Administration

1
Fastlane Updates NCURA ConferenceTulsa,
Okla.April 10 13, 2005Evelyn F.
Baisey-Thomasebaisey_at_nsf.gov703-292-4204
2
What is NSF FastLane?

• FastLane (www.fastlane.nsf.gov) is over 40
  externally facing interactive web-based systems
  used by scientists, engineers, educators,
  research and financial administrators to conduct
  business with NSF electronically.
• Began ten years ago as experimental project with
  first modules released in 1995.
• Electronic Proposal Submission through FastLane
  became required in October 2000.
• In 2003, NSF won the Presidents Award for
  Management Excellence for FastLane and other
  initiatives.

3
FastLane An eGovernment Success StoryFY 04
Stats

• Over 43,500 Electronic Proposals
• (over 99.9 of all proposals submitted)
• 195,000 Electronic Reviews
• 9,000 Electronic Graduate Research Fellowships
• 25,000 Electronic Grantee Progress Reports
• 14,000 Electronic Cash Requests

Electronic Proposal PercentBy Fiscal Year (FY
97-02)
4
FastLane Goals

• Reduce administrative burden on external
  customers and NSF.
• Provide greater access to information.
• Decrease Award Decision time.

5
FastLane Customers

• Public
• Reviewers
• Researchers/Educators (Principal Investigators)
• Sponsored Projects Offices
• Financial Offices
• NSF Staff

6
Who Uses FastLane?

• 7,000 registered FastLane organizations
• Universities and Colleges including Community
  Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions
• Large and Small Businesses
• Non-profits
• State and Local Governments
• 270,000 registered FastLane users
• Principal Investigators (PIs) Co-PIs
• Reviewers
• Sponsored Projects Offices (SPO)
• Financial Offices

7
FastLane

• Proposals, Awards and Status
• Proposal Preparation,
• Proposal Status Inquiry,
• Letter of Intent
• Project Reports
• And much more!
• Research Administration
• Financial Administration
• Proposal Review
• Panelist Functions

8
FastLane Functions

• Awards Search (public)
• Medal of Science Nominations (public)
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Applications
  (public)
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
• Proposal Review (reviewers)
• Panel Review (panelists)
• Print Proposals on Demand and CD on Demand
  (reviewers and panelists)
• Panelist Banking and Travel System (panelists)
• Interactive Panel System (panelists)

9
FastLane Functions Principal Investigators (PIs)

• Prepare Proposals
• Edit PI Information
• Proposal Status Inquiry
• Includes release of feedback from reviewers.
• Revised Proposal Budgets
• Proposal File Update
• Electronic Proposal Withdrawal
• View Award Letters
• Prepare Supplements
• Project Reporting
• Post Award Notifications and Requests
• Continuing Grant Increment Status
• Letter of Intent

10
FastLane Functions Sponsored Projects Office
(SPO)

• Submit Proposals/Supplements/Revised Proposal
  Budgets (includes Edit capability)
• Add/Modify/Delete Users/Passwords/Permissions
• View and Download Reports
• Proposals
• Awards
• Final Project Reports
• Continuation Funding
• Organization Permissions
• View Project Reports/Award Letters
• Change Organizational Information
• Prepare and Submit Post-Award Notifications
  Requests
• Electronic Signatures (Password and
  Permissions-based)

11
FastLane Functions - Financial

• Cash Requests
• Quarterly Federal Cash Transaction Report
• EFT Verification and Submission

12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Recent Enhancements to FastLane
17
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• Created Letter of Intent Module
• Changes to Submitted Proposals
• Allow PI Transfers
• Allow Change of PI/Co-PI
• Allow Insertion of New Files
• (not previously uploaded as pdf, cover sheet
  budget)
• Enhance Proposal File Update Module
• Ability to change proposal data.
• Ability to add files where none exist.

18
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• Proposal File Update enhancements are consistent
  with the new guidance on Proposal File Updates
  contained in the most recent issuance of the
  Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 04-23 )
• A request for a proposal file update
  automatically will be accepted if submitted prior
  to
• the deadline date specified in a program
  solicitation
•  initiation of external peer review in cases when
  a target date is utilized
•  
• initiation of external peer review in the case of
  an unsolicited proposal.

19
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• A request for a proposal file update after the
  timeframes specified deadline date will require
  acceptance by the cognizant NSF Program Officer
• Such requests may be submitted only to correct a
  technical problem with the proposal (i.e.,
  formatting or print problems)
• Changes in the content of the proposal should not
  be requested after the timeframes specified
  deadline date

20
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• Changes supported by the new PFU include the
  ability to
• Add or delete sections of the proposal,
  even sections that are not
• uploaded as PDF files
• Modify all sections of the proposal, even
  those that are created as
• forms within FastLane
• Change the PI
• Add or delete coPIs
• Modify the proposed budget, including
  addition of subaward budgets
• adding or correct coding on the cover sheet
  for SGERs, Human
• Subjects, international pre-proposals
• Modify several sections of the proposal as
  part of one Proposal File
• Update.

21
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• The following attributes remain unavailable for
  change
• Programs/NSF Unit of Consideration
• Awardee Organization (changes are permitted
  if the
• proposer is an unaffiliated individual)
• Performing Organization
• Due Date
• Funding Opportunity number and
• Letter of Reference Writers (associated
  with Post
• Doc Proposals)

22
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• SPO Return Proposal to PI
• Enhance Spreadsheet Upload Process
• Redesigned Financial Login
• Update Organizational EFT Information
• Organizational Permissions Report

23
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• Redesign Research Administration modules
• Streamline navigation.
• Improved search and sort functionalities.
• Search documents by PI's last name
• Ability to extract search results into an Excel
  file.
• Research Administration InBox is back!
• CD on Demand for Reviewers
• Created modules to support National Science Board
  Office (NSBO) Honorary Awards

24
Recent Enhancements to FastLane

• Created modules to better support Graduate
  Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
• Reporting period for Project Reporting will be
  set by NSF.
• E-Mail reminders to AORs who have proposals not
  signed within 5 working days of submission.
• Port new look and feel to rest of FastLane.

25
Planned Enhancements

• Revised Award Budgets
• EDI Award Notice
• Enhance Spreadsheet Upload Process
• Redesign of Project Reports System

26
Planned Enhancements to FastLane

• Implement Sophisticated Help Functionality and
  Training Materials
• Integrate with Government-wide E-Grants System so
  that proposals submitted to NSF via E-Grants
  System can be processed electronically by NSF.
• Redesign Login Update EFT Procedures/Functions

27
Continuous Improvement

• System Reliability
• Quality Control of Software
• User Focus
• Smooth Integration Inside NSF
• Improved Help, Communication, and Outreach
• Look to the Future

28
FastLane Customer Service and Outreach

• FastLane User Support
• 1.800.673.6188
• 703.292.8042
• New hours
• (700 am 900 pm)
• Workshops and
• Presentations at
• Organizations
• Video Conferences/Training

29
The Grants.gov Initiative

• Mandate - Presidents Management Agenda and
  PL106-107
• Originally called the E-Grants Initiative
• Eleven Partner Agencies
• HHS (managing partner), NSF, Defense, Education,
  HUD, Justice, Transportation, Agriculture,
  Commerce, Labor, and Homeland Security/FEMA
• Produce a simple, unified storefront for all
  customers of Federal grants to electronically
• Find grant opportunities Launched in February
  2003
• Apply for grants Launched in October 2003 with
  SF424 forms

30
Grants.gov Solution One place to go to find
opportunities and submit proposals
..
..
Benefits Both Grant Applicants and Agencies
31
Grants.gov

• The extensive experience that NSF has with
  electronic grants and electronic business is
  being leveraged in the development and
  implementation of Grants.gov.
• NSF will be making changes to NSF systems to
  ensure that the integration to Government-wide
  Grants.gov is successful
• NSF is continuing to develop Fastlane to
  seamlessly integrate with Grants.gov

32
Grants.gov Current Status and Next Steps

• All 26 grant-making agencies posting funding
  opportunities to the FIND mechanism.
• Deployed APPLY functionality.
• Additional Forms Development for agencies not
  using the SF424 to collect additional data
• Build Functionality to support the Research
  Related Application Data Set NSF is one of the
  agencies leading in the design and development
• Agency System to System Interface Successfully
  tested with several agencies including NSF
• Applicant System to System Interface Gathering
  requirements, piloting in Summer 2004

33
NSF FastLane and Grants.gov

• By late Spring 2005, NSF will be able to accept
  proposals through Grants.gov
• Will start with unsolicited proposals
• 15 application packages will be posted to
  Grants.gov for submission to NSF during the 4th
  quarter of FY 2005
• Packages will be from across the agency and
  include NSFs Grants.gov Application Guide
• Interface will be tested by institutions during
  Spring 2005.

34
NSF Application Package on Grants.gov

• SF 424 Research Related Forms
• Cover, Pages 1 and 2 (Includes certification and
  assurance language
• Project/Performance Site Location(s)
• Other Project Information
• Senior/Key Person Profile(s)
• Personal Data (PD/PI and co-PD/PI only)
• Budget

35
NSF Application Package on Grants.gov

• NSF Agency Specific Forms
• Mandatory Forms
• Cover Sheet NSF Unit Consideration
• Checklist
• Optional Forms
• List of Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers Not to
  Include (Optional)
• Deviation Authorization
• Organization and Individual Registration for
  NSFs Fastlane System

36
Application Package
37
Application Package (Bottom of page)
38
Example of Application Form
39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41
Application Package
Once you have completed and saved the
application, the Submit button will become active
and you will be able to upload your application
to Grants.gov.
All the forms have to be moved to the Submission
List before Submit button will become active
42
Press Yes to Submit
43
Login Screen Authorized Official
Representatives Only!
Enter the username and password provided by
Grants.govs Credential Provider.
44
(No Transcript)
45
Questions