Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
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Fermi Cycle 4 Guest Investigator Program Phase 2 Proposal Submission Information

If you have been asked to submit a budget for your Cycle 4 proposal you will be required to use the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). This submission must be completed by 4:30 PM EDT on May27, 2011.

Both you and your institution must be registered with NSPIRES. Because of the time this may take, register now, and if you think you are registered, check now to make sure your registration is current! If you have difficulties with the NSPIRES system, please do not panic! Assistance is available from NSPIRES and the FSSC (see below). However, it is wise to start working on the budget submission well before the deadline.

In all contact with FSSC and NASA HQ, please use the proposal number, which is '0' plus the number given in the letter inviting you to submit a budget; thus the proposal number is a six digit number starting '041.'

Guidelines for Preparing a Successful Phase 2 Budget Proposal

  • The total budget request can be no higher than the budget "cap" specified in your Phase-1 selection letter; please note that the requested funding for CoIs on foreign-PI proposals is expected to be substantially less than funding requested for U.S. PI proposals.
  • The assessment of the appropriate level of funding for an investigation will be based upon the factors specified in Appendix D.8. These include the perceived scope of the investigation and other sources of support relevant to this request.
  • Budget proposals from U.S. PIs and U.S. Co-Is on foreign-PI proposals will be considered in the Phase 2 review.
  • Sub-grants from NASA to separate non-government institutions will not be issued - the PI institution is responsible for the issuing any sub-awards to Co-I institutions.
  • For investigations with more than one U.S. CoI on a foreign-PI proposal, only a single budget proposal from a designated "budget PI" may be submitted.
  • The "budget PI" on the Phase 2 (budget) proposal may differ from the "science PI" on the Phase 1 (science justification) proposal. If so, please state this clearly in the budget narrative and provide the name of the science PI on the appropriate webform. In such cases, both PIs are responsible for ensuring that the institution through which the budget proposal is submitted is willing and able to accept a Fermi GI program grant and to disburse the funds as requested.
  • You may not use grant funding to bring a foreign collaborator to work with you.
  • Fermi GI funding may be used for facilities, detectors or computers dedicated to the collection and archiving of multi-wavelength data relevant to Fermi.
  • A duly registered Authorized Official of your institution must submit your budget proposal via the NSPIRES web site (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/) following the instructions in the Summary of Solicitation of ROSES 2010. This almost definitely means that you cannot start working on your budget submission on the due date!
  • All forms are submitted electronically.

Elements of a Successful Phase 2 Budget Proposal

  • The abstract only of the investigation as submitted in Phase 1 (i.e., do not resubmit the entire science proposal)
  • A summary of the budget justification (10pt minimum font with reasonable margins), not to exceed two pages for "regular," or three pages for "large" proposals and including: a) a breakdown of the work assignments for all funded investigators, including a justification of any major purchases including workstations, b) a list with justification of proposed scientific travel, c) publication costs, and d) any cost sharing applied to this project. Please be specific when requesting funds for travel, giving the proposed destination as well as the estimated costs form registration fees, airfare, lodging, meals, etc. for each trip. Please identify the science PI if different from the budget PI.
  • A listing of any current and pending support, noting grant/contract titles, and a short synopsis of currently ongoing work
  • A budget prepared according to the guidelines of the PI or Co-I institution, detailing the requested itemized expenditures
  • For large proposals please provide a detailed budget for all three years of the award. Note however that only current year amount (once approved in the budget review) constitutes a commitment by NASA. Continuation of funding for subsequent years will be contingent upon the demonstration of satisfactory progress and available funding.
  • All required government certifications
  • A 1-2 page CV for each PI or Co-I requesting support.
  • All information that is not submitted through a webform may be uploaded in a single PDF file. Specifically, the total budget need not be provided as a separate file.

Schedule

NSPIRES website live April 25, 201l
Phase 2 budget proposal due date 4:30 pm EDT, May 27, 2011
Award Initiation (FY10 / FY11) August 2011 / December 2011
  • The NSPIRES web system provides assistance; note that the NSPIRES helpdesk is staffed 8am-6pm EST. Since NSPIRES' technical support may not be aware of the Fermi-specific aspects of Phase 2, please contact the FSSC if you receive instructions that differ from those provided here or in the letter inviting you to submit a budget.
  • Technical questions should be directed to the FSSC helpdesk.
  • Policy questions should be directed to Ilana Harrus at NASA HQ.
  • Many issues relevant to the GI program are discussed on the FSSC FAQ page.