National Science Foundation:

Read updates on the agency’s web site at http://nsf.gov/recovery/.

Notices:

• NSF American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 Terms and Conditions (May 2009)
• NSF to Use Fastlane Only for Regular and Recovery Act Proposal Submissions (5/21/09)
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) Frequently Asked Questions (3/27/09)
• NSF Fact Sheet (3/26/09)
• Important Notice 131, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (3/18/09)
• Statement by Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation, on the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (2/24/09)

Program Directors have begun to issue “Dear Colleague” letters to their community as ARRA information stabilizes. Earlier conversations with our program contacts have provided indicated that NSF will emphasize greater improvement for the success rate for well-reviewed proposals and improving support for young PhDs.

• SBES "Dear Colleague" letter on Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) to Study the Impact of the Economic Stimulus Package and to Advance the Scientific Understanding of Science Policy (3/13/09)
• CISE "Dear Colleague" letter (3/18/09)

Unfunded, Well-Reviewed Proposals: If you have a proposal(s) that were well reviewed but not funded after 10/1/09, we strongly encouraged to get in contact with your program officer(s) to determine if you are eligible to receive ARRA funding. Campus investigators, departments, and the Office of Research are already being notified by agencies, particularly the National Institutes of Health, that previously well-reviewed but unfunded proposals are now being considered for awards. Should you be contacted regarding a proposal that may now be under consideration for an award under ARRA funding, please contact your SPO team to facilitate this process.

The Office of Research held an informational meeting for prospective applicants considering an NSF CAREER proposal for the upcoming July deadlines on May 14, 2009. Current awardees discussed their successful proposals and provided an opportunity for questions and answers. If you were unable to attend, contact Jackie Hunt for information and sample proposals that are available on request. We encourage you to consider a submission for this year’s competition.

OPEN SOLICITATIONS:

   • Major Research Instrumentation: Recovery and Reinvestment (MRI-R2)

NSF has issued a second call for proposal to the MRI competition in FY09 for instrument development or for acquisition of a single instrument or a system of related instruments that share a common or specific research focus in the range $100,000-$6M

FOA: NSF 09-561 (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09562/nsf09561.pdf).

 

• Limited Submission competition. UCSB is eligible to submit up to three (3) proposals as lead or significantly funded subgrantee, as long as at least one is for equipment/instrumentation development; UCSB can collaborate as a subgrantee on any number of development proposals as long as participation on the proposal is limited to less than 20% of the budget.

 

• Mandatory cost-sharing: 30% of total project costs. The appropriate deans and vice chancellors will determine the final proposals and the availability of cost-sharing after an ad hoc peer review panel recommends proposals for submission based on the NSF criteria.

 

• There will be an internal pre-competition managed by Research Development (RD). Details will be available on the Limited Submission website: http://www.research.ucsb.edu/resources/limited_submissions.shtml

 

• Deadlines:

Campus Notice of Intent deadline: June 3, 2009

Campus Preproposal deadline: June 10, 2009

NSF Application deadline: August 10, 2009

• Funding:  $200 million to fund ~400 awards, up to $40M in the $2-6M range.

 

   • Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery and Reinvestment ( ARI-R2)

NSF will invest in the repair, renovation, or in exceptional cases, the replacement of existing research and research training facilities devoted to NSF-supported fields of science and engineering.

FOA: NSF 09-562 (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09562/nsf09562.pdf).

• Limited Submission competition: UCSB is eligible to submit one proposal, either as lead or as a sub-awardee but not both. There will be an internal pre-competition managed by Research Development (RD). Details will be available on the Limited Submission website: http://www.research.ucsb.edu/resources/limited_submissions.shtml

• Projects are expected to:

-   Update existing research facilities at higher education institutions

-   Renovate research facilities through addition or augmentation of cyberinfrastructure (other than general computing or data storage systems

-   Improve access to and increase use of next-generation research facilities

-  Assist research organization to improve their science and engineering research environments 

• ARI-R2 provides support for improvement of physical space, the mechanical systems of buildings, and fixed equipment that is built into and generic to the research facility.

• No funding will be provided for construction of new research facilities, purchase of specific research instrumentation, funding for offices, classrooms, seminar or conference rooms, basic building requirements (e.g., elevators), or the operation and maintenance of the research facilities.  

 

• Campus Concept Paper Deadline: June 8, 2009
• Funding:  $200 million available to fund up to 120 awards ranging from $250,000 to $10 million:

  ~100 awards of $250K to $2M for up to 3 yrs,

  ~ 6 to 10 awards from $2M to $5M for up to 4 yrs, and

  ~ 3 to 5 awards of $5M to $10M for up to 4 yrs

 

   • Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program

The purpose of BTOP is to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas and ensure that strategic institutions that might create jobs or provide public benefit have broadband connections.

   • Science Masters program

Deadline: TBD, but solicitation expected to be released in Spring, '09.

Funding:  $15 million

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