Important Updates for NSF Principal Investigators

Five Significant Changes in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (NSF 24-1) effective May 20, 2024

Five Items Directly Relevant to Faculty and Administrators from the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (NSF 24-1) effective with proposals submitted to the NSF on or after May 20, 2024. Please read through the details of each component carefully.

The NSF is implementing the use of the Common Biographical sketch form. The Common Biosketch form template will be available in SciENcv by the end of April. This common form has no page limitations and incorporates the following:
- Each senior/key person is required to complete the following certifications regarding the information provided in their Biographical Sketch when they download the form from SciENcv:
  - I certify that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete. This includes but is not limited to information related to domestic and foreign appointments and positions.
  - I also certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
  - Misrepresentations and/or omissions may be subject to prosecution and liability pursuant to, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 1001, 1031 and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 and 3802.
- Common form definitions including, but not limited to what are academic, professional, or institutional positions and appointments as well as what constitutes a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
- The Synergistic Activities section has been removed from the biographical sketch and must now be submitted as a separate senior/key personnel document.
The NSF is implementing the use of the Common Current and Pending (Other) Support form. The Common C&P from template will be available in SciENcv by the end of April. The form incorporates the following:
- Each senior/key person is required to complete the following certifications regarding the information provided in their Current and Pending (Other) Support when they download the form from SciENcv:
  - I certify that the information provided is current, accurate, and complete. This includes, but is not limited to, information related to current, pending, and other support (both foreign and domestic) as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 6605.
  - I also certify that, at the time of submission, I am not a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
  - Misrepresentations and/or omissions may be subject to prosecution and liability pursuant to, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 1001, 1031 and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 and 3802.
- Consulting activities must be disclosed under the proposals and active projects section of the Common Current and Pending (Other) Support form when any of the following scenarios apply:
  - The consulting activity will require the senior/key person to perform research as part of the consulting activity;
  - The consulting activity does not involve performing research, but is related to the senior/key person’s research portfolio and may have the ability to impact funding, alter time or effort commitments, or otherwise impact scientific integrity; or
  - The consulting entity has provided a contract that requires the senior/key person to conceal or withhold confidential financial or other ties between the senior/key person and the entity, irrespective of the duration of the engagement.
- In-kind resources that must be disclosed are now limited to those with an estimated dollar value of $5000 or more and that require a commitment of the individual's time. An in-kind contribution is a non-cash contribution provided by an external entity that directly supports the individuals' research and development efforts. An in-kind contribution may include but is not limited to: real property; laboratory space; equipment; data or data sets; supplies; other expendable property; goods and services; employee or student resources. In-kind contributions with an estimated value of less than $5000 need not be reported.
- Common form definitions including, but not limited to what constitutes a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
A Mentoring Plan is required for any proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral scholars or graduate students. In no more than one page, the mentoring plan must describe the mentoring that will be provided to all postdoctoral scholars or graduate students supported by the project, regardless of whether they reside at the submitting organization, any subrecipient organization, or at any organization participating in a simultaneously submitted collaborative proposal. Please note that separate plans are not required for postdoctoral scholars or graduate students. The plan may, however, specify how different components of the mentoring program will be enacted for the two types of researchers.
Life of the Award Management - Individual Development Plans for Postdoctoral Scholars or Graduate Students, for each NSF award that provides substantial support to postdoctoral scholars and graduate students, each individual must have an Individual Development Plan, which is updated annually, that maps the educational goals, career exploration, and professional development of the individual. NSF defines “substantial support” as an individual that has received one person month or more during the annual reporting period under the NSF award.
Projects Requiring Advanced Computing, Data, and Analysis Capabilities - Many research projects require access to computational, data, analysis, and/or visualization resources to complete the work proposed. For projects that require such resources at scales beyond what may be available locally, NSF supports an array of national resources. Click here for more information.