USAID/NSF Biodiversity

Joint International Research Opportunities in BIODIVERSITY

Agency for International Development National Science Foundation

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NSF...ON THE MOVE

PLEASE NOTE: The National Science Foundation is in the process of relocating to our new facility in Arlington, Virginia. Move activity commenced in September and will extend through December, 1993. Directorate moves are scheduled over the entire transition period with approximately one-half of the Foundation already at the Arlington site as of this printing. The Directorate for Biological Sciences is among the group that has relocated and is in the new facility.

New telephone and Fax numbers are being introduced over the course of the fall and concurrent with the relocation of each directorate. The telephone directory is updated frequently during this period of transition and will be posted on STIS. For your convenience, the new telephone numbers are included in this program announcement. For a period of several months, however, calls to our old numbers are intercepted and forwarded to the new numbers.

The Arlington mailing address became effective on October 25, 1993 for the entire Foundation. The official change was concurrent with the relocation of the central Mail Room. Regardless of location, however, mail service is assured to all Directorates throughout the move process through a carefully-developed transition plan.

As a reminder, the new mailing address is:

National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230

We continue to encourage your use of e-mail for communication with our personnel over the course of the move; e-mail addresses are unaffected by the relocation.

Forms and publications will continue to be available via this method (BITNET:pubs@nsf or INTERNET:pubs@nsf.gov). When placing your request, please be certain to include the NSF publication number and title, your name, and your complete mailing address.

We are committed to responsive service during the relocation activity and appreciate your patience throughout the transition period.

INTRODUCTION

Diversity and change are hallmarks of biological systems at all levels of organization, and they reflect the history of the world's biota. The study of biodiversity therefore encompasses a wide range of biological phenomena, including the origin and phyletic history of taxa, adaptation and change within populations, and differentiation of communities and ecosystems. However, levels of diversity for many important groups of organisms, habitats, and ecosystems are unknown, and the mechanisms that drive and maintain biodiversity remain obscure. The global environment is facing unprecedented change, including the elimination of entire ecosystems and the extinction of many species. It is vital that we understand this essential property of life as the world grapples with global and local change on such a grand scale and rate.

The Agency for International Development (A.I.D.) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are collaborating to support meritorious research on biodiversity in target nations. Both A.I.D. and NSF are committed to research devoted to the description of biodiversity in the world's floras and faunas and to understanding mechanisms that control the origin and maintenance of biodiversity throughout marine, aquatic, and terrestrial habitats. To be funded, projects must meet the high scientific standards of the NSF merit review process; they must also demonstrate great potential benefit for the conservation of biological diversity in A.I.D. target countries, as determined by a joint NSF/A.I.D. review committee. Therefore, proposals to be considered for joint funding must meet the criteria established by the appropriate programs at NSF as well as the additional A.I.D. criteria discussed below. (For a description of the relevant NSF review criteria see NSF 92-89, Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering or contact the appropriate NSF program officer.)

Both A.I.D. and NSF have programs in biodiversity and each has a brochure that describes their separate competitions. A.I.D.: Additional information about specific A.I.D. programs is available from those programs or from the Office of Environment and Natural Resources, 509 SA-18, Agency for International Development, Washington, DC 20523-1812. NSF: See NSF 93-160, A Selected List of Research Programs in BIODIVERSITY. Additional information about specific NSF programs and contacts is generally available from institutional sponsored-research officers, and may be found in the following publications: NSF 92-78, Guide to Programs, Fiscal Year 1993; NSF 92-89, Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering; and the monthly NSF Bulletin.

GUIDELINES FOR JOINT FUNDING BY A.I.D. AND NSF

NSF and A.I.D. invite proposals to conduct research on biodiversity in A.I.D. target countries (contact A.I.D. for the most current list of such countries). Proposals should be submitted to the appropriate NSF program, meeting relevant target dates or deadlines, and they must meet that program's research standards as determined by the NSF merit review process. Biodiversity, as it pertains to research in each of these programs, is defined in the NSF brochure, A Selected List of Research Programs in BIODIVERSITY (NSF 93-160), available from NSF.

If a proposal to be submitted to NSF involves a significant element related to the study and/or conservation of biodiversity in one or more A.I.D. target countries, it is eligible for funding from the joint NSF/A.I.D. program. The inclusion of a request for A.I.D. funding will not prejudice the NSF review of the proposal--for example, if the A.I.D. component of the proposed research is not competitive, or if sufficient A.I.D. funds are not available, NSF may still fund the non-A.I.D.- relevant parts of the project. The A.I.D. component should expand the scope of the proposed research (1) to enhance the ability of scientists in the host countries to conduct research on biodiversity, and (2) to strengthen host country infrastructure beyond that possible using NSF funds alone. The first priority is to include host country scientists as significant participants in biodiversity research; senior scientists and students from the host country should be involved in the proposed research as substantial intellectual partners. The second priority is to strengthen the capacity of the host country to conduct biodiversity research. Cost sharing and/or in-kind contributions toward these goals from U.S. scientists and institutions will strengthen proposals. NSF encourages, but does not require, organizations responding to this announcement to contribute to the costs of a project supported by NSF. While cost sharing will not be considered in evaluating proposals, cost sharing specified in the proposal will be referenced and included as a condition of any award resulting from this announcement.

To qualify for A.I.D. funds, a proposal must expressly address each of the following criteria:

1. The impact of the proposed research on the conservation of biological diversity and on the capability of the host country to conduct research in biological diversity.

2. The contribution of the proposed research to improved, sustainable use of biotic resources in the host country.

3. The consequence of the proposed research for the scientific infrastructure of the host country as it pertains to continued study of biodiversity.

4. The effect of the proposed research on the economy of the host country, or the economic role of the studied systems or species on the economy of the host country.

The A.I.D. component of the budget can be used only for the support of host country scientists and graduate students; the purchase of equipment to remain in those countries; the maintenance of the host country scientific infrastructure; and the purchase of supplies and services in- country. Eligible items include museum and/or herbarium support (e.g., specimen cases, climate control systems, pest control supplies, fire suppression systems, microscopes, museum management software); training of scientists, students, and/or parascientists; literature (e.g., manuals, monographs, journals, and books); support of field work (e.g., transportation and per diem for host country scientists, collecting supplies); and the purchase of vehicles, computers, remote sensing data, global positioning systems, etc. NSF funds, in turn, should support U.S. and other non-target country components of the proposed research.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Each proposal must follow the proposal preparation guidelines contained in NSF 92-89, Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering (GRESE); proposals that do not conform will not be reviewed. Other submission requirements for specific NSF programs can be found in the relevant NSF program announcements. All necessary collecting permits must be in order. In addition, in order to be assured of consideration in the joint NSF/A.I.D. competition, the following additional elements must be included:

- Add the prefix "A.I.D.: " before the substantive title of the project on the NSF cover sheet (Form 1207). In the Program Announcement box, located in the upper left portion of the cover sheet, enter A.I.D./NSF joint project as well as the announcement number (if any) for the NSF program you feel is the most appropriate for the proposal.

- In the one-page Project Summary, include a paragraph that addresses the four A.I.D. criteria enumerated above. Also discuss these criteria at greater length in a separate section of the 15-page Project Description.

- The budget and budget justification must clearly indicate, and show separately, budget elements proposed as A.I.D. contributions and as NSF contributions. The NSF component of the budget should follow the established NSF format (NSF Form 1030), including a Summary Budget and a budget page for each year of the project. It must be completely justified. The A.I.D. component of the budget is considered a supplementary budget and must also be presented on a separate NSF Form 1030, with a Summary Budget and a separate page for each year, and be fully justified. Finally, a Grand Summary Budget should include both the A.I.D. and NSF items.

Awardees are required to submit interim and final project reports to both agencies, and are also wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication, although neither A.I.D. nor NSF assumes responsibility for the findings or their interpretation. Awardees are expected to acknowledge both NSF and A.I.D. support in all publications resulting from the funded research.

PROPOSAL REVIEW

Proposals will be reviewed according to standard NSF procedures for merit review based on the criteria of the NSF program to which they were submitted. Proposals that are recommended for funding by the appropriate NSF program will then have the A.I.D. component reviewed by a joint NSF/A.I.D committee.

OTHER BIODIVERSITY PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY A.I.D. AND NSF

U.S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE PROGRAM

The mission of the US Man and the Biosphere Program is to foster harmonious relationships between humans and the biosphere through an international program of policy relevant research that integrates social, physical, and biological sciences to address actual problems. For more information, contact:

US MAB Secretariat OES/EGC/MAB Room 608 SA-37 US Department of State Washington, DC. 20522-3706 Tel (703) 235-2946 Fax (703) 235-3002

The Foundation provides awards for research in the sciences and engineering. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation.

The Foundation welcomes proposals on behalf of all qualified scientists and engineers, and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research and related programs described here.

In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and A.I.D. and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation or the Agency for International Development.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on an NSF project. For more information, see Section IV of GRESE or contact the directorate for Education and Human Resources at (703) 306-1636.

Privacy Act and Public Burden. Information requested on NSF application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals and may be used and disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process and to other government agencies. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records" and NSF- 51, "Reviewer/Proposals File and Associated Records" 56 Federal Register 54907 (October 23, 1991). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Herman G. Fleming, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Contracts, Policy and Oversight, NSF, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230; and to Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (3145-0058), Washington, DC, 20503.

The National Science Foundation has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment, or general information. This number is (703) 306-0090.

NSF programs involved in this activity are described under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers 47.074, 47.075, and 47.050.

OMB 3145-0058 PT 34 KW 1002000, 1002146

NSF 93-158 (new)