NSF Proposal Template

This repository contains LaTeX templates for preparing NSF research proposals according to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

What's Included in This Template

Core Proposal Documents

• summary.tex - Project Summary template (1 page max)

  • Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts sections

• proposal.tex - Main proposal document that pulls everything together

• introduction.tex - Project Description introduction section

• prior.tex - Results from Prior NSF Support (up to 5 pages, counts toward 15-page limit)

  • Currently includes: IMR grant (2023-2026) and CPS IoT grant (2018-2022)

• outreach.tex - Broader Impacts section

  • Student mentorship, K-12 outreach, course development
  • Policy leadership and public engagement activities
  • Updated with current activities (AI & Tech Policy Pillar, IIRP Paris teaching, Forum on Free Expression)

• management.tex - Management Plan and Timeline

  • Includes Gantt chart figure reference

• gantt.tex - Gantt chart timeline using pgfgantt package

  • Template with example research themes, tasks, and evaluation activities
  • Customize with project-specific tasks and timeline

Supporting Documents

• data-management.tex - Data Management and Sharing Plan

  • Includes UChicago secure data enclave information

• mentoring.tex - Mentoring Plan for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students

• facilities.tex - Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources

  • UChicago CS Department resources, RCC computing resources

• personnel.tex - Senior Personnel list template

• synergistic.tex - Synergistic Activities (5 distinct examples)

  • Policy leadership, research translation, conference leadership, education, broadening participation

References

• ref.bib - BibTeX references for citations
• rfc.bib - RFC-specific bibliography

NSF Proposal Preparation Checklist

Documents You Need to Prepare Separately

The following required NSF documents are NOT included in this template and must be prepared separately:

• Cover Sheet - Prepared via Research.gov or Grants.gov submission system

• Budget and Budget Justification (5 pages max per proposal)

  • Use SciENcv or institutional budget templates

• Biographical Sketches for all senior/key personnel (3 pages max each)

  • Use SciENcv or NSF biographical sketch template
  • Must include: Professional Preparation, Appointments, Products (up to 5 synergistic and up to 5 most closely related)

• Current and Pending (Other) Support for all senior/key personnel

  • Use SciENcv or NSF template
  • Must list all current and pending support from all sources

• Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) for all senior/key personnel

  • Download NSF COA template spreadsheet
  • Include: thesis advisors, postdoctoral sponsors, graduate students/postdocs advised, collaborators from past 48 months

Tasks to Complete for This Proposal

• Customize summary.tex with your specific project overview, intellectual merit, and broader impacts

• Write project-specific content in proposal.tex and introduction.tex

• Update prior.tex if you have additional NSF grants to report

• Customize outreach.tex for your specific broader impacts activities (current version includes general boilerplate)

• Update management.tex with project-specific timeline and management structure

• Customize gantt.tex with your project tasks, themes, and timeline

• Review and customize data-management.tex for your specific data types and sharing plans

• Verify mentoring.tex is appropriate for your project (current version is general)

• Update facilities.tex if you need additional resources beyond UChicago standard facilities

• Add co-PIs to personnel.tex if applicable

• Review synergistic.tex and update with your most recent activities (currently updated through 2024-2025)

• Add project-specific references to ref.bib

Before Submission

• Verify Project Description does not exceed 15 pages (including Results from Prior Support)

• Ensure Project Summary is exactly 1 page

• Confirm separate "Broader Impacts" heading exists in Project Description

• Check that all required sections are included

• Run spell check and grammar check

• Verify all citations are properly formatted

• Ensure compliance with NSF formatting requirements (margins, font size, etc.)

• Have colleagues review for clarity and completeness

• Verify all co-PIs have submitted their biographical sketches, C&P support, and COA documents

Building the Proposal

Use the included Makefile to compile the proposal:

make

This will generate proposal.pdf with all included sections.

Notes

• This template is updated for NSF PAPPG 24-1 (effective May 20, 2024)
• Check the current PAPPG at https://www.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/ for the most recent requirements
• Some NSF programs may have additional or different requirements - always check the specific program solicitation