Title: Engineering Research Centers   (ERC)
       Partnerships in Transforming Research, 
       Education and Technology
Date: 11/13/06
Replaced: NSF 04-570

Engineering Research Centers   (ERC)
Partnerships in Transforming Research, Education and Technology

Program Solicitation
NSF 07-521

Replaces Document(s):
NSF 04-570

[NSF Logo]  National Science Foundation

            Directorate for Engineering
                 Engineering Education and Centers

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

     February 02, 2007

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

     May 03, 2007

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

     December 10, 2007

          Invited Full Proposals

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.

Due to the complexity of the proposals being submitted, however, use of FastLane to prepare
and submit proposals is strongly encouraged.

This solicitation differs from NSF 04-570 as follows: 1. The new ERC will have a stronger
focus on combining fundamental research and research and education focused on innovation.
The innovation focus will support small firms engaged in translational research within the
ERC's research program to speed innovation and expose students to the innovation process.
Partnerships will include state, local government, or academic programs designed to
stimulate entrepreneurship. 2. The ERC will be focused on preparing its students for
success in a global economy and will include activities to accomplish this, which may
include a foreign university as a core partner. Support for the foreign university
participants will be provided by foreign sources during the first year of center operation
but the partnership has to be in place in the preliminary proposal. 3. The education
program will be strategically planned to develop graduates who are experienced in the
creative process and cross-cultural collaboration and able to define pathways to explore
and realize innovation opportunities to prepare them for success in a global economy. 4.
Base NSF support levels will be flat through years one to five and an awarded ERC may
submit a supplemental proposal to augment support each year. There are no requirements for
cost sharing from academe or other sources.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Engineering Research Centers  (ERC)
     Partnerships in Transforming Research, Education and Technology

Synopsis of Program:

     The goal of the Generation Three (Gen-3) Engineering Research Centers (ERC)
     Program is to create a culture of innovation in engineering research and
     education that links scientific discovery to technological innovation through
     transformational engineered systems research in order to advance technology and
     produce engineering graduates who will be creative innovators in a global
     economy. These ERCs will be at the forefront as the U.S. competes in the 21st
     century global economy where R&D resources and engineering talent are
     internationally and domestically distributed. Recognizing that optimizing
     efficiency and product quality is no longer sufficient for U.S. industry to
     remain competitive, these ERCs will optimize academic engineering research and
     education to stimulate increased innovation. They will develop this culture of
     discovery and innovation through a symbiotic relationship between academic
     researchers, small innovative firms, and larger industrial and practitioner
     partners. These ERCs will build bridges from science-based discovery to
     technological innovation by focusing on research needed to realize transforming
     engineered systems. They will have the opportunity to partner with foreign
     universities and provide unique opportunities for research and learning
     collaboration that will prepare U.S. engineering graduates for leadership in
     innovation in a global economy. Their faculty will be diverse and talented
     individuals who will prepare diverse and talented domestic and international
     graduates who can function in a global world where design and production efforts
     cross national borders. Their transforming engineering education programs will
     strategically impart the capacity to create and exploit knowledge for
     technological innovation.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Lynn Preston, Leader of the Engineering Research Centers Program and Deputy Division
     Director (Centers), 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5358, fax: (703) 292-9051, email:
     lpreston@nsf.gov

   * Deborah Jackson, Program Director, 585N, telephone: 703-292-7499, fax: 703-292-9051,
     email: djackson@nsf.gov

   * Barbara Kenny, Program Director, 585, telephone: (703) 292-4667, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: bkenny@nsf.gov

   * Bruce Kramer, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5348, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: bkramer@nsf.gov

   * Vilas Mujumdar, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-7262, fax: (703)
     292-9051, email: vmujumda@nsf.gov

   * Sohi Rastegar, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5379, fax: (703)
     292-9051, email: srastega@nsf.gov

   * Mary Poats, Program Manager, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5357, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: mpoats@nsf.gov

   * Win Aung, Program Director, 585N, telephone: 703-292-5341, fax: 703-292-9051, email:
     waung@nsf.gov

   * Darlene Suggs, Senior Program Assistant, 585N, telephone: 703-292-5361, fax:
     703-292-9051, email: dsuggs@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.041 --- Engineering

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards:    5

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $16,250,000  is expected to be available to support five new
Gen-3 ERCs in FY 2008 with year one start-up budgets of up to $3,250,000. Out years funding
for each award is anticipated to be up to $3,500,000 (year 2), $3,750,000 (year 3),
$4,000,000 (year 4), and $4,000,000 (year 5) subject to performance and the availability of
funds. This level may be enhanced through supplements in years two through five as
described in Section II.C, subject to performance. The actual number of centers funded will
depend on the scale and scope of the proposed centers, the availability of funds, and the
quality of the proposals submitted.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Only U.S. academic institutions with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral
          engineering programs of sufficient depth and breadth appropriate to support
          the vision may submit proposals as the lead institution. Proposals must be
          submitted by the lead institution with subaward budgets for partner domestic
          academic institutions. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not
          acceptable and will be returned without review.

PI Limit:

     The center director must be a tenured faculty member at the lead institution in
     an engineering department or may hold a joint appointment in an engineering
     department.  The director's doctoral degree must be in engineering or an
     associated field of science; if the latter, she/he must have substantial career
     experience in engineering and a joint appointment in an engineering department.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:

     None Specified

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

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

   * 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

   * Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

          February 02, 2007

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

          May 03, 2007

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

          December 10, 2007

               Invited Full Proposals

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:   Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text
of this solicitation for further information.

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

Gen-3 Engineering Research Centers (ERC) build on two generations of achievement of over 43
successful ERCs funded between 1985 and 2006. At the request of the White House and the
National Academy of Engineering, the ERC program was established in 1984 to develop a new
interdisciplinary culture in engineering research and education in partnership with
industry to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The goal was to educate new
generations of engineers who would be capable of integrating fundamental knowledge across
disciplines to advance systems-level technology. The first generation of 19 successful
ERCs, established between 1985 and 1990, focused on next-generation technological systems
and the expansion of design and manufacturing in the academic engineering experience. The
second generation of 24 successful ERCs, established from 1994 to 2006, focused on
transformational engineered systems with the potential to transform industrial processes
and product lines, became multi-disciplinary in configuration, significantly engaged in
pre-college education, and focused on significantly increasing the diversity of their
faculty and students. Each of these ERCs formed a partnership with industry and other
practitioners to bring knowledge of industrial practices and needs to academe and speed the
translation of their research into useful products and processes. These partnerships have
educated thousands of ERC engineering graduates who have proven to be more effective in
speeding innovation in industry.

The beginning of the 21st century finds the U.S. again faced by economic challenges and
opportunities. There have been a series of major publications analyzing the position of the
U.S. economy in the world economy and raising a significant call for action:

   * Engineering Research and Americas Future, Committee to Assess the Capacity of the
     U.S. Engineering Research Enterprise, National Academy of Engineering (NAE),
     Washington, DC, 2005;

   * The Engineer of 2020, NAE, 2004 and Educating the Engineer of 2020, NAE, 2005;

   * Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter
     Economic Future, National Research Council/COSEPUP, Washington, DC. 2005;

   * Innovate America: National Innovation Initiative Final Report, Council on
     Competitiveness, Washington, DC, 2005; and

   * The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas L. Friedman,
     Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 2005.

These publications point to the following challenges and opportunities:

   * Recognizing that optimizing efficiency and product quality is not enough, we must
     increase the capacity of U.S. society for creative innovation;

   * Support a culture of innovation through a symbiotic relationship between research,
     commercialization, and life-long skill development;

   * Build bridges from science-based discovery to technological innovation by creating
     wholly new fields at the interface of science and engineering research;

   * Stimulate diverse domestic and international talent to pursue engineering careers in
     the U.S.;

   * Transform engineering education to impart the capacity to create and exploit knowledge
     for technological innovation; and

   * Produce engineering graduates who can compete in a global world where design and
     production efforts cross national borders.

To address these needs, the core key features of a Gen-3 ERC, as presented below, will
position Gen-3 ERCs to build on the proven strengths of the ERC concept with new features
that will:

   * Build a culture of innovation in academe;

   * Link scientific discovery to technological innovation by directly engaging small
     innovative firms in the ERCs research teams to carry out translational research to
     speed innovation;

   * Build and sustain membership partnerships with industry/practitioners in research,
     education, and technology transfer;

   * Build partnerships with academic, state, and local government, and other programs
     designed to stimulate entrepreneurship, start-up firms, and otherwise speed the
     transition of academic knowledge into technological innovation;

   * Engage ERC students in all phases of the innovation process both here and abroad so
     they understand what is required to transition fundamental knowledge discoveries into
     innovation;

   * Strategically design education programs to produce creative, innovative engineers;

   * Provide faculty and students with cross-cultural, global research and education
     experiences through partnerships with foreign universities or other means;

   * Explore collaboration with foreign university(ies) where unique research
     synergistically merges with U.S. research to achieve new discoveries and/or system
     development; and

   * Build long-term sustained partnerships with pre-college institutions to increase the
     enrollment and diversity of domestic students in college-level engineering degree
     programs.

Thus, Gen-3 ERCs, their industrial/practitioners partners, small R&D firm research
partners, spin-off start-up firms, and their faculty and graduates will be positioned to
thrive as innovators in a highly competitive, global economy.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

       A. Goal and Key Features of Generation Three ERCs

          The goal of the Generation Three Engineering Research Centers Program
          is to create a culture of innovation in engineering research and
          education that links scientific discovery to technological innovation
          through transformational engineered systems research and education to
          advance technology and produce engineering graduates who will be
          creative innovators in a global economy.

          To achieve this goal, Gen-3 ERCs will have the following key features:

             * A vision for the exploration of transformational engineered
               systems technology;

             * A culture of innovation through direct involvement of small firms
               in the ERC's research teams and partnerships with programs
               designed to support entrepreneurship and speed innovation;

             * A global experience designed to provide students and faculty with
               opportunities to collaborate across cultures and thereby achieve
               new heights of innovation;

             * A strategically planned research program motivated by a
               transformational systems vision and the opportunity to explore
               innovations through collaborative research with small firms and
               proof-of-concept test beds;

             * A strategically focused educational program designed to develop
               engineering graduates who are experienced in the creative process
               and in cross-cultural collaboration, and able to work in teams to
               define pathways to explore and realize innovation opportunities;

             * Long-term sustained partnerships with pre-college educational
               institutions and their teachers and students to bring engineering
               concepts into the classroom, engage talented high school students
               in the ERC's research programs as Young Scholars, and raise the
               enrollment and diversity of domestic students in engineering and
               science degree programs;

             * Partnerships with industry or practitioners dedicated to speeding
               the translation of ERC's research into commercially viable
               products and developing students capable of innovation;

             * Partnership with academic, state, and local government, or other
               programs designed to stimulate entrepreneurship, and with start-up
               firms to speed the translation of academic knowledge into
               technological innovation; and

             * A diverse, cross-disciplinary team of faculty and students from
               the U.S. and abroad, who embrace and respect gender, racial,
               ethnic, and cultural diversity, involve persons with disabilities,
               and mentor students from all backgrounds to succeed in
               engineering.

          These ERCs will require the following infrastructure to succeed:

             * A multi-university configuration comprised of a lead U.S.
               university and a manageable number of partner universities
               committed in a long-term partnership in research and education,
               which must include at least one that serves students predominantly
               underrepresented in engineering, and it may include a foreign
               university(ies);
             * Leadership and management systems to develop, operate, and sustain
               the ERC during its NSF funding life and beyond;
             * Effective cross-institution collaboration among faculty and
               students through shared resources (e.g., data, shared
               experimentation, shared simulations, and test beds), and shared
               programs of education, enabled by the cyberinfrastructure; and
             * Academic policies that sustain and reward the ERC's
               cross-disciplinary, global culture of the ERC, its goals for
               technological innovation, and the role of its faculty and students
               in mentoring and pre-college outreach.

       B. Guidance Regarding Gen-3 Key Features:

          Given the broad shift in the key features of the Gen-3 ERCs, the NSF
          expects each proposing team to develop new modes of effectively
          realizing these features. The Best Practices Manual
          (http://www.erc-assoc.org/manual/bp_index.htm), developed by staff from
          ongoing ERCs, is a good source of advice but some current practices may
          not be relevant to the Gen-3 ERC goals.

            1. Systems Vision: A prospective ERC team should develop a ten-year
               vision for advances in an emerging and potentially revolutionary
               or transforming engineered system with the potential to transform
               current practices or establish wholly new industries. The vision
               should be positioned at the cusp of emerging discoveries in
               science and engineering. An engineered system is a combination of
               components that work in synergy to collectively perform a useful
               function. While high quality research on one or more of the
               enabling technological components of the system will be required
               to realize the functionality of the system, a focus on the
               individual components without their integration into an engineered
               system is not appropriate for an ERC. Part of the complexity of
               systems is associated with their use in industry and society,
               including their impacts on natural or societal systems or the
               human body, as appropriate to the technology chosen. This
               complexity should be factored into the development of the vision
               and the strategic plan.

               There are no NSF preferences regarding the systems vision of
               the proposed ERC. The systems vision should provide an
               opportunity for national economic growth or contribute to the
               solution of a major societal problem that has a national and
               perhaps an international impact. The vision will focus on
               systems technology with a significant potential for a
               transformational impact on current practices or the
               establishment of wholly new industries or public sector
               services. Visions that focus on incremental advances to
               current practices are not suitable. Additionally, proposers
               should avoid focusing on an engineered system that is too
               closely aligned with those of ongoing or recently graduated
               ERCs. Descriptions of ongoing ERCs and access to their web
               sites can be obtained at
               http://www.erc-assoc.org/centers.htm. Descriptions of the
               five new ERCs made as an outcome of NSF 04-570 are available
               on the NSF web
               site.http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=107939&org=olpa&from=news

            2. Institutional Configuration: The institutional configuration will
               be determined by the ERC's research, innovation, diversity, and
               educational visions.

                 a. Multi-Institution: The ERC will have a multi-institution
                    configuration, comprised of a lead university and
                    partners in research, education, and innovation. The
                    number of partners is not restricted but should be kept
                    reasonably small, as NSF requires the effort to be
                    integrated across the partner institutions. The lead and
                    partner institutions must be committed to a shared
                    configuration to fulfill the research, education, and
                    innovation goals of the proposed ERC. The selection of
                    these partners should be governed by their contributions
                    to advancing the research, diversity, education, and
                    innovation goals of the center. At least one of these
                    partners in research and education will be a university
                    or college that serves students predominantly
                    underrepresented in engineering. To reduce the
                    institutional complexity, Gen-3 ERCs are not required or
                    expected to include additional universities as outreach
                    affiliates in research and education. Letters of
                    institutional commitment to the goals of the ERC and
                    participation will be provided in the preliminary and
                    invited full proposal.

                 b. Involvement of Foreign Universities: One of the goals of
                    the program is to provide an opportunity for domestic
                    students and faculty to collaborate in a globally
                    connected university research and education environment
                    to strengthen the ERC, provide new opportunities for
                    innovation, and to enable its graduates to work
                    effectively in a global world. Thus, it may be
                    appropriate to include a foreign university as a
                    partner. The decision to involve a foreign university
                    will depend upon the nature of the topic chosen. It is
                    left up to the proposing team to determine the
                    appropriate institutional configuration, given the
                    guidance in the Systems Vision section above. If a
                    foreign university partner is chosen, it is critical for
                    the U.S. investigators to work with foreign
                    investigators whose goals, interests, and intellectual
                    resources complement those of the U.S. investigators and
                    contribute significantly to the ERC achieving its goals.
                    The foreign university or its government will provide
                    funds for this partnership. Foreign students (not a U.S.
                    citizen or permanent resident) matriculated in U.S.
                    degree programs or on a post doc appointment, or foreign
                    faculty serving on a visiting faculty appointment to the
                    lead or one of the U.S. partner universities may be
                    supported by U.S. funds. However, Research Experiences
                    for Undergraduates funds may not be used to support
                    foreign students. If a foreign university partner is
                    proposed, the foreign university is expected to commit
                    to that partnership at the time of the submission of the
                    preliminary proposal. Funding from foreign sources for
                    the foreign faculty and students to work at their home
                    university as ERC partners is expected to be in place
                    during the first year of operation of the center. The
                    preliminary and invited full proposal will include a
                    letter of commitment from the foreign university
                    administrator regarding participation.

                 c. Pre-college Institutional Partners: The ERC will include
                    long-term partnerships with a few selected middle and
                    high schools to impact broadly diverse populations of
                    students. These institutions and their teachers will be
                    committed to working with the ERC's faculty and students
                    to provide experiences for teachers and students that
                    will result in the inclusion of engineering concepts in
                    students' pre-college educational experience to
                    stimulate student interest in engineering careers. The
                    pre-college institutions must also assist the ERC with
                    assessing the impact of these efforts. The ERC and its
                    pre-college partners will be committed to the
                    involvement of high school students in a Young Scholars
                    research opportunity in the ERC's laboratories.

                 d. Innovation Partners: The ERC will include a
                    partnership(s) with academic, state or local government,
                    or other organizations designed to stimulate start-up
                    firms, entrepreneurship, and otherwise speed innovation.
                    The preliminary and invited full proposals will include
                    a letter of commitment from the organization(s). The
                    research program will include the support for staff from
                    innovative small firms to participate in translational
                    research to speed innovation. However, specification of
                    specific firms at the proposal stage is not required, as
                    the timing of their inclusion will depend on the stage
                    of the research program at start-up and the speed of the
                    pathway of the research toward innovation. These will be
                    partners engaged in fulfilling the mission of the ERC as
                    distinct from the industrial/practitioner partnership
                    program.

            3. Strategic Plan: An ERC must have a strategic research plan
               incorporating a thorough analysis of the state of the art. The
               objective of the strategic plan is to define a critical path to
               the realization of the system goals that advances the state of the
               art in knowledge and technology. The strategic plan is dynamic
               over time and will evolve with the progress of the Center and the
               field. Since the focus will be on emerging, highly speculative
               technological opportunities, the ultimate implementation at the
               systems level may be uncertain at this time. Nevertheless, initial
               systems goals and requirements, specific knowledge gaps,
               technology goals and deliverables, and barriers to achieving these
               goals should be identified in the preliminary and invited full
               proposal and will evolve in depth and sophistication over time. If
               the topic chosen would require many years of exploration through
               fundamental research before systems goals could be understood, the
               topic is not appropriate for an ERC and other sources of support
               should be pursued until the systems opportunities are more
               apparent.

               These systems goals and barriers motivate and guide the
               selection of proposed research projects, test beds, and the
               role of small firms in the research program to speed
               innovation. The project-level descriptions in the research
               section of the proposal explain the fundamental barriers the
               research will address and the approaches to be taken to
               address them in the context of known results and theory to
               demonstrate that the desired results constitute breakthroughs
               and are attainable. The test beds enable proof-of-concept
               inquiries of enabling and systems-level technologies to test
               the new ideas/components and their relationships in an
               environment that simulates their intended application. Small,
               innovative firms will be included in the research program
               with ERC funds at the appropriate time to carry out research
               to strategically speed innovation. The quality of the plan
               and its execution through an integrated research program, as
               presented in the proposal, will be a key selection factor in
               the ERC competition.

               The role of the small firms in the research program should be
               strategically planned to engage staff from these firms,
               teamed with the ERC's students, in translational research
               designed to speed the transfer of knowledge into innovation.
               This will provide the opportunity for the ERC's students at
               all levels to work with members of these small firms in the
               ERC's laboratories to assure they learn about the innovation
               process as a part of their degree activities. The timing of
               the inclusion of these firms depends on the timing of the
               readiness of the research for the translational phase.

               The plan also should include support for technical staff to
               work with students and faculty to build the systems test beds
               and transition from completed enabling and systems technology
               research to early-stage prototypes.

               Proposers must provide a conceptual diagram using a
               customized version of the ERC Program's Three-Plane Strategic
               Planning Chart. The proposed strategic plan diagram will show
               how the systems goals of the ERC drive and integrate its
               major research goals and test beds to realize the
               systems-level vision. This chart is available at
               http://www.erc-assoc.org/topics/6-erc_proposal.html.

               In addition, proposers must provide a 10-year milestone chart
               indicating the critical paths through key research projects
               and test beds to achieve the major research goals and
               deliverables. There is no preferred model for this chart;
               however, it should be presented in a format that clearly
               indicates the points of integration.

            4. Research Program: The research program of an ERC merges the
               fundamental research culture of academe and the technology and
               product-development culture of industry. Deliverables include both
               long-term contributions to fundamental knowledge and technology
               and nearer-term results to meet industry's impending needs. The
               research program is cross-disciplinary in nature, encouraging
               teaming among faculty and students, and including a significant
               involvement of undergraduate students in research during the
               academic year and in the summers. The projects are organized into
               thrusts focused on each of the major research goals. Synergies
               within and across thrusts are necessary to achieve the goals of
               the ERC and test beds play a critical role in integrating the
               research and exploring the realities of enabling and systems-level
               technology. It should be understood that ERC test beds are not
               expected to approach the product and process realization stages
               found in industry but rather their role in an ERC is for proof of
               concept to explore the technology and speed technology transfer.
               Often, they generate new research directions.

               The research program will form collaborations of the best
               faculty and students working in fields that support the
               vision. It will integrate engineering disciplines with other
               scientific disciplines needed to achieve the vision.

               The research program will develop a culture of innovation for
               all students to complement the discovery aspects of each
               person's research. The innovation efforts of the ERC will
               play a leading-edge role in bridging the gap between the
               discovery and successful product commercialization in the
               private sector. A key player in that process is the small,
               start-up business sector. At the appropriate stage of the
               research, the research program will create symbiotic
               relationships between the faculty and students and small
               start-up firms through translational research and innovation
               partnerships funded by the ERC's research program. The
               involvement of students with research-based entrepreneurs
               will enhance their education and better prepare them for
               leading roles in innovation during their studies and after
               graduation.

               If the topic proposed would lead to an innovation in
               professional practice or services, as opposed to a 'product,'
               small firms contributing to enhancing innovations in these
               services and speeding their use in practice should be engaged
               in the place of technologically-focused start-up firms.

               The ERC's research teams will be supported by appropriate
               research equipment and facilities, shared data, shared
               experimentation, and shared simulations or test beds. These
               should be supported by the cyberinfrastructure to facilitate
               collaboration across space and time. The research program
               also requires staff to manage the development of
               proof-of-concept enabling and systems technology test beds.

               The research program will include graduate and undergraduate
               students in core activities at a ratio of 2:1 and
               undergraduate participation will be augmented by a summer
               Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.
               Augmenting the diversity of the ERC's teams is a focus of an
               ERC's REU programs. The ERC will budget for the REU program
               using its base budget. Post-award, the ERC may submit a
               proposal to the NSF REU program solicitation for site or
               supplemental support from that program to support these
               efforts. However, if the supplemental proposal is not
               awarded, the ERC will continue to use its base budget to
               support this program.

            5. University Education Program: The goal of the education program is
               to strategically nurture and develop graduates who are adaptive,
               creative innovators with the capacity to advance fundamental
               knowledge and create and exploit that knowledge to advance
               enabling technology and engineered systems innovations in the
               context of the ERC's research program as described above. The
               education program must be structured to develop engineering
               graduates at the B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. levels who have the
               knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to be successful in a
               globally connected, innovation driven, technological world. To be
               successful, the partner institutions will need to plan and develop
               education programs in much the same manner as they plan the
               center's research program. In like fashion to the research, a
               compelling vision for a center graduate needs to be developed and
               presented and consistent with the goals of the Gen-3 ERC program
               to produce graduates who will be effective innovators in industry
               or academia in a global economy. An educational strategic plan
               must be provided describing how the educational vision will be
               achieved within the center in collaboration with the partnering
               schools' education programs. The educational strategic plan will
               specify the desired characteristics of the ERC's graduates, how
               the ERC will provide its students with experiences designed to
               impart these characteristics (knowledge, skills, and experiences),
               and measures and methods to assess progress and impact. These
               activities will include course materials derived from the ERC's
               cross-disciplinary and systems research, and if suitable, degree
               programs and options. An assessment plan will be developed and
               used to monitor and improve the program and assess its long-term
               impact. Given the projected 10-year life span of the center, it is
               expected that longitudinal data will be collected and assessments
               of the impact of the education program will be carried out. The
               quality of the educational plan will be judged on the quality of
               the vision for the future graduates and the innovative nature of
               the educational plan. It is expected that the ERC's education team
               may need to be supported by faculty with backgrounds in research
               on engineering education, research on innovation, and assessment
               research.

            6. Pre-college Education Program: The pre-college education program
               of the ERC will form long-term partnerships with a small number of
               pre-college institutions (middle through high school) that are
               committed to including engineering concepts in their students'
               educational experience to stimulate interest in engineering
               careers and increasing the diversity of domestic students studying
               engineering at the college level. It will involve their
               administrators, faculty, and students. The goal is to involve
               pre-college teachers in the ERC's research to enable them to
               develop course modules to bring engineering concepts into the
               classroom to inform pre-college students about engineering and
               stimulate them to choose baccalaureate engineering degree programs
               in community colleges, colleges, and universities. In addition,
               some promising pre-college high school students from these
               institutions will be offered an ERC Young Scholars research
               opportunity within the ERC's research program at the center. Upon
               completion of the Young Scholars experience, each will receive a
               certificate as an effort to impart recognition and prestige for
               their achievement. It is expected that the ERC's faculty and
               students will participate in these activities and their efforts
               will be recognized and rewarded by their home institutions. The
               pre-college program will include a Research Experience for
               Teachers (RET) program using the ERC's base budget to support
               teachers from the ERC's pre-college partner schools. Post-award,
               the ERC may submit a proposal to the Directorate for Engineering
               RET solicitation for site or supplemental support from that
               program. However, if the supplemental proposal is not awarded, the
               ERC will continue to use its base budget to support this program.

               These programs are expected to adopt best practices in
               program implementation and assessment already developed by
               ongoing NSF-funded and other pre-college education programs.

               The preliminary and invited full proposals will include
               letters from the appropriate administrators of the selected
               pre-college institutions indicating their commitment to
               participate.

            7. Industrial/Practitioner Partnership and Innovation: The ERC's
               industrial/practitioner partnership program will be strategically
               designed to optimize innovation and speed
               commercialization/utilization of ERC advances. Through this
               program, the ERC will take the lead role in bridging discovery to
               successful product commercialization and utilization via
               technological innovation. The Gen-3 ERC will include as members a
               mix of sizes of firms and, as appropriate for the field, it will
               include practitioner organizations. It will recognize the
               important role of domestic small firms in transforming high-risk
               research into successful commercial products for the U.S. economy.

               The partnership program will be a shared program of
               industrial/practitioner collaboration that serves the ERC as
               a whole. The members will provide guidance on strategic
               planning, research opportunities, education, the role of
               innovation within the ERC, and will help to speed the
               translation of ERC research into innovation. It is also
               expected that industry/practitioners will contribute to the
               ERC's research and education program by providing knowledge
               of manufacturing, product design, or the practices involved
               in service delivery and help establish the culture of
               innovation and a global experience required for its students
               and faculty.

               Given the field, the ERC will strategically determine the
               right types of industrial/practitioner partners (e.g. state
               or local government infrastructure agencies for ERCs focused
               on the infrastructure or hazards) needed to assume the
               essential risks involved in advancing discoveries to
               technological innovations that impact products and services.
               It is expected that there will be a mix of small, medium, and
               large firms (both domestic and foreign). The mix will depend
               upon the field. The small firms engaged as research partners
               in translational research within the ERC's research program
               would not be expected to be members of the
               industrial/practitioner partnership program ERC.

               For ERCs focused on public sector service delivery or the
               infrastructure, practitioners from appropriate service
               delivery agencies should be included as partners functioning
               like industry as users of the knowledge and technology
               generated to improve service delivery.

               The ERC will include innovative ways to speed the translation
               of knowledge into innovation. These will include small firms
               engaged in translational research within the ERC's research
               program as discussed in the research section. It also will
               include the partnerships with other small, high technology
               firms engaged in commercializing innovative technology as
               well as partnerships with federal, state, or local government
               programs designed to develop entrepreneurs, support start-up
               firms, and otherwise speed the translation of academic
               knowledge into practice and products. The ERC will exploit
               opportunities offered by the federal Small Business
               Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer
               Research (STTR) programs. The ERC will include analyses to
               determine the most effective methodologies to use to achieve
               these innovation goals through these types of partnerships.

               Gen-3 ERC's industrial/practitioner partnership program will
               be governed by an ERC-wide membership agreement that defines
               the scope and function of the ERC's partnership with
               industry/practitioners and the ERC's Intellectual Property
               (IP) policies. Guidance on effective agreements and IP
               policies is available on the ERC Best Practices Manual in the
               chapter focused on industrial collaboration but some may not
               be appropriate given the new features of Gen-3 ERCs. It is
               advised that the IP policies be developed to facilitate these
               new roles and be flexible in recognizing IP jointly developed
               by faculty in different universities or that developed by
               joint industry and university research.

               The ERC will be expected to function with an Industrial
               Advisory Board (IAB) involving all of its
               industry/practitioner partners. The IAB will carry out an
               analysis of the ERC's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
               and threats to survival (a SWOT analysis), meet twice a year,
               and participate in the annual NSF review of the ERC's
               performance and plans.

            8. Infrastructure

                 a. Leadership and Team: Each ERC must have the following leaders
                    and team members:

                      1. Center Director: a tenured faculty member and the NSF
                         Principal Investigator (PI) who is responsible for
                         leading the ERC and administering the award in
                         accordance with the terms and conditions of the
                         Cooperative Agreement issued by the NSF in the event of
                         an award;

                      2. Deputy or Associate Director(s): faculty who share the
                         leadership and management responsibilities;

                      3. Thrust leaders: faculty members responsible for leading
                         and managing major research thrusts;

                      4. Other Investigators: other faculty, postdocs, staff, and
                         undergraduate and graduate students carrying out the
                         research and education programs;

                      5. Education Program Director: faculty responsible for the
                         development and execution of the ERC's strategic
                         education plan who is supported by staff as needed;

                      6. Pre-College Education Program Director: faculty or staff
                         member who is responsible for the pre-college education
                         programs, supported by faculty, students, and staff;

                      7. Industrial Collaboration and Innovation Director: staff
                         member at the lead institution who is responsible for
                         marketing the ERC to industry/practitioners, developing
                         and coordinating industrial/practitioner involvement,
                         managing the role of small firms in research and
                         innovation, managing the partnerships for innovation,
                         etc;

                      8. Administrative Director: staff member at the lead
                         institution who is supported by staff and responsible
                         for management, financial management, data collection,
                         publicity, and reporting, etc.;

                      9. Student Leadership Council (SLC), comprised of
                         undergraduate and graduate students responsible for
                         coordinating student activities to strengthen the ERC;

                     10. Scientific Advisory Board: outside experts who meet
                         collectively as a board to advise the leadership team;

                     11. Industrial/Practitioner Advisory Board: representatives
                         of member companies/agencies who meet collectively as a
                         board to advise the leadership team;

                     12. Internal Academic Policy Board: administrators from the
                         lead institution who meet collectively as a board to
                         coordinate ERC plans and policies with departmental and
                         university leaders and committees; and

                     13. Council of Deans: led by the Dean of Engineering from
                         the lead institution, this Council of Deans from the
                         lead and partner academic institutions meets
                         collectively as a board to coordinate the ERC's research
                         and education efforts across the lead and partner
                         campuses.

                         The designation of individuals serving as the
                         Administrative Director, the Industrial Collaboration
                         and Innovation Director, and the leaders of the SLC may
                         occur after notification of award.

                 b. Diversity: NSF expects the leadership, faculty, and students
                    involved in an ERC to be diverse in gender, race, and
                    ethnicity and to include persons with disabilities at levels
                    that exceed the academic engineering-wide national averages.
                    This diversity is expected of the participants from all the
                    lead and partner academic institutions that will include at
                    least one institution serving groups predominantly
                    underrepresented in engineering (women, African Americans,
                    Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives,
                    Hispanic Americans, and persons with disabilities). The ERC
                    also will be multicultural through the involvement of faculty
                    and students from other countries by virtue of their role as
                    faculty or students in the ERC's institutions and, if
                    proposed, through the involvement of faculty and students
                    from the foreign partner university. The ERC will include
                    pre-college institutions with diverse student bodies as
                    discussed above. The ERC will prepare and execute diversity
                    strategic plans in collaboration with the home departments of
                    the ERC-affiliated faculty. These plans articulate the ERC's
                    diversity goals and intended actions. Post-award annual
                    reports include these plans and their impact on diversity.

                 c. Organization and Management Systems: The ERC must report to
                    the Dean of Engineering of the lead institution. The ERC will
                    function with management systems to assure effective
                    integration of its components to meet its goals, sound
                    financial management and reporting systems, and project
                    selection and assessment systems that include input from its
                    Scientific and Industrial/Practitioner Advisory Boards.

                 d. Facilities, Equipment, and Headquarters: The ERC will have
                    appropriate facilities and equipment to achieve its goals. It
                    will be supported by headquarters of sufficient space and
                    resources to support the leadership, management, and
                    collaboration functions of the ERC. The ERC also will be
                    supported by the cyberinfrastructure with appropriate
                    software and staff to enable effective cross-campus
                    collaboration.

                 e. Institutional Commitment: The ERC will be a partnership with
                    the associated lead and partner higher education institutions
                    in support of the ERCs research, education, and innovation
                    culture. To gauge the commitment to this culture, the ERC
                    Program expects that there will be policies in place to
                    reward faculty in the tenure and promotion process for
                    cross-disciplinary research, research on education, research
                    and other activity focused on advancing technology and
                    innovation, and mentoring carried out by university faculty.
                    In addition, the ERC Program expects that university students
                    engaged in mentoring other university students and in
                    pre-college outreach will receive credit or official
                    recognition for this activity. The pre-college partners of
                    the ERC are expected to be committed to a long-term
                    partnership that will involve teachers and students in the
                    ERC, a Young Scholars program, and will be expected to
                    include engineering information and activities in their
                    curricula.

       C. FINANCIAL SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE ERC

            1. NSF Award Size:  Start-up support will not exceed $3,250,000 for
               year one.  Pending satisfactory annual performance, need, and
               availability of funds, the base budget may increase to $3,500,000
               (year 2), $3,750,000 (year 3), $4,000,000 (year 4), and $4,000,000
               (year 5).  The center may submit proposals for supplemental awards
               to augment core goals but the total of supplemental support may
               not exceed 20 percent of the base award level for years one
               through five.

               If a foreign university is proposed as a partner, non-U.S.
               government support for that partner for the first five years
               will be expected to be committed during year one.

            2. Total Support: ERCs establish a center account into which is
               deposited the ERC program base and supplemental support and any
               other support provided by other sources to carry out the ERCs
               goals.

               There are no requirements for cost sharing on this award.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Awards: $16,250,000 is expected to be available to support five new Gen-3 ERCs in FY 2008
with year one start-up budgets of up to $3,250,000. Out years funding for each award is
anticipated to be up to $3,500,000 (year 2), $3,750,000 (year 3), $4,000,000 (year 4), and
$4,000,000 (year 5) subject to performance and the availability of funds. This level may be
enhanced through supplements in years two through five as described in Section II.C,
subject to performance. The actual number of centers funded will depend on the scale and
scope of the proposed centers, the availability of funds, and the quality of the proposals
submitted.

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements between NSF and the lead university, with
subawards to the partner institutions as appropriate for their role in the ERC. ERCs are
expected to compensate pre-college teachers for time spent carrying out research in the
ERCs laboratories and the materials needed to develop the courseware.

Life Cycle under NSF Support: An ERC is supported under a cooperative agreement between the
lead university and NSF, the duration of which is potentially 10 years. The first award
under the agreement is for five years. Each ERC submits an updated strategic plan for all
aspects of the center within 90 days of award, which serves as the start-up report.
Subsequently, the ERC submits annual reports of progress and plans and data on indicators
of performance and impact. Based on these reports, a center's performance and plans are
reviewed at start-up and annually thereafter through merit review by outside experts,
usually on-site at the lead institution. Continuing support levels are based on the
outcomes of the annual reviews and the availability of funds. In the third and sixth years,
an ERC may submit a renewal proposal, which will undergo merit review by outside experts.
The sixth-year renewal proposal contains a business plan for self-sufficiency from ERC
Program support after year 10. If the third-year renewal review is successful, a new term
of five years of support begins in year four. If the sixth-year renewal review is
successful, a final term of four years of support begins in year seven. If an annual or a
renewal review is not successful, NSF support is phased down for up to two years. NSF
support for successful ERCs is phased-down in years nine and ten to prepare the center for
self-sufficiency, since ERCs are expected to be self-sustaining after ten years when NSF
support ceases. It is expected that at least the domestic lead and partner universities
will provide core support to sustain the administrative, pre-college educational, and
industrial collaboration functions of a graduated ERC during its transition to
self-sufficiency after NSF support ceases.

Post-Award Guidance and Oversight: NSF provides assistance in developing an ERC and
improving its performance through program oversight, the ERC program's annual meeting, and
the annual and renewal review processes. NSF also supports small teams of experienced staff
from ongoing ERCs (the ERC Consultancy) to visit new ERCs to help establish effective
programs of administration and industrial collaboration. In addition, NSF staff will brief
the new ERCs on site at the lead institution on program and performance expectations
shortly after notification of award.

NSF requires ERCs to submit annual reports that are more extensive in scope than those
required of single investigator awards. NSF provides guidelines for these reports. NSF also
requires ERCs to collect and submit to NSF data on indicators of progress, outcome, impact,
and financial management. NSF provides data definition guidelines and templates for the
recording and submission of these data through a secure web site.

Members of all ERCs' leadership teams are required to participate in the ERC program's
annual meeting, held in the Washington, DC area to share successes and challenges, receive
updates on the ERC Program, and provide input for future Program improvements. Prospective
centers should include funds in their travel budgets to support the participation in a
three-day meeting of the Director, the Deputy Director, selected Research Thrust Leaders,
the Administrative Director, the Education/Outreach Program Directors, the Industrial
Collaboration and Technology Transfer Director, and at least two leaders of the Student
Leadership Council.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Only U.S. academic institutions with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral
          engineering programs of sufficient depth and breadth appropriate to support
          the vision may submit proposals as the lead institution. Proposals must be
          submitted by the lead institution with subaward budgets for partner domestic
          academic institutions. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not
          acceptable and will be returned without review.

PI Limit:

     The center director must be a tenured faculty member at the lead institution in
     an engineering department or may hold a joint appointment in an engineering
     department.  The director's doctoral degree must be in engineering or an
     associated field of science; if the latter, she/he must have substantial career
     experience in engineering and a joint appointment in an engineering department.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:

     None Specified

Additional Eligibility Info:

     Organizational Limit:

     Only U.S. academic institutions with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral
     engineering programs of sufficient depth and breadth appropriate to support the
     vision may submit proposals as the lead institution.  As a multi-university
     effort, the lead and partner institutions share the responsibility for the ERC.
     The other university partner institutions must have graduate or undergraduate
     engineering programs or both. At least one of these academic partners will be a
     university or college that serves students predominantly underrepresented in
     engineering. These partners also must include a few middle and high schools
     commited to long-term sustained partnerships to bring engineering concepts into
     the classroom and engage talented older pre-college students in the ERC's
     research programs as Young Scholars in order to raise the enrollment and
     diversity of domestic students in engineering and science degree program. The
     partners must also include an organization devoted to speeding entrepreneurship
     or innovation as discussed above. Full proposals must include letters from
     firms/agencies indicating that they are committed to the ERC's
     industrial/practitioner partnership program. Proposals may include a foreign
     university as a long-term partner in research and education.

     Only universities able to provide headquarters space for the proposed ERC may
     submit preliminary and invited full proposals as the lead institution. This
     headquarters should provide space for the administrative staff, the director, the
     deputy director, and physical and virtual conferencing.  It may also provide
     space for facilities to support the ERCs research needs.

     Preliminary and invited full proposals that do not comply with these requirements
     will be returned without review.

     There is no restriction on the number of proposals that may be submitted by a
     lead institution and there is no restriction on the number of proposals in which
     a partner institution is involved. Since there will be no institution with two
     fully operational ERCs by FY 2007, all eligible institutions may submit proposals
     under this solicitation.

     PI Eligibility Limit:

     The center director must be a tenured faculty member in an engineering department
     at the lead institution. The director's doctoral degree must be in engineering or
     an associated field of science; if the latter, she/he must have substantial
     career experience in engineering and a joint appointment in an engineering
     department.

     Current Involvement in Ongoing or Graduated NSF-funded Centers

     Proposing teams involving key faculty who are members of ERCs or other NSF-funded
     centers that have graduated or are within two years of graduation by the time the
     award is made are eligible to submit proposals to establish new ERCs.  However,
     it is imperative that the proposed ERC demonstrate a substantially new vision,
     research, and education and there be substantial value added over all aspects of
     the prior Center's work to justify an NSF investment.

     Proposals substantially duplicating the research scope of ongoing ERCs or other
     major federally funded centers will not be supported.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent(required):

A one to two-page letter of intent is required to facilitate the NSF review process. The
letter should be submitted via FastLane no later than the date specified in this
solicitation. The subject heading of the email will include a brief title of the ERC and
the name of the lead institution. Each letter must include the following:

  1. Name of the proposed ERC, the names and locations of the lead university and the
     partner institutions.
  2. Brief statements of the vision and goals of the ERC, its research program including
     research thrust titles and goals, and its university and pre-college education,
     diversity, and industrial collaboration/technology transfer programs, all at a
     sufficient level of detail to understand the proposed ERC.
  3. Names of the director, deputy director, thrust leaders, education program director,
     and other key faculty including their departmental and institutional affiliations.

Letter of Intent Preparation Instructions:

When submitting a Letter of Intent through FastLane in response to this Program
Solicitation please note the conditions outlined below:

   * Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) Submission is not required when submitting Letters of
     Intent
   * TITLES OF RESEARCH THRUSTS is required when submitting Letters of Intent
   * EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PI is required when submitting Letters of Intent
   * Submission of multiple Letters of Intent is allowed

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 are required.  Follow the full proposal instructions where the
differences between the preliminary and full proposals are articulated.

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.

The text of the project description of the preliminary and the invited full proposals must
be single-spaced in 12-point type. Tables and lists in the project description may be in
smaller but readable type. Supplementary materials may also be in smaller but readable
type. Both will include the items listed below in the order indicated. As a
multi-university ERC, the preliminary proposal and any invited full proposal must be
submitted as an integrated proposal by the lead institution, with proposed sub awards to
the other partner institutions. Separate preliminary and full proposals from each partner
will not be accepted.

The required format for preliminary and invited full proposals is indicated below. Sections
required in the full proposal but not in the preliminary proposal are noted. The
preliminary proposal must include the information requested in brief but to be successful,
there must be clear statements of goals and clear statements of how these goals will be
addressed. The invited full proposal would have a fuller explication of goals and methods.

  1. Cover Sheet. For planning purposes, August 1, 2008 should be shown as the start date.
     The proposed Center Director must be shown as the Principal Investigator.

  2. Project Summary (one page). The summary should be written in the third person and
     should make a compelling case for the ERC. The summary should be informative to
     persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable
     to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader. Include the ERC's name, the
     Director's name, and the lead institution's name, and the names of the core partner
     institutions at the top of the page. Write a clear description of the ERC, stating its
     vision and goals, the transforming nature of the systems technology, the fundamental
     barriers in the way, and its impact on innovation. Under the headings Intellectual
     Merit and Broader Impact as relevant, provide highlights of the proposed research,
     education, pre-college outreach, innovation strategy, diversity, industrial
     collaboration and technology transfer goals and strategies. Briefly indicate the
     unique opportunities that the Center will provide and its interdisciplinary
     composition. A preliminary proposal or invited full proposal that does not include
     titled sections (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts) referencing the NSF review
     criteria and specific reference to how the proposal will address these criteria will
     be returned without review.

  3. Table of Contents will be generated automatically by FastLane or Grants.gov.

  4. Project Description The project description must contain sections 4.a-4.g and is
     limited to 25 pages for preliminary proposals and 40 pages for full proposals,
     including all figures, tables, and charts. These page limits are extended by the
     length of the list of participants, advisors, and supporters (section 4.a). The
     project description should be prepared with reference to the review criteria and the
     guidance provided in this and the preceding sections of this solicitation. The
     intellectual merit and broader impacts of the ERC must be addressed and described as
     an integral part of the narrative.

     The project description will not include the normally required separate section
     on prior NSF support, as this information will be integrated into the discussion
     of the state of the art.

     The configuration of partner institutions may not change after submission of the
     invited full proposal.

     Start the project description with the list of participants, Scientific Advisory
     Board members, and industrial/practitioner partners, detailed in section 4.a. NSF
     will extend the page limits above by the number of pages taken up by this list.
     For example, a three-page list extends the page limit for the narrative for a
     preliminary proposal to 28 pages and for a full proposal to 43 pages. These page
     limits include other lists, charts, figures, and tables required as a part of the
     narrative and others the proposers wish to include. If the project description
     section exceeds these extended page limits, the preliminary or full proposal will
     be returned without review.

          (4.a) List of Academic and other Participants, Scientific Advisory
          Board, and Industrial and Practitioner Members. List (1) the academic
          and other partners carrying out the research, education,
          innovation/technology transfer functions of the ERC, (2) nominated
          members of its Scientific Advisory Board for the preliminary proposal
          and nominated and committed for the full proposal, and (3) the firms
          and agencies contacted to be partners in the preliminary proposal and
          committed to be partners in the full proposal. A sample table is
          provided below and proposers are free to improve upon the table format
          for clarity and ease of reading. The font may be smaller than 12 point
          but must be easily readable. NSF will use these lists to determine
          whether potential reviewers have conflicts-of-interest and as a
          reference for the staffing and industrial participation in the proposed
          ERC. Insert the table at the beginning of the project description.

Title of the ERC
Lead Institution                     Name                  City           State
Other Partner Institutions, 1 row
each                                 Name                  City           State/Country
Leadership Team
Director                             Name                  Department     Institution
Deputy Director                      Name                  Department     Institution
Education Program Director           Name                  Department     Institution
Pre-college Education Program
Director                             Name                  Department     Institution
Industrial Collaboration and
Innovation Director                  Name, if known        Staff          Lead Institution
Administrative Director              Name, if known        Staff          Lead Institution
Thrusts - List each thrust separately.
Name of Thrust
Thrust Leader                        Name                  Department     Institution
Faculty Members in the Thrust
(1 row per person)                   Name                  Department     Institution
Non-Faculty Investigators                                                 Institution/
                                     Name                  Department
                                                                          Agency/firm, etc.
Other Partners Carrying Out ERC's Mission

Pre-College Institutions             Name (indicate middle City and State/
                                     or high school)
Innovation Partners                  Name of Organization  City and State/
Advisors
Preliminary Proposal: Scientific
Advisory Board Members               Name                  Department/    Institution
(Nominated)                                                Division
Full Proposal: Scientific Advisory
Board Members                        Name                  Department/    Institution
(Nominated and Committed)                                  Division
Industrial Partners
Preliminary Proposal: List
separately the firms/agencies or
practitioner organizations, etc.     Name of the Firm/     Sector/Function-
contacted to be partners and those   Agency
already committed
Full Proposal: List separately only
the firms/agencies or practitioner   Name of the Firm/
organizations                        Agency                Sector/Function-
committed to be partners

          In addition to the FastLane or Grants.gov instructions, the proposer must send
          the following two documents via email. After receipt of the proposal number from
          FastLane or Grants.gov, send an email to ercintent@nsf.gov. The subject heading
          of the email should note the proposal number and the lead institution. Attach the
          following documents to it:

            1. The table of participants and partners inserted into an Excel spreadsheet
               available on the ERC Program's Website (http://erc-assoc.org). This table
               will be used by NSF to check for conflicts of interest in assembling the
               review community. Remember to email this table to ercintent@nsf.gov; do not
               submit it through FastLane or Grants.gov.

            2. Power Point Slides: one slide summarizing the vision of the ERC and another
               showing the ERC's 3-plane strategic planing chart. These will be used during
               the review process. Remember to email these documents to ercintent@nsf.gov;
               do not submit the slides through FastLane or Grants.gov.

     The following sections should be prepared with reference to the guidance in
     Section II above and the review criteria.

          (4.b) Vision and Rationale for the ERC. State the vision of the ERC,
          position the proposed ERC in the state of the art, and provide a
          rationale for value added by the creation of the ERC.

          (4.c) Strategic Research Plan and Research Program. Given the ERC's
          engineered system vision and strategy for innovation, present the ERC's
          strategic research plan, including its deliverables, the major
          fundamental and technological barriers in the way of achieving them,
          and the major research goals. Provide a graphical depiction of the
          strategic plan using the ERC Program's 3-Plane Strategic Planning
          Chart. Describe how the ERC's research program will be structured into
          thrusts or groups of projects and the role of small firms, test beds,
          and partnerships with entities designed to speed innovation in
          achieving the vision. Provide a milestone chart or "road map" depicting
          the timing of the key research topics and their interdependencies, the
          test beds, and deliverables of the ERC over a ten-year period, with
          greater detail for years one through five.

          For each thrust area, provide the following information as a minimum.
          At the start of each thrust's narrative, provide a small table listing
          the faculty participants by name, their departments, and institutions.
          Discuss the goals and objectives of the thrust vis-?-vis the goals of
          the ERC. Position the research proposed for the thrust in the state of
          the art and discuss its role in the ERC's three-plane strategic plan.
          Provide information on projected fundamental knowledge and technology
          deliverables, and the specific fundamental knowledge and other barriers
          the thrust will address in the context of the ERC's strategic plan.
          Provide specific examples of key research projects in sufficient detail
          for the reviewers to judge how the work will be done and methodologies
          to be used. Discuss the integration of projects within the thrust and
          the interdependencies among the thrusts. Discuss the cross-disciplinary
          mix needed to achieve the thrust's goals. Discuss when and how small
          firms will be involved in translational research to speed innovation.

          (4.d) University and Pre-college Education Programs. Given the guidance
          in Section II, University Education, provide the desired
          characteristics of the ERC's graduates, the strategy to achieve them,
          and the implementation and assessment plans to determine progress and
          impact. The educational program should encompass all the partner
          academic institutions and should take advantage of available
          cyberinfrastructure for cross-institution educational impact.

          Given the guidance in Section II, Pre-college Education, describe the
          ERC's pre-college education program goals, its strategy, its metrics
          for success and its assessment plan. Discuss the role of the ERC's
          faculty and students and the pre-college institutions administrators,
          teachers, and students in the program.

          (4.e) Industrial Collaboration and Innovation. Given the guidance in
          Section II, for industrial/practitioner collaboration and innovation,
          provide the ERC's goals and strategies to address these challenges. For
          the preliminary and full proposals, discuss the general terms of the
          ERC's membership agreement and intellectual property policy.

          Preliminary and invited full proposals must include supplemental
          documents letter(s) from partner organizations or programs, etc.
          devoted to entrepreneurship, nurturing start-up firms to speed
          innovation, etc.

          Preliminary proposals also may include in supplemental documents up to
          ten letters from firms and/or other organizations that involve
          practitioners, such as state and local infrastructure agencies,
          committed to membership in the ERC's Industrial/Practitioner
          Partnership if an award is made. Full proposals will include letters
          from all firms/organizations committed to partnership. Neither proposal
          will include letters from those only interested in partnership.

          (4.f) Infrastructure.

          Institutional Configuration, Team, Diversity, and Administration
          Partnership

          Justify the institutional configuration given the vision. Discuss the
          role of the ERC in the strategic plans of the lead and partner
          institutions. If a foreign university(ies) is/are partners in the ERC,
          discuss how that partnership will be administered.

          Discuss the composition and roles of the leadership team, including the
          Director, Deputy Director, Research Thrust Leaders, Education and
          Educational Outreach Program Directors, Industrial Collaboration and
          Innovation Director, Administrative Director, and Student Leadership
          Council. Provide summary information in the form of a pie chart
          indicating the disciplinary composition of the faculty team, based on
          their departmental affiliations or degrees, as appropriate for each
          person.

          Provide the ERC's 10-year diversity strategic plan, including goals,
          milestones, and, intended actions for success in building diverse
          leadership, faculty, graduate and undergraduate student teams and
          diverse cadres of ERC graduates. Plans may not include quantitative
          targets; however, upon award, annual reports will include information
          on impacts benchmarked against engineering-wide averages.

          Provide a table of the current diversity of the leadership team and
          faculty U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the proposed ERC using
          the following sample format.

  ERC Name         Total Male     Female    African   Native       Hispanic  Persons with
                   #*                       American  American,    American  Disabilities
                                                      Pacific
                                                      islander
  Leadership Team  .     .        .         .         .            .         .
  Faculty Total    .     .        .         .         .            .         .
  Total            .     .        .         .         .            .         .

          * It is understood that the total will equal the total of males and
          females and the totals for racial and ethnic minorities and disabled
          will be larger than that total due to double counting. A person with a
          disability is one with one or more impairment that affects
          substantially one or more activities of daily living that is/are not
          completely correctable with assistive devices.

          The data provided in this table will be the diversity of the leadership
          team and faculty who have been identified to participate in the ERC
          during years one through five from the lead and the university-level
          domestic partner institutions. These data must include the number of
          men and the number of women (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) and
          the number of U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are members of
          racial groups underrepresented in engineering (African American,
          Pacific Islander, Native American, Alaskan Native), ethnic groups
          underrepresented in engineering (Hispanic American), and persons with
          disabilities who are involved in the ERC's research and curriculum
          development efforts. Since it is not clear at the proposal stage which
          students will be involved, please do not include students. Do not
          include non-tenured-track faculty, research staff, post-doctoral
          students, technicians, or office staff. Do not include pre-college
          teachers or students.

          Discuss the commitment of the partner institutions to the goals of the
          proposed ERC and how they will assure their policies and practices
          support the center in achieving its goals.

          Organizational Structure and Management System

          Describe the proposed organizational structure including information on
          how the members from participating universities and pre-college
          institutions will be developed into an integrated team. Include an
          organization chart for the ERC. Discuss the roles of the Council of
          Deans in coordinating the partner institutions, the lead university
          policy boards, the Student Leadership Council, the Scientific Advisory
          Board and the Industrial Advisory Board. Describe how projects will be
          selected and evaluated and who will be responsible for integration of
          projects to achieve the ERC's deliverables.

          Headquarters and Equipment Infrastructure

          Briefly discuss the laboratories, shared facilities and equipment for
          the ERC, referring the reader to the required section on Facilities and
          Equipment in the FastLane proposal template for more detail. Discuss
          those that will be shared by members of the ERC team. Distinguish
          between equipment and facilities that are already available and any
          that will be acquired by the Center. Invited full proposals only will
          include a description of headquarters space, its size, and
          functionality. Discuss how the facilities and equipment of the ERC and
          the Cyberinfrastructure will be used to form a collaborative team with
          shared resources and information.

       5. References Cited. Section not to exceed five pages.

       6. Biographical Sketches (two-page limit per person). The basic guidelines for
          biographical material apply. Biographical sketches are required of all the
          key participants (e.g., the Director, Deputy Director, Education Director,
          Educational Outreach Director (if known), Industrial Collaboration and
          Innovation Director (if known), the Research Thrust Leaders, and other
          faculty expected to receive more than $80,000 in year one from the ERC. For
          faculty, publications listed should be highly relevant to the proposal.

       7. Budgetary Information. The preliminary and invited full proposals will
          include a budget for each of the five years proposed. FastLane or Grants.gov
          will automatically provide a cumulative budget. Preliminary proposals should
          not include any subcontracts, however enter the anticipated total level of
          subcontract support on line G5, Subawards and provide a budget justification
          or the planned levels for subcontracts to the partners. Full proposals
          require the inclusion of separate budgets for subcontracts for the partner
          institutions at any level.

          In the budget justification section of the preliminary and invited
          full, provide as a pie chart or a table the planned distribution of
          funds in year one among the lead and partner institutions.

          Cost sharing is not required by NSF.

          If the information provided exceeds the budget justification limit,
          place the remaining information in Supplementary Documents and direct
          the reader to their location.

       8. Current and Pending Support. Include only for the Director, Deputy Director,
          and Research Thrust Leaders, and other faculty expected to receive more than
          $80,000 in year 1 from the ERC.

       9. Facilities, Equipment, Resources, and Headquarters Supplementary information
          to support text in the proposal.

      10. Reviewer Information. Use FastLane or Grants.gov to enter a "List of
          Suggested Reviewers," if desired.

      11. Supplementary Documents. The following items must be provided as
          supplemental documents. For Grants.gov users, supplementary documents should
          be attached in Field 11 of the R&R Other Project Information Form

          Preliminary Proposals and Invited Full Proposals:

          Letters: From the lead institution, provide letters of commitment to
          the goals of the ERC from the Dean of Engineering and higher-level
          university officials authorized to commit the lead institution to the
          goals of the ERC. Similar letters from similar individuals should be
          included from the other partner institutions. In the preliminary
          proposal, include up to ten letters from firms or agencies committed to
          partnership and for the invited full proposal, include letters from all
          firms or agencies committed to partnership. The letters as they appear
          in the proposal should be addressed to Ms. Lynn Preston, Leader of the
          ERC Program, Division of Engineering Education and Centers, Suite 585,
          National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA
          22230. All letters must be placed in the Supplementary Documents
          section of the FastLane or Grants.gov proposal and submitted
          electronically, as part of the proposal. However, please instruct the
          authors of these letters not to mail, email, or fax copies to the NSF.

                                  SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

     Topic                                  Preliminary Proposal Invited Full Proposal
     Proposal Requirements
     Commitment of academic and industrial  No                   No
     funds
     Commitment from Foreign Partner        Yes                  Yes
     University(ies), if included
     Identification of participating        Years 1-5            Years 1-5
     faculty members from the lead and
     university-level partner institutions
     Names of participating Pre-college     Yes                  Yes
     Institutions
     Names of Pre-college Teachers          No                   No
     Name of participating program devoted  Yes                  Yes
     to entrepreneurship, stimulating
     innovation, etc.
     Names and affiliations of              Yes                  Yes
     industry/agency or practitioner
     organization personnel committed to
     partnership in the ERC
     Submission Requirements
     List of Participants in NSF's Excel    Yes                  Yes
     spreadsheet and 2 PowerPoint slides on
     vision and strategic plan emailed to
     ercintent@nsf.gov
     Notice of Intent submitted through     Yes                  No
     FastLane
     Mode of Submission of Proposal         Submission in        Submission in
                                            FastLane             FastLane or
                                                                 Grants.gov, only by
                                                                 Invitation
     Format
     Information About PI                   Yes                  Yes
     NSF Cover Sheet                        Yes                  Yes
     FastLane or Grants.gov Submission of   FastLane only        Either
     Cover Sheet
     Table of Contents                      Yes                  Yes
     Project Summary with Reference to      Yes                  Yes
     Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
     List of Participants and partners, at  Yes                  Yes
     the start of the project description
     Project Description                    25 pages, including  40 pages, including
                                            charts, etc., but    charts, etc., but
                                            extended by the size extended by the size
                                            of the list of       of the list of
                                            participants/partnersparticipants/partners
     Letters:
     Letters from required institutional    Yes                  Yes
     partners committing to ERC
     Letter from Lead Institution           Yes                  Yes
     committing to HQ space
     Letters of Commitment to partnership   Up to 10             All
     from Industry/Practitioners
     Budgetary Information
     Separate budgets for years 1-5         Yes                  Yes
     Cumulative budget for years 1-5        Generated by FastLaneGenerated by FastLane
                                                                 or Grants.gov
     Allocation of Funds by Institution     No                   Yes
     (Year 1 only)
     Justification for Secretarial & Admin. No                   Yes
     Support

B. Budgetary Information

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

Other Budgetary Limitations:

Other budgetary limitations apply.  Please see the full program announcement/solicitation
for further information.

C. Due Dates

   * Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

               February 02, 2007

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

          May 03, 2007

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

          December 10, 2007

               Invited Full Proposals

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 where they will be
reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements. 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 of interest with the
proposal.

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 also 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:

     Additional review criteria for preliminary proposals and invited full proposals are as
     follows:

     Vision and Research

        * Proposal effectively defines a transformational engineered system at the cusp of
          emerging discoveries in science and engineering and emerging opportunities for
          technological innovation;
        * Proposal defines a culture of discovery and innovation with a symbiotic
          relationship between research, education, innovation, and life-long skill
          development in a global economy to stimulate innovation and provide students and
          faculty with a globally-oriented research and education experience;
        * Research strategic plan targets critical systems goals and breakthrough
          fundamental knowledge and technology barriers and defines:
             * High quality cross-disciplinary research program that addresses these
               barriers through fundamental research and enabling and systems level
               research and proof-of-concept test beds;
             * Creative role for small firms to carry out translational research within the
               ERC to speed technology transfer and provide students with an innovation
               experience;
        * Research thrusts propose significant goals, target significant fundamental and
          technical barriers, use high quality research methodologies that will advance the
          state of the art, integrate knowledge from other projects and thrusts, and
          involve a diverse team with the skills and disciplines needed to achieve the
          goals.

     Education

        * Education strategy defines an education program that will develop gradutates who
          are adaptive, creative innovators with the capacity to advance fundamental
          knowledge and exploit it to create innovations;
        * Structured to develop graduates who have the knowledge, skills, and experience
          needed to be successful in a globally connected, innovation-driven world;
        * Effective plans proposed to integrate ERC's cross-discplinary and systems
          research into courseware and curricula;
        * Strategic plan specifies desired characteristics, proposes how education program
          will impart these to students, and how it will measure and assess progress and
          impacts through longitudinal data;
        * Pre-college outreach programs will develop an effective long-term partnership
          with a few pre-college institutions (middle and high schools) to bring knowledge
          of engineering to pre-college classroom, engage a broadly diverse group of
          students in the ERCs programs to motivate them to study engineering, and provide
          a Young Scholars research program for promising high schools students;
        * Effective programs and assessment tools for college and pre-college programs
          based on best practices.

     Industrial/Practitioner Partnership to Advance Innovation

        * Convincing rationale for the selection of industrial or user partners and means
          to engage these partners in planning, research, education, and innovation;
        * Clear strategy for how small firms will be key players and help speed innovation;
        * Strong partnership with organizations and programs dedicated to speeding
          innovation;
        * Representative group of firms/organizations invoving practitioners (state
          infrastructure agencies for example) committed to membership;
        * Active engagement of industry/practitioner organizations through an
          Industrial/Practitioner Advisory Board;
        * Proposed terms of the industrial membership agreement will structure a
          center-wide program of industrial/practitioner collaboration to support overall
          ERC goals;
        * Intellectual property policy will facilitate collaboration with industry through
          shared rights for joint work and speed technology transfer.

     Infrastructure

        * Institutional configuration is appropriate to the goals of the ERC and there is a
          convincing strategy for cross-institution collaboration in research and
          education;
        * If there is a foreign university partner, it is committed to the goals of the ERC
          and will be a strong addition to the team;
        * Diversity strategic plan evidences strong commitment to diversity at all levels
          and will result in a very diverse team with a strong impact on the diversity of
          the engineering workforce through:
             * Including partner institutions serving students underrepresented in
               engineering to enhance diversity;
             * Leadership, faculty and student teams that are diverse in gender, race, and
               ethnicity, and includes persons with disabilities;
        * University administrators from the lead and partner institutions will join in
          partnership with the ERC to facilitate and reward its cross-disciplinary
          configuration, reward cross-disciplinary research and participation in
          pre-college outreach, support its educational strategy, and deliver on its
          diversity goals;
        * ERC has expertise in all disciplines required to attain its goals, a capable
          leader and leadership team;
        * Organizational structure and management plan effectively organize and integrate
          the resources of the ERC across the partner institutions to achieve its goals and
          include strong advisory and project selection/evaluation systems;
        * Experimental, computational, and other required equipment, facilities, and
          laboratory space are in place or proposed to support the research of the center;
        * The cyberinfrastructure is effectively used to achieve collaboration and sharing
          of information;
        * Headquarters space is sufficiently large to house the leaders and staff, and
          support the management, communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration
          functions of the ERC and cross-institution communications equipment will
          effectively encourage and facilitate collaboration.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc
Review and/or Panel Review, Site Visit Review, or Panel and Site Visit.

Preliminary and full proposals will be reviewed through a combination of ad hoc and panel
reviews. A subset of the invited full proposals will receive on-campus site visits. At the
conclusion of all the site visits, small teams from each of the site-visited proposed ERCs
will brief a review panel at NSF. Based on the information gained from these reviews and
recommendations, NSF will select a subset of proposals for award.

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 deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever
is later.  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 Research 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/award_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.

NSF requires ERCs to submit annual reports that are more extensive in scope than those
required of single investigator awards.  NSF provides guidelines for these reports. NSF
also requires ERCs to collect and submit to NSF data on indicators of progress, outcome,
impact, and financial management.  NSF provides data definition guidelines and templates
for the recording and submission of these data through a securite web site.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

   * Lynn Preston, Leader of the Engineering Research Centers Program and Deputy Division
     Director (Centers), 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5358, fax: (703) 292-9051, email:
     lpreston@nsf.gov

   * Deborah Jackson, Program Director, 585N, telephone: 703-292-7499, fax: 703-292-9051,
     email: djackson@nsf.gov

   * Barbara Kenny, Program Director, 585, telephone: (703) 292-4667, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: bkenny@nsf.gov

   * Bruce Kramer, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5348, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: bkramer@nsf.gov

   * Vilas Mujumdar, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-7262, fax: (703)
     292-9051, email: vmujumda@nsf.gov

   * Sohi Rastegar, Program Director, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5379, fax: (703)
     292-9051, email: srastega@nsf.gov

   * Mary Poats, Program Manager, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5357, fax: (703) 292-9051,
     email: mpoats@nsf.gov

   * Win Aung, Program Director, 585N, telephone: 703-292-5341, fax: 703-292-9051, email:
     waung@nsf.gov

   * Darlene Suggs, Senior Program Assistant, 585N, telephone: 703-292-5361, fax:
     703-292-9051, email: dsuggs@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

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

   * Esther M. Bolding, 585 N, telephone: (703) 292-5342, fax: (703) 292-9051, email:
     ebolding@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.

For information on all aspects of the ERC construct, strategic planning and the
solicitation in general, contact Lynn Preston.  For technical guidance contact Deborah
Jackson (EEC) for optics, Barbara Kenny for microelectronics, Bruce Kramer for
manufacturing and processing, Vilas Mujumdar for infrastructure, and Sohi Rastegar for
bioengineering. For university-level education, contact Win Aung. For pre-college
education, REUs, RETs, and diversity partnerships contact Mary Poats.   In addition to the
ERC Program Directors (PD) above, the following PDs in other Engineering Divisions/Offices
are knowledgeable about ERCs by virtue of their participation in site visits to ongoing
ERCs, in site visits and panels during previous ERC competitions, or their experience as a
current or former lead ERC PD responsible for the oversight of an ERC.  These are: Larry
Goldberg (lgoldber@nsf.gov) and Rajinder Khosla (rkhosla@nsf.gov) in the Division of
Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems; Leon Esterowitz (lesterow@nsf.gov), Bruce
Hamilton (bhamilto@nsf.gov), Fred Heineken (fheineke@nsf.gov), and Judy Raper
(jraper@nsf.gov) in the Division of Chemical, Biological, Environmental and Transport
Systems; George Hazelrigg (ghazelri@nsf.gov), Joy Pauschke (jpauschk@nsf.gov) and Mario
Rotea (mrotea@nsf.gov) in the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation;
and Murali Nair (mnair@nsf.gov) and Rose Wesson (rwesson@nsf.gov) in the Division of
Industrial Innovation and Partnerships.

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.

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

 Policies and Important Links|Privacy|FOIA|Help|Contact NSF|Contact Web Master|SiteMap

[National Science Foundation]The National Science Foundation, 4201         Last Updated:
                             Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia         11/07/06
                             22230, USA                                    Text Only
                             Tel: (703) 292-5111, FIRS: (800) 877-8339 |
                             TDD: (800) 281-8749
                                        [Image]