National Science Foundation (NSF)

Last Updated February 1, 2023

NSF Proposal & Award Policy and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) NSF 23-1 - Use for all proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023

NSF implemented revised versions of the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support formats effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023.  In these revised versions senior personnel are required to certify that the information within their NSF biosketch and current and pending support is current, accurate, and complete.  The certification language is included on both the NSF fillable PDF and SciENcv template.  If using the NSF fillable PDF, an individual will record their certification via typing their name in the Signature field.  If using the SciENcv template, SciEncv records an individual’s certification when they download either their biosketch or current and pending support from SciENcv.  The certification of NSF biosketches and/or Current and Pending Support MAY NOT be delegated to administrators.

These revised formats are now available in SciENcv and on the NSF Policy Office website. As a reminder, the mandate to use SciENcv only for preparation of these senior personnel documents will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023.

NSF Pre-Award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biosketch and Current and Pending Support Table (Updated April 20, 2022)

NSF FAQs on Current and Pending Support (Updated July 21, 2022)

NSF Disclosure FAQs - Stanford Guidance

Slides from OSR NSF Disclosures Webinar June 1, 2021

Recording of OSR NSF Disclosures Webinar June 1, 2021

ORA Current and Pending Support website

Biosketch Resources

Report all academic, professional, or institutional affiliations, positions and appointments regardless of whether they are:

• Domestic or foreign
• Paid or unpaid
• Full-time, part-time,orvoluntary (including adjunct, visiting or honorary)
• Provided through Stanford OR provided directly to the individual
• *Note:
  • NSF has recently clarified for professional appointments, only CURRENT domestic or foreign professional appointments outside of the individual's academic, professional, or institutional appointments at the proposing organization i.e., outside of Stanford for Stanford investigators must be included in the appointment section of the biosketch.
  • If an investigator is on an advisory board or advisory committee outside of the proposing organization i.e. Stanford, it must be included in the appointment section of the biosketch.
  • Typically, journal reviewers are provided as appointments.  However, they could be used as a synergistic activity.
  • Many faculty use the fact that they have served on a review committee as a synergistic activity.

NSF Biographical Sketch website

ORA Biosketches website

SciENcv Guidance on Creating a NSF Biosketch

Using SciENcv Frequently Asked Questions

Current & Pending Support Resources

In accordance with the policies, FAQs, and resource tables on the NSF Current and Pending Support Website:

• Current and pending support includes all resources made available to an individual in support of and/or related to all of his/her research efforts, regardless of whether or not they have monetary value. Current and pending support also includes in-kind contributions (such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, students). All in-kind contributions available to a researcher in support of their research endeavors must be reported even if they are not intended for use on the project being proposed. If the time commitment or dollar value is not readily ascertainable, reasonable estimates should be provided.
• Current and pending support information must be provided for the project being proposed, for ongoing projects, and for any proposals currently under consideration from whatever source, irrespective of whether such support is provided through the Stanford or is provided directly to the individual. Examples of sources include Federal, State, local, foreign, public or private foundations, non-profit organizations, industrial or other commercial organizations or internal funds allocated toward specific projects.
• The total award amount for the entire award period covered (including indirect costs) must be provided, as well as the number of person-months (or partial person-months) per year to be devoted to the project by the individual regardless of whether or not the effort devoted is charged to the source. If the time commitment or dollar value is not readily ascertainable, reasonable estimates should be provided.

In-Kind Resources

Include in-kind resources available to a researcher in support of their research endeavors even if they are not intended for use on the project being proposed.

The NSF provides guidance regarding WHERE to report the in-kind contributions based on the following criteria:

• Include in the C&PS “if the in-kind contribution is not intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed to NSF but has an associated time commitment”. Examples include:
  • Research-related travel costs paid by an external party
  • Honoraria or other payments for research-related activities paid by an external party
  • External funding to support individuals working on an investigator’s research endeavors including staff, students, fellows, and visiting scholars
  • Awards made directly to project personnel
• Include in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section “if there will be an in-kind contribution intended for use on the proposal being submitted to NSF”. Examples include:
  • Data sets
  • Biological or chemical materials
  • Office/laboratory space, equipment or supplies

If the time commitment or dollar value is not readily ascertainable, reasonable estimates should be provided.

In-kind contributions can be excluded only if:

• not intended for use on the proposed project and
• have no associated time commitment

“Gifts”

(Updated 10/26/2021)

NSF defines a gift to be something that is given without the expectation of anything in return.  An item or service given with the expectation of an associated time commitment is not a gift, and is instead an in-kind contribution and must be reported as such.

While Stanford University policy on gifts aligns closely with this definition, there may be gifts that could come into question. As a result, we ask Investigators to use the guide document linked below to carefully consider and identify any gift that meets the criteria for disclosure for NSF Current & Pending Support. The guidance is also applicable for NIH Other Support.

Stanford NIH & NSF Gifts Disclosure Guidance (updated 10/25/2021)

Gifts Disclosure Webinar Recording (updated 10/26/2021)

NOTE: When accessing Stanford Google docs and drive files, you must use your Stanford e-mail address (SUNet ID & Password). If you are having issues, make sure you are NOT logged in to your personal Google Account when accessing the above links.

Additionally, if the item or service is given with the expectation of an associated time commitment or if the donor receives a benefit, it does not meet NSF’s definition of a “gift” and should be reported as an in-kind contribution. Examples include, but are not limited to, funds received in support of an Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) with the expectation of an associated time commitment from the investigator and/or if member companies are offered benefits, and/or gifts where the donor will receive a benefit (e.g. access to research results, students or facilities)

Recommended approach for reviewing an investigator’s individual Faculty Financial Tool Inquiry (FFIT) screen to identify NSF disclosable current and in-kind support

Life Of The Award Update Requirements

If Stanford discovers that a PI or co-PI on an active NSF grant failed to disclose current support or in-kind contribution information as part of the proposal submission process , Stanford must submit a Post-Award Disclosure of project Support Information and/or Post-Award Disclosure of In-Kind Contribution Information within 30 calendar days of the identification of the undisclosed current support or in-kind contribution through use of the “Other Request” category in the Notification and Request Module in Research.gov. Please note this 30-day reporting requirement remains in effect during the entire life of the award.

Annual Project Reporting Requirements

The Annual Project Report is used by award recipients to prepare and submit annual and final project reports to NSF. Further details about the annual report can be found on the Research.gov About Project Reports website.

On October 5, 2020, NSF added the following new question to the Edit Participants screen:

Has there been a change in the active other support of the PI/PD(s) since the last reporting period?

If Principal Investigators (PIs)/Project Directors (PDs) and co-PIs/co-PDs select “Yes,” they will be required to upload their most up-to-date Current and Pending Support document in an NSF-approved format to notify NSF that active other support has changed since the award was made or since the most recent annual report.

• The current NSF-approved formats for Current and Pending Support are:
  • SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae 
  • NSF Fillable PDF - Effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023.   

  • Note: Individuals must use SciENcv for the preparation of NSF Current and Pending (Other) Support information submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023.

• The NSF Current and Pending Support website includes additional information as well as links to system-related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for both NSF-approved formats.

Notes for NSF-Approved Formats for Current and Pending Support

Note: The mandate to use SciENcv only for the preparation of Current and Pending (Other) Support information will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. In the interim, proposers may continue to prepare and submit this document via use of SciENcv or the NSF fillable PDF. NSF, however, encourages the community to use SciENcv prior to the October 2023 implementation.

• The NSF fillable PDF has a 15 spaces for proposals/projects and 10 spaces for in-kind contributions.  If an investigator has more entries than the fillable PDF can support for either proposals/projects and/or in-kind contributions, the investigator MUST prepare their NSF Current & Pending from within ScienCV.

• The NSF fillable PDF will allow $0 dollar and 0-person month entries.  These entries do not trigger error messages when the document is uploaded to Research.gov or FastLane.  However, NSF may question these entries upon receipt of the associated application because if a time commitment or dollar value is not readily ascertainable, reasonable estimates should be provided.

• In the NSF fillable PDF the In-Kind Contribution summary of contributions cannot exceed 265 characters.

• ScienCV requires at least 0.01 person months to be entered for any person month entry and at least $1 to be entered for any dollar value entry.

• In ScienCV the In-Kind Contribution summary of contributions cannot exceed 300 characters.

Need further assistance? Have questions and/or feedback? Please submit questions and/or feedback and a member of the ORA-RMG Disclosures Team will respond to you shortly.