Funder Tool Kits: NSF

The OR Research Development team maintains a library of internal/external submitted proposals and can assist with securing a sample and submitting FOIA requests. Contact Research Development for more information.

NSF Public Access Repository - the repository has peer-reviewed papers and other products of NSF-funded research

Award Search - Active UCF Awards, All UCF Awards, or Create New Search

NSF Budget Info System - Statistical and Funding History Reports and NSF Funding to UCF.

FOIA Request Information (NSF)

• Writing Successful Grant Proposals from the Top down and Bottom Up

• New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences

• Get Funded

• Winning Large NSF Proposals 

• Having Success with NSF: A Practical Guide

• Write Like a Chemist: a guide & resource, 2nd edition

• Successful Grant Proposals in STEM

• Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Students

Search the Library Catalog

This guide provides quick-reference information and templates for specific sections required in NSF proposals (refer to RFP for special requirements). Content is based on NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 24-1 (effective 05/19/2024).

• Summary of Changes to the NSF PAPPG (24-1)

• Sections of the Proposal (see checklist)

• Format Requirements (font, spacing, margins, pagination, etc.)

• Project Summary (1 page max, includes 3 required sections)

• Project Description (15 pages max)

  • URLs/hyperlinks not allowed in the Project Description

  • Broader Impacts (required) 

    • Resource: Broader Impacts Writing Guide

    • Resource: Broader Impacts: Improving Society - from NSF

    • Resource: ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit (tool for BI planning, developing evaluation of BI, and more)

    • Resource: Broader Impacts - Some Example Activities

  • Results from Prior NSF Support (required if applicable, only allowed for PIs/CoPIs. Use required subheadings)

• References Cited

• Budget and Budget Justification

  • UCF Office of Research Budget Guidance  (NSF Budget Template)

  • NSF allows budgeting costs for publication/dissemination and computer services

• Biographical Sketch (SciENcv required, FAQs available)

  • Required for each individual identified as senior/key personnel.  

  • Edited PDF files downloaded from SciENcv will be returned without review.

  • UCF guide and support for SciENcv

• Synergistic Activities (NEW SECTION, 1 page max)

• Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) (NSF template required, FAQs available)

• Current and Pending (Other) Support (SciENcv required, FAQs available)

  • Edited PDF files downloaded from SciENcv will be returned without review.

  • UCF guide and support for SciENcv

  • Use UCF's AURORA Tool to pull your C&P Information

• Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources 

• Mentoring Plan (required if budget includes Postdocs or Graduate students, 1 page max)

• Data Management and Sharing Plan (2 pages max)

  • Directorate-Specific Guidance

  • UCF Guide - DMP Resources and Samples

  • NSF public access policy and requirements

• Letters of Collaboration (1-sentence format required unless noted by the solicitation)

The OR Research Development Team can provide support with proposal coordination, templates, samples, supplemental documents, reviews, and more. Visit our website for more information.

Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)

• CAREER Information

  • CAREER Program Information - from NSF

  • NSF CAREER Contacts by Directorate and Division

  • FAQs for CAREER Program for Submission in Years 2022-2026 - from NSF

  • View all CAREER awards to UCF faculty

  • UCF recognition of CAREER awardees

  • View all CAREER awards (any institution, sortable by directorate)

• CAREER Resources

  • CAREER Mentoring program at UCF

  • Departmental Letter template - (UCF SSO login required)

  • Samples - Contact Research Development for next steps!

  • List of CAREER awardees at UCF

• CAREER Presentations

  • The Research Development team in the UCF Office of Research coordinates a series of workshops specifically on aspects of NSF CAREER. Past awardees and specialist speakers provide insights on planning, development, and review of CAREER proposals. For more information, visit the RD Outreach and Events.

Rapid Response Research (RAPID)

In addition to standard research proposals, NSF also has the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) proposal type. This type of proposal is used when there is a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. See NSF PAPPG for additional information on RAPID proposals.

• RAPID proposals are NOT for: (1) Projects appropriate for submission as regular NSF proposals. (2) Events that are unanticipated due to lack of awareness of timelines; or (3) Collection of only non-perishable data.

• Prior communication with NSF Program Manager is required with email documentation confirming approval to submit a RAPID proposal - THIS IS THE FIRST STEP.

  • Submit a 1-2 page pre-proposal (and/or any questions) to a PM managing the program where the research is aligned. All questions about COVID19-related research should be addressed directly to a cognizant NSF Program Officer for the NSF program with which the research would be most closely aligned. 

    • RAPID proposals may be submitted to existing NSF funding opportunities 

  • Once invited to submit a full RAPID proposal:

    • Title of the proposal must begin with the prefix "RAPID:" 

    • $200K max amount for up to one year

    • Project Description is limited to 5 pages 

    • NSF RAPID grants must follow standard proposal preparation instructions in the NSF PAPPG except for the RAPID-specific requirements, unless explicitly noted in a specific RFP or directed by an NSF program manager. 

• View RAPID Awards - NSF Advanced Award Search

  • View all RAPID awards to UCF faculty

  • View all RAPID awards (sortable by Directorate)

EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)

• The EAGER funding mechanism may be used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This work may be considered especially "high risk-high payoff" in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives.

  • These exploratory proposals may also be submitted directly to an NSF program, but the EAGER mechanism should not be used for projects that are appropriate for submission as “regular” (i.e., non-EAGER) NSF proposals.

• Requirements as stated in PAPPG 23-1 

  • NSF Characteristics of Transformative Research

    • NSF FAQs on Potentially Transformative Research

  • NSF Definition of Interdisciplinary Research

    • NSF FAQs on Interdisciplinary Research

• View EAGER Awards - NSF Advanced Award Search​

  • View all EAGER awards to UCF faculty​

  • ​View all EAGER awards (sortable by directorate)