Title: Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training Program
Date:  April 6, 1998


NSF 98-96

INTEGRATIVE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM

Program Announcement

1998 Competition
PREPROPOSAL DEADLINE: July 1, 1998
FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE: November 23, 1998

1999 Competition
PREPROPOSAL DEADLINE: April 15, 1999
FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE: September 7, 1999

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The challenges of educating scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for the
21st century mandate a new paradigm for training graduate students. To meet
the need for a cadre of broadly prepared Ph.D.s with multidisciplinary
backgrounds and the technical, professional, and personal skills essential to
addressing the varied career demands of the future, the National Science
Foundation (NSF) announces an agency-wide, multidisciplinary, graduate
training program. The goal of the Integrative Graduate Education and Research
Training (IGERT) Program is to enable the development of innovative,
research-based, graduate education and training activities that will produce a
diverse group of new scientists and engineers well-prepared for a broad
spectrum of career opportunities in industry, government and academe.
Supported projects must be based upon a multidisciplinary research theme and
organized around a diverse group of investigators from U.S. Ph.D.-granting
institutions with appropriate research and teaching interests and expertise.

NSF organizations participating in the IGERT program include the Directorates
for Biological Sciences (BIO), Computer and Information Science and
Engineering (CISE), Education and Human Resources (EHR), Engineering (ENG),
Geosciences (GEO), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Social,
Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), and the Office of Polar Programs
(OPP).


Program Description

An effective multidisciplinary training environment is one that combines the
strengths of various disciplines necessary to meet the challenges of a
particular multidisciplinary research theme. The use of a multidisciplinary
research theme provides a framework for the integration of research and
educational activities, and for collaborative efforts in training that span
disciplinary areas. Such training programs should, for example: emphasize
critical and emerging areas of science and engineering; provide students with
hands-on experience in state-of-the-art research instrumentation and
methodologies; develop trainee communication and teamwork skills; offer
training experiences relevant to both academic and non-academic careers by
linking graduate research with research in industry, national laboratories, or
other non-academic settings; provide training in the responsible conduct of
research; facilitate the development of a diverse workforce; and foster
international perspectives on research.

The research theme may draw upon investigators from two or more departments
within one institution or from more than one institution. The primary emphasis
of the IGERT program is on new and innovative training of doctoral students.
However, the program may, in exceptional cases, support efforts that include
undergraduate, masters and/or postdoctoral training if such participation
clearly strengthens the proposed training program.

All IGERT projects are expected to incorporate the following features:

* Comprehensive multidisciplinary research theme, appropriate for
doctoral-level research, to serve as the foundation for training activities;

* Training activities based on the integration of the multidisciplinary
research theme with innovative educational opportunities, including training
in the responsible conduct of research, and strong interactions among
participating students and faculty;

* Training environment that exposes students to state-of-the-art research
instrumentation and/or methodologies;

* Formal administrative plan and organizational structure that ensure the
effective management of the requested resources to achieve the goals of the
project;

* Institutional strategy and operational plan for student recruitment, with
special consideration of efforts aimed at members of groups underrepresented
in science and engineering, i.e., women, racial and ethnic minorities, and
persons with disabilities, to ensure preparation of a diverse science and
engineering workforce; and

* Well-defined strategy for assessment of project performance.


Two-Stage IGERT Competition

Applicants compete for support from the IGERT program in a two-stage process.
In the first stage, applicants submit a preliminary proposal (preproposal)
that outlines the planned IGERT activity; in the second, invited applicants
submit a full proposal. Invitations to submit full proposals will be extended
on the basis of merit review of the preproposals; only invited full proposals
will be accepted.

Eligibility

Academic institutions in the United States and its territories that grant the
Ph.D. degree and have research and training programs in the sciences and
engineering are invited to submit preproposals. Projects involving more than
one U.S. institution are eligible, but a single institution must accept
overall management responsibility. Collaborating institutions need not be
academic. Details of complex, multi-institutional arrangements should be
discussed with one of the directorate representatives listed at the end of
this announcement before preproposal submission. To encourage the development
of innovative projects, there is no limit to the number of preproposals that
may be submitted by an institution in response to this announcement. However,
NSF does not anticipate making more than one IGERT award to a single
institution as a result of any single competition. Therefore, an institution
may submit no more than two single-institution full proposals and, as lead
institution, one multi-institution full proposal per round of competition.
Projects involving research in any of the areas appropriate for funding by NSF
are eligible.

Principal Investigator

The Principal Investigator should be the director of the IGERT project. The
director will have overall responsibility for administration of the award,
management of the project, and for interactions with the NSF. The director and
the home institution are expected to develop an administrative structure that
enables faculty, students and others involved in the group effort to interact
productively during the award period. The director is expected to be an
integral participant in the education and research training activities of the
IGERT project.

Award Size and Duration

Awards will be made in amounts up to $500,000 per year (including direct and
indirect costs) for a duration not to exceed five years; up to an additional
$200,000 will be available for appropriate state-of-the-art research
instrumentation and special purpose research materials during the first year
of the award. The number and size of awards will depend on the advice of
reviewers and on the availability of funds; however, it is anticipated that
about 20 awards will be made as a result of each annual competition.


Proposal Format and Electronic Submission

Both preproposals and full proposals must be prepared following requirements
described in Chapter I, Section F of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF
98-2. The GPG, as well many other NSF publications, can be obtained from the
NSF World Wide Web home page at the following Universal Resource Locator (URL):
http://www.nsf.gov. Paper copies of the GPG can be requested at no cost from:

        NSF Publication Clearinghouse
        P.O. Box 218
        Jessup, MD  20794-0218
        Phone: 301-947-2722.
        Email: pubs@nsf.gov

Preproposals and full proposals must be submitted electronically using the NSF
FastLane system for electronic proposal submission and review, available
through the World Wide Web at the FastLane home page
(http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/). The special forms kits for preparation of
IGERT preproposals and full proposals should be used. Detailed instructions on
"Preparing and Submitting an IGERT Preproposal" and on "Preparing and
Submitting an IGERT Full Proposal" are available on the NSF home page at the
following URL: http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/igert/start.htm/.

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 4.0 or above;  Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or above; and a PDF File
Converter. To access the FastLane Proposal Preparation application, 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.

Preproposals and full proposals must be submitted via FastLane no later than
5:00 PM (submitters local time) on the deadline dates listed at the beginning
of this announcement, and the signed (paper) cover sheet must be mailed in
time to arrive at NSF within seven calendar days of the deadline for
electronic submission. For questions concerning FastLane, please send an
e-mail message to fastlane@nsf.gov.

Preproposal Content

The preproposal must include the items listed below in the order shown. No
appendices or letters of endorsement are permitted. Preproposals containing
appendices or such letters, or that exceed the page limits indicated below,
will be returned without review.

1. Cover Sheet for Preproposals (NSF Form 1207): Preproposals submitted in
response to this program announcement must specify "IGERT" and the
announcement number NSF 98-96 in the box entitled "Program Announcement".
They must also specify "IGERT-Preproposal" in the box entitled "For
consideration by NSF Organizational Unit". This box is accessed with the "org
unit" button while completing the form. Both boxes are automatically completed
if the special forms kit for IGERT preproposals is used. A short, informative
title should be provided on the appropriate line. In accordance with FastLane
instructions, a printed (paper) copy of the form must be endorsed by the
Principal Investigator(s) and authorized institutional representative and
mailed to the NSF at the following address for receipt within 7 calendar days
of the deadline for electronic submission:

        IGERT Program  NSF 98-96
        National Science Foundation PPU
        4201 Wilson Blvd., Room P60
        Arlington, VA 22230


2. Project Summary Form: Provide a brief (200 words or less) description of
the training program, including the research theme, education features and
objectives.

3. Project Description Form: Sections requested in items A and F (below) are
each limited to a length of one page. The main project description, which
includes information requested in items B through E, cannot exceed five pages
of text in total length, including any citations, lists, charts, figures, or
tables. This narrative must include the following:

A.  List of Faculty Participants: Include departmental and, if appropriate,
institutional affiliation of all faculty participants expected to mentor
students or to otherwise play an important role in the project. This section
is limited to one page.

B.  Goals and Objectives: Discuss the goals, objectives, and anticipated
impact of the proposed project.  Include a discussion of what is currently
missing from graduate training or what could be done more effectively, and how
the proposed project will address these issues. Be specific about what is new.

C.  Multidisciplinary Research Theme and Major Research Efforts: Describe the
multidisciplinary research theme and the major research efforts that form the
foundation for the proposed project.

D.  Training Program: Describe the proposed integrative research and education
activities for graduate student training. Indicate how the training activities
ensure full diversity as an integral component, and how training in
responsible conduct of research will be provided. New or novel aspects of the
training program should be emphasized to help reviewers judge the potential
impact of the proposed activities.

E.  Administration and Evaluation: Briefly describe the strategies for award
administration and for evaluation of the project.

F.  Expected Resource Commitments: Briefly describe anticipated resource
commitments to the IGERT project by the institution(s) and other sources. Any
such commitments need not be firmly established at the time of preproposal
submission; therefore, no letters of commitment or endorsement from the
submitting institution or other entities are allowed. This section is limited
to one page.


4. Biographical Sketches: For each individual included on the list of faculty
participants (item 3A), provide a one-page, abbreviated biographical sketch or
curriculum vitae that includes a brief description of current research
support. The sketch should include the individuals academic and professional
history, and may include a list of at most 10 publications.  Other activities
or accomplishments may be listed. In choosing what to include,  emphasize
information that will be of help in understanding the strengths and
qualifications the individual will bring to the proposed IGERT project.
Provide comparable information about non-faculty mentors, if appropriate.
Although the instructions for content of normal biographical sketches (GPG:
Chapter II, Section 6.D) may be consulted, there is no specific required
content other than the description of current support. This section must not
exceed one page per person.

5. Estimated Five-Year Total Budget Summary (NSF Form 1030): Prepare a one
page, five-year summary of total estimated expenses. Specific items of
equipment or special research materials need not be listed. Budgets should
emphasize graduate student support.

Preproposal Submission and Review

Preproposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM (submitters local time)
on the deadline date listed at the beginning of this document. Preproposals
will be evaluated by multidisciplinary advisory panels using the criteria for
review of full proposals described below. The aim of this review is to
identify groups most likely to submit competitive full proposals. Up to 60
such groups will be invited to submit full proposals.

Full Proposal Content

Full proposals must contain the following elements in the order indicated.
Proposals that do not strictly adhere to the specified page limitations (given
below) will be ineligible for consideration and will be returned without
review.

1. Cover Sheet for Full Proposals (NSF Form 1207): Invited full proposals
should specify "IGERT" and list the announcement number NSF 98-96 in the
appropriate box. They must also specify "IGERT-Full Proposal" in the box
entitled "For consideration by NSF Organizational Unit". This box is accessed
with the "org unit" button while completing the form. Both boxes are
automatically completed if the special forms kit for IGERT full proposals is
used. A short, informative title should be provided on the appropriate line.
In accordance with FastLane instructions, a printed copy of the form must be
endorsed by the Principal Investigator(s) and authorized institutional
representative and mailed to the NSF (at the address given above for
preproposal submission) for receipt within seven days of the deadline for
electronic submission.

2. Project Summary Form: Provide a brief (200 words or less) description of
the training program, including the research theme, education features and
objectives.

3. Project Description Form: Particular attention must be paid to the
following in preparing the description:



A.  Table of Contents: Provide a Table of Contents with a page number for each
section and for major subdivisions of the project description (see below).

B.  List of Faculty Participants: Include departmental and, if appropriate,
institutional affiliation of all faculty participants expected to mentor
students or to otherwise play an important role in the project. This list is
limited to one page.

C.  Thematic Basis for the Group Effort: The research training theme provides
a conceptual focus that identifies the common interests of participating
faculty. The goals and objectives of the training effort as well as the
general nature and unifying aspects of the research training to be offered
must be described in this section. Benefits to be realized from opportunities
for cross-disciplinary cooperation in education and research training should
be emphasized. This section must not exceed 2 pages.

D.  Major Research Efforts: Provide examples of ongoing or planned research
that is expected to provide research training and thus serve as the foundation
of the multidisciplinary graduate training program. No more than six research
programs or thrust areas may be described. This restriction is intended to
limit the size of the proposal, not the number of participating faculty or the
scope of the project. These programs may represent efforts of individuals or
collaborative efforts. In either case, the description of each program should
highlight those aspects that link to the other research programs and that
provide opportunities for multidisciplinary efforts relevant to the thematic
focus. The faculty member(s) or other participants responsible for each
program must be identified, and the programs described in sufficient detail
for reviewers to assess their scientific merit and relevance to the theme.
Needs for special materials, shared instruments, travel to research sites, or
special courses must be justified in the context of the program(s) for which
they are required. The overall length of this section must not exceed 24
pages, inclusive of citations, tables, figures or other graphical data.

E.  Other Research: The research of other participating faculty members and of
any non-academic mentors who will participate in the IGERT activity should be
identified with a title and brief description of how it will contribute to the
training program. This section must not exceed 2 pages (total).

F.  Education and Training: This section should describe the training to be
provided, with emphasis on any new and/or innovative education and training
opportunities central to the proposed IGERT project. Identify faculty members
or others with primary responsibility for these efforts. If planned training
includes international, industrial or other non-academic internships, the
potential mentors should be identified if known. This section must also
indicate how the various proposed research efforts and educational experiences
will be interwoven to integrate research and education into an effective and
innovative graduate training program. Provisions for training in ethics and
responsible conduct of research, the role of diversity as an integral part of
the program, and time-to-degree expectations must be elaborated. The role of
undergraduate and/or postdoctoral components, if proposed, must also be
described with sufficient detail to clarify the benefit to the trainees
themselves and to justify support through this type of award.  This section
must not exceed 10 pages.

G.  Recruitment and Retention: Plans for recruitment and retention of trainees
should be described, including specific provisions for successful recruitment
and retention of members of groups underrepresented in science and
engineering. Identify the Ph.D. program(s) in which the IGERT graduate
students may enroll. This section must not exceed 3 pages.

H.  Organization and Management: Plans and procedures for the development and
management of the proposed activity should be described. The plan should
include use of a formal mechanism that assures the fair and effective
allocation of group resources. Procedures for selection of students and others
who will receive stipends or otherwise share in group funds must be described,
as should methods for allocation of use of shared equipment to be acquired
with IGERT funds. Relationships to other faculty and equipment at the
institution, and elsewhere if relevant, should be described as should the
relationship to any existing grants that provide funds for related training
and educational activities. This section must not exceed 3 pages.

I.  Performance Assessment: Describe a performance evaluation plan that ties
goals and objectives to indicators and specific measurements for assessing the
progress toward achievement of goals. Examples of some indicators which may be
useful are assessment of trainees' performance, time-to-degree (from beginning
of graduate studies), numbers and types of trainee placements, percentages of
members of underrepresented groups among trainees and faculty, effectiveness
of the multidisciplinary enterprise, and impact of the project on graduate
education within the institution(s). Although each project should propose its
own indicators, some later standardization is anticipated so that the NSF can
meet the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.
This section may not exceed 2 pages.

J.  Recruitment and Retention Experience: Provide the following information
about recruitment and retention of students in the participating Ph.D.
programs(s) in each of the last three years: (1) total number of applicants,
(2) total number of applicants accepted, (3) total number of accepted
applicants who enrolled, (4) average GRE scores of those who enrolled, (5)
total number of students currently enrolled in the program, indicating full-
or part-time status, (6) total number of Ph.D.s awarded, (7) average
time-to-degree, and (8) other relevant measures of student success. In
addition to these total numbers, provide separate numbers for women and for
underrepresented minorities in each of these categories. A tabular format
should be used, with separate tables for each participating Ph.D. program.
This section is limited to 1 page per participating Ph.D. program.

K.  Recent Training Experience: Provide information about the recent training
activities of each participating faculty member included on the list of
participating faculty (item 3B). This should include the numbers of
undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows (list numbers for
each category separately) who carried out research under the faculty member's
direction in each of the last three years and the titles of courses taught by
the faculty member during that time period. Other relevant activities such as
organization of workshops or special courses may be included; do not include
lectures or publications here. This section is limited to 1 page per person.

L.  Students and Collaborators: Provide a list of current and past
collaborators for each of the personnel included on the list of participating
faculty. The list should be arranged alphabetically (by personnel name) and
include the names of their graduate and postdoctoral mentors, the names of all
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have trained with the key
personnel, and the names of those with whom the key personnel have co-authored
papers within the last four years.


M.  Existing Facilities and Equipment: Include a brief description of
available facilities, including major instruments required for the research.
Where requested equipment or materials duplicate existing items, explain the
need for duplication. This section is limited to 2 pages.


4. Budget and Allowable Costs (NSF Form 1030): A budget for each year of
support requested as well as a cumulative budget for all five years must be
provided. The major portion of awarded funds must be used for training and
educational activities, and for related expenditures (including, for example,
travel, publication costs and student recruitment). No funds for faculty
research or faculty salaries may be requested. Stipends for students and
fellows, support for short-term visitors, and funding of a limited amount of
administrative support may be requested. The current graduate stipend is
$15,000 per year per student, with a cost-of-education allowance of $10,500
per year per student. Undergraduate stipends should be consistent with those
of the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, and postdoctoral
stipends may be determined by the institution. Each award will carry an 8%
overhead allowance based on the total direct cost minus equipment and
cost-of-education allowances. Stipend recipients must be citizens, nationals
or permanent residents of the U.S. Funds for the purchase, but not the
maintenance, of shared, special purpose research instruments which cost more
than $5,000 may be requested. Personnel and shop costs may be requested for
the development and construction of special instruments, as may funds for the
purchase of computer software or other special purpose materials. The total
funds requested for equipment, software and special purpose materials may not
exceed $200,000; if awarded, these funds will be provided in the first year of
the grant. Requests for equipment or special materials that exceed this limit,
or for equipment or materials whose primary use is in instruction, should be
addressed to an appropriate NSF program (see the NSF Guide to Programs; NSF
97-150). Limited funds intended to partially defray the costs of research by
students and fellows may also be requested. Funds for facility renovation or
for instrument installation or maintenance may not be requested.

5. Biographical Sketches and Individual Support: For each of the personnel
included on the list of participating faculty (item 3B), provide a curriculum
vitae or short biographical sketch (1-2 paragraphs), a list of up to 10
publications (to include the individual's 5 most important and up to 5 other,
relevant publications) and a complete list of current support. The information
may not exceed 2 pages for each individual. Do not include a list of
collaborators as part of the biographical sketch.

6. Budget Justification: A brief justification for funds in each budget
category should be provided. For shared equipment and special materials, a
particular model or source and the current or expected price should be
specified whenever possible. A brief explanation of the need for each
requested item and of the choice of specified models should be provided.
Arrangements for maintenance and operating expenses of requested equipment
should be described. If internships are planned, the willingness to
participate of the host organization and of the individual mentors (if known)
should be documented. This section should also include details of
institutional cost sharing, if any, and of other sources of support for the
IGERT project, such as government, industry, or private foundations. Although
cost sharing is not required, any such commitment specified in the proposal
will be referenced and included as a condition of an award resulting from this
announcement.

As part of this section, provide a list of all relevant documentation,
including that for institutional commitments, commitments by any other sources
of funding and commitments by any organizations expected to host interns or
otherwise participate. The portion of the section devoted to the budget
justification and list of commitments is limited to 4 pages. Letters or other
documentation included on the list of commitments should be scanned and placed
at the end of this section.  There is no limit to the number of such letters
that may be included on the list, but no more than six letters of commitment
may be provided as part of the proposal. Do not include additional letters of
commitment, and do not list or include letters whose sole purpose is to
endorse the project.


Submission of Full Proposals

The full proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 5:00 PM
(submitters local time) on the deadline date listed at the beginning of this
document. All required information must be submitted together. The Principal
Investigator is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the proposal
as submitted. Unless requested by the NSF, additional information may not be
sent following proposal submission.

Evaluation of Full Proposals

Multidisciplinary panels with relevant expertise will be convened to review
proposals using the NSF merit review criteria as described in GPG, Chapter
III, Section A. Panel review of full proposals may be supplemented by ad hoc
reviews and site visits as appropriate. The basis for award decisions will be
the merit of the education and research training activities proposed. The
merit review criteria are



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

2.  What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?



In light of the IGERT program's objectives, reviewers will be asked to
consider these Merit Review criteria with emphasis placed on:



* Importance and coherence of the comprehensive multidisciplinary research
theme, including its effectiveness as an intellectual focus for all
participating scientists and engineers;

* Excellence of the research environment as reflected in the major research
efforts;

* Quality and innovation in the planned graduate education and training
activities, including provisions for training in the responsible conduct of
research;

* Effectiveness of the integration of research and education;

* Appropriateness of the formal administrative plan and organizational
structure in assuring fair and effective allocation of group resources;

* Effectiveness of the strategy for preparing a diverse science and
engineering workforce, including operational plans for student recruitment and
retention;

* Appropriateness of the plans for assessment of project performance; and

* Appropriateness of the budget.


Award Administration

Awards made as a result of this document are administered in accordance with
the terms and conditions of NSF GC-l, "Grant General Conditions," (12/97),
FDP-III, "Federal Demonstration Partnership General Terms and Conditions"
(7/97), depending on the grantee organization, or "Cooperative Agreement
General Terms and Conditions." This information can be obtained from the NSF
OnLine Document System at the NSF homepage (http://www.nsf.gov). Printed
copies of these documents are available at no cost from the NSF Clearinghouse,
P.O. Box 218, Jessup, MD 20794-0218, phone (301) 947-2722, or via e-mail at
pubs@nsf.gov. More comprehensive information is contained in the NSF Grant
Policy Manual (NSF 95-26), for sale through the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, D.C. 20402.  The telephone
number at GPO is (202) 783-3238 for subscription information.  The NSF Grant
Policy Manual can also be accessed online at the NSF homepage.

Other Information

As warranted, NSF will assemble a listing of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
relating to this announcement. Any FAQ prepared can be found by following the
instructions for accessing IGERT on the NSF home page as described above in
the section on Proposal Format and Electronic Submission.

Inquiries regarding the IGERT program should be directed to one of the
following:

BIO: Judith E. Plesset (703) 306-1417 (jplesset@nsf.gov)

CISE: William W. Agresti (703) 306-1911 (wagresti@nsf.gov)

EHR: Paul W. Jennings (703) 306-1696 (pjenning@nsf.gov)

ENG: Lawrence S. Goldberg (Chairman), (703) 306-1339 (lgoldber@nsf.gov)

ENG: Susan Kemnitzer (703) 306-1382 (skemnitz@nsf.gov)

GEO: Jarvis Moyers (703) 306-1523 (jmoyers@nsf.gov)

MPS: Robert J. Reynik (703) 306-1814 (rreynik@nsf.gov)

OPP: Jane Dionne (703) 306-1033 (jdionne@nsf.gov)

SBE: Paul Chapin (703) 306-1731 (pchapin@nsf.gov)

.  .  .  .  .

The Foundation provides awards for research and education in the sciences and
engineering.  The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such
research and preparation of the results for publication.  The Foundation,
therefore, does not assume responsibility for the research findings or their
interpretation.

The Foundation welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists and engineers
and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to
compete fully in any of the research and education related programs described
here. 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
subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial
assistance from the National Science Foundation.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF projects.  See the program announcement or contact
the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636.

The National Science Foundation has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf)
capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate
with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment, or general information.
To access NSF TDD, dial (703) 306-0090; for FIRS, 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 application review process; to applicant
institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the application
review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to
government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers 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:

        Gail A. McHenry
        Reports Clearance Officer
        Division of Administrative Services
        National Science Foundation
        Arlington, VA  22230

The program described in this announcement is in categories 47.074 (BIO),
47.070 (CISE), 47.076 (EHR), 47.041 (ENG), 47.050 (GEO), 47.049 (MPS), 47.075
(SBE), and 47.078 (OPP) of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

OMB# 3145-0058
P.T. 44
K.W. 1000000

NSF 98-96
(Replaces NSF 97-112)