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3. Grants Resource Center News NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures This program alert comes from Jean Feldman, Head, NSF Policy Office regarding the new (2014) Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (see below): A new version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), (NSF 14‐1) has been issued. The PAPPG is comprised of documents rela ng to the Founda on's proposal and award process and consists of the: (a) Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) for guidance on the prepara on and submission of proposals to NSF; and (b) Award & Administra on Guide (AAG) to guide, manage, and monitor the award and administra on of grants and coopera ve agreements made by the Founda on. This new version of the PAPPG will be effec ve for proposals submi ed, or due, on or a er February 24, 2014. Significant changes include: Addi on to the cer fica on regarding Conflict of Interest regarding the appropriate disclosure process; Reitera on that indirect costs are not allowed on par cipant support costs; Small‐scale pilot of a new environmental impacts process with a few programs, prior to NSF‐wide implementa on; Updated process for program income repor ng; and numerous clarifica ons throughout the document. A by‐chapter summary of the changes is provided at the beginning of both the Grant Proposal Guide and the Award & Administra on Guide to assist with iden fying the changes. While this version of the PAPPG becomes effec ve on February 24, 2014, in the interim, the guidelines contained in the current PAPPG (NSF 13‐1) con nue to apply. We will ensure that the current version of the PAPPG remains on the NSF website, with a nota on to proposers that specifies when the new PAPPG (including a link to the new Guide) will become effec ve. NSF Offers Webinars on Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program, from GrantWeek, November 18, 2013 In November and December, the Na onal Science Founda on (NSF) is hos ng a series of webinars addressing key issues related to the FY 14 compe on of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program. In the introduc on webinar, NSF program directors stressed the importance of crea ng a research design that significantly advances the field of STEM educa on and that builds on exis ng work. The next deadline is January 14, 2014. The AISL program supports five types of projects: Pathways, Research in Service to Prac ce, Innova ons in Development, Broad Implementa on, and Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops. During the webinar, NSF stressed uniqueness, calling for proposers to submit original, crea ve, and innova ve work that not only advances the field but provides a ra onal framework for scalability and replicability. The webinar also provided guidance regarding recommended proposal format and style with a strong sugges on that each proposal provide the following sec on headers: Project Ra onale, Project Design, Dissemina on Plan, Evalua on, External Review, and Management Plan. The other key advice was for proposers to be aware of Ins tu onal Review Board (IRB) requirements so that IRB compliance is not an issue when the agency is ready to make an award. Addi onal AISL webinars will be offered over the next several weeks and recordings will be posted on the AISL homepage.