Submitting Unsolicited Proposals
Submitting an Unsolicited Proposal to NSF
An unsolicited proposal is defined as one submitted in conformance with the sponsor's general guidelines but not in response to a project-specific solicitation.
The National Science Foundation has specific procedures and best practices in place for accepting unsolicited proposals. Applicants must strictly adhere to the guidelines established in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1, supplement 2). The following is a collection of tasks, tips, and tools, to help proposers submit unsolicited proposals effectively. Please reach out to ORD if you have any support needs related to these activities.
Before preparing a full proposal, faculty should take the following steps to ensure alignment with NSF’s mission:
- Identify a Program: Find an NSF program that matches your potential project. You may use NSF’s Funding Search site to enter key words and search by topic or directorate. It is critical that you align the goals and activities of your project with a priority area of the agency. If you’d like assistance with this, please contact ORD (development@ord.msstate.edu)
- Develop a Concept Paper: Prepare a concept paper that demonstrates how your concept aligns with the stated priorities of the directorate and/or program. Some best practices for developing concept papers may be found HERE.
- Contact a Program Officer (PO): It is strongly encouraged that you contact a Program Director/Officer to discuss your intentions. Craft an email to share your concept paper with the relevant NSF PO to confirm the unsolicited topic fits their portfolio. Follow best practices for communicating with Program Officers by reviewing some tips HERE. NSF-specific tips are available HERE, as well. Each program and directorate webpage contains a listing of cognizant program personnel. You may also reach out to ORD for assistance.
- Check for Deadlines: While some programs accept "rolling" submissions throughout the year, many have specific Target Dates or Deadlines (typically 5 p.m. submitter's local time).
Most NSF proposals require the following specific documents, all of which must follow strict formatting (e.g., 1-inch margins, specific fonts like Arial 10pt or Times New Roman 11pt). If you are submitting an unsolicited proposal to a specific program, you must check to see if additional components or exceptions are required by that program.
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Component |
Description/Resources ORD may have resources, such as templates or examples to help your preparation. Please reach out to ORD to inquire. |
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Project Summary |
A 1-page overview including sections on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. |
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Project Description |
Typically limited to 15 pages. Must detail the research plan and include a section on "Results from Prior NSF Support" (if applicable). |
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References Cited |
A complete list of all references cited in the project description. |
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Budget & Justification |
A year-by-year budget. Note the "2-month rule," which generally limits senior personnel salary to two months per year across all NSF awards. (NSF Budget Guidance) |
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Senior Personnel Docs |
Includes Biographical Sketches, Current and Pending Support, Collaborators & Other Affiliations, and Synergistic Activities for all Senior and Key Personnel. (Instructions and Templates) |
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Data Management & Sharing Plan |
A required 2-page document describing how data will be managed and shared. (NSF guidance by Directorate) |
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Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources |
No page limit, but should not be used to circumvent page limits; check out ORD’s resource: MSU Assets for Proposal Preparation for some commonly-needed capabilities in this section. |
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Mentoring Plan (if applicable) |
1-page max. Required only if graduate students and/or post docs are budgeted. Here is an excellent resource for preparing your mentoring plan. |
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Supplemental Documents |
These vary depending on the program, opportunity, directorate, but typically include letters of support or commitment. Be sure to confirm if there is prescribed language required and see if ORD has any templates available. |
Applicants must coordinate with the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), as only an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) can officially submit the proposal.
Notify Leadership & Initiate OSP Submission Request: Inform your Department Head and Departmental Administrator of your intent to apply and begin a project request in OSP’s Cayuse platform. (more instructions HERE.)
Complete Required Training: Verify that your Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) trainings are current via the MSU Office of Research Compliance.
Register for an NSF ID: Ensure all PIs have an active Research.gov account.
Create Proposal Package: In Research.gov, select "Prepare New Full Proposal" and choose the "Unsolicited" option if no specific solicitation ID is applicable.
Prepare and upload all proposal components in Research.gov: Final Review (3 Business Days Prior): Per MSU Policy 70.01, your final, complete proposal and signed IAS must be submitted to OSP at least three business days before the NSF deadline.