NSF Single-Copy Documents

Only provide this if applicable to your funding announcement.

Applicants may include a list of suggested reviewers (including email address and organizational affiliation) who they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal. They also may designate persons they would prefer not to review the proposal; as of June 1, 2020, researchers no longer are required to state their reasons for this request.

The decision regarding whether to use these suggestions remains with the Program Officer.

Patentable ideas, trade secrets, privileged or confidential commercial or financial information should be included in proposals only when such information is necessary to convey an understanding of the proposed project. However, in order to protect privileged information, such information may be included as a separate statement and be submitted as a single-copy document in the Proposal Preparation Module.

Note: The box for "Proprietary or Privileged Information" must be checked on the Cover Sheet when the proposal contains this information.

Government-wide certifications and representations are provided by the proposer on an annual basis in SAM. Note that the box for "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities" must be checked on the Cover Sheet if, pursuant to the Lobbying certification provided in SAM, submission of the SF LLL is required. 

The required NSF-specific proposal certifications are as follows:

Certification for Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) or Individual Proposer: The AOR is required to complete certifications regarding the accuracy and completeness of statements contained in the proposal, as well as to certify that the organization (or individual) agrees to accept the obligation to comply with grant terms and conditions.

Certification Regarding Conflict of Interest: The AOR is required to complete certifications stating that the organization has implemented and is enforcing a written policy on conflicts of interest (COI).

Certification Regarding Flood Hazard Insurance: Two sections of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 USC §4012a and §4106) bar Federal agencies from giving financial assistance for acquisition or construction purposes in any area identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as having special flood hazards.

Certification Regarding Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR): The AOR is required to complete a certification that the institution has a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by NSF to conduct research.

Certification Regarding Organizational Support: The AOR is required to complete a certification that there is organizational support for the proposal as required by Section 526 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. 

Certification Regarding Dual Use Research of Concern: The AOR is required to complete a certification that the organization will be or is in compliance with all aspects of the United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.

Certification Requirement Specified in the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Section 223(a)(1) (42 USC 6605(a)(1)): The AOR is required to complete a certification that each individual employed by the organization and identified on the proposal as senior personnel has been made aware of the certification requirements identified in the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Section 223(a)(1) (42 USC 6605(a)(1)).

Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research: For each proposal that proposes to conduct research off-campus or off site, the AOR must complete a certification that the organization has a plan in place for this proposal regarding safe and inclusive working environments.  

Certification Regarding Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs: In accordance with Section 10632 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19232), the AOR must certify that all individuals identified as senior/key personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
 

Information regarding collaborators and other affiliations (COA) must be separately provided for each individual identified as senior personnel on the project. Applicants should use the COA template to provide this information. There are five tables in this template that cannot be altered except to delete the instructions at top, insert rows, and provide additional names:

COA template Table 1: List the individual's last name, first name, middle initial, and organizational affiliation in the last 12 months.

COA template Table 2: List names as last name, first name, middle initial, for whom a personal, family, or business relationship would otherwise preclude their service as a reviewer.

COA template Table 3: List names as last name, first name, middle initial, and provide organizational affiliations, if known, for the following: The individual's Ph.D. advisors, and all of the individual's Ph.D. thesis advisees.

COA template Table 4: List names as last name, first name, middle initial, and provide organizational affiliations, if known, for the following: Co-authors on any book, article, report, abstract or paper with collaboration in the last 48 months (publication date may be later); and collaborators on projects, such as funded grants, graduate research or others in the last 48 months.

COA template Table 5: List editorial board, editor-in chief and co-editors with whom the individual interacts. An editor-in-chief must list the entire editorial board. For Editorial Board: List name(s) of editor-in-chief and journal in the past 24 months; and other co-editors of journal or collections with whom the individual has directly interacted in the last 24 months.