Funder Tool Kits: NSF

Pivot database (NSF saved search) - find, track and share current/anticipated funding opportunities

NSF Guide to Programs

NSF Collaborations With Federal Agencies and Others

Crosscutting and NSF-wide Active Funding Opportunities

Grants.gov (NSF search) - Browse current/forecasted NSF funding opportunities

NSF Supplemental Funding - for New/Renewal Proposals and Active awards

• Dear Colleague Letter: Non-Academic Research Internships for Grad Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity

Upcoming Deadlines (RSS Feed):

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

• For CAREER and EAGER award information, please see those tabs below. 

DIA2 Guide - NSF Database Search Tool. Search by ORG structure, program, topic, and more. 

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

FOIA Request Information (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 Madhavi (Maddy) Chokshi 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 2020-2025 - from NSF

  • View all CAREER awards to UCF faculty

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

• CAREER Resources

  • CAREER Proposal Template - based on 2020 guidelines

    • Template for Departmental Letter - based on 2020 guidelines and includes additional resources/tips

  • Samples - Contact Research Development for next steps!

• 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 CAREER workshops webpage.

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 PAPPG Chapter II.E.1 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 either to a PM managing the program where the research is aligned or to rapid-covid19@nsf.gov for a COVID-19 related proposal.

    • NSF's Dear Colleague Letter on COVID-19 funding

    • 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. 

• RAPID Full Proposal Template - based on NSF PAPPG 20-1 guidelines

• View RAPID Awards - NSF Advanced Award Search

  • View all RAPID awards to UCF faculty

  • View all RAPID awards (sortable by Directorate)

Data Management Plans - Proposals submitted to NSF must include a supplementary document (2 pages max) labeled "Data Management Plan"

• See PAPPG 20-1 for more details.
• Additional Data management requirements and plans specific to the Directorate, Office, Division, Program, or other NSF units
• Data Management and Sharing FAQs - resource provided by NSF

Public Access

• Public Access to Results of NSF-funded Research - NSF has developed a plan outlining a framework for activities to increase public access to scientific publications and digital scientific data resulting from research the foundation funds.  (01/17/2017)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Public Access (NSF 18-041)
• NSF Public Access to Results of NSF-Funded Research

Revision of NSF-Specific Requirements to Research Terms and Conditions (effective 3/1/2018) - Note Article 35 regarding procedures if breach of Personally Identifiable Information occurs.

UCF Library Support - The UCF library maintains a Data Management Research Guide. You can schedule a consultation to meet with a librarian for an in-depth one on one consultation specific to your research topic.

• Crafting the Data Management Plan - led by Lee Dotson
• DMP Tool - Create, review, and share DMPs that meet institutional and funder requirements. The DMP Tool Blog and Webinar Series provide helpful guidance.
• STARS - UCF researchers are eligible to submit materials to STARS, a university-wide digital repository hosted on the Digital Commons platform (a comprehensive hosted solution for storing, managing, and sharing data). Click here to visit the researcher portion of the FAQs for STARS.​
• re3data.org - The Registry of Research Data Repositories is a tool for helping identify and locate online repositories of research data. 

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 20-1 

  • NSF Characteristics of Transformative Research

    • NSF FAQs on Potentially Transformative Research

  • NSF Definition of Interdisciplinary Research

    • NSF FAQs on Interdisciplinary Research

• EAGER Proposal Template - based on 2018 guidelines

• View EAGER Awards - NSF Advanced Award Search​

  • View all EAGER awards to UCF faculty​

  • ​View all EAGER awards (sortable by directorate)

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) 22-1 (effective 10/4/2021).

Note: Separate instructions and templates specifically for CAREER and EAGER proposals are included in the section tabs above.

• Significant Changes and Clarifications to the NSF PAPPG 22-1

• Sections of the Proposal (see checklist)

• Formatting Requirements (font, spacing, margins, pagination)

• Project Summary (1 page max)

• Project Description

  • Page limits and use of URLs/hyperlinks in the Project Description

  • NOTE: A separate "Intellectual Merit" section in the PD has not been required as of PAPPG 20-1 onward, but refer to the specific RFP to see if that solicitation continues to require an Intellectual Merit section in the PD.

  • Broader Impacts (required section) 

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

• References Cited

• Budget and Budget Justification

  • UCF Office of Research Budget Guidance  (Budget Template)

• Biographical Sketch (now extended to 3 pages max)

  • (NOTE: THE BIOSKETCH MUST USE ONE OF THE TWO TEMPLATES APPROVED BY NSF (Note: Edited PDF files and any Biosketches made using other methods will be returned without review - see Policy Notice from NSF)

    • Use SciENcv Tool to Generate Biosketch in NSF Format

      • FAQs on SciENcv Biosketch

    • Use NSF-Approved Fillable PDF Biosketch

      • FAQs on Fillable PDF Biosketch

• Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information 

  • See Overview where the CURRENT Required COA Template is hosted, and FAQs 

• Current and Pending Support 

  • (NOTE: THE C&P DOCUMENT MUST USE ONE OF THE TWO TEMPLATES APPROVED BY NSF (Note: Edited PDF files and any C&Ps made using other methods will be returned without review - see Policy Notice from NSF)

    • See FAQs on the C&P Document, from NSF

    • Use AURORA Tool to Generate C&P Draft Document

• Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources 

• Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan (if applicable) 

• Data Management Plan (2 pages max) - (see the "Data Mgmt" tab above for additional resources)

  • Directorate-Specific Guidance

  • UCF Libguide - DMP Resources and Samples

• NSF Policy on Public Access:

  • Public Access FAQs

  • Public Access to Copyrighted Material

  • Public Access to Results of NSF-Funded Research

• Letters of Collaboration 

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