Title: Partnerships for International Research and Education
Date: 12/10/04

Partnerships for International Research and Education

Program Solicitation
NSF 05-533

[NSF Logo]   National Science Foundation

                   Office of International Science and Engineering

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

     March 10, 2005

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Partnerships for International Research and Education

Synopsis of Program:

     Partnerships for International Research and Education will enable
     U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with
     foreign groups or institutions in order to advance specific
     research and education objectives and to make possible a research
     effort that neither side could accomplish on its own.  As science
     and engineering become increasingly global, U.S. scientists and
     engineers must be able to operate in teams comprised of partners
     from different nations and cultural backgrounds.  International
     partnerships are, and will be, increasingly indispensable in
     addressing many critical global scientific problems.  The program
     is intended to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions by
     establishing innovative new models for international
     collaborative research and education. It is also intended to
     facilitate greater variety in student participation and
     preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse,
     globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Edward O. Murdy, Senior Program Manager, Office of the Director,
     Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone:
     (703) 292-8711, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: emurdy@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
   * 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
   * 47.076 --- Education and Human Resources
   * 47.041 --- Engineering
   * 47.050 --- Geosciences
   * 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
   * 47.078 --- Office of Polar Programs
   * 47.075 --- Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

Eligibility Information

   * Organization Limit:

     U.S. Ph.D. degree granting institutions must be the lead institution.

   * PI Eligibility Limit:

     PI must be affiliated with the lead institution.  Only U.S.
     participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators should
     be designated as non Co-PI senior personnel.

   * Limit on Number of Proposals: A single institution may submit only one
     proposal as lead institution. An institution may participate in only
     two proposals as participating, non-lead institutions.

Award Information

   * Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
   * Estimated Number of Awards: 5 to 10
   * Anticipated Funding Amount: $5,000,000 , pending availability of
     funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

   * Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains
     information that supplements 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.
   * 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

   * Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
          March 10, 2005

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

Partnerships For International Research and Education - Concept

Science and engineering are increasingly global.  Cutting-edge research is
being conducted worldwide, and new ideas emerge from the intellectual
interactions of people with diverse backgrounds.  Consequently, U.S.
scientists and engineers and their institutions must be globally engaged
and able to operate in teams comprised of partners from different nations
and cultural backgrounds.  International partnerships are, and will be,
increasingly indispensable in addressing many critical global scientific
and engineering problems.

Partnerships for International Research and Education awards will enable
U.S. institutions to develop longer-term, collaborative international
research and education programs with foreign partners.  Successful
proposals will describe science and engineering research projects that are
based on integrated and synergistic international collaborations, and will
explain how the complementary strengths of the collaborating institutions
will be used to enable and sustain a longer-term program.  Partnerships for
International Research and Education will enable U.S. institutions to
establish collaborative relationships with foreign groups or institutions
in order to advance specific research and education objectives and to make
possible a research effort that neither side could accomplish on its own.
The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in U.S. institutions
by establishing innovative new models for international collaborative
research and education. It is also intended to facilitate greater diversity
in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the
development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering
workforce.

It is the intention of NSF to issue only a limited number of awards under
this solicitation.  Partnerships for International Research and Education
is a special, one-time Program Solicitation by the Office of International
Science and Engineering.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

  A. Program Objectives:

        * Support research and education of the highest quality.
        * Support strong international collaborative research and
          education.
        * Provide international research experiences for U.S. students and
          faculty that will prepare them to work in the global research
          community.
        * Engage resources across a U.S. institution(s) that will
          contribute to strong international partnerships.
        * Develop new collaborative models for international research and
          education.
        * Raise the profile of international collaborative research and
          education within the US research and education community.

     International research collaboration between institutions is the
     focus of this program.  Proposals submitted to the Partnerships
     for International Research and Education program should be
     organized around a research topic that requires the collective
     effort and close collaboration of U.S. and foreign research
     partners to achieve significant scientific/engineering goals
     while also emphasizing the integration of research and
     education.  A principal investigator will direct the partnership
     and work closely with foreign research partners as well as a
     diverse suite of U.S. participants/entities (e.g., research
     faculty, departments, institutes, university administration,
     international program offices, language departments, and
     information/communication technology resources).  Any science and
     engineering area supported by the NSF is eligible, but
     Partnerships for International Research and Education awards will
     only support activities that: depend on intellectual
     collaborations with international partners; include significant
     and specific contributions (e.g., expertise, facilities, sites,
     data, different approaches/methods/models, educational
     opportunities, etc.) from international partners; and that make
     use of the diverse capabilities of the participating
     institutions.  Proposers are encouraged to describe how the
     partnership will contribute to creating a hub of international
     collaboration that will bring demonstrable benefits to the U.S.
     research community.

     Globalization of research and career opportunities places
     importance on providing an international perspective to U.S.
     scientists and engineers early in their careers.  Therefore, in
     addition to domestic research activities, a significant part of
     the collaborative project must involve U.S. participants working
     at foreign sites.  The collaborative project should provide many
     participants with an international research experience in an
     academic, industrial or national laboratory, or other suitable
     setting.  Use of information/communication technologies,
     networking, remote access of instrumentation and facilities,
     distance learning, and other means of remote interaction as well
     as development of innovative curricular activities with strong
     international content is encouraged to strengthen the
     international dimensions of the project for those participants
     who travel abroad, as well as those who do not.

     In line with NSFs commitment to creating a diverse, competitive,
     and globally-engaged U.S. workforce of scientists and engineers,
     projects are expected to develop a cadre of scientists and
     engineers who will play a leadership role in forging
     international collaborations.  Programs should include active
     participation of U.S. students and junior researchers, including
     those from underrepresented groups, at the foreign sites as part
     of the international collaboration.

  B. Principal Investigator

     The Principal Investigator (PI) shall be the director of the
     Partnerships for International Research and Education project,
     and is expected to be an essential participant in its research
     and related educational activities. The PI will have overall
     responsibility for administration of the award, management of the
     project, and for interactions with the NSF.  FastLane allows one
     PI and at most four Co-PIs to be designated. Only U.S.
     participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators
     should be designated as non co-PI Senior Personnel.

  3. Additional Considerations

     PIs are responsible for obtaining any required visas for foreign
     travel, and through the U.S. research institution, for providing
     documentation in support of U.S. visas for foreign counterpart
     investigators. PIs are also responsible for obtaining research
     permits and import/export documents, where necessary. PIs should
     contact NSFs web page Information for U.S. Travelers; among
     other things this page includes information regarding the
     collection of genetic resources outside of the United States.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

The PI must be affiliated with the lead institution.  Only U.S.
participants should be listed as Co-PIs.  Foreign collaborators should be
designated non co-PI Senior Personnel.

Projects may involve more than one U.S. institution as well as more than
one foreign institution, but a single U.S. institution must serve as the
lead institution and accept overall management responsibility as the lead
institution.  The lead institution must be a U.S. Ph.D. degree granting
institution. An institution may participate in only two proposals as
participating, non-lead institutions.

A single U.S. institution may submit only one proposal as the lead
institution with the project PI.  Institutions may participate with co-PIs
in a maximum of two proposals.

IV. AWARD INFORMATION

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration
are subject to the availability of funds.   Awards will be standard or
continuing grants.

Under this solicitation, proposals may be submitted for support for up to
five years, with annual budgets of up to $500,000.  It is anticipated that
NSF will make up to 10 awards this year.  Future funding of this program
will be dependent on availability of funds.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Instructions:

Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the
GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Partnerships for International Research and Education Proposal Content

Proposals must include the following information that supplements the GPG
guidelines:

Proposal Cover Sheet. Indicate the solicitation number (05-533) in the
program announcement/solicitation block and select &ldquo;Collaborative
Research&rdquo; as the Program in the Unit Selection List. Check the box
for &ldquo;International Cooperative Activities&rdquo; and list the
countries involved.

International Programs Cover Page Addendum. When using FastLane, this
Addendum will be listed as a form for completion after the NSF Cover Sheet
has been saved with the OISE Program Solicitation selected. Appendix I
shows Addendum details.

Project Summary (1-page limit). Provide a summary description of the
proposed project, including its research theme and international
collaborative features, in a manner that will be informative to a general
technical audience. The project summary must explicitly address both the
intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed activity, or the
proposal will be returned without review.

Project Description (18-page limit). To be considered for funding,
proposals must demonstrate a focused research plan requiring collaboration
with single or multiple foreign research institutions of appropriate size
and scope. Proposals submitted to this solicitation are expected to address
the following:

          Research plans and objectives. Provide the rationale for the
          research project, set it within the context of relevant
          literature, and provide specific hypotheses to be tested,
          detailed methodologies, and relevant preliminary data; the
          project description should contain sufficient detail to allow
          disciplinary peer review assessment of the scientific/technical
          merit of the proposed focused research project. Indicate the
          potential impact or expected significance of the proposed
          research.

          Education plans and objectives. Specifically address the nature
          of the international research experiences to be provided, the
          integration of research and education, plans for the provision of
          effective mentoring in both U.S. and foreign institutions, and
          career development to be provided.

          Management Plan, International Coordination and Logistics (3-page
          limit).

               Describe the plan for management of the overall project,
               including division of research and education
               responsibilities among U.S. and foreign participants,
               commitment of resources, a timetable of activities, and an
               evaluation approach.

               Describe the procedures and arrangements for recruiting,
               selecting, preparing, and sending students, recent Ph.D.s
               and junior faculty members to foreign sites for research and
               education collaboration.

               Address the practical aspects of sending Americans abroad,
               including logistical (lodging, transportation, health care,
               safety, etc.) arrangements, language and cultural issues,
               and administrative requirements.

          Identify the resources, e.g. language and cultural training
          programs, information technologies, and experience of the U.S.
          institution(s) in international activities that could contribute
          to the success of the proposed Partnership project.

          Explain how the Partnership project would add value to the
          institution&rsquo;s international programs and goals.

          Intellectual collaboration with the foreign partners and benefits
          to be accrued from such collaborations; i.e. efforts that only
          make use of facilities or natural resources without engaging
          foreign scientists and/or engineers are not acceptable.

          Nature, size, and scope of the foreign institution(s) and how the
          foreign partners complement the US effort;

          Specific contribution (e.g., expertise, facilities, sites, data,
          different approaches/methods/models, educational opportunities,
          etc.) of the foreign partners;

          Mechanisms for building a robust and sustainable collaboration,
          including strategies for continuation of the partnership beyond
          OISE support;

          Results from Prior NSF Support (not to exceed 5-pages).

Budget Justification (3-page limit). Explains and justifies costs of the
international collaboration.

          Funds for faculty salaries or research-related travel support
          should be requested as follows: (i) up to two months per year of
          salary support for the Principal Investigator; (ii) up to one
          month per year of research-related travel support for the
          Principal Investigator and each Co-Principal Investigator.

          Cost of travel for the PI for one trip to the Washington, DC area
          per year to report on progress or participate in a
          grantees&rsquo; meeting should be included.

          For undergraduate and graduate student participants and
          postdoctoral associates, include a breakdown of numbers by types
          of participants, and associated travel and subsistence expenses.
          Foreign research experiences should be of sufficient duration to
          acculturate the U.S. researcher and provide a meaningful
          research/education experience.

          Limited funds may be requested for administration of the project,
          including support for administrative staff, faculty visits to
          foreign sites for research coordination and student mentoring,
          education and communication linkages between institutions, and
          preparation/orientation of students for living abroad.

          Purchase of limited shared-research equipment, special-purpose
          research materials, software and databases may be requested.

          NSF awards are normally limited to support of the U.S. portion of
          the collaboration. Whereas reciprocal visits by foreign
          researchers and students to the U.S. institutions are encouraged,
          NSF will not usually pay for such visits. In the case of
          scientists and engineers from a developing country or from a
          country whose currency is not convertible, limited funds may be
          requested to support their participation in the project.

Supplementary Documents. This required information must be entered in the
Supplementary Documents section in FastLane.

          List of Participants (1-page limit): Include departmental and
          institutional affiliation of all faculty members and other
          senior-level personnel expected to have an important role in the
          project. This list should also include the names and
          institutional affiliations of key foreign collaborators.

          Biographical sketches for all principal foreign collaborators.
          All sketches must adhere to the format given in the Grant
          Proposal Guide (Chapter II.C.2.f,
          http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg).

          Letters of support from collaborating U.S. and foreign
          researchers/institutions. Letters of support from foreign
          collaborators should provide substantive details regarding the
          foreign collaborators&rsquo; commitment to the proposed project
          and the related support available through their funding
          mechanisms.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (05-533) 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 in proposals submitted under this Program
Solicitation.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

NSF award is granted to the U.S. lead institution.  NSF funding can support
the participation of  principal investigators, contributing researchers,
postdoctoral fellows, students and support staff affiliated with the U.S.
institution, when specifically justified in terms of the international
collaboration.  In almost all cases, foreign partners should obtain their
own funding for participation. However, if a foreign collaborator is from a
developing country or a country whose currency is not convertible, some
support may be provided for that foreign collaborator. Proposers are
encouraged to discuss specifics with the cognizant OISE program manager(s)
before submitting a proposal.  In rare cases where the project would
include a sub-award to a foreign institution:

   * the sub-award must enable the project to be carried out more
     effectively than if the funds were administered directly by the U.S.
     grantee institution; and
   * the possibility of indigenous support for the project must have been
     thoroughly explored and found inadequate.

By law, U.S. flag carriers must be used whenever possible (see para. 761.2
and 761.3 of the Grant Policy Manual
at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm).  For living expenses abroad,
applicants are encouraged to work with foreign counterparts to develop
realistic budget requests.  For example, access to university guest housing
or similar facilities should be explored.  It is expected that
cost-effective arrangements will be made for individuals residing at the
foreign site for extended periods and for projects involving on-going
exchanges of short-term visitors.  In no case should the amount for lodging
and meals and incidental expenses (MI&E) exceed the authorized U.S.
Government per diem rates, calculated at the daily rate for the first 30
days of a single project visit, and 50 percent of that rate for all time
after that.

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):

     March 10, 2005

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:

     In addition to the general NSF review criteria described above, the
     following criteria will be used by reviewers and NSF staff in
     evaluating proposals submitted in response to this solicitation:

       1. Importance and coherence of the international collaboration
          model, including its effectiveness as an intellectual
          collaboration for all participating scientists, engineers, and
          educators;
       2. Quality and innovation of the proposed research efforts, and the
          appropriateness of the international collaboration to these
          efforts;
       3. Quality and innovation in the planned education activities, and
          in their integration with the research efforts;
       4. Effectiveness of career development opportunities and provision
          for developing an international perspective and an international
          research experience;
       5. The effectiveness of the strategy for preparing a
          globally-engaged science and engineering workforce;
       6. Appropriateness of the management plan and organizational
          structure in assuring effective allocation of project resources
          and participation by project members;
       7. Appropriateness of the budget; and
       8. Commitment of the institutions to achieving the projects goals
          and to sustaining the partnership beyond the term of an award.

     Strong preference will be given to international partnerships that are
     novel and new.  Partnerships that are long-standing and established
     should seek continuing support elsewhere.

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/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. 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/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for
sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office
(GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription
information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO
Website at http://www.gpo.gov.

C. Reporting Requirements

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

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

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

VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

   * Edward O. Murdy, Senior Program Manager, Office of the Director,
     Office of International Science and Engineering, 935 N, telephone:
     (703) 292-8711, fax: (703) 292-9067, email: emurdy@nsf.gov

For specific Project Development inquiries: The OISE geographic
region/country program manager regarding project development. Contacts are
available from the OISE home page.

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

   * OISE FastLane contact, email: intfl@nsf.gov

IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

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

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

Other programs managed by the Office of International Science and
Engineering include:

   * Developing Global Scientists and Engineers

   * International Research and Education:  Planning Visits and Workshops

   * International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP)

   * East Asia Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)

   * Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes Program (PASI)

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.

                                 Appendix I

    Office of International Science and Engineering Cover Page Addendum

 (When using FastLane, this Addendum is listed as form for completion after
   the NSF Cover Sheet has been saved with the OISE Program Solicitation
                                 selected.)

Country #1: ____________

Country #2: ____________

Country #3: ____________

Proposal Category:
[   ] Planning Visit or Workshop
[   ] Developing Global Scientists and Engineers
[   ] Partnerships for International Research & Education
[   ] Multilateral Organizations

Foreign Counterpart Investigator/Organizer/Host (Repeat as needed for up to
three Foreign Counterpart Investigators/Organizers/Hosts)
Name:            ____________________________
Department:  ____________________________
Institution:      ____________________________
Address:       ____________________________
                       ____________________________
                       ____________________________
Phone:   _________________
Fax:        _________________
Email:    _________________

For Planning Visit or Workshop Location (use only when appropriate)
  City:          ____________________________
  Country:   ____________________________
Start Date: _____________________
End Date:  _____________________

Demographics (people that will be supported by this project):

Number of senior US scientists and engineers (excluding those within 6
years of their Ph.D. and graduate and undergraduate students): _________

Number of U.S. scientists within 6 years of the Ph.D. (including the PI
and/or Co-PI if applicable):  _________

Number of U.S. graduate students: _________

Number of U.S. undergraduate students: _________

Number of foreign scientists and engineers (including post-docs, graduate
students and undergraduate students) associated with the foreign
institution.  Include only those that will be supported under this NSF
proposal.  Do not count foreign participants that  will be supported by
non-NSF funds.      _________

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