Formatting Guidelines | Merit
Review Criteria
Following sponsor guidelines is crucial when applying for grant funds.
Most sponsor guidelines are very specific and must be followed to the
letter. With the advent of electronic submissions, in addition to deadline
dates, we now must meet deadline times. While sponsors have always specified
the requirements for proposal content, this area has broadened to include
topics such as the integration of education and research, and plans to
increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in the project.
The format of the proposal must adhere to guidelines that are very detailed.
It is important that proposals conform to the instructions verbatim.
Proposals that are not consistent with instructions may not be reviewed.
A funding agency's guidelines on submission of
proposals may include requirements for:
- Formatting, including font size, spacing, margins, charts and diagrams
- For electronic submissions, certain
portions of
the proposal
may be uploaded in a standard word processing format (such as
Microsoft Word or Word Perfect) or as a PDF file. Some agency
systems (like FastLane) will convert word processor documents
to PDF. When submitting very close to the agency
deadline, submission may be quicker if the files are already
in PDF format before uploading.
- Agency forms
- Cover page - standard information about
RIT may be required
- The cover sheet generally requires the signature of RIT's authorizing
official. For electronic sumbissions,
often this form will need to be printed, an original signature
obtained,
and
mailed
to the agency within a specified number of days after the submission
deadline
- For some agencies, such as NSF, the authorizing signature can
be submitted electronically after the proposal has been submitted
- Budget form(s) and budget justification (or budget narrative)
- Many sponsors provide electronic forms which allow budget numbers
to be typed directly into the forms and uploaded or printed.
- Proposal sections - see Writing a Proposal
- Assurances and certifications
- Deadline - Mail date (postmark), receipt date, or date
and time of electronic submission
- For paper submissions:
- Number of copies (original and a specified
number of copies)
- Suggested or required submission of one copy
in electronic format (on disk)
- Binding (unbound, stapled, in folders,
etc.)
- Correct mailing address (this may vary depending on mail service
used)
NSF Merit Review Guidelines
The follwing is excerpted from the National
Science Foundation's Grant
Proposal Guide (NSF 04-2), October 2003, Chapter
III, p. 33. It is presented here both as a reference for NSF
submissions, and as a good example of the kinds of criteria used
by sponsors to
evaluate proposals.
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of two National Science
Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF
will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific
objectives of certain programs and activities. For example, proposals
for large facility projects also might be subject to special review criteria
outlined in the program solicitation.
The two merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include
considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions,
and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address
both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those
considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and
for which he/she is qualified to make judgments.
1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding
within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is
the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate,
the reviewer will comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent
does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original
concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
Is there sufficient access to resources?
2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will
it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities,
instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated
broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may
be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making
funding decisions:
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster
integration of research and education through the programs, projects
and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These
institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently
assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students, and
where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the
excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of
learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens,
women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities,
are essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering.
NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central
to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.
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