NSF Project Summary

NSF requirements

Project Summary Guidelines

The Project Summary consists of the overview, statement of intellectual merit, and statement on broader impacts. The summary should be informative to researchers working in the same or related fields, and, where possible, understandable to a broad audience. It should not be an abstract of the proposal.

  1. Overview: The overview should contain the long-term objectives, followed by the aims and methodology that will support those objectives. This section is the introduction that will illustrate the importance of the project in terms of its effect and impact.
  2. Statement of Intellectual Merit: This section will address what is currently known and, more importantly, what is not known in the field. Applicants should show how the proposal will fill an important gap in existing knowledge. You should also address how the proposed activities will advance knowledge in your own scientific field and across other fields in creative and transformative ways. The qualifications of the Principal Investigator (PI) and the institutional resources are also key elements in this section.
  3. Statement on Broader Impacts of the Proposed Study: The Broader Impacts statement is an important part of the Summary Page and will heavily affect your chances of being funded. This section is about understanding and promoting teaching, training, research and learning, while at the same time advancing the participation of underrepresented groups. Include a description of how science and technology will be enhanced.

Page Limit: One page

Resources