Title: Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network 
        Partners (DataNet)
Date: 08/08/08




Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners (DataNet)

Program Solicitation
NSF 07-601



[NSF Logo]  National Science Foundation

            Office of Cyberinfrastructure

            Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering



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

     January 07, 2008

     November 13, 2008

Full Proposal Target Date(s):

     March 21, 2008

     May 15, 2009

REVISION NOTES

NOTE: Deadline dates for preliminary and full proposals have been changed
to: Preliminary Proposals due November 13, 2008 and Full Proposals due May
15, 2009.  The page limit for the project description has been increased to
20 pages.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

     Sustainable Digital Data Preservation and Access Network Partners
      (DataNet)

Synopsis of Program:

     Science and engineering research and education are increasingly
     digital and increasingly data-intensive. Digital data are not
     only the output of research but provide input to new hypotheses,
     enabling new scientific insights and driving innovation. Therein
     lies one of the major challenges of this scientific generation:
     how to develop the new methods, management structures and
     technologies to manage the diversity, size, and complexity of
     current and future data sets and data streams. This solicitation
     addresses that challenge by creating a set of exemplar national
     and global data research infrastructure organizations (dubbed
     DataNet Partners) that provide unique opportunities to
     communities of researchers to advance science and/or engineering
     research and learning.

     The new types of organizations envisioned in this solicitation
     will integrate library and archival sciences,
     cyberinfrastructure, computer and information sciences, and
     domain science expertise to:

        * provide reliable digital preservation, access, integration,
          and analysis capabilities for science and/or engineering
          data over a decades-long timeline;
        * continuously anticipate and adapt to changes in technologies
          and in user needs and expectations;
        * engage at the frontiers of computer and information science
          and cyberinfrastructure with research and development to
          drive the leading edge forward; and
        * serve as component elements of an interoperable data
          preservation and access network.

     By demonstrating feasibility, identifying best practices,
     establishing viable models for long term technical and economic
     sustainability, and incorporating frontier research, these
     exemplar organizations can serve as the basis for rational
     investment in digital preservation and access by diverse sectors
     of society at the local, regional, national, and international
     levels, paving the way for a robust and resilient national and
     global digital data framework.

     These organizations will provide:

        * a vision and rationale that meet critical data needs, create
          important new opportunities and capabilities for discovery,
          innovation, and learning, improve the way science and
          engineering research and education are conducted, and guide
          the organization in achieving long-term sustainability;
        * an organizational structure that provides for a
          comprehensive range of expertise and cyberinfrastructure
          capabilities, ensures active participation and effective use
          by a wide diversity of individuals, organizations, and
          sectors, serves as a capable partner in an interoperable
          network of digital preservation and access organizations,
          and ensures effective management and leadership; and
        * activities to provide for the full data management life
          cycle, facilitate research as resource and object, engage in
          computer science and information science research critical
          to DataNet functions, develop new tools and capabilities for
          learning that integrate research and education at all
          levels, provide for active community input and participation
          in all phases and all aspects of Partner activities, and
          include a vigorous and comprehensive assessment and
          evaluation program.

     Potential applicants should note that this program is not
     intended to support narrowly-defined, discipline-specific
     repositories.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

   * Lucy Nowell, telephone: (703) 292-8970, email: lnowell@nsf.gov

   * Sylvia Spengler, telephone: (703) 292-8930, email: sspengle@nsf.gov

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

   * 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
   * 47.080 --- Office of Cyberinfrastructure

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award:  Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards:    5   - Two to three awards are anticipated in
each of two review cycles (one review cycle for fiscal year FY2008 awards
and one for FY2009) for a total of five awards, contingent on the quality
of proposals received and pending the availability of funds. Each award is
limited to a total of up to $20,000,000 (direct plus indirect costs) for up
to 5 years. The initial term of each award is expected to be 5 years with
the potential at NSF's sole discretion for one terminal renewal for another
5 years, subject to performance and the availability of funds. Such
performance is to include serving the needs of the relevant science and
engineering research and education communities and catalyzing new
opportunities for progress. If a second five-year award is made, NSF
funding is expected to decrease in each successive year of the award as the
Partner transitions to a sustainable economic model with other sources of
support. The actual amount of the annual decrease in NSF support will be
established through the cooperative agreement. Note that the maximum period
NSF will support a DataNet Partner is 10 years.

Anticipated Funding Amount:   $100,000,000   Up to $100,000,000 over a
five year period is expected to be available contingent on the quality of
proposals received and pending the availability of funds.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Academic Institutions located in the U.S.: U.S. universities
          and colleges located in the U.S.
        * Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums,
          observatories, research labs, professional societies and
          similar organizations in the U.S. associated with
          educational or research activities.

PI Limit:

     None Specified

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: Not Applicable

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

   * Full Proposals:

        * Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award
          Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG)
          Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available
          electronically on the NSF website at:
          http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.

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

B. Budgetary Information

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

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

   * Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

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

          January 07, 2008

          November 13, 2008

   * Full Proposal Target Date(s):

          March 21, 2008

          May 15, 2009

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:   National Science Board approved criteria.
Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of
this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:   Standard NSF award conditions apply.

Reporting Requirements:   Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

     Summary of Program Requirements

  I. Introduction

 II. Program Description

III. Award Information

 IV. Eligibility Information

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

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

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

VIII.Agency Contacts

 IX. Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION

Chapter 3 (Data, Data Analysis, and Visualization) of NSF's
Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery
(http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0728/index.jsp) presents a vision in which
"science and engineering digital data are routinely deposited in
well-documented form, are regularly and easily consulted and analyzed by
specialists and non-specialists alike, are openly accessible while suitably
protected, and are reliably preserved."  The goal of this
solicitation is to catalyze the development of a system of science and
engineering data collections that is open, extensible and evolvable.

For purposes of this solicitation, data are defined as any information that
can be stored in digital form and accessed electronically, including, but
not limited to, numeric data, text, publications, sensor streams, video,
audio, algorithms, software, models and simulations, images, etc. Digital
data are not only the products of research but provide input to new
hypotheses, enabling new scientific insights and driving innovation. This
requires developing  new methods, management structures and technologies to
manage the diversity, size, and complexity of current and future data sets
and data streams.  This solicitation addresses that challenge by creating a
set of exemplar national and global data research infrastructure
organizations that provide unique opportunities to communities of
researchers to advance science and/or engineering research and learning.

 The new types of organizations envisioned in this solicitation will
integrate library and archival sciences, cyberinfrastructure, computer and
information sciences, and domain science expertise to:

   * provide reliable digital data preservation, access, integration, and
     analysis capabilities over a decades-long timeline;
   * continuously anticipate and adapt to changes in technologies and in
     user needs and expectations;
   * engage at the frontiers of computer and information science and
     cyberinfrastructure with research and development to drive the leading
     edge forward; and
   * serve as component elements of an interoperable data preservation and
     access network.

Characteristics of DataNet Partners

The goal of this program solicitation is to support creation of a small set
of full-scale exemplars of these new types of organizations (dubbed
'DataNet Partners' or 'Partners' for purposes of
this solicitation).  By demonstrating feasibility, identifying best
practices, establishing viable models for long term technical and economic
sustainability, and incorporating frontier research, these exemplar
organizations can serve as the basis for rational investment in digital
preservation and access by diverse sectors of society at the local,
regional, national, and international levels.  If broadly made, the result
of such investments would be a robust and resilient national and global
digital data framework for preservation and access to the resources and
products of the digital age.

One defining feature of the new types of organizations envisioned in this
solicitation is the capacity to be at once both risk-averse and risk
capable. The goal of preserving digital information for periods of decades
to centuries requires that an organization not risk loss of its holdings.
At the same time, the organization must operate in a swift, disruptive
current of technological change.  Both the hardware and software components
of the organization and the expectations of its users will change rapidly
and continuously.  Thus, the organization must be adept at scanning the
horizon, constantly planning for and then embracing new technologies.
Further, the organization must be fluent and engaged in the deep research
issues that support all aspects of the data management life cycle
(including data creation, access, use, and preservation).  Successfully
providing stability for long-term preservation and agility both to embrace
constant technological change and to engage evolving research challenges
requires a novel combination of expertise in library and archival sciences,
computer, computational, and information sciences, cyberinfrastructure, and
the other domain sciences and engineering.  A goal of this solicitation is
to support the creation of new types of organizations that fully integrate
all of these capabilities.

A second essential feature is that of sustainability.  The organization
must adopt economic models and technology strategies that allow it to meet
its decades-long mission for preservation and access.  A key goal of this
program solicitation is to develop implementation models and a body of
underlying information and experience to facilitate other efforts in
developing long-term digital preservation and access organizations. Thus,
the solicitation envisions an initial five-year period of building
capability followed by the possibility of a second, five-year period
focused on achieving sustainability as NSF support is ramped down.

A third critical feature is the ability to engage at the frontiers of
science and engineering research and education. This includes functioning
as an information resource for students and researchers across a wide
variety of disciplines, serving as an object of research, and possessing
its own active and engaged research capability. Serving as an effective
information resource requires close interaction with the relevant domain
science communities, along with appropriate domain expertise within the
organization itself to understand the needs, practices, and expectations of
the communities it serves and to provide the technical and intellectual
context to inform all aspects of the data preservation and access
lifecycle.  Serving as an object of external research includes providing
access to large and complex data sets as test beds for research in data
mining, information extraction, fusion, integration, visualization, and
analysis; facilitating research in concepts and technologies that support
long-term preservation and access for complex digital objects and assets;
and enabling research in digital security, trust, authentication, and
authorization.  Maintaining an engaged research capability requires that
computer and information scientists and cyberinfrastructure researchers be
an integral part of the organization at all levels.

Finally, a key capacity to be created by these new types of organizations
is the ability to support the re-purposing of digital data in innovative
ways and in novel combinations not envisioned by the data authors. To
provide for revolutionary new information integration capabilities and to
promote broadly interdisciplinary research and education, the organizations
created under this solicitation must be both individually heterogeneous in
content and collectively interoperating. The former - content
heterogeneity - requires that each awardee create a resource that
serves a broad disciplinary and subject matter range, manages a diverse
array of data types and formats, and provides the capability to support
collections at the research, resource, and reference levels (see the report
of the National Science Board on Long-lived Digital Data Collections; NSB
05-40; http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsb0540/). The latter characteristic
- operating as a data network - requires cooperation,
coordination, and close interaction both among the members of this program
portfolio and with other preservation and access organizations, national
and international.  Participation in data networking activities, including
activities focused on the development of plans for shared governance
structures, will be a requirement for awards. Potential applicants should
note that this program is not intended to support narrowly-defined,
discipline-specific repositories.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Program Goals

The specific goals of this program are to support the development of a
small set of full-scale exemplars of new types of digital data preservation
and access organizations that: (1) combine expertise in library and
archival sciences, computer, computational, and information sciences,
cyberinfrastructure, and domain sciences and engineering; (2) develop
models for economic and technological sustainability over multiple decades;
(3) engage at the frontiers of science and engineering research and
education as an information resource, an object of research, and a research
entity; and (4) work cooperatively and in coordination to create a
functional data network with revolutionary new capabilities for information
access, use, and integration without regard to conventional barriers such
as data type and format, discipline or subject area, and time and place.

Responsibilities of DataNet Partners

The responsibilities of a DataNet Partner include the following:

  1. Vision and Rationale

        * Opportunity and Impact - Identify and meet specific
          scientific needs and create new opportunities and
          capabilities for discovery, innovation,  and learning.
        * Sustainable economic and technology models - Develop
          and continuously assess and revise a vision and rationale,
          with a corresponding organizational framework and
          implementation plan, that provides for economic and
          technological sustainability over a decades-long timeline.
          Develop metrics and an implementation timeline with
          milestones that will be used during the period of the
          proposed award in assessing progress towards achieving
          economic sustainability.  Conduct ongoing planning for
          regular and reliable migration to new systems and execute
          migrations without disruption of service or risk to
          preservation.

  2. Activities

        * Support the full data preservation and access lifecycle,
          including acquisition; documentation; protection; access,
          analysis and dissemination; migration; and disposition as
          follows:
             * Data deposition/acquisition/ingest - Provide
               systems, tools, procedures, and capacity for efficient
               data and metadata deposition by authors and others;
               acquisition from appropriate sources; and ingest in
               accordance with well-developed and transparent policies
               and procedures that are responsive to community needs,
               maximize the potential for re-use, and ensure
               preservation and access over a decades timeline.
             * Data curation and metadata management - Provide
               for appropriate data curation and indexing, including
               metadata deposition, acquisition and/or entry and
               continuing metadata management for use in search,
               discovery, analysis, provenance and attribution, and
               integration.  Develop and maintain transparent policies
               and procedures for ongoing collection management,
               including deaccessioning of data as appropriate.
             * Data protection - Provide systems, tools,
               policies, and procedures for protecting legitimate
               privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, or
               other security needs as appropriate to the data type
               and use.
             * Data discovery, access, use, and dissemination -
               Provide systems, tools, procedures, and capacity for
               discovery of data by specialist and non-specialist
               users, access to data through both graphical and
               machine interfaces, and dissemination of data in
               response to users needs.
             * Data interoperability, standards, and integration
               - Promote the efficient use and continuing
               evolution of existing standards (e.g. ontologies,
               semantic frameworks, and knowledge representation
               strategies). Support community-based efforts to develop
               new standards and merge or adapt existing standards.
               Provide systems, tools, procedures, and capacity to
               enhance data interoperability and integration.
             * Data evaluation, analysis, and visualization -
               Provide systems, tools, procedures, and capacity to
               enable data driven visual understanding and integration
               and to enhance the ability of diverse users to
               evaluate, analyze, and visualize data.
        * Engage at the frontiers of science and engineering research
          and education - Engage in research central to DataNet
          responsibilities, addressing the evolving technical
          challenges, and fully integrate computer and information
          scientists and cyberinfrastructure researchers at all levels
          of the organization. Facilitate research both as an
          information resource and as an object of research. Establish
          and maintain close interactions with the relevant domain
          science and education communities, fully integrate relevant
          domain expertise within the organization, and facilitate
          access by and interaction with researchers using the
          resources of the organization and studying its functions.
        * Education and training - Provide systems, tools, and
          resources that enhance: (1) the use of digital data for
          educational and training purposes at all levels (K/12,
          undergraduate, graduate, professional, and public); and (2)
          capabilities for integration of research and education at
          all levels, including mechanisms that allow students and the
          lay public to participate in and contribute to science data
          activities, that facilitate the use of research data and
          information in science-based learning, and that enhance the
          ability of others to use scientific data as a means to forge
          a closer link between the classroom and the research
          environment.
        * Community and user input and assessment - Provide
          policies, procedures, systems, tools, and forums (including
          workshops and conferences) for continuously obtaining input
          and responding to users and to the community on the mission,
          strategies, and policies of the Partner, including its
          effectiveness in meeting its responsibilities, and in
          planning and implementing the tools and services it
          provides. Develop and implement a vigorous and comprehensive
          assessment program including policies, metrics, procedures
          and tools for continuously assessing the effectiveness of
          the Partner in meeting the responsibilities listed in this
          section and in responding to the needs of users and the
          community.
        * International Participants - Collaborate and coordinate
          closely with other preservation and access organizations,
          both domestic and foreign, with the long-term goal of
          catalyzing the formation of a global data network.  In
          keeping with this goal, NSF strongly encourages active
          international collaboration by the DataNet Partners.
          DataNet funds may be used to support U.S. investigators and
          students to work in international settings and foreign
          investigators and students to work in the U.S.  However,
          foreign collaborators are expected to secure support for
          their activities at their home or other non-U.S.
          institutions from their own national sources.

  3. Organizational Structure

        * Comprehensive expertise and infrastructure
          capacity/capabilities - Possess expertise in library and
          archival sciences; computer, computational, and information
          sciences; cyberinfrastructure; and domain sciences.
          Integrate this expertise into a single, functional unit
          through an organizational structure that enables shared
          responsibility, close coordination and cooperation, and
          catalyzes the exchange of ideas.  Possess the computational
          and storage resources, network fabric (resources for
          internal and external access, dissemination, interaction,
          and communication), and expert support and administrative
          staff for meeting the goals for digital data preservation,
          access, and integration.  This capacity must support the
          ability to visualize and explore massive and/or
          heterogeneous data sets and to support analyses of data sets
          whose size or protection needs prevent their being moved to
          another site for analysis.
        * Diverse, multisector participation - Include as active
          project participants and/or key project partners
          organizations from a variety of sectors such as academic
          organizations of diverse geographical, programmatic, and
          institutional types; governmental organizations at the
          federal, state, and local levels; non-profit organizations;
          commercial entities; and international organizations.
          Envision the user base to include individuals and
          organizations from a diverse spectrum of sectors and
          institutional, geographical, and cultural settings with a
          wide range of needs, expectations, practices, and
          capabilities in pursuing their research and learning goals.
          Maintain a resource that serves a broad range of
          disciplinary and topic areas; manage a wide range of data
          types and formats; and provide advanced capabilities for
          searching and integrating information from various elements
          of the collection. Develop policies and practices that
          increase the participation of women and individuals from
          groups underrepresented in science and engineering at all
          levels and in all Partner activities.
        * Data Network - Collaborate and coordinate closely with other
          DataNet Partners and digital preservation/access
          organizations nationally and internationally with the goal
          of achieving a level of interoperability that allows
          seamless, single entry point discovery, access, and use of
          data from across the network. Work with other DataNet
          Partners and digital preservation/access organizations to
          develop and disseminate best practices and principles. It is
          anticipated that cooperative agreements under this program
          will encourage the establishment of a shared governance or
          coordination framework among the DataNet Partners and
          including representation among users and the community.
          Participation in this process is a requirement of an award.

     DataNet Partner Leadership and Management

     Strong central leadership is critical to the success of a DataNet
     Partner in order to insure a unified vision and strategy to
     provide for reliable preservation and access while embracing
     continuous technological change. The Director of a DataNet
     Partner should have a broad, integrated vision, familiarity with
     the diverse areas that are part of the goals and the ability to
     lead interdisciplinary teams.  Proposals should either identify
     an individual with demonstrated management skills to be
     designated as Director or describe a recruitment and selection
     process for retaining an appropriate person.  A DataNet Partner
     will need to pursue a wide range of activities simultaneously.
     This will require an effective management plan with clear lines
     of responsibility and authority, as well as appropriate advisory
     or oversight boards and user groups.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Anticipated Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: Two to three awards are anticipated in each of
two review cycles (one review cycle for fiscal year FY2008 awards and one
for FY2009) for a total of five awards, contingent on the quality of
proposals received and pending the availability of funds. Each award is
limited to a total of up to $20,000,000 (direct plus indirect costs) for up
to 5 years. The initial term of each award is expected to be 5 years with
the potential at NSF's sole discretion for one terminal renewal for another
5 years, subject to performance and the availability of funds. Such
performance is to include serving the needs of the relevant science and
engineering research and education communities and catalyzing new
opportunities for progress. If a second five-year award is made, NSF
funding is expected to decrease in each successive year of the award as the
Partner transitions to a sustainable economic model with other sources of
support. The actual amount of the annual decrease in NSF support will be
established through the cooperative agreement. Note that the maximum period
NSF will support a DataNet Partner is 10 years.

Anticipated Funding Amount: Up to $100,000,000 over a five year period is
expected to be available contingent on the quality of proposals received
and pending the availability of funds.

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration
are subject to the availability of funds.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Organization Limit:

     Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

        * Academic Institutions located in the U.S.: U.S. universities
          and colleges located in the U.S.
        * Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums,
          observatories, research labs, professional societies and
          similar organizations in the U.S. associated with
          educational or research activities.

PI Limit:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

     None Specified

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:

     None Specified

Additional Eligibility Info:

     Although the DataNet Partners are expected to be
     multi-organizational, a single organization must serve as the
     lead with all other organizations as subawardees.  Proposals to
     this program must be submitted as a single proposal from the lead
     institution and may not be separately submitted as linked,
     collaborative proposals.  Organizations eligible to serve as lead
     are U.S. academic institutions or U.S. non-profit research
     organizations that are directly associated with educational
     and/or research activities. Organizations eligible to serve as
     subawardees are all those organizations eligible under the
     provisions of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG).

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

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

Submission of a preliminary proposal is required for eligibility to submit
a full proposal. Preliminary proposals must be received as a single
submission with one organization serving as the lead and all others as
subawardees.  Linked preliminary proposals submitted using the
collaborative mechanism of Fastlane will be returned without review.  While
the lead institution submitting the preliminary proposal must be a U.S.
academic institution or U.S. non-profit, non-academic organization,
subawardees may be any entity eligible under the provisions of the NSF GPG.

Preliminary proposals must be submitted via FastLane and must include the
following:

   * Information About Principal Investigators/Project Directors and
     Co-Principal Investigators/Co-Project Directors - Use standard
     GPG guidelines
   * Fastlane Cover Sheet: Select this program solicitation number from the
     pull down list. Check the box for preliminary proposal. Entries on the
     Fastlane cover sheet are limited to the principal investigator/project
     director and a maximum of 4 co-principal investigators/project
     directors. All other senior project participants should be listed on
     the project summary page and entered into Fastlane as Senior Personnel
     (this latter provision allows their biographical sketches to be
     included in the Fastlane proposal).
   * Title - The title of the proposal must begin with "DataNet Preliminary
     Proposal:".
   * Project Summary (1 page) - The summary must consist of 3 parts: (1) At
     the top of this page, indicate the title of the project, the name of
     the PI and the lead organization, and list Co-PIs and Senior Personnel
     with institutional affiliation; (2) Provide a succinct summary of the
     intellectual merit including the vision and rationale for the DataNet
     Partner, the array of data types and primary topical/disciplinary
     areas to be served by the Partner, and an overview of plans for
     providing reliable, long-term preservation and access amid continuing
     technology change, achieving technical and economic sustainability,
     and providing for enhanced information integration capabilities; and
     (3) describe the broader impacts of the proposed work, including any
     exceptional  opportunities for progress in research and education that
     may arise from the planned structure, composition, and/or organization
     of the proposed Partner, the educational and training activities, and
     plans for achieving a diverse organization serving a wide variety of
     users and communities.
   * Project Description - The project description is limited to a total of
     7 pages and must address the following:
        * Vision and rationale: Describe the over-arching vision for the
          DataNet Partner, including the nature of the needs and
          opportunities to be met and the expected impact. Provide an
          overview of the strategy for achieving long term economic and
          technological sustainability.
        * Activities: Provide an outline of the proposed activities of the
          Partner in managing the full data life cycle and enabling
          discovery, innovation, and learning with participation across a
          diversity of sectors.
        * Structure: Provide an overview of the structure of the proposed
          DataNet Partner, indicating which sectors will be actively
          involved, the nature of the expected user base, the anticipated
          diversity of participants and users, and the range of expertise
          and infrastructure to be included.
   * References Cited - Indicate with an asterisk any cited
     publications resulting from prior research funded by NSF for the PI or
     Co-PIs when following the GPG guidelines for all references cited.
   * Biographical Sketches - Provide biographical sketches for the PI,
     Co-PIs, and other Senior Personnel listed on the Project Summary page.
   * Current and Pending Support - Provide this information for the
     PI, Co-PIs, and other Senior Personnel listed on the Project Summary
     page. Address any potential overlap between the federally funded
     projects that are listed and the proposed DataNet activities.
   * Budget - No budget is required. However, please enter $2 in the
     Requested Amount box on the Fastlane Cover Sheet (this entry allows
     correct Fastlane processing).
   * Special Information and Supplementary Documentation - The
     following additional information is required in addition to that
     allowed under the provisions of the GPG:
        * Key Personnel: Provide a list of key leadership personnel
          (maximum 3 pages), with a brief description of what each person
          uniquely brings to the DataNet Partner.
   * Single Copy Documents: The following additional information is
     required in addition to that included within the provisions of the
     Grant Proposal Guide:
        * Integrated conflicts of interests list: Provide a list, in a
          single alphabetized table, of the full names and institutional
          affiliations of all people with conflicts of interest for the PI,
          Co-PIs, Senior Personnel and any named personnel for whom
          support  is anticipated to be included in a full proposal budget.
          The table should specify the nature of the conflict including:
          (1) PhD thesis advisors or advisees; (2) collaborator or
          co-authors, including postdocs, for the past 48 months; and (3)
          any other individuals or institutions with which the PI or Co-PIs
          have financial ties, including advisory committees.
        * In addition to the Conflict of Interest List, other
          correspondence to the program not intended to be sent to
          reviewers, such as a list of potential reviewers, can be sent
          through the Single Copy Documents section of FastLane. Please
          note that key project personnel may be required, prior to an
          award, to submit copies of any intellectual property agreements
          or material transfer agreements they have signed, or are planning
          to sign, that would have an impact on the unrestricted and timely
          distribution of the outcomes of NSF funded research. Submission
          of a Single Copy Document will allow these materials to be
          reviewed by NSF officials only, and they will remain
          confidential.

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 following exceptions and additions to the guidelines in the GPG or NSF
Grants.gov Application Guide apply to full proposals submitted to this
Program:

Full proposals will be accepted only from PIs who have submitted
preliminary proposals in the current review cycle. Eligible proposals must
originate from principal investigators whose proposals are successful in
the preceding preliminary proposal competition described above and must be
based on those preliminary proposals. All proposals not meeting these
requirements will be returned without review. Full proposals submitted by
PIs whose preliminary proposals received a review recommendation of 'not
invited' will be returned without review.  Full proposals must be received
as a single submission with one organization serving as the lead and all
others as subawardees.  Linked proposals submitted using the collaborative
mechanism of Fastlane will be returned without review.  While the lead
institution submitting the proposal must be a U.S. academic institution or
U.S. non-profit, non-academic organization, subawardees may be any entity
eligible under the provisions of the NSF GPG.

   * Information About Principal Investigators/Project Directors and
     Co-Principal Investigators/Co-Project Directors - Use standard
     GPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines
   * Cover Sheet:
        * Fastlane Users - Select this program solicitation number from the
          pull down list. Entries on the Fastlane cover sheet are limited
          to the principal investigator/project director and a maximum of 4
          co-principal investigators/project directors. All other senior
          project participants should be listed on the project summary page
          and entered into Fastlane as Senior Personnel (this latter
          provision allows their biographical sketches to be included in
          the Fastlane proposal).
        * Grants.gov Users - The program solicitation number will be
          pre-populated by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover
          Page. NSF allows one principal investigator/project director and
          a maximum of 4 co-principal investigators/project directors to be
          identified on a proposal.  Instructions for entering additional
          senior project participants are included in Section V.5. of the
          NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.
   * Title - The title of the proposal must begin with "DataNet Full
     Proposal:".
   * Project Summary (1 page) - The summary must consist of 3 parts: (1) At
     the top of this page, indicate the title of the project, the name of
     the PI and the lead organization, and list Co-PIs and Senior Personnel
     with institutional affiliation; (2) Provide a succinct summary of the
     intellectual merit, including the vision and rationale for the DataNet
     Partner, the array of data types and primary topical/disciplinary
     areas to be served by the Partner, and an overview of plans for
     providing reliable, long-term preservation and access amid continuing
     technology change, achieving technical and economic sustainability,
     and providing for enhanced information integration capabilities; and
     (3) describe the broader impacts of the proposed work, including any
     exceptional  opportunities for progress in research and education that
     may arise from the planned structure, composition, and/or organization
     of the proposed Partner, the educational and training activities, and
     plans for achieving a diverse organization serving a wide variety of
     users and communities.
   * Project Description - The project description is limited to 20
     pages and must address the following:
        * Results from Prior Research - Describe only prior research of the
          PI or Co-PIs funded by NSF that is directly and immediately
          relevant to this DataNet proposal. Other results from prior
          research should be described in Appendix A6 (see below).
        * Vision and Rationale - Describe why the proposed DataNet Partner
          is needed, what new opportunities would be created by the
          establishment of the Partner, and the anticipated impact on
          discovery and learning.  Provide the rationale for the choice of
          science and engineering research and education fields to be
          served.   Describe the nature of the anticipated user base.
          Explain how the vision and rationale contribute to an effective
          strategy for achieving long term economic and technological
          sustainability (note that detailed sustainability plans should be
          included in Appendix A1 as described below).
        * Activities - Provide plans for managing the full data
          preservation and access life cycle. Describe how the Partner will
          engage at the frontiers of research and education, engaging in
          research central to DataNet responsibilities and facilitating and
          serving as an object of research. Describe the education and
          training plans and capabilities for integrating research and
          education.  Describe plans for obtaining active user input in all
          phases of Partner activities, tools, and services (e.g. design,
          development, implementation, refinement, etc). Provide plans for
          developing and implementing a vigorous and comprehensive
          assessment and evaluation program.
        * Structure - Describe the structure of the proposed Partner and
          how its components will work together in achieving its vision.
          Provide an overview of the management plan with a diagram of
          reporting relationships and an outline of how the various project
          components interact and are brought together into a functional
          whole (note that this is an overview only with details of the
          management plan to be provided in Appendix A2 as described
          below).  Provide an outline of the cyberinfrastructure components
          of the Partner and how these are integrated into a coherent and
          effective infrastructure framework (note that details of the
          individual cyberinfrastructure components should be provided in
          Appendix A3 as described below).  List the types of expertise to
          be provided by project participants and how each contributes to
          the overall function of the Partner (note that a detailed
          description of key leadership personnel and their individual
          roles should be included in Appendix A4 as described below).
          Describe the various sectors (e.g. academic, government,
          non-profit, commercial, international, etc.) to be involved and
          how each contributes to and benefits from the project (note that
          the specific roles of each of the participating organizations
          should be described in Appendix A5 as described below). Provide
          plans for increasing the participation of women and individuals
          from underrepresented groups in all Partner activities. Describe
          plans for promoting the formation of a functional data network,
          including interactions with other digital preservation/access
          organizations and mechanisms for enabling interoperability across
          the network.
   * References Cited - Indicate with an asterisk any cited
     publications resulting from prior research funded by NSF for the PI or
     Co-PIs when following the guidelines for all references cited.
   * Biographical Sketches - Provide biographical sketches for the PI,
     Co-PIs, and other Senior Personnel listed on the Project Summary page.
   * Current and Pending Support - Provide this information for the
     PI, Co-PIs and other senior personnel listed on the Project Summary
     page. Address any potential overlap between the federally funded
     projects that are listed and the proposed DataNet activities.
   * Budget - Follow the instructions in the GPG or NSF Grants.gov
     Application Guide for preparing the budget. Multi-institutional
     proposals must be submitted through the lead organization with a
     single budget including all other participating organizations as
     subawardees (see GPG guidelines, Chapter II.D.3). Provide a detailed
     budget justification separately for the lead organization (up to 3
     pages) and for each subawardee budget (up to 3 pages each). Funds for
     facility construction or renovation may NOT be requested.
     Participation in the annual meeting of DataNet Partners leadership,
     focused on coordination, collaboration, integration, best practices,
     and shared governance structures, will be a requirement of an award.
     Funds for travel by four project personnel to this annual meeting at
     NSF in Arlington, Virginia must be included in the budget.
   * Special Information and Supplementary Documentation - The
     following additional information is required in addition to that
     allowed by the provisions of the GPG or NSF Grants.gov Application
     Guide:
        * Appendix A1, Sustainability Plans (maximum 4 pages): While it is
          recognized that achieving sustainability will be a process of
          experimentation, adaptation, and evolution and that only limited
          models currently exist, proposers should describe an initial
          strategy, and the organizational structures and processes to be
          used in pursuing that strategy, by which both economic and
          technological sustainability could be achieved over the long
          term.  The former - economic sustainability - means
          an organization that is wholly or largely independent of
          continued NSF funding for this activity by year 11.  The latter
          - technological sustainability - refers to an
          organization that can provide for reliable long-term data
          preservation and access while continuously adapting to new
          technologies and user expectations.
        * Appendix A2, Management Plan (maximum 3 pages): Provide a
          detailed management plan describing key leadership positions,
          reporting relationships, means of communication and interaction
          among the members of the group and with the community, oversight
          and accountability mechanisms, external advisory committees, etc.
          If an external advisory committee is to be utilized, do not list
          individual names, but do list the number of members and describe
          the range of expertise needed to constitute an efficient and
          functional committee. Describe the key characteristics,
          expertise, and experience of the Director if an individual has
          been designated or describe the recruitment process and selection
          criteria for retaining a qualified Director.
        * Appendix A3, Cyberinfrastructure Capabilities (maximum 4 pages):
          Describe the hardware and software systems and technologies,
          networking and access capabilities, help-desk services, and the
          service, fail-over (i.e. alternate site in case of disruption to
          the primary site), and archiving provisions for the proposed
          DataNet Partner. Discuss the computer and information science and
          engineering capabilities of project personnel. Describe
          mechanisms (such as hardware and software replacement/development
          cycles, etc.) that will be used to ensure that the computational
          and cyberinfrastructure capabilities of the Partner remain at the
          leading edge of rapidly evolving technologies, concepts, and
          strategies in computer and information science.
        * Appendix A4, Key Personnel: Provide a list of key leadership
          personnel (maximum 3 pages), with a brief description of what
          each person brings uniquely to the DataNet Partner.
        * Appendix A5, Role of Participating Organizations and Sectors
          (maximum 3 pages): Describe the role, resources, and capabilities
          that the lead and subawardee organizations bring to the project.
          Describe plans for active participation by a diversity of sectors
          such as academic organizations of diverse geographical,
          programmatic, and institutional types, governmental organizations
          at the federal, state, and local levels, non-profit
          organizations, commercial entities, and international
          organizations.
        * Appendix A6, Results from Prior Research (maximum 4 pages):
          Describe results from prior research supported by NSF or other
          major funding sources for the PI, Co-PIs, Senior Personnel, and
          other senior project participants.  Describe how these results
          provide evidence of the experience, expertise, and capabilities
          required for the project plan.
   * Single Copy Documents: The following information is required in
     addition to that included within the provisions of the GPG or NSF
     Grants.gov Application Guide:
        * Integrated Conflicts of Interests List for Applicants: Provide a
          list, in a single alphabetized table or spreadsheet of the full
          names and institutional affiliations of all people with conflicts
          of interest for the PI, Co-PIs, and any named personnel whose
          salary is requested in the project budget. The table should
          specify the nature of the conflict including: (1) PhD thesis
          advisors or advisees; (2) collaborator or co-authors, including
          postdocs, for the past 48 months; and (3) any other individuals
          or institutions with which the PI or Co-PIs have financial ties.
        * In addition to the Conflict of Interest List, other
          correspondence to the program not intended to be sent to
          reviewers, such as a list of potential reviewers, can be sent
          through the Single Copy Document section of FastLane or
          Grants.gov. Please note that key project personnel may be
          required, prior to an award decision, to submit copies of any
          intellectual property agreements or material transfer agreements
          they have signed, or are planning to sign, that would have an
          impact on the unrestricted and timely distribution of the
          outcomes of the NSF funded research. Submission of a Single Copy
          Document will allow these materials to be reviewed by the NSF
          officials only, and they will remain confidential.

Checklist for Proposal Preparation

   * Proposal submitted as a single proposal with one organization as the
     lead and all other participating organizations as subawardees. No
     linked, collaborative proposal submissions will be accepted.
   * Title begins with "DataNet Preliminary Proposal: ..." or
     "DataNet Full Proposal: ..."
   * Project Summary contains all requested information, including the
     broader impacts of the proposed work
   * Project Description is 7 (preliminary) or 15 (full) pages or less in
     length, including figures and tables
   * References Cited includes publications resulting from prior research
     funded by NSF (marked*)
   * Biographical Sketches (2 pages each) included for PI, Co-PIs, and
     Senior Personnel listed in the Project Summary
   * Current and Pending Support Statements included for PI, Co-PIs and
     Senior Personnel listed in the Project Summary
   * For full proposal, appendices A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6 uploaded in
     Supplementary Documents
   * Single, alphabetized table listing conflicts of interests uploaded
     into Single Copy Documents

B. Budgetary Information

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

C. Due Dates

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

          January 07, 2008

          November 13, 2008

   * Full Proposal Target Date(s):

          March 21, 2008

          May 15, 2009

NOTE: Deadline dates for preliminary and full proposals have been changed
to:  Preliminary Proposals due November 13, 2008 and Full Proposals due May
15, 2009. The page limit for the project description has been increased to
20 pages.

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:

     Preliminary Proposals:

        * Vision and Rationale: How effective is the preliminary proposal
          in describing a compelling vision to meet important needs and
          opportunities and a credible strategy to achieve long term
          sustainability?
        * Activities:  How effective will the activities outlined in the
          preliminary proposal be in providing for management of the full
          data life cycle and enabling discovery, innovation, and learning
          with participation across a diversity of sectors?
        * Organizational Structure: Does the structure outlined in the
          preliminary proposal provide for participation by an appropriate
          range of sectors, serve and engage an appropriate set of users
          and participants, and provide for the necessary expertise and
          infrastructure?

     Full Proposals:

        * Vision and Rationale: How effective will the plan described in
          the proposal be in: (a) meeting well-defined, critical data
          needs; (b) creating new opportunities and capabilities for
          discovery, innovation and learning; (c) improving the way science
          and engineering research and education are conducted; and (d)
          achieving long term economic and technological sustainability
          beyond the end of NSF funding?
        * Activities:  How effective will the plan described in the
          proposal be in: (a) providing for the full data management life
          cycle; (b) engaging in research central to DataNet
          responsibilities and facilitating research as resource and
          object; (c) developing new tools and capabilities for learning
          that integrate research and education at all levels; (d)
          providing for community input and participation in all phases and
          aspects of Partner activities; and (e) ensuring vigorous and
          comprehensive evaluation and assessment of all aspects of the
          project?
        * Organizational Structure: How effective will the plan described
          in the proposal be in: (a) providing a comprehensive and
          appropriate range of expertise in library and archival sciences,
          cyberinfrastructure, computer and information sciences, and
          domain sciences; (b) providing the required cyberinfrastructure
          resources and capabilities; (c) serving a diverse user base; (d)
          ensuring active participation by a diverse range of individuals
          (including women and members of underrepresented groups),
          organizations, and sectors; (e) serving as an effective partner
          in an interoperable network of digital preservation and access
          organizations; and (f) providing a management plan for effective
          leadership with clear lines of authority, responsibility,
          accountability, community and user responsiveness, and the
          ability to adapt to new opportunities and technologies?

B. Review and Selection Process

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

The review process will take place in three stages as follows. First, all
proposers must submit a preliminary proposal that provides the information
described in Section V above. Following review of preliminary proposals by
a panel of external reviewers, selected proposers will be invited to
proceed to the next stage of review with submission of a full proposal.
Those who did not submit preliminary proposals are ineligible to submit a
full proposal in the current review cycle. Full proposals submitted without
a corresponding preliminary proposal in the current review cycle will not
be accepted. Eligible full proposals will be evaluated by both external
mail-in and panel reviews. The outcomes of this evaluation will then be
used to select proposals for the third stage of review consisting of a site
visit by a panel of outside experts

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.

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

   * Lucy Nowell, telephone: (703) 292-8970, email: lnowell@nsf.gov

   * Sylvia Spengler, telephone: (703) 292-8930, email: sspengle@nsf.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

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

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

   * Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational
     Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from
     Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please
     contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.gov.

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on
NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding
opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly
encouraged. In addition, MyNSF (formerly the Custom News Service) is an
information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other
interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and
publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and
procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are
informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new
publications are issued that match their identified interests. MyNSF also
is available on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/.

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for
Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may
be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may
be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency
created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC
1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress
of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare
by supporting research and education in all fields of science and
engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering.
It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000
colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science
organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The
Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic
institutions for basic research.

NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research,
education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded.
In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for
graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories
itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain
oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also
supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US
participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and
educational activities at every academic level.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide
funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide
Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these
types of proposals.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD)
and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable
individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation
about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed
at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703)
292-5111.

 The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
 progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
 cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
 mathematics, and engineering.

 To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
 copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the
 NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov

        * Location:                       4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington,
                                          VA 22230
        * For General Information         (703) 292-5111
          (NSF Information Center):
        * TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090

        * To Order Publications or Forms:

              Send an e-mail to:          pubs@nsf.gov

                 or telephone:            (703) 292-7827

        * To Locate NSF Employees:        (703) 292-5111

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is
solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in
connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may
be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the
proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or
obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the
administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers
and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to
other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding
applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in
order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency,
court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the
government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be
added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve
as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records,
NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69
Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File
and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004).
Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and
complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an
award.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this
collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding the burden
estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

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


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