NSF Proposal Toolkit

The National Science Foundation Guide for NSF Proposals

NSF Proposal and Expectations

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires electronic submission for all grant proposals. Proposals are submitted via FASTLANE or Grants.gov depending on the guidelines for the specific program announcement.  The Grants Office will work with each investigator to ensure the proposal meets the online submission criteria.

Below are documents from a workshop held by NSF to assist with writing effective NSF proposals.

• NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide 2022 – to be used as a reference guide.
• NSF Grants Writing and Management Workshop 
• NSF Proposal Strategies (pdf)
• NSF Project Evaluation

All proposals must address the intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria specified in the program announcement. If the review criteria are not addressed the proposal will NOT be reviewed.

• Broader Impact Guiding Principles
• NSF Merit Review Process

NSF Programs

FDU is considered a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI).  As such, our faculty are eligible to apply for RUI funding as per below program funding information. 

• NSF Research for Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Program Summary, RUI Full-Program Announcement, and FAQs
• NSF Support of Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) (article)

Additional Required Forms 2022

• Research.gov Registration – Principal Investigators that have not previously submitted a proposal to NSF must register online.
• Biographical Sketch
• Current and Pending Support
• Collaborations and Other Affiliations
• Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources template