NSF Proposal Specifics

Starting your NSF Proposal

The National Science Foundation (NSF) uses Research.gov, a web-based system used for information exchange and business transactions between NSF and its client community. All NSF principal investigators and administrators must use Research.gov to prepare and submit proposals.

If you have questions about your account, such as how to register with NSF, how look up your existing NSF ID or migrate your ID to Carleton, or how to retrieve a forgotten password, please reach out to Quinn Arnold in the Grants Office.

Proposal preparation

PAPPG (NSF 24-1) went into effect in May 2024 and provides detailed instructions for each proposal requirement. If guidance in an individual program solicitation differ from the PAPPG, always defer to the program solicitation instructions.

To start a proposal, navigate to Research.gov and access the About Proposal Preparation and Submission page, which provides written instructions for initiating a new proposal. Research.gov now includes a Proposal Preparation Demo Site (see the sidebar menu, Demo Site FAQs for more information). The Grants Office can also provide instruction on starting a proposal in the system.

Formatting particulars

See Proposal Font, Spacing and Margin Requirements.

• Approved fonts
  • Arial (not Arial Narrow), Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger;
    • Note: If using 10-point Arial, line spacing can become problematic. The Grants Office recommends avoiding this font and size whenever possible; however, if it cannot be avoided, ensure line spacing is set to no less than 1.07.
  • Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or
  • Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger.
  • Exception: a font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, tables, diagram captions, or special characters. Other fonts, such as Cambria Math, may be used for mathematical formulas, equations, or when inserting Greek letters or special characters. The key is to keep text easily readable for reviewers.
• Line Spacing
  • No more than six lines of text may appear within one vertical inch.
• Margins
  • Must be at least 1 inch in all directions. No information may be included in headers or footers of the uploaded document.
• Paper Size
  • Paper size must be no larger than standard letter paper (8.5″ x 11″ or 11″ x 8.5″).
• Page Formatting
  • Applicants are encouraged to use a standard, single-column for the text.

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Components of an NSF proposal

Required pieces for standard research proposals

A full research proposal must contain the following:

• Cover Sheet
  • A form within Research.gov where the PI will provide the program announcement/solicitation number, project title and duration, and indicate the primary place of performance and other details such as the involvement of human subjects or live vertebrate animals, international activities, off-campus research, and the potential impact on Tribal Nations. See more at PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.a. Cover Sheet.
• Project Summary
  • A 1-page summary, outlining the Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts of the proposed project. Each of these three section headings must have its own line in the summary, with no other text. See details in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.b. Project Summary.
• Project Description
  • The project narrative (limited to 15 pages, including visual materials, unless a deviation is authorized), should provide a clear statement of the proposed work and address the program announcement specifications. Describe what you want to do, why you want to do it, how you plan to do it, how you will know if you succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. Note that URLs and hyperlinks are not permitted in the Project Description. This document must include a “Broader Impacts” section as well as a “Results from Prior NSF Support” section when applicable. See details in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d. Project Description.
• References Cited
  • There is no page limit for the list of bibliographic citations in the project description. Each reference should provide the name of all authors (do NOT use et al), the publication title, publication information such as publication year and site and/or periodical volume number and page numbers, and website address if the publication is available electronically. See details in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.e. References Cited.
• Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
  • An aggregated narrative (with no page limit) describing internal and external resources (both physical and personnel) that Carleton and its collaborators, and any subrecipients, will provide to the project if it is funded. This must not include any quantifiable financial information. See details in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.g. Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources.
• Budget and Budget Justification
  • For current figures to use in budget preparation, such as Carleton College faculty and student compensation guidelines, benefit percentages, indirect cost rate, and more, contact the Grants Office.
  • The budget includes specific sections (refer to PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.f. Budget and Budget Justification). Each requested line item must be documented and justified in the budget justification (limited to 5 pages); items and amounts need to be considered necessary, reasonable, allocable, and allowable.
  • Participant Support Costs, or PSC, refers to direct costs (such as stipends, or subsistence or travel allowances, and registration fees) paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with NSF-sponsored conferences or training projects. Speakers and trainers generally are not considered participants and should not be included in this section of the budget. However, if the primary purpose of the individual’s attendance at the event is learning and receiving training as a participant, then the costs may be included under PSC. If the individual’s primary purpose is to speak or assist with management of the conference, such costs should be budgeted in appropriate categories other than PSC. Indirect costs are NOT allowed on PSC. PSC must be accounted for separately when an award is made. Catering, room rentals, and speaker costs for events are NOT to be included as participant support costs.
  • Each subaward must provide a separate budget justification (limited to 5 pages per subaward).
• Biographical Sketch(es)
  • A “biosketch” is required for each individual identified as senior/key personnel. Use of SciENcv is now mandatory for Biographical Sketch(es). Follow this how-go guide and consult this SciENcv FAQ to develop your biosketch with SciENcv. This format differs significantly from a regular CV; see the specifics in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h.i. Biographical Sketch. There are five required sections, plus certifications related to the information provided in the biosketch:
    • Identifying Information
    • Organization and Location
    • Professional Preparation
    • Appointments and Positions
    • Products
    • Certifications
  • There is allowance for additional biographical information to be provided for other personnel, such as for auxiliary users of instrumentation in Equipment Proposals that merit consideration in the evaluation of the proposal. For more, see Other Personnel.
• Current and Pending (Other) Support
  • Use of SciENcv is now mandatory for Current and Pending (Other) Support. A CP(O)S document is required for each individual identified as senior/key personnel. This document is used to assess the capacity or any conflicts of commitment that may impact the ability of an individual to carry out research efforts as proposed. It also helps assess any potential scientific and budgetary overlap/duplication with the project being proposed. The CP(O)S document should list all current and pending support from any source for ongoing and proposed projects, including the project being proposed, that require a portion of the individual’s time. Consulting activities must be disclosed, as well as contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities. There is no page limit for the CP(O)S document. See more in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h.ii. Current and Pending Support.
• Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA)
  • The COA fillable template consists of five tables and must be completed by each individual identified as senior personnel. This document asks for information about the applicant’s collaborators, such as advisors, co-authors, and students, to help identify potential reviewers. See the COA FAQs and PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.h.iii. Collaborators & Other Affiliations Information.
• Synergistic Activities
  • Limited to 1 page, the Synergistic Activities document should include a list of up to five distinct examples that demonstrates the broader impact of each senior/key personnel’s professional and scholarly activities that focus on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation. Examples may include, among others: innovations in teaching and training; contributions to the science of learning; development and/or refinement of research tools; computation methodologies and algorithms for problem-solving; development of databases to support research and education; broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in STEM; participation in international research collaborations; participation in national and/or international standards development efforts; and service to the scientific and engineering community outside of the individual’s immediate organization.

Conditionally Required and Supplemental Documents

Special Information and Supplementary Documentation

• Data Management and Sharing Plan: a supplementary document (limit of 2 pages), the DMSP describes: 1) the type(s) of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials that will be produced during the project; 2) the standards to be used for data and metadata format and content; 3) policies for access and sharing, including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements; 4) policies and provisions for reuse, redistribution, and the production of derivatives; and 5) plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of access to them.
  • Some NSF units, such as directorates, offices, divisions, or programs, have specific DMSP requirements, which are linked on NSF’s Preparing Your Data Management and Sharing Plan webpage. Carleton applicants can obtain advice on developing DMSPs on the Grants Office Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results page, and at the DMP Tool website, a free service that helps researchers and institutions create high-quality data management plans that meet funder requirements. A set of sample DMPs from successful NSF applications by Carleton faculty are available in this mini-archive.
  • NSF 26-202, Policy Notice to PAPPG 24-1, Supplement 2 includes revised guidance regarding public access to research products, the dissemination and sharing of research results, and data management and sharing plans. As of January 22, 2026, the DMSP tool mentioned in item 3 is not yet available in research.gov. The NSF Help Desk has indicated that an announcement will be issued once the tool is publicly available.
• Mentoring Plan: required when requesting funds to support postdoctoral scholars or graduate students (limited to 1 page). NSF examples of mentoring activities include: career counseling, proposal preparation training, publications and presentations, guidance on improving teaching and mentoring skills, guidance on how to effectively collaborate with other researchers, and training in responsible professional practices. The National Postdoctoral Association may also serve as a resource for developing a mentoring plan.
• Letters of Collaboration: provided when the project involves collaborative arrangements of significance, especially when the collaboration is unfunded (i.e., collaborators are not included in the budget). NSF strongly recommends the following format:
  • If the proposal submitted by Dr. [insert the full name of the Principal Investigator] entitled [insert the proposal title] is selected for funding by NSF, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the Project Description or the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal.
• Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research: required for any proposal that includes off-campus or off-site research. This document is limited to 2 pages and must be specific to the proposed project and developed prior to proposal submission. Most programs do not allow the plan to be submitted with the proposal, but it may be requested by NSF prior to the award process. See the Grants Office’s Safe and Inclusive Working Environments page for more information. Additional resources: Safe and Harassment-free Fieldwork (SAHF) Plans.
• Tribal Nation Approval: if the resources or interests of a federally recognized Tribal Nation may be impacted by the proposed research, the proposer must obtain prior written approval from an authorized designee(s) of each potentially impacted Tribal Nation(s). The PAPPG provides examples of such activities and details the document(s) required for proposal submission.
• RUI Impact Statement and Certification of RUI/ROA Eligibility: only if submitting as a Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) proposal; the RUI Impact Statement is limited to 5 pages. See solicitation 14-579 for details. The Grants Office can provide example impact statements from successful Carleton applicants, as well as the RUI/ROA certification.
• Departmental Letter: only for CAREER proposals and select other solicitations, this document should demonstrate the department’s support of the career development plan of the PI, and an understanding of and commitment to the effective integration of research and education as a primary objective of the CAREER award. See program solicitation NSF 22-586 for the list of elements to include (2-page limit). Additional resources: Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) page, CAREER Program Informational Webinar page (includes slides and recordings from NSF’s 2025 informational webinar), FAQs for CAREER 2022-2026.

Optional Documents

• List of Suggested Reviewers and List of Reviewers Not to Include
  • Proposers are encouraged to include a list of suggested reviewers (indicate email address and organizational affiliation) who they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal. Proposers may also provide a separate list identifying individuals they would prefer not to review the proposal. Refer to List of Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers Not to Include.

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Collaborative Research projects

Collaborative Research proposals are those in which investigators from two or more organizations wish to collaborate on a unified research project. A collaborative proposal may be submitted to NSF using one of two methods:

Single submission

• as a single proposal, in which a single grant is being requested with subawards administered by the lead organization to the non-lead institutions or co-PIs.

If Carleton faculty members are submitting a single proposal with subaward/s, the investigator MUST document the determination of subaward versus contract using the Determining Subrecipient versus Contractor Status form.

Simultaneous submission

• as a simultaneous submission of linked proposals from two or more organizations, with each organization requesting a separate award. When involved with a separately submitted simultaneous Collaborative Research project, the lead institution provides all the pieces listed above (under Required Pieces), and each non-lead collaborator provides:
  • Cover Sheet,
  • Budget and Budget Justification,
  • Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources,
  • Biographical Sketch(es)
  • Current and Pending (Other) Support,
  • Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA) Information, and
  • Synergistic Activities.

Simultaneous submission is the preferred method of submission for collaborative proposals due to less administrative burden for the lead organization, quicker access to funding for the non-lead organization, and cleaner reporting responsibilities for both investigators. There are exceptions, such as when the work of the non-lead organization is more contractual in scope.

To submit a simultaneous Collaborative Research proposal, each non-lead institution will start a proposal in Research.gov; the non-lead institution will provide the lead institutions with the temporary proposal ID generated by the system, which the lead organization will enter (via the Link/View Collaborative Proposals option in Research.gov) to link the proposals in the system. Generally, non-lead institutions are asked to submit their proposals ahead of the lead organization.

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Conference Proposals

NSF supports conferences, symposia, and workshops that bring experts together to discuss recent research or education findings or to expose other researchers or students to new research and education techniques. Conference proposals in excess of $50,000 contain most of the same elements as standard research proposals; see Chapter II.F.8. Conference Proposals of the PAPPG for more information, including guidance about the content of the Project Description.

• Timing of submission: Conference proposals should generally be submitted a year or more before the event is scheduled to take place, but the Grants Office strongly recommends talking to a Program Officer to help determine what timeline is appropriate for submission. Program Officers may also provide additional recommendations around the length of the Project Description or other documents.
• Process for review: Some conference proposals can be reviewed internally. For instance, if the budget does not exceed $50,000, NSF policy allows for an internal review.
• Requirements supporting harassment-free environments: Proposers are required to have a policy or code-of-conduct that addresses sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, and that includes clear and accessible means of reporting violations of the policy or code-of-conduct. The policy or code-of-conduct must address the method for making a complaint as well as how any complaints received during the conference will be resolved. It must be disseminated to conference participants prior to the conference and made available at the conference itself. Note: The policy itself should NOT be submitted to NSF for review but should be readily available.

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Significant or Recent Changes

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)

A second new certification regarding Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) was added for proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023. The certification replaces the existing RECR certification and expands the training requirement to faculty and other senior personnel and mandates that the training cover mentor training and mentorship

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Reporting

Annual project reports should be submitted no later than 90 calendar days prior to the end of each annual budget period. NSF system sends automated report reminders starting 3 months before the end of annual budget period stating that the report is due. The report is not overdue until the day after the annual budget period.

Final annual project reports and project outcomes reports for the general public must be submitted no later than 120 days following expiration of the grant.

Public Access Policy

Policy at NSF intends to expand public access to the results of its funded research. You will need to deposit publications in the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) (sign in to Research.gov and choose ‘Deposit Publication’ from My Desktop). Refer also to the following:

• About the Public Access Repository
• Public Access Home page
• Public Access Getting Started Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning public access to research results (NSF 17-060)

Sexual Harassment Policy

NSF has supplemented their NSF Policy on Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault with coverage regarding harassment that implements Important Notice No. 144.

• NSF requires notification of any findings/determinations regarding the PI/PD or co-PI/co-PD that demonstrate a violation of awardee codes of conduct, policies, regulations or statutes relating to sexual harassment; or if the awardee places the PI/PD, or co-PI/co-PD on administrative leave or imposes an administrative action relating to a finding or investigation of a violation of awardee policies, codes of conduct, statutes or regulations relating to sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, or sexual assault. See also the NSF fact sheet.
• A notification mechanism, “Organizational Notification of Harassment Form,” is available on NSF’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion sexual harassment website.

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Other Pertinent Details

Indirect Costs

Indirect Costs (IDC), also known as Facilities & Administrative Costs (F&A), are a line item in nearly every proposal budget submitted to federal funding agencies. In contrast to straightforward project expenses of direct costs (such as salary, benefits, equipment, travel, supplies), indirect costs are “those costs which are not readily identifiable with a particular cost objective but nevertheless are necessary to the general operation of an organization.”

An Indirect Cost Rate agreement is negotiated with a Federal agency every four years. Carleton’s IDC rate agreement, which is negotiated with the Department of Health & Human Services based on our Audited Financial Statements, has been approved at a rate of 60% of employee salaries and wages for federal grants with award dates of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027. The IDC rate in effect at the time of the initial awarding of a grant is applied throughout the life of the grant.

The Business Office’s Government and Foundation Grants page explains that the rate is “calculated on the total of all faculty or technician salaries/stipends and undergraduate student stipends.”

Effort

Amount of effort is recorded in all NSF budgets for senior personnel, and is expressed in person months; see the FAQ (below) “What are person months and how do I calculate them?”

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Compliance specifics

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FAQs