Instructions How To Applicant Apply Prfb
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How to Apply for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology in FastLane Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) NSF 15-•‐501 Deadline: January 8, 2015 and the first Tuesday in November thereafter through 2018 Contacts for Competitive Areas 1 and 2: Contact for Competitive Area 3: Phone: 703 292-•‐8470 Phone: 703 292-•‐4400 Email: bio-dbi-prfb@nsf.gov Email: dbipgr@nsf.gov I. Important Proposal Preparation Information. Be sure you are eligible. An individual is eligible to submit an application for a postdoctoral fellowship if all of the requirements below are met. If you fail to meet any eligibility criterion, your application will be returned without review. You must: • be a U.S. citizen (or national) or permanent resident of the United States (i.e., have a "green card") at the proposal deadline; • present a research and training plan that falls within the purview of NSF's Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO); • have earned or plan to earn the doctoral degree in an appropriate field prior to the beginning of the fellowship; • select sponsoring scientists, departments, and institutions that offer a significant opportunity to broaden significantly your prior research focus and training; • not have served in any position that requires the doctoral degree for more than 6 full time months prior to submission of the application (for Competitive Areas 1 & 2) and for more than 12 full time months (for Competitive Area 3); and • not have submitted the same research to another NSF postdoctoral fellowship program. • For Competitive Area 3, applicants planning to stay in their current positions must articulate how the new training planned under this fellowship would meet the goals of the National Plant Genome Initiative. General Document Preparation Guidelines: Prepare all documents according to guidelines in the program solicitation and the NSF Proposal and Awards Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Proposal Preparation Instructions. A brief summary of the requirements is given below. These requirements apply to all uploaded sections of an application, including supplementary documents. Please note: For applicants submitting proposals to the FY 2018 PRFB competition, a Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) document is not required. The application must be clear, readily legible, and conform to the following requirements: 1. Use one of the following typefaces identified below: • 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 A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figure, table or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters. Applicants are cautioned, however, that the text must still be easily readable. 2. No more than 6 lines of text within a vertical space of one inch. 3. Margins, in all directions, must be at least an inch. 4. Proposal Pagination Instructions: Proposers are advised that FastLane does not automatically paginate parts of proposals and applications. Each section of the proposal that is uploaded as a file must be individually paginated prior to being uploaded. For assistance with submitting to FastLane, the FastLane Help Desk is available from 7 AM to 8 PM ET except Federal holidays and weekends. Call 1-•‐800-•‐673-•‐6188 or e-•‐mail fastlane@nsf.gov E-•‐mails are answered on Saturdays. Instructions for Uploading a File in FastLane Within the form, select Browse and find your document. Double click on document. Select Upload File. A screen will tell you when the document has been successfully uploaded. Select Proofread PDF. View the converted file, click on the upper right X to close the window, and then select either Accept or Cancel. If you accept the document, you can now either select Display Current to view the document or select Go Back and return to the Form Preparation screen. Submission Tips: 1. Print and read the Program Solicitation. 2. Register as an independent researcher at www.fastlane.nsf.gov . 3. Begin EARLY. 4. READ application before submitting. 5. Check the grammar and spelling on all documents. 6. Don’t wait until the last minute; submit before the deadline. II. How to Register as an Independent Researcher This program is not for individuals affiliated with institutions. It is for individual researchers only. You must register as an independent researcher. Go to www.fastlane.nsf.gov and select the Postdoctoral Fellowships and Other Programs tab. Select Individual Registration. This is a long form so scroll down to fill in all the fields. Select Submit. As soon as you select Approve on the next screen, your password will be activated. You cannot submit an application without registering. NOTE: Please use an email address that will not change when you switch institutions so you can use it over the long term. After submission, you should get a summary page reviewing your responses. Verify the information and edit as necessary. Be sure to write down your NSF ID number as you will need it in the next step. III. Step by Step Instructions to Prepare Application after registering as an independent researcher. A. Begin your application. Again, access www.fastlane.nsf.gov and select Proposals, Awards and Status. Under PI/Co-•‐PI Login, enter your Last Name, NSF ID, and password. Do not use a login or password that might have been assigned to you by a grants office when you applied to another NSF program. Select Login. You are required to change your password the first time you login. Select Proposal Functions. Then, select Proposal Preparation. The PI Information screen appears. Check your information and update as necessary. The organization must be you as an independent researcher. Your organization code must begin with "P." If needed, select Edit PI Information to update your information. When completed, select Save. Select Prepare Proposal. On the Proposal Actions screen the first time you login, select Create Blank Proposal. On subsequent logins, select your temporary proposal, then Edit. Note: Once you login, there is a navigation column on the right side of the screen to help you move through the application. B. Form Preparation 1. Prepare Cover Sheet. COMPLETE THIS FORM FIRST. Select GO next to Cover Sheet. The Cover Sheet Components Form screen appears first. a) Check Awardee and Performing Institutions. Check that the awardee organization information is correct. This must be you as an individual researcher, not a university or college. (Correct if necessary. Return to the PI Information screen by selecting Go Back. Select Edit PI Information. Select Change Institution. Type your last name into box and select Locate. Select you as an Independent Researcher with an institution code beginning with "P". Then Save.) Enter the host institution and its address information in the fields "NAME OF PRIMARY PLACE OF PERF" and "ADDRESS OF PRIMARY PLACE PERF, INCLUDING 9 DIGIT ZIP CODE if in the U.S." If you have more than one host institution, list the primary one here and list both in your project summary (see below). b) Select Program Solicitation. Select GO next to Program Solicitation/Announcement. Select NSF 15-•‐501 Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to highlight. Click Select. You are returned to the Cover Sheet Components Form. c) Select NSF Unit, by selecting the appropriate BIO division and using the GO button. If you are applying to competitive area 1 or 2, direct your application to the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI). And then select either • “Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships” for Competitive Area 1, Broadening Participation, or • “DBI -•‐BIO PostDocs” for Competitive Area 2, Collections. For competitive area 3, you need to select the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) and FastLane will auto-•‐select NGPI PostDoc Rsrch for the Plant Genome Fellowship. If needed, click on Go Back to move to the next step. d) The remainder of the cover sheet will be auto-•‐filled using information from the Application Form; therefore be sure to completely fill in the Application Form. The budget forms also are auto-•‐generated based on the information in the Application Form. 2. Prepare the Application Form Filling in the Application Form is required or your application is incomplete and will be returned without review. Most of the fields are self-•‐explanatory. A few notes for scattered fields identified by letters follow: H. Current Position: Type of Institution: Describe, for example, PhD granting, Museum, Research Center, etc. O. Proposed Sponsoring Scientific Advisor: For applicants with multiple sponsoring scientists, there is room for only one name. So, put in the primary sponsor whose lab you will start in. You must list your sponsors and their institutions in the Project Summary. Q. Expected Starting Date: The date must be in the range of June 1 to Jan. 1 following submission, e.g., June 1, 2015-•‐January 1, 2016 for applications submitted to the deadline in January, 2015; and June 1, 2016-•‐Janaury 1, 2017 for applications submitted in November, 2015, etc. S. For applications that involve Live Vertebrate Animals: In the Other Information section, you must select the box labeled Vertebrate Animals. If you are offered a fellowship, you must submit the required approvals before the fellowship can be awarded. Likewise for Applications that involve Human Subjects: In the Other Information section, select the box labeled Human Subjects. If you are selected for a fellowship, you will need to submit the required approvals before the fellowship can be awarded. For Applications with international cooperative activities: Please enter the country name(s). T. Short term international experience: If you are going on brief (less than nine months) collecting trips or training etc., please enter the international institution and sponsoring scientist. 3. Prepare Project Summary (limited to one page) of Proposed Fellowship Activities, including both research and training. Select GO next to Project Summary. This is an abstract of the proposed research and training. You must clearly address and identify in separate statements using the three boxes: (1) an overview of your proposed fellowship activities; (2) intellectual merit; and (3) broader impacts of the activities. Without these 3 sections, your application will be returned without review. List your sponsoring scientist(s) and institution(s) in the overview. Upload text in the proper boxes. Do not use the Supplementary Document option for the summary. Do not use jargon and abbreviations in the summary. It should be understandable by scientists not in your specialized field. Warning: the text conversion program used in FastLane has some interesting features. One of them is converting apostrophes, hyphens, quotes, etc. into a question mark (?). After uploading, save the summary and print it to look for inappropriate characters and codes. Make the corrections directly in the text box. 4. Prepare Project Description (Research and Training Plan). [6 page limit, including all figures, tables, etc.] Select GO next to Project Description and upload file. The bibliography is saved under References Cited and does not count toward the six-•‐page limit. The research and training plan presents the research that you will conduct and the training that you will receive during the fellowship period and how they relate to your career goals. Include in the research and training plan: a) a brief and informative introduction or background section; b) a statement of research objectives, methods, and significance; c) training objectives and plan for achieving them (these may include scientific as well as other career preparation activities); d) an explanation of how the fellowship activities will enhance your career development and future research directions as well as describing how this research differs from your dissertation research, thus providing you an opportunity to broaden your scientific horizon; e) a justification of the choice of sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s); f) a timetable with yearly goals with benchmarks for major anticipated outcomes; and g) a separate section within the narrative that describes in detail the broader impacts of the proposed activities. h) For competitive area 1, you must include a plan to broaden participation of under-•‐represented groups in biology. 5. References Cited. Save the Bibliography here. Select GO next to References Cited. Select Go Back to return to the Form Preparation screen. 6. Biographical Sketch [2 page limit]. Submit your CV in the section Biographical Sketches. Follow the form in the Proposal and Awards Policies and Procedure Guide II.C.2.f.i for senior personnel. List conference abstracts and titles of presentations separately from peer-•‐reviewed articles. For unpublished manuscripts, list only those submitted or accepted for publication (along with most likely date of publication). 7. Current and Pending Support: Include a list of current and planned applications to other fellowship programs. If there are none, upload a file with the statement, “None Submitted”. 8. Add/Delete Letter of Reference Writers. Two (2) reference reports are required -‐‐ one from the doctoral advisor and one from another scientist who knows you well. Select GO next to Add/Delete Letter of Reference Writers. Select Add References. Type in all requested information for the Reference Writer. The fields preceded by an asterisk are required. Select Add Reference to save the reference information. The next screen will ask if you want an e-•‐mail sent to this person with the Temporary Proposal Number and the password. You will have to select Yes or No. If you do not select Yes, make sure to contact each Letter of Reference Writer and give each the Temporary Proposal Number and the Password. Reference letters must be submitted before you submit your application to FastLane. They cannot be added later. Therefore, they must be received prior to the deadline. Be sure to give your reference letter writers sufficient time to enter their letters prior to the deadline. If, at the last minute, one is not able to submit a letter, substitute another letter writer. 9. Status: Letters of Reference. Check this function before the deadline to see if each Letter of Reference Writer has begun and then submitted his/her comments. The Letter of Reference Writer must submit prior to the deadline or your application is incomplete and will be returned without review. The Letter of Reference Writer should select Postdoctoral Fellowships and Other Programs and selects Letter of Reference Writer under Who Are You? The Temporary Proposal Number and password are needed to login. C. Supplementary Documents There are four subsections under Supplementary Documents. More than one document can be uploaded within these forms. DO NOT include any documents not specifically required. Select GO next to Supplementary Docs and the proper subsection to upload the information. Select Go Back to return to the Form Preparation screen. Documents to be uploaded into Supplementary Docs fields: • Data Management Plan: All applications must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled "Data Management Plan". Describe plans for data management and sharing of the products of research, or assert the absence of the need for such plans. Upload this to Supplementary Documents – Data Management Plan. • Mentoring Plan: This is the sponsoring scientist(s) statement (only one, regardless of the number of sponsoring scientists) described in the program solicitation NSF 15-•‐501 with a 2-•‐page CV for the sponsor (or one for each sponsor if there is more than one sponsor). Upload this to Supplementary Documents – Mentoring Plan. Note: FastLane will warn you that the mentoring plan should only be 1 page long. Disregard this warning for the PRFB program. • Other Supplementary Docs: Upload these items to Supplementary Documents – Other Supplementary Docs. 1. Abstract of your Doctoral Dissertation Research [1 page limit]. 2. For competitive area 2, Collections, documentation from the collection director that you will have access to the collection(s) and that your proposed research use meets all policies and requirements of the collection(s). DO NOT include letters of support or endorsements of your application. Final steps When the application is complete, print out all the forms to double check conversions and be sure that everything has been included. When satisfied that all documents are within the page limits and print out well, return to the Proposal Actions screen and select Submit. The screen shows the question, Do you wish to proceed with the submission? Select Continue. If some parts of the proposal have not been saved, they will be listed along with a Go Back button. Otherwise, the screen will state, All required forms are saved, you can submit your application. Scroll down and read the information under Certification for Authorized Organizational Representative or Individual Applicant. Keep scrolling down and reading until the Sign and Submit button appears. Select Sign and Submit. The next screen will show your official NSF proposal number. Please note this number and use it for all correspondence with NSF about your application. You must sign the application. If you do not see the Submit button, select Allow SRO Access button. Select GO next to Allow SRO to view, edit, and submit proposal. Return to the FastLane homepage and go to the Research Administration page. If you don’t receive the proposal number or you cannot see the status of this proposal number under Proposal Status on FastLane, your application has not been submitted. Contact the Help desk for assistance. V. Research Administration Functions. You may need to access Research Administration functions in FastLane after submitting your proposal to make changes to your information, withdraw the proposal, or request NSF approval. Select Research Administration (in the upper row of FastLane functions). On the login screen, type your last name, NSF ID, and password. Select Login. Accounts Management: This function will let you change the organization information such as the address and contact information. If you move, it is important to update your contact information.
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