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Policy Office

Head, Policy Office: Jean Feldman

The Policy Office in the Division of Institution and Award Support is responsible for developing, implementing and issuing proposal and award policy for the programs of the National Science Foundation and is available to assist you with questions involving policy related issues. Questions related to specific awards should be directed to the Division of Grants and Agreements.

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New!!! We are pleased to announce the issuance of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 22-1). The new PAPPG will be effective for proposals submitted or due on or after October 4, 2021. Significant changes include:

  • A new section covering requests for reasonable and accessibility accommodations regarding the proposal process or requests for accessibility accommodations to access NSF's electronic systems, websites and other digital content;

  • A table entitled, NSF Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support. This table identifies where pre- and post-award current and pending support disclosure information must be provided. Although the PAPPG (NSF 22-1) becomes effective Octobe 4, 2021, proposers and awardees may begin using this table immediately to assist with completing the relevant proposal and project report sections;

  • Increasing the page limit for the biographical sketch from two to three pages;

  • Updates to the current and pending support section of NSF proposals to require that information on objectives and overlap with other projects is provided to help NSF and reviewers assess overlap/duplication;

  • Adding planning proposals and Career-Life Balance supplemental funding requests as new proposal types; and

  • Updates to travel proposals will require that AORs certify that prior to the proposer's participation in the meeting for which NSF travel support is being requested, the proposer will assure that the meeting organizer has a written policy or code-of-conduct addressing harassment.

While this version of the PAPPG becomes effective on October 4, 2021, in the interim, the guidelines contained in the current PAPPG (NSF 20-1) continue to apply.

Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1) - effective for proposals submitted or due on or after June 1, 2020. For guidance on proposals submitted or due before June 1, 2020, reference PAPPG 19-1, dated February 25, 2019