NSF CAREER Grant UPDATE Thread

[TurtleDove]

It hasn't been recommended though, and as other people in this thread have pointed out you can still get rejected after responding to questions.

Although I guess aspiring.academic got a status change even before any contact. So I guess there can be at least one step in the recommendation process that generates a status change without additional PO contact. (Uploading the reviews? There hasn't been a status change since the initial PO assignment.) Guess I'll find out soon...

One thing's for sure: I'm not going to bed until after 10 pm for a while.

[ocean2428]

Which program did you apply to? I submitted my Abstract and C&P a little over a month ago and the status still pending.

Ugh, just got a status date change a few weeks after sending my response/abstract to the PO. Still Pending, no additional contact.

I have a feeling I'm getting rejected.

It should be fine. I think yours will be officially recommended soon (they are making progress). When did you send the response/abstract? I have sent my abstract for more than 1 month. It is still pending (no status change).

[rusunyii]

It hasn't been recommended though, and as other people in this thread have pointed out you can still get rejected after responding to questions.

Although I guess aspiring.academic got a status change even before any contact. So I guess there can be at least one step in the recommendation process that generates a status change without additional PO contact. (Uploading the reviews? There hasn't been a status change since the initial PO assignment.) Guess I'll find out soon...

One thing's for sure: I'm not going to bed until after 10 pm for a while.

From my experience (core program and CAREER), when the PM requests the abstract, he/she will send you congratulations and the informal recommendation. I think you may have received this, and you do not need to worry much.

[TurtleDove]

Well it explicitly said it's not a recommendation, just that it reviewed well in the panel and they're still reviewing it. In no way was it congratulatory. I suspect it was borderline.

People who got it: did most of you notice a status date change before the official recommendation? Or did it go straight from no change to 'Recommended?'

[aspiring.academic]

Both. Sometimes there's a status update, and sometimes there isn't. There's no rule of thumb here.
For example, once I submitted a revised budget requesting about $80K more than the original budget. In that instance, there was a status update on the PO acknowledged receipt of the revision.
In another case, the status remained pending from the original submission in November until it was recommended the following May and updated again as awarded in July.

[aspiring.academic]

I'll say it again at the risk of sounding like a broken record.

The PO makes the recommendation. That person will congratulate you, but the congratulations is not a confirmation of an award. Even once the status changes to recommended, that is not a confirmation of an award.

An NSF award is not final until notice is received by the DGA.

Put it this way - there are 3 phases to the NSF proposal and award process. This not not apply for any proposal that is being internally reviewed (e.g., EAGER).

PHASE I - PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION
- Opportunity Announced (Solicitation)
- Proposal Submitted
- Proposal Received

PHASE II - PROPOSAL REVIEW AND PROCESSING (~6 months)
- Reviewers Selected
- Peer Review
- Panel (maybe ad-hoc)
- Program Officer Recommendation (this is the email where the PO may congratulate you and says they're recommending the proposal for funding)
- Division Director Review (if there isn't a division director this step falls to the deputy director). If the decision is made to decline the award, the organization is notified and review information is available in the FastLane or Research.gov System. If the decision is to award, the recommendation is submitted to a Grants & Agreements Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA).

PHASE III - AWARD PROCESSING (~30 - 60 days)
- Business Review. The Grants and Agreements Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA) conducts a review of business, financial, and policy implications. Generally, DGA makes awards within 60 days after the program office makes its recommendation. Additional processing time may be required if: the organization has not received prior funding: if the award is a cooperative agreement; or it involves special situations (such as coordination with another Federal agency or a private funding source).
- Award Finalized. The award itself is comprised of an award notice, budget, proposal, applicable NSF conditions, and any other documents or requirements incorporated by reference into the agreement. Each NSF award notice specifically identifies certain conditions that are applicable to, and become part of, that award.

[TurtleDove]

I get it—PO recommendation isn't confirmed. I'd still rather have it than be in a gray zone where maybe they'll recommend it, maybe they won't.

Honestly, they should change Research.gov to do away with status updates that don't change status. Dragging it out like this is torture.

[rusunyii]

Both. Sometimes there's a status update, and sometimes there isn't. There's no rule of thumb here.
For example, once I submitted a revised budget requesting about $80K more than the original budget. In that instance, there was a status update on the PO acknowledged receipt of the revision.
In another case, the status remained pending from the original submission in November until it was recommended the following May and updated again as awarded in July.

I totally agree with this. Status update can happen after requesting the abstract.

I have another question. The PM usually says that "all the project reports should be up to date", otherwise the award might be delayed. Does this update-to-date refer to "not overdue" or "not due"? Would another project report due but not overdue (since it is due for 90 days) delay the processing of a new award? Thanks.

[aspiring.academic]

I know you get it. I was just restating for some others who may have missed it.

While PO recommendation isn't 100%, it's very close to it.
I can't think of a case where their Division Director has overruled the PO. The PO has the data, backed by the reviews and the panel summary, which justify the recommendation. And usually, the PO and Division Directors work closely.

It's that wretched Business Review step. It's a bit vague. Still, while it's not unheard of, it is uncommon for a decline to come after the recommendation.

We want no ambiguity, and so if there's any way it's declined after the recommendation, we sit on pins and needles checking the status every day.

[TurtleDove]

I'm not even talking about that. I just mean the status date changes that make it clear they did something behind the scenes but don't provide any additional information. It wouldn't be that hard to modify their system to keep a lid on those.

And honestly, the few days between the review release and the official rejection are kind of ridiculous (especially during grad student recruitment season).

[aspiring.academic]

Welcome to the federal government bureaucracy.
I won't even begin to act like I understand or agree with everything that happens.
I will say that there's a method to the madness even if it's not transparent.

[EngineeringProfessor]

I'm not even talking about that. I just mean the status date changes that make it clear they did something behind the scenes but don't provide any additional information. It wouldn't be that hard to modify their system to keep a lid on those.

And honestly, the few days between the review release and the official rejection are kind of ridiculous (especially during grad student recruitment season).

You should stop refreshing research.gov and speculating about what date changes mean for your situation. Entering data into that system is a required data entry step for POs. It tells you absolutely nothing. Imagine a student comes to you and says: "Dr. X released my grade in Blackboard for class EE 402, but Dr. Y hasn't released my friend's grade for EE 407, should I read into that?" You would say no! Dr. X and Dr. Y don't coordinate entering and releasing their grades. Neither do POs. Even in the same program.
 
Now, maybe Dr. Y released someone else's grade in EE 407, but not this student's grade. Do you, as a professor, sometimes release grades for some students, while holding back others for some reason? Yes. POs do this too, and for many reasons.
 
Expecting the federal government to reprogram the back end of research.gov to alleviate Assistant Professor anxiety or help us decide if we admit a grad student is ridiculous. It's even more ridiculous than when students expect "University Z to reprogram Blackboard to keep a lid on grades" or "University to make Dr. Y to grade faster because I HAVE to know my GPA for this semester *right now* so I can apply for an internship."

Your PO is working on it and will give you information when it's ready. Refreshing this thread, with all of us sharing our info, is far more valuable than refreshing research.gov and speculating about date changes.

[bluefooted]

2nd round of questions, including budget revisions and IRB Determination letter all submitted last week.
Fingers crossed!!
2nd time proposing; EHR

[aspiring.academic]

2nd round of questions, including budget revisions and IRB Determination letter all submitted last week.
Fingers crossed!!
2nd time proposing; EHR

Excellent!

Keep it going!

[born_a_prof]

Are the processing times at NSF unusually slow right now ? I have a submitted proposal sitting to be sent out for review for 3 months now...should I do something or sit tight ?