Effective for proposals due on or after June 1, 2020, NSF will validate biographical sketches and current and pending support documents that are submitted in an NSF-approved format upon document upload in Research.gov and FastLane. Noncompliant documents will not be uploaded to the proposal, and users will receive an error with instructions on how to proceed. A proposal cannot be submitted without these required documents. NSF requires a biographical sketch (limited to two pages) and current and pending support for each individual identified as senior personnel.
Biographical Sketches
Approved formats for creating a biographical sketch are one of the following:
- SciENcv: The system will produce an NSF-compliant PDF version of the biographical sketch. Proposers must save these documents and submit them as part of their proposals via FastLane or Research.gov.
- FAQs on using SciENcv
- SciENcv Guidance on Creating an NSF Biographical Sketch, including step-by-step instructions and screenshots for each of the four required sections
- YouTube Video - SciENcv for NSF Users: Biographical Sketches
- YouTube Video - SciENcv Tutorial
- YouTube Video - Integrating with ORCID
- NSF Fillable PDF: NSF is providing a fillable PDF for use in preparation of the biographical sketch. Proposers will be able to download it from this page, complete the form, and upload it as part of their proposal via FastLane or Research.gov.
Current and Pending Support
Approved formats for creating current & pending support are one of the following:
- SciENcv – The system will produce NSF-compliant PDF versions of the current & pending support format. Proposers must save these documents and submit them as part of their proposals via FastLane or Research.gov.
- FAQs on using SciENcv
- SciENcv Guidance on Creating an NSF Current and Pending Support document, including step-by-step instructions and screenshots for the two required sections
- NSF Fillable PDF - NSF is providing a fillable PDF of the current & pending support format. Proposers will be able to download it from this page, complete the form, and upload as part of their proposal via FastLane, or Research.gov.
- FAQs on what to include in Current and Pending Support - addressing policy questions and clarifications to the current and pending support coverage
Other Resources
Questions
Please reach out to your contract administrator or nsf-help@mit.edu for assistance.