Thursday, April 12, 2024
Context: In my role as division director of IIS, I’m sending out a short message to the IIS mailing list on the Second Tuesday Every Month (STEM).This is the installment for April 2024. Alas, I missed my Tuesday target, but since Thursday also starts with “T”, I’m considering it close enough.
Hi all,
I’m still on my home department’s faculty mailing list, so I saw a message in January 2023 from one of the department administrative staff members announcing that NSF was requiring a new format for biosketches (those mini CVs you need to include with your proposals). PIs submitting proposals would have to learn about the new format and update their biosketches appropriately. One smart aleck faculty member replied, “Ug, NSF is such a pain. Didn't they just change the format two years ago?”
Ouch. I take these kinds of complaints seriously, because (1) I feel some responsibility for the red tape and want to protect NSF’s reputation, and (2) I was the one who wrote it. In my defense, I was really proud of my prior biosketch, for which I had learned several new LaTeX packages so that I could swap in and out references to any of my papers depending on the ones I thought would be most impactful. I was still sore from the earlier change and felt a little resentful that I’d have to learn yet another new system. The staff member replied, “Yes, hopefully we will have this version for a while.”
Well, I’m happy (?) to report that the format is being updated yet again, for proposals due on or after May 20, 2024. Jean Feldman, Head of the Policy Office in the Division of Institution and Award Support (within NSF’s Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management) recorded an overview of the changes to the PAPPG (something I mentioned in STEM Update #12), including a segment on the biosketch modifications. (She also talked about NSF’s policy on the use of generative AI in the merit review process, something I covered in STEM Update #11.) Here’s the recording:
https://nsfpolicyoutreach.com/resources/nsf-proposal-award-policy-updates/
I’d summarize the changes as follows:
The main change from last year is that the biosketch is compliant with a new government-wide notion of “common forms”, the intent of which is to help make things simpler instead of needing specialized paperwork for every agency people interact with. Here’s a definition I found online:
A “common form” is an information collection that can be used by two or more agencies, or government-wide, for the same purpose. The new Common Forms Module allows a “host” agency to obtain Office of Management and Budget approval of an information collection for use by one or more “using” agencies. After OMB grants approval, any prospective using agency that seeks to collect identical information for the same purpose can obtain approval to use the “common form” by providing its agency-specific information to OMB (e.g., burden estimates and number of respondents).
The form was also updated to have people confirm that they are not connected with an MFTRP (malign foreign talent recruiting program). This is also something that is a priority for the US Government as a whole and NSF is doing its part.
These biosketches are now required for each “senior/key person”. It used to be required for “senior personnel” (a term discussed in STEM Update #13! I really do try to keep you on the bureaucratic cutting edge!).
The page limitation removed. (It had been capped at 3 pages.)
The mandatory section on synergistic activities has been removed from the common form because NSF was the only agency that wanted this information. Now, synergistic activities will be provided in a separate upload for each senior/key person. It’s limited to one page.
There is a section on products that demonstrate the individual’s ability to carry out the project. NSF sets a limit of 5 products closely related to proposed project and five other significant products. The goal is to reduce administrative burden so people don’t feel obligated to list everything they’ve done.
The date for the switchover to the new forms is sometime this month. (I didn’t see an announcement about that yet.)
I hope that provides a useful heads up and some context so you know what’s coming and why.
Until next time!
-Michael
P.S. Please consult the new PAPPG for the official policy: https://new.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/24-1 .