Contact ORS with your questions or if you just need help finding information on the NSF website or Research.Gov. You cannot submit a grant proposal to NSF until you have a Research.Gov account.
Faculty can now initiate their own Research.Gov accounts. Accounts can now have the mobility to move from institution to institution and be affiliated with multiple institutions at the same time. Here are the instructions for how to initiate this.
Start with your program announcement and then use the documents and publications below to prepare your proposal.
NSF Program Announcements and Funding Opportunities
Here you can find, and subscribe, to NSF announcements.
NSF Grant Proposal Guidelines
This web guide provide details on how to format your proposal and apply for NSF grants.
Broader Impacts Guidance This webpage contains details and resources to help you better understand and prepare your Broader Impacts statement for your application.
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
The following statement is to be included in all NSF applications:
The University of Missouri System has a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduates, graduate student and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by the National Science Foundation to conduct research.
SciENcv Biosketch and Current & Pending (Other) Support
Beginning October 23, 2023 SciENcv will be the only acceptable Biosketch and Current & Pending (Other) Support format for all NSF applications.
What is SciENcv?
Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is an electronic system that researchers can use to create and maintain biosketches that must be submitted with NIH and NSF grant applications and annual reports. SciENcv pulls information from other systems, including MyNCBI, ORCID, and eRA Commons in order to ease administrative burden and allow researchers to quickly create and recreate a biosketch for each grant application or annual report.
*Information credit to NC State Libraries "Using SciENcv to Create your Biosketch".
Using SciENcv Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
This document by NSF addresses a large list of questions related to utilizing SciENcv for preparing biographical sketches and current and pending (other) support documents for your NSF applications as well as numerous helpful tools, guides, and links.
SciENcv for NSF Users: Biographical Sketches (Youtube)
This video focuses on features in SciENcv that help you create, share, and maintain NSF approved biographical sketches, and these can be used for proposal submission.
SciENcv for NSF Users: Current and Pending (Other) Support (Youtube)
This is a step-by-step tutorial to help you create and maintain NSF-approved Current and Pending (Other) Support format for proposal submission.
Data Management Plan
The National Science Foundation has released a new requirement for proposal submissions regarding the management of data generated using NSF support. Full proposals submitted, or due, to NSF on or after January 18, 2011 must include a data management plan (DMP). See the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Chapter II.C.2.j for a description of the full policy implementation.
NSF Document Library
All NSF announcements and publications are available here.
Preparing your NSF Proposal
This page highlights key guidance you'll need to follow as you prepare your proposal to NSF.
NSF proposals cannot be submitted by the PI: they must be submitted by ORS.
Upload your completed NSF proposal documents into Research.Gov.
Submit the signed PeopleSoft pages, detailed budget, abstract, and sponsor's guidelines to our office no less than 5 business days prior to the deadline. Finalize your proposal in Research.Gov for us to submit 2 business days prior to the deadline. Please view the submission policy for these deadline here (PDF).
What is Research.Gov?
Research.Gov is the electronic grant system of the National Science Foundation.
Research.Gov FAQs provides guidance on all aspects of proposal preparation, submission, review, and awards.
Account Management Guide (PDF) Page 4 of this guide provides step by step instruction on how to establish a Research.Gov account.
The NSF website also clearly spells out conditions and policies to manage NSF awards.