Engineering Grants

How to Apply

Award Procedure:
NSF staff members review and evaluate all proposals with the assistance and advice of scientists and engineers who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal, of prospective users of research results when appropriate, and of specialists in other Federal agencies when appropriate.

Preapplication Coordination:
None required for unsolicited proposals, but preliminary discussions with relevant National Science Foundation program officer, by telephone or mail, is encouraged if specific program information is needed. Special proposal competitions may specify preliminary proposal requirements. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:
Proposals must be submitted electronically via FastLane to the Engineering Programs and should follow the general instructions and guidelines in the NSF "Grant Proposal Guide." Research proposals for support under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program must be submitted in response to an annual solicitation. All proposals are acknowledged. These programs are subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.

Deadlines:
Many NSF programs accept proposals at any time. Other programs, however, establish due dates for submission of proposals. NSF utilizes Target Dates, Deadline Dates, and Submission Windows. Consult the Grant Proposal Guide, Section I.F. for a further description of these types of due dates. See the Directorate's web pages for deadlines for unsolicited research proposals (http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=ENG). Proposers should contact the program officer listed under the Information Contacts section of this program for dates on specific programs.

Range of Approval / Disapproval Time:
Approximately 3 to 7 months.

Appeals:
The Principal Investigator may request, in writing, that the Foundation reconsider its action in declining any proposal, renewal, or continuing grant proposal.

Renewals:
NSF awards the following types of grants: 1) Standard Grants, in which NSF agrees to support a specified level of effort for a specified period of time, with no statement of NSF intent to provide additional future support. Proposals for renewal of a Standard Grant compete with all other pending proposals. 2) Continuing Grants, in which NSF agrees to support a specified level of effort for a specified period of time, with a statement of intent to provide additional support for the project, provided funds are available and the results achieved warrant further support. Funding is normally in one-year increments. Some awards are made as cooperative agreements when substantial NSF involvement is required during the project performance period. Renewals are not allowed for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.