Since April of 2018, users have been able to prepare and submit non-collaborative proposals in Research.gov. As of June 24, 2019, Research.gov has been expanded to support preparation and submission of collaborative proposals with subawards. Future expansions will allow preparation and submission of collaborative proposals submitted separately by multiple organizations.
In June, NSF enabled automatic notification emails in Research.gov to alert the Sponsored Project Office (SPO)/Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) when Principal Investigators enable proposal access. This functionality is similar to the current Fastlane notification.
While proposers can still use FastLane, NSF is encouraging the research community to use Research.gov, which is designed to be more efficient and easier to use. Enhancements currently available in Research.gov include:
- Integrated compliance checks for fonts, margins, and line spacing;
- Real-time compliance feedback and alerts during proposal preparation;
- Specific checks on the budget and Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) uploads;
- Significantly faster uploads than in FastLane;
- Embedded sections of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and video job aids; and
- A proposal wizard that customizes set-up and compliance rules for the proposal being created and determines which proposal sections are required on subsequent screens.
While Emory uses Cayuse 424 for most federal grant proposal submissions, use of Fastlane or Research.gov for NSF proposals remains acceptable.
Research.gov Resources and Additional Information
- Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission webpage – with links to FAQs and video job aids.
- Automated Proposal Compliance Checks for Proposals Submitted via Research.gov
- Electronic Research Administration (ERA) Forum website – additional information and FAQs