NSF Proposal Development
A page within Research & Sponsored Programs
Proposal Planning & Development Resources
Funding
- NSF current funding search
- List of NSF directorates & programs: Funding opportunities are listed under each area.
- NSF award search: searchable repository of NSF-funded research
- Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI): As a predominantly undergraduate institution, UWL is eligible to submit applications to eligible programs with the RUI designation.
Proposal planning & timeline
A successful proposal starts with thorough planning before you begin drafting the application. Keep in mind that substantive proposals (e.g., federal applications, collaborative projects) should be developed over a much longer timeline - typically six months to a year in advance of the deadline. See below for the required NSF proposal planning resources:
- NSF proposal development guide & checklist: extensive compilation of the required UWL forms, relevant NSF guidance, and templates
- NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
- Federal proposal development timeline calculator
To get started:
- Use the federal proposal development timeline calculator to generate a customized proposal timeline.
- Initiate your application by completing the INTAKE questionnaire.
- Review the applicable proposal development information on this webpage for the NSF proposal development guide & checklist, budgeting guidance, templates, and other resources.
Below are additional planning tools:
- NSF Proposal Preparation Checklist (PAPPG 24-1)
- Broader Impacts Toolkit & Wizard
- NSF Subaward Proposal Development Checklist: used when UWL is not the lead institution and would be a subrecipient
- NSF letter of intent (LOI) template
- Grant writing tips for success
- How to contact the potential funding agency
- How to develop a concept paper/letter of inquiry (LOI)
Required UWL forms
- INTAKE Questionnaire
- Required for all federal proposals:
- Required for National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals:
- Required for proposals involving subawards:
Budgeting
Sponsor Guidance
Budget Templates & Rates
- Budget Helper Spreadsheet
- Budget Justification Template
- Cost Sharing Template
- Fringe Benefits and Indirect Costs - Current Rates
- Budget Guidance: Fringe Benefits Overview
Faculty & Staff Compensation
Student Compensation & Tuition
- Undergraduate Student Wage Guidance
- Graduate Assistant Compensation
- Tuition and Fee Information
Travel & Meals
- UWL Travel Information
- Lodging & Meal Per Diems
- Current rates until June 30, 2025:SFS Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
- NEW calculator for travel occurring July 1, 2025 or later: Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
- Ground Transportation
- UWL Food Host Meal Rates
Facility Rental
- For rental of on-campus facilities, contact Reservations for facility and cost information. A facility rate sheet is also available.
Narrative & supplementary documents
- Proposal content guidelines (PAPPG 24-1)
- Cover Sheet
- Project Summary
- Table of Contents
- Project Description
- References Cited
- Facilities, Equipment, & Other Resources
- Biographical Sketch(es)
- Required for each senior personnel
- SciENcv
- For proposals due on or after October 23, 2023, the SciENcv format is required.
- NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance (see p. 12-17)
- Current & Pending (Other) Support
- Required for each senior personnel
- SciENcv
- For proposals due on or after October 23, 2023, the SciENcv format is required.
- NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance (see p. 12-17)
- FAQs on using SciENcv
- Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA)
- Required for each senior personnel
- COA template and information
- Synergistic Activities
- Mentoring Plan
- Data Management Plan (DMP)
- UWL template
- NSF DMP requirements by directorate, division, and program
- These requirements apply in addition to those described in the PAPPG and solicitation.
- Templates for various directorates/sponsors (DMPTool)
- Registry of Research Data Repositories
- Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) proposals:
- As a predominantly undergraduate institution (PUI), UWL is eligible (but not required) to submit proposals to most NSF programs with an RUI prefix, designating it as an application from a PUI. The Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions solicitation (NSF 14-579) would apply in addition to the targeted solicitation.
- RUI requirements:
- Add "RUI:" prefix to project title
- RUI Impact Statement (template)
- RUI certification (provided by ORSP)
- Other potentially required proposal components:
- Collaborative proposals
- Research off-campus or off-site
- Defined as data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft
- UWL template
- Projects that may impact the resources or interests of Tribal Nation(s)
- Live vertebrate animals (IACUC)
- Human subjects (IRB)
- Proprietary or privileged information
- Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC)
- Recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (IBC)
- Advanced computing resources, data, and analysis resources
- International activities
- Logic models guidance and templates (UW Extension)
Sponsor guidance
- NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 24-1)
- Applicable to proposals due on or after May 20, 2024
- NSF Proposal Preparation Checklist (PAPPG 24-1)
- Merit Review Process
- Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program solicitation
- As a predominantly undergraduate institution (PUI), UWL is eligible (but not required) to submit proposals to most NSF programs with an RUI prefix, designating it as an application from a PUI. The RUI solicitation (NSF 14-579) would apply in addition to the targeted solicitation.
- NSF: A Guide for Proposal Writing