Title: MARGINS Program
Date: 03/02/05
Replaced: NSF 02-110

MARGINS Program

Program Solicitation
NSF 05-565
Replaces Document NSF 02-110

[NSF Logo]   National Science Foundation
             Directorate for Geosciences
                   Division of Ocean Sciences
                   Division of Earth Sciences

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

     August 1, annually

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     MARGINS Program

Synopsis of Program:

     The MARGINS program was initiated by the scientific community and
     the National Science Foundation and has been designed to elevate
     our present largely descriptive and qualitative knowledge of
     continental margins to a level where theory, modeling and
     simulation, together with field observation and experiment, can
     yield a clearer understanding of the processes that control
     margin genesis and evolution. Although continental margins have
     been traditionally assigned to three distinct tectonic settings,
     i.e., convergent, divergent and translational, the approach used
     by the MARGINS program recognizes that a range of fundamental
     physical and chemical processes that form and deform the surface
     of the Earth operate at all margins. Tectonic setting may govern
     the specific expression of a particular process that may vary in
     different environments. However, a relatively small number of
     processes, i.e., lithospheric deformation, magmatism, other
     mass/energy fluxes, sedimentation, and fluid flow, are
     fundamental to the evolution of the margins. Study of these basic
     processes, wherever they are best expressed, provides a more
     logical line of inquiry for understanding the complex nature of
     continental margins.

     This process-oriented approach to understanding the entire system
     of margin evolution requires broadly based interdisciplinary
     studies and a new class of major experiments. The MARGINS science
     plan, developed from a series of well attended workshops over the
     past decade, advocates concentration on several study areas
     (focus sites) targeted for intensive, multidisciplinary programs
     of research in which interaction between field experimentalists,
     numerical modelers and laboratory analysts would occur. MARGINS
     fosters the involvement of a broad cross-section of investigators
     in focused, multidisciplinary experiments at these focus sites,
     to achieve the objectives that could not be accomplished
     otherwise. Thus the MARGINS Program concentrates on four
     scientific initiatives at these focus sites - this list will be
     periodically reviewed and modified.

     Rupturing Continental Lithosphere (RCL) &ndash; Gulf of
     California and Red Sea focus sites

     Subduction Factory (SubFac) &ndash; Izu-Bonin-Marianas and
     Nicaragua-Coast Rica focus sites

     Seismogenic Zone Experiment (SEIZE) &ndash; Nankai and
     Nicaragua-Costa Rica focus sites

     Source-to-Sink (S2S) &ndash; Fly River/Gulf of Papua New Guinea
     and Waipaoa River New Zealand focus sites

     Information and a science plan for the program detailing each
     initiative can be found on the MARGINS website at
     http://www.margins.wustl.edu/Home.html. The expected level of
     funding will be approximately $6.0 million per year for the
     foreseeable future.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Bilal U. Haq, Program Director and MARGINS Coordinator, Directorate
     for Geosciences, Division of Ocean Sciences, 725 N, telephone: (703)
     292-8581, fax: (703) 292-9085, email: bhaq@nsf.gov

   * David M. Fountain, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences,
     Division of Earth Sciences, 785 S, telephone: (703) 292-8552, fax:
     (703) 292-9025, email: dfountai@nsf.gov

   * Rodey Batiza, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences, Division
     of Ocean Sciences, 725 N, telephone: (703) 292-8581, fax: (703)
     292-9085, email: rbatiza@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.050 --- Geosciences

Eligibility Information

   * Organization Limit: Proposals for postdoctoral fellowships must be
     submitted by a US academic institution.
   * PI Eligibility Limit: None Specified.
   * Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.

Award Information

   * Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
   * Estimated Number of Awards: 10
   * Anticipated Funding Amount: $6,000,000 pending the 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. proposer's local time):
          August 1, annually

Proposal Review Information

   * 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. 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 MARGINS research program has been formulated to understand the complex
interplay of processes that govern continental margin evolution globally.
Mechanical, chemical, biological and fluid processes act in concert to
govern the initiation, evolution and eventual destruction of continental
margins, as well as the accumulation of resources in these regions. The
MARGINS Program is jointly supported by the Divisions of Earth and Ocean
Sciences of the Directorate for Geosciences.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites proposals directed towards
the program elements listed below in the special-focus section. NSF funding
will be provided by the Divisions of Earth and Ocean Sciences.

Proposals submitted to the MARGINS Program should also include a statement
addressing the relevance of the proposed study to the overall goals of the
MARGINS initiatives and their relationship to stated special-focus
experiments at identified focus sites. Proposals will be reviewed in
accordance with established Foundation procedures and the criteria
described in the GPG (http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?gpg).
Competition for MARGINS funding will take place once a year and proposals
will be evaluated by a joint Earth and Ocean Sciences panel. The proposal
deadline is August 1 of each year for funding in the following fiscal year.
Proposals can be submitted to any of the three programs named below,
depending on their degree of relevance to marine or onshore work. In
addition, proposals submitted for support from the Ocean Drilling Program
should contain a section that addresses the potential of the proposed
research to enhance the effectiveness or planning of proposed drilling
activities. Questions regarding proposal preparation and deadlines should
be directed to the program officers listed in this solicitation for the
following programs: Marine Geology and Geophysics, Ocean Drilling, and
Tectonics.

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE MARGINS PROGRAM

The MARGINS objectives were established in the context of three basic
criteria: scientific merit, societal relevance, and feasibility. MARGINS
investigations must be aimed toward a comprehensive understanding of the
observable system properties, together with self-consistent theory, models
or experiment that relates these properties to processes that govern the
evolution of the system. MARGINS projects should also enhance an
understanding of the key processes relevant to societal concerns. For
example, understanding fluid flow is critical to effectively managing the
world's energy and water resources; sedimentary successions are permanent
recorders of past history and climate change; and understanding active
tectonics provides the basis for earthquake and volcanic hazard assessment.
The MARGINS objectives must be achievable with existing technological
capabilities or reasonable increments beyond present capabilities, even
though a new class of integrative and interdisciplinary experiments will
clearly be needed. Finally, broader impacts such as societal relevance,
contribution within the discipline, and education and outreach are also
important elements of the MARGINS program.

SPECIAL FOCUS SITES (see also http://www.margins.wustl.edu/)

Subduction Factory Experiment (SubFac)

Subduction of oceanic plates causes earthquakes, tsunamis, and explosive
volcanism, and also gives rise to ore deposits, geothermal energy, and the
continental crust on which we live. The Subduction Factory Initiative
focuses research on two contrasting subduction zones to address fundamental
questions about forcing functions for magmatism and fluid flow, volatile
cycles through convergent margins, and mass balance and growth of the
continents. The MARGINS approach is to implement an interdisciplinary study
of these problems, using the Izu-Bonin-Marianas and Costa Rica/Nicaragua
subduction systems as focus sites, where optimum characteristics of
volatile cycling and crustal growth occur, and where geological and
geophysical measurements will constrain ongoing processes in real time.

Seismogenic Zone Experiment (SEIZE)

Subduction zones also generate the word's largest and most destructive
earthquakes and tsunamis, and host much of the world's population. The
Seismogenic Zone Experiment studies the shallow subduction plate interface
that is locked and accumulates elastic strain, periodically released in
large or great earthquakes. Questions focus on the controls on the
distribution of seismic energy release, on the heterogeneities in the
locking behavior of the interface, on the rate of propagation and slip
rates of earthquakes, and on the nature of temporal changes in strain,
fluid pressure and stress during the seismic cycle. This experiment
represents an opportunity to address primary MARGINS objectives related to
mechanics of seismic and aseismic faulting. A variety of linked objectives
are being studied in both of the SEIZE focus sites, the Nankai Trough and
the Costa Rica/Nicaragua subduction system. In concert with field data
acquisition, investigators will conduct laboratory experiments and
formulate testable quantitative models of how the seismogenic zone
earthquake cycle works, including the complex interactions among various
chemical and mechanical processes.

Source-to-Sink Experiment (S2S)

The Source-to-Sink initiative is providing a comprehensive study of linked,
terrestrial and marine dispersal systems over the range of time scales for
which sedimentary processes operate. Observational, laboratory and
theoretical studies are being integrated to allow the modeling of entire,
linked sedimentary systems as opposed to only their components. Questions
center around the role of changing tectonics, climate and sea level as
forcing functions in the production, transport and storage of sediments and
solutes; processes that initiate erosion and sediment transfer, and their
interactions; and the interplay of sedimentary processes and forcing
functions in creating the stratigraphic record. Understanding, quantifying
and predicting these interactions is a major objective of the
Source-to-Sink initiative, which comprises interdisciplinary studies and
fully integrated field, experimental and modeling studies to unravel the
convolution of sediment flux, morphodynamics and stratigraphy. The various
field programs will be based in Papua-New Guinea and New Zealand, the
community-selected focus sites.

Rupturing Continental Lithosphere Experiment (RCL)

The initiation, evolution, and eventual destruction of continent-ocean
margin involves the coupled interaction of mechanical, fluid, chemical, and
biological processes. These processes result in the accumulation of most of
the Earth's valuable resources and the focusing of the principle geologic
hazards at margins, which are the locus of the greatest population density.
The Rupturing Continental Lithosphere (and birth of an ocean) experiment is
proceeding by focused investigations of the four-dimensional style,
distribution, and depth partitioning of extension within continental
lithosphere to determine the spatial and temporal variations in the
rheology of the lithosphere, why rifts form where they do, and the forces
required to sever continental lithosphere. Currently the two focus sites
for the RCL initiative are the Gulf of California and central/northern Red
Sea. The MARGINS program will concentrate on a variety of linked objectives
dealing with elucidating the driving forces responsible for the initiation
and development of extensional margins as thermo-mechanical systems.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

In addition to funding work in the special focus experiments, MARGINS will
accept proposals for a Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. One or two of the
ten total awards made each year may be postdoctoral fellowships. All
fellowship awards must be held at US academic institutions but there is no
citizenship requirement. Fellowship proposals will be in the form of a
standard proposal, submitted for the MARGINS&rsquo; proposal deadline by
the fellow and a research mentor at a US institution, together with
supplementary documents of letters of recommendation. Details of the
program and applications procedures are available on the MARGINS web site
(http://www.margins.wustl.edu).

Workshop, Theoretical Institute and Rapid Response Proposals

The MARGINS Program will also support science synthesis and planning
workshops and Theoretical and Experimental Institutes, to facilitate
integration within and between the initiatives. In addition, proposals that
require rapid response to events that create opportunities for the study of
extant processes at MARGINS focus sites and are compatible with MARGINS
science plans will also be accepted. Proposals for Small Grants Exploratory
Research (SGERs) may be submitted at any time.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Postdoctoral fellowships must be submitted by US academic institutions. For
all other proposals, the categories of proposers identified in the Grant
Proposal Guide are eligible to submit proposals under this program
solicitation.

IV. AWARD INFORMATION

Under this solicitation, the program expects to make approximately 10
standard or continuing awards for up to five years at an average award size
of approximately $500,000. NSF anticipates having approximately $6 million
in fiscal year 2006, and annually thereafter, pending the availability of
funds.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:

Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the
GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/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.

In addition to the GPG guidelines, proposals submitted to the MARGINS
program should also include a statement addressing the relevance of the
proposed study to overall goals of the MARGINS initiative and their
relationship to identified special-focus experiments. Proposals submitted
for support from the Ocean Drilling Program should contain a section that
addresses the potential of the proposed research to enhance the
effectiveness or planning of proposed drilling activities.

Data Management Requirements: Proposals must include a section outlining
how the project will comply with the MARGINS data management policy (see
MARGINS web page for copy of the policy at http://www.margins.wustl.edu).

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (05-565) 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. proposer's local time):

     August 1, annually

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.

     Additional Review Criteria:

     Proposals submitted to the MARGINS program will also be evaluated for
     relevance of the proposed study to overall goals of the MARGINS
     initiative and their relationship to identified special-focus
     experiments.

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 also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement
Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred
way to transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail
capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of
Grants and Agreements.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/. 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 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.

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:

   * Bilal U. Haq, Program Director and MARGINS Coordinator, Directorate
     for Geosciences, Division of Ocean Sciences, 725 N, telephone: (703)
     292-8581, fax: (703) 292-9085, email: bhaq@nsf.gov

   * David M. Fountain, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences,
     Division of Earth Sciences, 785 S, telephone: (703) 292-8552, fax:
     (703) 292-9025, email: dfountai@nsf.gov

   * Rodey Batiza, Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences, Division
     of Ocean Sciences, 725 N, telephone: (703) 292-8581, fax: (703)
     292-9085, email: rbatiza@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

   * Brian Midson, Assistant Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences,
     Division of Ocean Sciences, 725 N, telephone: (703) 292-8580, fax:
     (703) 292-9085, email: bmidson@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

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PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may
be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the
proposal review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or
obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the
administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers
and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to
other government agencies needing information as part of the review process
or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or
party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is
a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the
Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer
reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50,
"Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal
Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and
Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission
of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average
120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative
Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.

OMB control number: 3145-0058.

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