Subject: Re: References Resent-Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 07:35:50 -0500 Resent-From: Geoffrey Fox Resent-To: p_gcf@npac.syr.edu Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 13:39:52 -0600 (CST) From: Joe Thompson To: gcf@npac.syr.edu That was in some FAQ that NSF sent out: Q: When are the pre-proposals for large proposals due? To spread the load of proposal arrivals at FastLane, we are giving a one-day extension to PIs whose university address has an even number for its five-digit ZIP code. If your university address ends in an odd number five-digit ZIP, apply on the existing deadline (5pm local time on the odd day, January 5); if it ends in an even number five-digit ZIP, you may apply up to one day later, 5pm local time on the even day, January 6). We would of course prefer that you apply even earlier. Q: Do pre-proposals need signatures from the university sponsored research office? Not for NSF's purposes. Your university may or may not require them locally. We don't care at pre-proposal time. Q: May pre-proposals include color? We will print them on a black and white printer, and photocopy them on a conventional black and white copier. Special graphic effects will be lost. Q: Do you care about the size limits on pre-proposals? YES. If you send us more than 5 pages of program description or more than two pages of biography per PI, don't expect the referees to see the extra pages, and we may just decide to reject the whole pre-proposal. Q: Do citations and references count against the 5 page limit? No. They are in a separate Fastlane tab. Q: What topics are likely to get awards of more than $500K? Proposals requesting more than $500K should explain why the research involved needs to be done on a large scale. This is distinct from the argument that the research subject is important; that might imply that there should be many small awards. For a large award, there should be a reason why a big project is needed. Specific subject areas are not identified as suitable for larger awards: this is an argument to be made in the proposal. Q: May teaching faculty request academic year salary (as opposed to summer salary)? The usual practice will apply: academic year salary for teaching faculty may only be requested in exceptional circumstances. A request by the university administration to ask for academic year salary does not constitute exceptional circumstances. A teaching load of four courses per semester might qualify. Q: What kinds of administrative costs may be included in the budget? Administrative costs should not be included as budget items; administration should be paid for by the overhead charged. Creativity in relabeling administrative costs is not encouraged. Q: IMPORTANT: What balance is expected between support of students and other costs? ITR wishes to support not only the highest quality scientific research, but also the training of new researchers and the support of university departments that educate people for IT careers at all levels. Given this goal, we suggest that no project budget should propose spending more money on permanent scientific staff than on student support. Q: Do postdocs count as students or staff? At universities where additional training is being given, postdocs may be counted as students in the budget; many universities so designate them. This is not a hard and fast rule; in your proposal, discuss this in terms of the second merit review criterion (note the sentence ``How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning?''). Q: May ITR proposal budgets include equipment? Yes. However, this is not an infrastructure program. Money for equipment should be used for equipment that is necessary for the research, not to outfit a department. Again, we would be surprised to see a budget in which equipment funds were larger than personnel costs. Q: May I change the PI list after the letter of intent? Yes. In fact, the PI list is not a critical part of the letter of intent. To repeat, the letters of intent are to let us recruit panelists in advance of seeing the proposals. Q: May I change the PI list after the pre-proposal? Yes. But the restrictions about number of applications per PI or co-PI apply both to pre-proposals and full proposals, and there is also a limit of not more than one full proposal per pre-proposal.