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Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Dear Colleague Letter

Removal of Deadlines for the Core Programs in the Directorate for Engineering

Dear Colleagues:

The Directorate for Engineering (ENG) is notifying members of the research communities about an important change to submission windows for unsolicited proposals to all core programs in the Divisions of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI), Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), and Engineering Education and Centers (EEC).

In order to allow Principal Investigators (PIs) more flexibility and to better facilitate interdisciplinary research across engineering disciplines, ENG is removing deadlines for submission of unsolicited proposals to all core programs in CBET, CMMI, ECCS and EEC, effective August 15, 2018. For those unfamiliar with the no-deadline submission process, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other relevant information will be provided on CBET, CMMI, ECCS and EEC webpages.

By accepting proposals at any time, ENG is affording the opportunity for PIs to think more creatively, build strong collaborations, converse with Program Directors and carefully prepare proposals with the potential to make significant research contributions to engineering. It is our hope that the elimination of deadlines will reduce the burden on institutions and the community.

With this change, the CBET, CMMI, ECCS and EEC Divisions will implement a guideline in which a declined proposal (or substantively similar proposal/topic by the same PI) is ineligible for resubmission until a minimum of one year has passed from the date of its initial submission. This moratorium will allow PIs the time required to digest the results of the merit review and revise/restructure the declined proposal accordingly. Any proposal that is a duplicate of, or substantially similar to, a previous proposal that is under the moratorium period will be returned without review. Similarly, any proposal submitted to CBET, CMMI, ECCS or EEC that has been previously reviewed and declined and has not been substantially revised will be returned without review, as outlined in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). This change applies only to submission of unsolicited proposals to CBET, CMMI, ECCS and EEC core programs. PIs submitting proposals to NSF or ENG solicitations, such as the CAREER solicitation or the Engineering Research Center (ERC) solicitations, must meet the respective deadlines of those solicitations.

Sincerely,
Dawn M. Tilbury
Assistant Director, Engineering Directorate

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