This outline addresses key development components of a standard NSF proposal; however, it does not address all elements required to complete the application or budget. Be sure to refer to the program solicitation applicable to your proposal and the application instructions in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide.
Formatting Instructions
- Use one of the following typefaces: Arial, Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger; Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger.
- Other fonts not specified above, such as Cambria Math, may be used for mathematical formulas, equations, or when inserting Greek letters or special characters.
- A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, table or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters. The text must still be readable.
- Margins must be at least one inch in all directions.
- Line spacing must not exceed six lines of text per vertical inch.
- Individually paginate each document of the proposal.
Application Materials
Project Summary
Limited to 1 page
The Project Summary should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a broad audience within the scientific domain. It should not be an abstract of the proposal. The summary must include three separate sections, each of which is input into a text box in FastLane:
- Overview: Describe the activity that would result if the proposal were funded and state the objectives and methods to be employed.
- Intellectual Merit: Describe the potential of the proposed activity to advance knowledge within its own field or across different fields, including the qualifications of the team to conduct the project and the extent to which the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts.
- Broader Impacts: Describe the potential of the proposed activity to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
For additional guidance including an example Project Summary, see: https://granttrainingcenter.com/blog/important-part-nsf-proposal-summary-page/
Project Description
Limited to 15 pages
The Project Description should provide a clear statement of the work to be undertaken. URLs must not be used. Should this project involve collaboration with other institutions/organizations, describe the roles to be played by the other entities, specify the managerial arrangements, and explain the advantages of the multi-organizational effort.
- For proposals submitted or due on or after June 1, 2020, the NSF has removed the requirement for the Project Description to contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a section labeled "Intellectual Merit."
- For all proposals that include funding to an International Branch Campus of a U.S. institution of higher education or to a foreign organization (including through use of a subaward or consultant arrangement), provide a justification for why the project activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
Broader Impacts
The Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a section labeled "Broader Impacts."
This section should provide a discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed activities. Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to the achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the U.S.; use of science and technology to inform public policy; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education. These examples of societally relevant outcomes should not be considered either comprehensive or prescriptive. Proposers may include appropriate outcomes not covered by these examples.
Additional resources to develop your Broader Impacts, including information on relevant campus offices and programs at Syracuse University, are located here.