Title:  Special Competition in Systematic Biology: Partnerships
           for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET)
Date:   November 2, 1998



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

SPECIAL COMPETITION IN SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY:
PARTNERSHIPS FOR ENHANCING EXPERTISE IN TAXONOMY (PEET)

Deadline Date: March 1, 1999

INTRODUCTION

For the next generation of astronomers, the stars will still be
there; for the next generation of biologists, the subjects of
their study may not be.  The loss of biological diversity - of
species and their genetic heritage, of communities and habitats,
both aquatic and terrestrial - is accelerating in many parts of
the world.  That loss, exacerbated by our incomplete knowledge of
the Earth's biota, impedes stewardship, limits management, and
imperils conservation of biological resources.  Two components of
this global problem have been emphasized in all recent reports.
First, fewer systematists (taxonomists) are being trained in
museums and universities as education is reduced in evolutionary
and organismal biology.  Second, knowledge is rudimentary for
microbes, protists, fungi, and invertebrates, groups in which
vast numbers of undescribed species are predicted for habitats
still poorly explored on Earth.

The loss of biological diversity has been accompanied by a loss
in the expertise necessary for identifying and inventorying the
biota of the Earth.  Retirement of taxonomic specialists, shifts
in academic recruitment and staffing, and reductions in graduate
training all conspire to diminish the knowledge that is needed to
answer what the National Science Board has labeled a global
crisis ("Loss of Biological Diversity: A Global Crisis Requiring
International Solutions," NSB 89-171).  The rate of "extinction"
among professional taxonomists led a National Science Foundation
(NSF) task force to call for enhanced training in taxon-specific
expertise ("Adapting to the Future: Report of the BBS Task Force
Looking to the 21st Century," NSF 91-69). The President's
Committee of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) has
vigorously endorsed this research and training emphasis in its
1998 report "Teaming with Life: Investing in Science to
Understand and Use America's Living Capital" (available on the
PCAST homepage at http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OSTP/
Environment/html/teamingcover.html).

Exacerbating the loss of expertise is the poor state of knowledge
of many aquatic and terrestrial organisms.  Vast numbers of
species in understudied, "invisible" groups constitute critical
elements of food chains and ecosystems; the high proportion of
unrecognized species in these groups limits research and progress
in many areas of the biological sciences.  Taxonomic expertise is
needed to identify and classify the world's biological resources
and to organize this knowledge in accessible databases in order
to ensure stewardship and rational use.

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES OF PEET

The NSF, in partnership with academic institutions, botanical
gardens, freshwater and marine institutes, and natural history
museums, seeks to enhance and stimulate taxonomic research and
help prepare future generations of experts.  NSF announces a
third special competition, Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise
in Taxonomy (PEET), to support competitively reviewed research
projects that target groups of poorly known organisms.  Abstracts
for awards from the first two competitions and related documents
on taxonomic monography are available through the PEET homepage
(http://www.nhm.ukans.edu/~peet) to provide guidance to
prospective applicants.  The PEET activity is designed to
encourage the training of new generations of taxonomists and to
translate current expertise into electronic databases and other
formats with broad accessibility to the scientific community.
Three major elements are required of a project submitted in the
PEET Special Competition: 1. Monographic Research; 2. Training;
and 3. Computer Infrastructure.

Monographic Research.  Applicants must present a plan of research
for taxonomic revision or monograph, with emphasis to be given to
organisms that are little studied or to groups in which taxonomic
expertise is limited or vanishing (microbes, protists, fungi, and
invertebrates).  Specialists on such groups are encouraged to
apply.  Also encouraged are investigators currently studying
better known groups or other scientists with taxonomic interests
who wish to extend analyses to neglected taxa, directly or by
mentoring students.  Choice of organisms for study must be
justified in the proposal and will be evaluated by the merit
review process.  General guidance is provided in several reports:
a 1980 National Academy of Sciences report [Committee on Research
Priorities in Tropical Biology, 1980. "Research Priorities in
Tropical Biology." National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC];
the 1989 National Science Board report cited above; a 1992
National Academy report [Panel on Biodiversity Research
Priorities, 1992. "Conserving Biodiversity: A Research Agenda for
Development Agencies." National Academy Press, Washington, DC];
and the 1994 report "Systematics Agenda 2000: Charting the
Biosphere, Technical Report" (Systematics Agenda 2000 Consortium,
New York, NY). The 1980 National Academy report indicated "that a
high priority ought to be set on training and support for much
larger numbers of systematists oriented toward tropical
organisms."  Organisms mentioned in that report include fungi,
nematodes, mollusks, insects, fishes, and flowering plants.  The
subsequent reports cited do not specify taxonomic groups but in
general emphasize organisms that are poorly known or little
studied; these would include microbes, protists, fungi, and
invertebrates.  Potential investigators with questions about
which organisms are eligible for study in the PEET special
competition should contact Program Officers in Systematic Biology
(see section on Contacts for Additional Information for
telephone, e-mail, and address information). If groups of
investigators with complementary strengths in taxonomy from
multiple institutions wish to collaborate, submission of a
Collaborative Proposal should be considered (see the Grant
Proposal Guide, NSF 99-2, Chapter II, Section D.12(b), hereafter
GPG, available on the NSF homepage at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-
bin/getpub?nsf992 for guidance).

Training.  An internship or traineeship is a required element of
PEET projects, in which minimally two student taxonomists are
trained as experts on the organisms under study.  The anticipated
five-year duration of projects is designed to ensure continuous
support of project personnel and to enable completion of major
taxonomic revisions and monographs.  Increased participation of
members of groups underrepresented in science is encouraged.
Foreign students enrolled at a U.S. institution are also eligible
for support.  Support for the experts-in-training, if considered
employees by the submitting institution, can be requested under
Personnel categories of the Proposal Budget (NSF Form 1030);
otherwise, support should be requested under Participant Support
Costs (category F, NSF Form 1030; note that indirect costs are
not allowed on Participant Support).  PEET awards are eligible
for supplementation through the Research Experiences for
Undergraduates (NSF 96-102) and Research Opportunity Awards (NSF
94-79) programs; see the NSF Guide to Programs, available on the
NSF Documents OnLine system at http://www.nsf.gov/, for details.

Computer Infrastructure.  All PEET projects are expected to
incorporate computerization of various taxonomic tasks and
products; specimen databases, artificial intelligence systems,
computer-aided image analysis, or interactive identification keys
are examples.  Specific activities or products will depend upon
the state of the science for that particular taxonomic group; the
suitability of proposed computerization activities will be
evaluated through the merit review process.  The UNESCO-supported
Expertise Center for Taxonomic Identification
and the Australian ERIN: Environmental Resources Inventory Network
(http://www.erin.gov.au/life/) provide models for computer-based
activities. Valuable guidance and resources are available from
the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS, available at
http://plants.usda.gov/itis/) , a development of the multi-agency
National Biological Information Infrastructure Program managed at
the U.S. Geological Survey. Training in computer activities for
Principal Investigators and students, through workshops or other
means, would constitute an eligible expense under PEET awards.
Examples of Web-accessible taxonomic products from prior PEET
awards are available from the PEET Homepage.

ELIGIBILITY

Proposals under the PEET Special Competition will be accepted
from U.S. institutions including botanical gardens, marine or
freshwater institutes, and natural history museums that are
eligible for awards from the National Science Foundation.  Non-
academic institutions with university-affiliated training
programs are especially encouraged to apply.  When appropriate,
collaborating scientists at foreign institutions can be
accommodated through consultant or subaward mechanisms
administered by the submitting U.S. institution.

Normally, NSF does not support research with disease-related
goals, including work on the etiology, diagnosis, or treatment of
physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction in human
beings or animals.  Studies of animal models for such conditions,
the design and testing of drugs or other procedures for their
treatment are also not eligible for support.  NSF does not
normally support technical assistance, pilot plant efforts,
research requiring security classification, the development of
products for commercial marketing, or market research for a
particular project or invention.

AWARD INFORMATION

NSF anticipates making 10-20 awards as continuing grants in
Fiscal Year 1999 in this third PEET Special Competition,
contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
proposals received.  Special Competitions in future years are
contingent upon the availability of funds.  One-time renewals
(submitted in the fourth or fifth year of the initial PEET award,
and for up to five additional years) may be considered but will
compete with new proposals, and again are contingent upon
availability of funds.  Review will be complete by late spring,
with awards announced in the summer.  The GPG provides relevant
forms and rules for proposal preparation.

SCOPE AND DURATION OF PROJECTS

Projects designed for five years (60 months) of effort are
encouraged, with yearly budgets not to exceed $150,000 (direct
plus indirect costs), or $750,000 total.  Projects may address
large, natural genera or groups of phylogenetically related
genera, and through collaboration with foreign colleagues, may
involve field work in any part of the world as well as laboratory
and museum study.  Standard components of taxonomic monography -
species description and diagnosis, geographic distribution,
scientific nomenclature, identification keys, illustration - are
expected in all projects; student training and computerization
activities will complement these components.

Projects under the PEET Special Competition are intended to
augment revisionary and monographic projects currently supported
by the Systematic Biology program at NSF.  PEET proposals require
training and computerization components beyond those
representative of current awards in Systematic Biology.  PEET
proposals will be reviewed in response to the March 1, 1999
deadline; regular proposals in Systematic Biology compete
following the June 15 and December 15 target dates for the
Systematic and Population Biology Cluster in the Division of
Environmental Biology or the first-Friday-in-November deadline
for the Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program.

The PEET Special Competition is designed to complement the Biotic
Surveys and Inventories Program (NSF 98-158) which focuses on the
collection, description, and classification of broad taxonomic
resources (for example, all vascular plants, all arthropods, all
vertebrates) in a particular geographic area, with a commensurate
reduction in detail accorded each species.  Duplicate proposals
to the two programs are not allowed.  PEET, the Biotic Surveys
and Inventories competition, and the regular programs in
Systematic Biology and in Biological Research Collections (NSF 98-
126) address in a coordinated manner the three major missions
described in the "Systematics Agenda 2000" report cited above in
order to discover, understand, and manage systematic knowledge of
biological diversity around the globe.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A.   Proposal Preparation Instructions

Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement must
be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general
guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 99-2.
Standard forms and an explanation of their preparation and
purpose are contained in the GPG.  Please note the 15-page limit
on the Project Description (to include the Results of Prior NSF
Support section, and all tables and figures) and the restrictions
on appended materials.  The complete text of the GPG (including
electronic forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web site
at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf992.  Paper copies of the
GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse,
telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

Proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane System.
Instructions and guidelines for the FastLane submission of
proposals are detailed in "Instructions for Preparing and
Submitting a Standard Proposal via FastLane" located at
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. Also, see the
"FASTLANE SUBMISSION" section below.

*   Cover Page (NSF Form 1207) -- In the NSF FastLane system
  follow instructions on proposal preparation.  When completing the
  Cover Sheet click on the "Add Org Unit" button.  Highlight
  "DIRECT FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES" and click "OK".  Scroll down to
  "DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY" and highlight "Systematic
  Biology".  Clicking "OK" designates this program as the NSF
  organizational unit of consideration.

  Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement
  number (NSF 99-15) in the program announcement/solicitation
  block on the NSF Form 1207, "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.

*   Project Description --The proposal should address the
  following five issues in the Project Description or where
  otherwise indicated:

1. Taxonomic Focus.  All groups of organisms whether aquatic or
terrestrial are eligible for study, but preference will be given
to those designated as understudied or critical.  If the target
group of organisms is delimited geographically and not
taxonomically, the Principal Investigator should justify why the
particular regional focus has been adopted; otherwise, faunistic
or floristic projects (or their microbial or fungal counterparts)
should be directed to the Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program.
The proposal must include a digest of currently recognized
taxonomic entities, a summary of known museum specimens (number,
quality, accessibility), and a review of pertinent literature.
If the proposed research includes the collection of vertebrate
animals, the Investigator must address the guidelines in the GPG,
Chapter II, Section D.12(d). Proposals to study organisms that
have a minimal museum (or collections) tradition should indicate
this fact, discuss the form that useful collections or cultures
would take as well as their impact on future taxonomic practice
in the group, and present plans for implementation and curation
of such collections, stocks, or cultures.

2. Methods of Study.  Practices will vary according to the
organisms proposed for study, but attention should focus on
collection and sampling strategies, specimen preparation with
computerization of collection data, acquisition of character data
in formats retrievable by computer, and explicit protocols for
evaluating and synthesizing data.  Field collecting may be
necessary for some groups; others may be well represented in
existing collections.  The care of vouchers and other collections
should be described; specimen cases and other curatorial supplies
constitute eligible expenses.  Where taxon ranges extend beyond
the borders of the U.S.A., attention should be given to
collaboration with foreign scientists and students.  Prospective
investigators wishing to establish collaborations with foreign
scientists should review the guidance and opportunities provided
by NSF's Division of International Programs (information
available on the NSF homepage at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/int/.

3. Training.  A minimum of two collaborating experts-in-training
is required for each project, whether undergraduate, graduate, or
postgraduate in status.  As students graduate or otherwise
complete their traineeship during the five-year project, new
trainees should be recruited to maintain a minimum of two for
each project.  Trainees should be full partners in the research,
conceptually and operationally.  If known at the time of
application, a trainee's identity and qualifications should be
described in a Biographical Sketch, following GPG guidelines; if
not known, then recruitment procedures should be described in the
Project Description.  The submitting institution's rules govern
whether trainees can be designated as Co-Principal Investigators
on the Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207).

4. Conceptual Issues.  In the context of a highly competitive
merit review, proposals must make a case for substantial impact
on progress in taxonomy (note NSF's merit review criteria
described in the GPG and the Merit Review section below).  The
proposal should discuss how improvement in the taxonomy of the
targeted organisms relates to issues fundamental to systematics.
Phylogeny, character evolution, biogeography, coevolution, or
ecological interaction are examples of conceptual domains likely
to prove relevant to taxonomic revisionary and monographic work
(see the report "Systematics Agenda 2000: Charting the Biosphere"
cited above; the 1991 report "The Sustainable Biosphere
Initiative" from the Ecological Society of America; and the 1997
report "The Microbial World: Foundation of the Biosphere" from
the American Academy of Microbiology).

5. Dissemination of Results.  Publication of results in peer-
reviewed outlets is expected for all projects.  In addition,
enhanced or supplemented media such as computer databases
accessible on the Web, image-based identification aids, or GIS-
compatible specimen records are expected.

*   Special Information and Supplementary Documentation:
  Provide information such as letters of  collaboration, collecting
  permits, environmental impact statement and other allowed items
  as noted in the current issuance of the Grant Proposal Guide
  (GPG), Chapter II, Section D.  Use one of the following options
  for submitting Special Information and Supplementary
  Documentation:  1) include letters of support and other materials
  via the FastLane submission by scanning the documents (scanned at
  300 dpi, black and white or gray scale) and adding them at the
  end of the Project Description file.  This information is not
  counted as part of the 15 page limit of the Project Description,
  or 2) mail 15 collated copies of all materials to the Special
  Competition in Systematic Biology: Partnerships for Enhancing
  Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) at the same time that the signed
  cover sheet and certification page, BIO proposal classification
  form, and animal certification (if applicable) are sent (see the
  Proposal Due Dates section below).

*   BIO Proposal Classification Form (PCF) --  Complete the BIO
  PCF, available on the NSF FastLane system.  The PCF is an on-line
  coding system that allows the Principal Investigator to
  characterize his/her project when submitting proposals to the
  Directorate for Biological Sciences.  Once a PI begins
  preparation of his/her proposal in the NSF FastLane system and
  selects a division, cluster, or program within the Directorate
  for Biological Sciences as the first or only organizational unit
  to review the proposal, the PCF will be generated and available
  through the Form Selector screen.  Additional information about
  the BIO PCF is available in FastLane at
  http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/BioInstr.htm.

B.   Proposal Due Dates

Proposals must be sent by 5:00 p.m., submitter's local time,
March 1, 1999 via the NSF FastLane system.

Mail the following materials directly to Partnerships for
Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET):

*   a paper copy of the cover sheet, including the certification
  page ( page 2 of 2) signed by the PI(s) and an institutional
  representative;
*   the BIO classification form;
*   animal certification, if applicable; and,
*   fifteen (15) collated copies of the Special Information and
  Supplementary Documentation material only if the PI has opted to
  send in hard copy instead of inserting scanned copies at the end
  of the Project Description file in the FastLane submission.

Unless requested by NSF, additional information may not be sent
following proposal submission.

The mailed materials must be received by March 8, 1999.  Send
materials to:

Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) - NSF 99-15
Division of Environmental Biology
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 635
Arlington, VA 22230

Do not mail copies of the proposal. NSF will make the appropriate
number of copies of the proposal.

C.   FastLane Submission

In order to use NSF FastLane to prepare and submit a proposal,
you must have the following software: Netscape Navigator 3.0 or
above, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or above; Adobe
Acrobat Reader 3.0 or above for viewing PDF files; and Adobe
Acrobat 3.X or Aladdin Ghostscript 5.10 or above for converting
files to PDF.

To use FastLane to prepare the proposal your institution needs to
be a registered FastLane institution. A list of registered
institutions and the FastLane registration form are located on
the FastLane Home Page. To register an organization, authorized
organizational representatives must complete the registration
form. Once an organization is registered, PIN for individual
staff are available from the organization's sponsored projects
office.

To access FastLane, go to the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov,
then select "FastLane," or go directly to the FastLane home page
at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/. Please see "Instructions for
Preparing and Submitting a Proposal to the NSF Directorate for
Biological Sciences" located at
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/BioInstr.htm. Additionally, read
the "PI Tipsheet for Proposal Preparation" and the "Frequently
Asked Questions about FastLane Proposal Preparation," accessible
at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/A1Prep.htm.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  For technical assistance with FastLane, please
send an e-mail message to biofl@nsf.gov. If you have inquiries
regarding other aspects of proposal preparation or submission,
please send an e-mail message to sysrev@nsf.gov before the
deadline date for submission.

MERIT REVIEW

A.   NSF Proposal Review Process

Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers
with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research
or education project.  These reviewers are selected by Program
Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. NSF
invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of submission, the
names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers.  Special care is
taken to ensure that reviewers have no immediate and obvious
conflicts with the proposer.  Special efforts are made to recruit
reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority serving
institutions, adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed
in the proposal, first time NSF reviewers, etc.

Proposals will be reviewed against the following general merit
review criteria established by the National Science Board.
Following each criterion are potential considerations that the
reviewer may employ in the evaluation.  These are suggestions and
not all will apply to any given proposal.  Each reviewer will be
asked to address only those that are relevant to the proposal and
for which he/she is qualified to make judgments.

1.   What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?

How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and
understanding within its own field and across different fields?
How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to
conduct the project? To what extent does the proposed activity
suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well
conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there
sufficient access to resources?

2.   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, 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?

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 learner perspectives. PIs should address this issue
in their proposal to provide reviewers with the information
necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria.
NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making funding
decisions.

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. PIs  should
address this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with
the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit
review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful consideration in
making funding decisions.

B.   Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service

Most proposals submitted to the NSF are reviewed by mail review,
panel review, or some combination of mail and panel review.

Proposals submitted to this activity will be sent to panelists
for evaluation.  Panelists will be asked to formulate a
recommendation to either support or decline each proposal.  A
Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will
consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a
recommendation.  In most cases, proposers will be contacted by
the Program Officer after his or her recommendation to award or
decline funding has been approved by  the Division Director.
This informal notification is not a guarantee of an eventual
award.  NSF will be able to tell applicants whether their
proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within
six months for 95 percent of proposals in this category.  The
time interval begins on the proposal deadline or target date or
from the date of receipt, if deadlines or target dates are not
used by the program.  The interval ends when the Division
Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.

In all cases, after final programmatic approval has been
obtained, the recommendation then goes to the Division of Grants
and Agreements for review of business, financial and policy
implications and the processing and issuance of grant or other
agreement.  Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants 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 an 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 Officer does so at its own risk.

GRANT AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A.  Notification of the Award

Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization
by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements.
Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as
promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program Division
administering the program.  Verbatim copies of reviews, not
including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided
automatically to the Principal Investigator.

B.  Grant Award Conditions

Grants awarded as a result of this announcement are administered
in accordance with the terms and conditions of NSF GC-1, "Grant
General Conditions," or FDP-III, "Federal Demonstration Project
General Terms and Conditions," depending on the grantee
organization. Copies of these documents are available at no cost
from the NSF Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 218, Jessup, Maryland 20794-
0218, telephone (301) 947-2722, or via e-mail to pubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information is contained in the NSF Grant
Policy Manual (NSF 95-26), available on the NSF OnLine Document
System located at http://www.nsf.gov/, or for sale through the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402.

C.   Reporting Requirements

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

Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is
required to submit a final project report.  Approximately 30 days
before expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the
requirement to file the final project report.  Failure to provide
final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of
pending proposals for the PI.  PIs should examine the formats of
the required reports in advance to assure availability of
required data.

NSF has implemented a new electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, which permits electronic submission
and updating of project reports, including information on:
project participants (individual and organizational); activities
and findings; publications; and other specific products and
contributions.  Reports will continue to be required annually and
after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will not need to re-
enter information previously provided, either with the proposal
or in earlier updates using the electronic system.

Effective October 1, 1998, PIs are required to use the new
reporting format for annual and final project reports.  PIs are
strongly encouraged to submit reports electronically via
FastLane.  For those PIs who cannot access FastLane, paper copies
of the new report formats may be obtained from the NSF
Clearinghouse as specified above.  NSF expects to require
electronic submission of all annual and final project reports via
FastLane beginning in October, 1999.

D.   New Awardee Information

If the submitting organization has never received an NSF award,
it is recommended that the organization's appropriate
administrative officials become familiar with the policies and
procedures in the NSF Grant Policy Manual which are applicable to
most NSF awards.  The "Prospective New Awardee Guide" (NSF 97-
100) includes information on:  Administration and Management
Information; Accounting System Requirements and Auditing
Information; and Payments to Organizations with Awards.  This
information will assist an organization in preparing documents
that NSF requires to conduct administrative and financial reviews
of an organization.  The guide also serves as a means of
highlighting the accountability requirements associated with
Federal awards.  This document is available electronically on
NSF's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf97100.

CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Questions concerning PEET proposals should be directed to:

Division of Environmental Biology (PEET)
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 635
Arlington, VA 22230
Telephone:  (703) 306-1481
Fax:  (703) 306-0367
E-Mail:  sysrev@nsf.gov

OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding
opportunities for research and education in science, mathematics,
and engineering.  General descriptions of NSF programs, research
areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are
provided in each chapter.  Beginning in fiscal year 1999, the NSF
Guide to Programs will only be available electronically at
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf994.   Many NSF programs
offer announcements concerning specific proposal requirements.
To obtain additional information about these requirements,
contact the appropriate NSF program offices listed in Appendix A
of the GPG.

Any changes in NSF's fiscal year program occuring after press
time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the E-
Bulletin, available electronically on the NSF Web site at
http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin/.  Subscribers can also sign up
for NSF's Custom News Service to find out what funding
opportunities are available.

Programs related to the PEET Special Competition in the
Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) include:

1.   Division of Environmental Biology (DEB), 703-306-1480, in
   particular the Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program (NSF 98-
   158);

2.   Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI), 703-306-1470,
   in particular the programs Biological Research Collections (NSF
   98-126), Database Activities in the Biological Sciences (NSF 96-
   6), and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biological
   Informatics (NSF 98-162).

Programs elsewhere in NSF related to PEET include:

1.   Division of International Programs (INT), 703-306-1710, in
   particular the International Opportunities for Scientists and
   Engineers: Program Announcement (NSF 96-14).

2.   LEXEN Special Competition, Life in Extreme Environments (NSF
   97-157, under revision), Directorate for Biological Sciences, 703-
   306-1439.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and
education in most fields of science and engineering.  Grantees
are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities
and preparing the results for publication.  Thus, the Foundation
does not assume responsibility for such findings or their
interpretation.

NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers,
and educators.  The Foundation strongly encourages women,
minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its
programs. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and
NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex,
national origin, or disability shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial
assistance from NSF.  Some programs may have special requirements
that limit eligibility.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with
Disabilities (NSF 91-54) provide funding for special assistance
or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators
and other staff, including student research assistants) to work
on NSF-supported projects.

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 regarding NSF programs,
employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703)
306-0090; FIRS at 1-800-877-8339.

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

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

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time
for reviewing instructions.  Send comments regarding this burden
estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:  Reports
Clearance Officer; Information Dissemination Branch, DAS;
National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA  22230.

The program described in this announcement is in the category
47.074 (BIO) of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

YEAR 2000 REMINDER

In accordance with Important Notice No. 120 dated June 27, 1997,
Subject: Year 2000 Computer Problem, NSF awardees are reminded of
their responsibility to take appropriate actions to ensure that
the NSF activity being supported is not adversely affected by the
Year 2000 problem. Potentially affected items include computer
systems, databases, and equipment.  The National Science
Foundation should be notified if an awardee concludes that the
Year 2000 will have a significant impact on its ability to carry
out an NSF-funded activity.  Information concerning Year 2000
activities can be found on the NSF Web site at
http://www.nsf.gov/oirm/y2k/start.htm.

OMB # 3145-0058
P.T.: 34
K.W.: 1002000, 1002146, 0404021

NSF 99-15 (replaces NSF 97-21)
Electronic Dissemination Only
November 2, 1998