate in the second phase of the
competition, by submitting a proposal for the establishment of a CCI Phase
II center in FY 2011.  It is anticipated that, assuming availability of
funds and appropriate quality of proposals, there will be one or two CCI
Phase II awards resulting from the Phase I awards initiated in FY 2008.
Each Phase II award is expected to have a duration of five years, at a
level averaging $4 million per year, with possible renewal for a second
five-year period at the same average level of $4 million per year pending
availability of funds.  The specific program solicitation for the CCI-II
proposals in this second round of competition will be available
approximately June 2010 for funding in FY 2011.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The CCI Program is designed to support the formation of centers that can
address major, long-term basic chemical research problems. Appropriate
research problems are high-risk but potentially high-impact because they
will attract broad scientific and public interest. Centers are expected to
be agile structures that can respond rapidly to emerging opportunities and
make full use of cyberinfrastructure to enhance collaborations. Center
teams may include researchers from different disciplines and from academia,
industry, national laboratories and international organizations. Team size
should reflect the needs of the problem to be studied, but a minimum of
three investigators is required.

Successful centers will be focused on novel research centered in the
chemical sciences and aimed at solving high-risk, long-term problems of
large scope and impact. They will have a high probability of producing
transformative research likely to lead to innovations, i.e. research
results that can lead to new processes, materials or devices that will
enhance economic competitiveness.  These CCI research communities will
bring common and complementary interests into productive contact to nurture
a culture of risk-taking and innovation around structures that are agile
and take full advantage of cyberinfrastructure for fostering
collaborations. The awards made under the CCI Program are expected to
include creative public outreach plans to make chemistry and chemists more
visible to the broader scientific community and to the public.

CCIs are expected to integrate research and education throughout the course
of the project. CCIs should provide novel opportunities for participants to
engage in joint efforts that combine education with the excitement of
discovery at the frontiers of modern chemical research. CCIs should contain
strong diversity and outreach components. There must be a commitment to
broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens --
women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -
in the solution of these "big problems".  A vigorous outreach program
should be designed to achieve the CCI goal of increasing public
appreciation for the contributions of chemistry to progress in modern
science.

During preparation of a CCI Phase I proposal, investigators are strongly
urged to discuss details with a cognizant Program Officer listed in Section
VIII of this solicitation. Investigators seeking the involvement of
industrial, government and/or international team members will need to
provide an institutional letter of collaboration (in the Full Proposal)
from the partner organization that confirms the participation of a
co-investigator. This letter should be included in the Supplementary
Documents Section of the Full Proposal. (See Section V.A., below). The
letter should describe the plan of interaction with the U.S. academic
institution, the time commitment of the researcher(s), and the nature of
the collaborative research activities. Letters of general support or
recommendation are inappropriate and may cause a proposal to be returned
without review. Cost sharing is not required for CCI Phase I proposals.

Support for collaborations with international scientists is provided
through the NSF grant to the submitting U.S. institution. No CCI award
funds may go directly to foreign institutions. The proposal may include up
to $100,000 in participant support costs, over the duration of the grant,
for international collaborative research activities. Travel and incidental
research costs may be included; salaries may not. These international
collaborations must feature a joint scientific work plan and should be
clearly described in the Project Description. If, after review, a proposal
is recommended for funding, the cognizant Program Officer will work with
Program Officers from the NSF Office of International Science and
Engineering and the key project personnel to develop a detailed plan
consistent with prevailing international practices and policies.

Co-investigators associated with entities such as industry, state agencies
and national laboratories (Federally Funded Research and Development
Centers (FFRDCs)) must be supported by their own organization. However, it
is appropriate for students supported through universities to work at a
partner industrial laboratory, FFRDC or comparable site, or for
universities to fund research expenses incurred when scientists from such
entities work at university sites. Federal employees may not receive
salaries or in other ways augment their agency's appropriation through
grants made by this program, and no funds for major equipment at FFRDC's
are allowed.

Principal Investigators should ensure that their proposed project does not
substantially overlap with ongoing Federally funded research. NSF reserves
the right to return without review proposals that are not responsive to
this solicitation.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Under this program, Phase I Full Proposals should be submitted for support
for three years.  It is anticipated that the award size will average
$500,000 per year. NSF expects to award up to six continuing grants during
FY2008.  Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award
size/duration are subject to the availability of funds and quality of
proposals received.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums,
          observatories, research labs, professional societies and
          similar organizations in the U.S. associated with
          educational or research activities.
        * Universities and Colleges: Universities and two- and
          four-year colleges (including community colleges) located
          and accredited in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty
          members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic
          institutions.

PI Limit:

     An investigator may participate (as a PI or senior personnel) in
     only one CCI-I proposal and associated pre-proposal submitted to
     this competition. It is the responsibility of the PI to insure
     that all senior personnel do not appear on more than one CCI-I
     proposal or more than one pre-proposal.  Should any of these
     individuals appear on more than one CCI-I proposal or
     pre-proposal, all such proposals will be returned without
     review.  The PI must be affiliated with a U.S. academic
     institution or non-profit research organization. Other
     investigators may be affiliated with U.S. academic institutions,
     non-profit research organizations, industry, government
     laboratories and international organizations. Unaffiliated
     scientists may also be eligible for support under a proposal
     submitted by an eligible organization.  CCI award funds may not
     go directly to industry, government laboratories or international
     organizations.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1

     Only one proposal and associated pre-proposal may be submitted
     per eligible PI.

Additional Eligibility Info:

     Only U.S. academic institutions and non-profit research
     organizations may submit proposals as lead institution. Proposals
     involving more than one organization must be submitted as a
     single administrative package from the lead organization;
     collaborative proposals with multiple administrative packages
     will not be accepted.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Preliminary Proposals (required): Preliminary proposals are required and
must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system, even if full proposals will
be submitted via Grants.gov.

Preliminary Proposals must be submitted via FastLane by 5:00 p.m.
proposer's local time on the due date indicated elsewhere in this
solicitation.  On the Cover Sheet, the PI must select the "preliminary
proposal" check box in the Proposal Preparation module in FastLane and
complete only the sections below appropriate to the preliminary proposal.

The following information is required for all Preliminary Proposals:

   * Information About Principal Investigators/Project Directors and
     co-Principal Investigators/co-Project Directors - Use standard GPG
     guidelines.
   * Cover Sheet for Proposal to the National Science Foundation - A cover
     sheet must be submitted and electronically signed by an Authorized
     Organizational Representative for all preliminary proposals.  The NSF
     Cover Sheet also will identify the amount of funding for three years
     requested from NSF.  No additional budgetary information will be
     required at the preliminary proposal stage.
   * Project Summary - in one page describe intellectual merit and broader
     impacts of the project.
   * Project Description - limited to 5 pages, see detailed instructions
     below.
   * Reference Section - up to 10 key references.
   * Biographical Sketches for PI/co-PIs and other senior personnel - Use
     standard GPG guidelines.
   * Current and Pending Support - list for PI and co-PIs

The following points should be covered in the preliminary proposal Project
Description:

   * the "big challenge" that is to be addressed and why it is appropriate
     for the CCI structure;
   * how the research would lead to major advances in chemistry and impact
     the broader scientific community;
   * how the research will effectively integrate education and diversity;
   * how the proposed activities will be effectively communicated to the
     public;
   * how the basic research will be effectively connected with innovation
     and economic competitiveness;
   * proposed group of initiating researchers who have consented to
     participate at this stage.

Preliminary Proposals must conform to the format restrictions noted in the
NSF GPG. Preliminary Proposals will be peer-reviewed by ad hoc and/or panel
review, and the principal investigators of proposals judged to be
meritorious by peer review will be invited to submit Phase I Full
Proposals  (below).

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions:  Proposers may opt to submit
proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via
the NSF FastLane system.

   * Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response
     to this program 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. Proposers are
     reminded to identify this program solicitation number 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 proposal processing guidelines. Failure to
     submit this information may delay processing.

   * Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in
     response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov should be
     prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov
     Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF
     Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov
     Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the
     NSF website at:
     (http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To
     obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package,
     click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply
     Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application
     Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the
     program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the
     Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application
     Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse,
     telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.



Full Proposals submitted, by invitation only, in response to this program
must originate from principal investigators whose projects are successful
in the Preliminary Proposal competition described above and must be based
on those projects.   All proposals not meeting this requirement will be
returned without review.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to consult the proposal submission
checklist included in the Grant Proposal Guide or NSF Grants.gov
Application Guide as they prepare their proposal.  Proposals not compliant
with the proposal preparation guidelines, as supplemented by the following
instructions, may be returned without review.

The items outlined below pertain to the corresponding sections in the Grant
Proposal Guide or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Project Summary. One-page limit, including the names and affiliations of
all senior personnel. The project summary must address both the
intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed CCI project.

Project Description.  CCI proposals are likely to be read by
non-specialists at some stage of the review process. It is therefore
particularly important that they be written to emphasize the impact of the
projects on the chemical sciences in a broad context. The Project
Description may be up to twenty-two (22) pages: i. Results from Prior
Support (up to 5 pages), ii. Research Plan (up to 12 pages), iii. Plans for
Key Synergistic CCI Elements (up to 5 pages).

       i. Prior Support.  List NSF awards held in the last five years by
any investigator (PI and any other senior personnel who may or may not be a
Co-PI).  Each PI, co-PI or senior associate must report on the award most
closely related to the proposal.   The proposal may contain up to a total
of five (5) pages to describe the results.

       ii. Research Plan. Narrative, not to exceed fifteen (12) pages,
consisting of the following items:

   * An explanation of the scientific context, intellectual merit,
     relevance to chemistry and timeliness of the proposed project;
   * A description of workshops, conferences and/or travel appropriate for
     developing the research project and team that would comprise the CCI;
   * A description of the proposed research;
   * A justification for why the CCI mode of research is appropriate
     (compared with individual or collaborative awards); and
   * A description of the contribution to be made by each senior
     investigator.

     iii. Plans for Key Synergistic CCI Elements (Narrative,  up to 1
     page for each plan, 5 pages total)

   * Education Plan for undergraduate students, graduate students, and
     postdoctoral researchers, including co-mentorship, other collaborative
     training, or other education activities;
   * Broadening Participation Plan by under-represented groups, including
     the CCI goals, plans for achieving those goals, and a discussion of
     how progress will be measured;
   * Public Outreach Plan, describing the CCI approach to communicating
     chemistry research to public audiences and possible ways to evaluate
     the impact of these outreach efforts;
   * Dissemination and Innovation Plan, including both dissemination of
     research results and plans for engaging industry or by other means
     connecting research products to innovations; and
   * Center Management Plan, including how the CCI effort will be
     coordinated, any use of cyberinfrastructure, how decisions will be
     made regarding the project (including plans for advisory groups), and
     a discussion of how agility will be addressed in terms of the
     incorporation of new ideas, tools, and partners.

References Cited. References should include full titles of articles and
book chapters cited. This section should include bibliographic citations
only and must not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of
the Project Description.  Indicate with an asterisk (*) references
co-authored by two or more proposal investigators.

Biographical sketches. For PI/Co-PIs and all senior personnel, provide
brief biographical sketches using the format described in the Grant
Proposal Guide or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Note that recent
collaborators and other affiliates should also be collected into the
combined list given in the Supplementary Documentation (see below).

Budget. Include three annual budgets of $500,000, one for each year of the
duration of the award; a cumulative budget will be automatically generated
by Fast Lane or Grants.gov. A detailed budget justification (up to three
pages) should document proposed expenses. Multi-institutional
proposals should use the award-sub award proposal mechanisms (see GPG
guidelines, chapter II.D.3).

Current and Pending Support. A full description of the total level of
current and pending support from all sources for the key personnel. Any
overlap between federally funded projects and the proposed research must be
clarified.

Facilities.  A description of the facilities (including laboratories,
computational facilities and cyber infrastructure) that will be made
available to the project. Separate facilities descriptions should be
included for multi-institutional projects or those involving non-academic
partners.

Supplementary Documents. Required letters of collaboration from national
laboratories, international organizations, and industry should be included
in this section. Letters of collaboration from senior personnel not
supported on the grant are also appropriate. Letters of recommendation or
general support are not permitted. Quotations for the purchase or requested
instrumentation and equipment may be included in this section.

Single Copy Documents.  Provide a combined, alphabetized list of all
scientists, with current affiliations, who have collaborated with the PI,
co-PIs and other senior personnel in the last 48 months or are otherwise
affiliated with them, including Ph. D. and post-doctoral mentors.

Suggested Reviewers/Reviewers Not to Include (Optional).  Include potential
reviewers who span the range of disciplines represented by the CCI
proposal.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:   Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

Multi-institutional proposals should use the award-sub award mechanism
discussed in the GPG, Chapter II.D.3.

Federal employees may not receive salaries or in other ways augment their
agency's appropriation through grants made by this program, and no funds
for major equipment at FFRDC's are allowed.

Budget Preparation Instructions:

Full proposals should include funds in the budget for a site visit or
reverse site visit in the second year of the project.

The proposal may include up to $100,000 in participant support costs, over
the duration of the grant, for international collaborative research
activities. Travel and incidental research costs may be included; salaries
may not.

C. Due Dates

   * Preliminary Proposal Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's
     local time):

          April 17, 2008

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

          July 25, 2008

D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements

   * For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:

     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 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.

   * For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:

     Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must
     register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the
     applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the
     Grants.gov website. The Grants.gov's Grant Community User Guide is a
     comprehensive reference document that provides technical information
     about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft
     Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is
     available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In addition, the
     NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical
     guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For
     Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at
     1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact
     Center answers general technical questions related to the use of
     Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation
     should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in
     Section VIII of this solicitation.

     Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the
     Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the
     application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity
     and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then
     sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed
     application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further
     processing.

VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES

Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program and,
if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements, for review. All
proposals 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 proposal. 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
proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. 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 with the
proposer.

A. NSF Merit Review Criteria

All NSF proposals 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 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 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.

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.

     Additional Review Criteria:

     In addition to the National Science Board merit review criteria,
     reviewers will be asked to apply the following criteria when reviewing
     CCI Phase I preliminary proposals and proposals.

        * Does the proposal have the potential to lead to transformative
          research in chemistry and related fields?
        * Is the need for a center effort well-justified in the proposal?
        * Will the education, broadening participation, dissemination and
          innovation, public outreach and management plans be effective?

     Site visits and reverse site visits during Phase I may be part of the
     CCI Phase II review process.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be
reviewed by Ad hoc Review 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.

After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of
appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant
Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended
for award. 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.

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 Officer.  In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of
the decision to award or decline funding.

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 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.B. 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 (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
agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative
Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and
the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are
electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and
transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.

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

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important
information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF
Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on
the NSF Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants),
the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the
cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current
budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project
reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is
required to submit a final project report.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports will delay
NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any
pending proposals for that PI. 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.  Such reports provide information on activities and
findings, project participants (individual and organizational)
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.  Submission of
the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the
contents of the report are accurate and complete.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

   * Katharine Covert, Program Director, telephone: (703) 292-4950, email:
     kcovert@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

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

   * Paul G. Spyropoulos, Computer Specialist, 1055 S, telephone: (703)
     292-4968, fax: (703) 292-9037, email: pspyropo@nsf.gov

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

   * Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational
     Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from
     Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please
     contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.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, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service) is an
information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other
interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and
publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and
procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are
informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new
publications are issued that match their identified interests. MyNSF also
is available on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/.

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for
Federal government-wide 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.

Related Programs:

     Centers for Chemical Innovation Phase II (CCI-II)
     http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13635&org=CHE

     Evaluation and Resource Material for Informal Science Education
     http://www.informalscience.org

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.

 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; and 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 proposer 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 or other entities needing information regarding
applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in
order to coordinate programs or policy; 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," 69
Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File
and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004).
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 Office of
Management and Budget (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 the burden
estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230


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