North Dakota EPSCoR

North Dakota EPSCoR
Requests for Proposals :: ND NASA EPSCoR Supplemental Information :: Main
Tuesday, October 5, 2004

NASA EPSCoR OPPORTUNITIES

TRAVEL SUPPORT, RESEARCH SUPPORT, STUDENT SUPPORT
ADDITIONAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Funds available: Approximately $125,000

Guidelines for submittal of proposals to ND NASA EPSCoR

Issued October 5, 2004

One of the goals of ND NASA EPSCoR (NDNEP) is to help ND investigators become more competitive in the external funding process. Part of the process involves helping you to write strong proposals that will be competitive. While we do not expect you to write a full proposal, the structure and elements of such a proposal should be followed as appropriate. Below are some general guidelines that will help you propose to ND NASA EPSCoR. Always read the RFP carefully and it is always best to consult the EPSCoR office (Carla Kellner, 701 777 2492) or the program director (Shan de Silva, 701 777 3558; desilva@space.edu) before submitting a proposal.

All proposals

Must have a signed University Proposal Transmittal Form (NDSU) or University Transmittal Form (UND) with the required signatures. Failure to follow these submission requirements will result in your proposal being returned without consideration.
Must have a Cover page that lists A) title, B) principal investigator and their mailing address, phone number, email address, C) type of award being requested and amount, and D) statement that PI has/has not received North Dakota NASA EPSCoR funding since 1 July 2002, and E) proposed start and end dates (no later than 15 July 2005).

All seed proposals should include the following in the order listed (consult the NASA EPSCoR office for clarification as Travel and stand alone Student Research awards may not require all these sections):

A. Statement of results and progress from prior NDNEP funding

Identify the previous NDNEP grants for the last 3 years and explain what has been done with the money and any resulting publications and grant proposals submitted and funded.

B. Proposal Narrative

A strong proposal requires a well reasoned and supported technical case that is clearly aligned with NASA needs/mission.

i. State outright what the purpose and scope of the project is, and give a strong rationale for why this is of interest to NASA and ND NASA EPSCoR. Clear alignment of the proposed research with a particular area of NASA research focus, RFP, or stated needs/emphasis is expected.

ii. Include sufficient background information on the problem for the reviewers to understand the previous work in this area and the context for the study. Present a technical narrative of the proposal. This should be aimed at the peers in your discipline.

iii. Design and describe a clear methodology to address the technical issues.

iv. Cite sources and present a list of References Cited.

v. Show collaboration with NASA

Proposals must show a link to a NASA center and/or enterprise. All proposals must build on an existing collaboration, or seek to develop collaboration with NASA personnel and establish collaborative research ventures.

Explain how the proposed research impacts the stated ND NASA EPSCoR goals of enhancing the research infrastructure in North Dakota.

vi. Provide an explanation of how this award will make the PI more competitive for future, non-EPSCoR funding (see G below)

C. Project duration

NDNEPS funds must be expended by July 15th of the fiscal year. Always check the RFP. Design a project that is consistent with this time frame.

D. Personnel and Work Plan

Provide a detailed work plan and time table that is consistent with the objectives of the project and fits within the funding period. Identify the roles of the investigators. Explain how the time will be spent. What will you do and when will you do the work? If you intend to travel show how the travel is related to this project.

Student roles should be clearly identified and should be more than just “assisting a PI with research”. Significant student roles in projects are strongly encouraged.

E. Equipment and supplies

Supplies may be proposed for if it can be clearly demonstrated that these will contribute to research.

Equipment is not allowed.

Explain what other resources you already have available for research, the infrastructure that your request is to be a part of, and how this enhances the existing resources.

F. Travel

If the proposal is for travel only, explain how the proposed travel will help the PI develop their research. Explain why the travel is necessary. Give sufficient details about the purpose of the trip and show some correspondence with your contact. No foreign travel support is available. Provide a detailed breakout of costs; duration, airfare, per diem, lodging, car rental etc.

G. Plan for future proposals

There should be a clear plan for seeking non-EPSCoR funding. Identify NRA’s, RFP’s specifically. If you are going to submit a non-solicited proposal then show that you have contacted the program manager of the program of interest and that they have encouraged you to apply to their solicitation. Show that the focus of your work is consistent with the program you have identified.

H. The background and capabilities of the PI and Co-PI's

What key capabilities do the major personnel have in the subject of the proposal and what is their track record in research and publications germane to this project? If you are proposing to explore a new area, you will have to convince the reviewers that you can legitimately compete in the new area. This should be in narrative form and clearly identify the work that relates to this proposal and be supported by the Bio(s).

A to H should typically be no more than 6 pages.

I. Curriculum Vitae

The PI should include a biographical sketch that includes their professional experiences and positions and a bibliography of up to 5 publications relevant to the project and a separate list of 5 other recent publications. 1 – 2 pages.

A one–page vitae for each co-PI should be included.

J. Budget Summary and Budget details/justification

Proposals should include a Budget Summary (available on the ND NASA EPSCoR web page). The proposed budget should not start before the project start date, and the requested project start date must not begin until 4 weeks after the proposal submittal date.

Budget details/justification should include a breakdown and detailed explanation and justification of each of the items.

Match may be provided by cash or in-kind contributions. We expect most match will be composed of state-appropriated salary, and tuition waivers. Successful proposals will detail source and amount of matching funds. Note that for a $10,000 project with a 1:4 match of the total project costs, the PI will identify $2,000 in match and NASA EPSCoR will provide $8,000.

Indirect Costs - Please contact your institutions grant officer regarding indirect costs.

K. Current and pending research support

List currently active grants or pending grants and provide the following information: 1) Project title; 2) Duration; 3) Funding source/agency; 4) Amount received/requested; 5) PI effort charged to grant. Explain other requests that have been made or are being planned for the same project or travel.

J. Supporting Materials

If you have collaborations with relevant industry, NASA, or academic groups or individuals, include letters of collaboration/interest from your collaborators. Even for Seed Grants you should have at least identified and at least communicated with likely collaborators before the proposal is submitted.

Proposal Review Process

Proposals received by North Dakota NASA EPSCoR and whose total budget is less than $7500 are usually reviewed by the ND NASA EPSCoR Director. Proposals received for larger amounts will undergo additional external review.

All proposals require NASA collaboration with NASA personnel, Field Centers, and Enterprises. Favourable review will be given to proposals that involve students, clearly show collaboration with NASA Field Centers and Enterprises, and which identify non-EPSCoR funding opportunities to continue the research of the PI and/or non-EPSCoR funding opportunities that will be solicited as a result of the award. Additional evaluation criteria include the results of prior funding, relevance of proposed activities to research of interest to NASA, and the scientific and technical merits of proposed activities.

North Dakota NASA EPSCoR anticipates that similar funding will be available in outlying years, contingent upon receipt of additional federal funds. Future award evaluation criteria will also include successful completion of previous reporting requirements.

Award Types

Travel awards will help North Dakota researchers collaborate with other researchers (at other universities, NASA Centers, or NASA contractors), present research results at meetings, and other reasons which support NASA-related research in North Dakota (including bringing in non-Federal employees for seminars or research consultation, and student travel to conduct research at NASA facilities). The required PI:EPSCoR match is 1:4. A one page end-of-award report will be required prior to travel award reimbursement. No salary or stipend is associated with these awards.

Seed awards will give North Dakota researchers initial funding to explore areas of NASA-relevant research. These awards require collaboration with NASA personnel or facilities and should be used to make their NASA relevant research competitive for non-EPSCoR funding. Awards may be used for any part of project initiation including salary, travel, supplies, and equipment. The expected outcome of these awards is a full research proposal to NASA or other major funding agency. The required PI:EPSCoR match is 1:4.

Seed awards for faculty from Baccalaureate Institutions provide upto $7500 per award (maximum of 4 awards) to help expand the NASA-related research infrastructure across North Dakota. These awards are to build collaborations with faculty at University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University and with NASA centers. The required outcome of this funding is a collaborative project that will compete for one of the seed awards and/or for external funding. Funds can be used for salary, travel, and supplies. The required PI:EPSCoR match is 1:4.

Student research fellowships are designed to involve graduate students in NASA relevant research so that they may mature into the workforce that will best support future NASA needs. Student research awards can be combined with seed grants, or they can be stand-alone awards. Awards should be used primarily for Graduate Research Assistantship funding to support graduate student research. Significant student involvement in NASA collaborations will be expected. GRA’s must be matched by a tuition waiver. Only US Citizens are eligible for these fellowships.

North Dakota EPSCoR : http://www.ndepscor.nodak.edu/