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Memo to Faculty Proposing Research Funded by NSF: Disclosure of Biographical Sketch Foreign Associations, Current and Pending Support, and Facilities, Equipment, and Other Support

May 12, 2020

In February 2020, the National Science Foundation issued a Feb 2020 revision of the NSF Proposal & Awards Policies and Procedures Guide relating Current and Pending Support (eff. Date June 1, 2020) including guidance related to:

  • Biographical Sketches: (b) 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).(Chapter II.C.2.f)
  • Current and Pending Support, has been revised to clarify NSF’s longstanding requirements regarding submission of current and pending support information. (for all senior project personnel) (Chapter II.C.2.h)
  • Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources (Chapter II.C.2.i) No changes to current guidance.

Biographical sketch(es) disclosure of associations has been clarified to 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).

Current and pending support information must be separately provided through use of an NSF-approved format, for each individual designated as senior personnel on the proposal. Current and pending support includes 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. Current and pending support also includes in-kind contributions (such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, students. In-kind contributions not intended for use on the project/proposal being proposed also must be reported.

Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources definitions have not changed. Proposers should include an aggregated description of the internal and external resources (both physical and personnel) that the organization and its collaborators will provide to the project, should it be funded. Such information must be provided in this section, in lieu of other parts of the proposal (e.g., Budget Justification, Project Description). The description should be narrative in nature and must not include any quantifiable financial information.

Proposers will use guidance for BioSketch, Current and Pending Support for senior project personnel and Facilities, Equipment, and Other Support from NSF-Approved Formats for Current and Pending Support. NSF requires this information filed in Fastlane at proposal submission using the applicable NSF form.

If you have questions about these requirements, please see the Virginia Tech‘s Foreign Influence in Federally Sponsored Research website: Faculty and Staff Foreign Interest Disclosure Responsibilities: When and How to Disclose to NSF. You may contact OSP Pre-Award directly for questions about these disclosure requirements or OESRC directly at oesrc@vt.edu for general questions about foreign influence.