NSF Changes to Current & Pending Support and Biographical Sketches

Dear NSF Principal Investigators,

Even with the current research ramp-down and COVID-19-related disruption, NSF policies continue to apply to current projects and proposals.  In January 2020, the National Science Foundation released its updated Proposal and Award Administration Policies and Procedures Guide (“PAPP Guide”).  The revised PAPP Guide takes effect June 1, 2020.  The revised PAPP Guide includes two important changes to information that you include in your funding applications:

  1. Current and Pending Support

Current and Pending Support must include “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.” In addition to the usual current and pending sponsored projects, this includes:

  • In-kind contributions (such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, students) that have an associated time commitment.
  • Support provided directly to the individual that does not flow through Columbia.

Current and Pending Support must be submitted through an NSF-approved form.  You may either use a fillable PDF developed by NSF or SciENcv, a web-based tool that can pre-populate data from other systems, such as ORCID.

In-kind contributions intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed must be reported in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the application.

NSF has published FAQs concerning Current and Pending Support.

  1. Biographical Sketch

The biographical sketch must include:

A list, in reverse chronological order by start date of all the individual's academic, professional, or institutional appointments, beginning with the current appointment. Appointments include any titled academic, professional, or institutional position whether or not remuneration is received, and whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary).

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg20_1/pappg_2.jsp#IIC2f (emphasis added).

As with Current and Pending Support, the biographical sketch must be submitted through an NSF-approved form, either a fillable PDF developed by NSF or SciENcv.

Although the requirement to use the new forms takes effect June 1, NSF is strongly encouraging researchers to use the forms now, in order to test them and provide NSF with feedback. As always, if you have questions about what to disclose, please contact your SPA Project Officer.  For more information about Science and Security, please visit the University’s Science and Security webpage. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rudi Odeh-Ramadan

Stephanie Scott

 

April 07, 2020