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Meditation through participation
I voted, and I feel good because of it.
I've been pretty vocal against the call to boycott today's referundum, but I never dared to call on people to go and vote. Because although I'm strongly against the boycott, I know that the result of today's referundum is well known in advance, and tomorrow's headline news in the local papers were already written yesterday.
Ofcourse its useless to go vote as long as only a minority --whom are mostly pro the regime (for all the different reasons)-- are the only ones to go, regardless if the referundum environment is fair and clean or not. So today, those who boycotted the referundum lost, and those who went and said No to the new constitution amendment text lost.
I've been feeling very silly all day for my insistence to go vote, until I actually voted.
In the morning, most of my colleagues at work were making jokes about the referundum. During a conference call, there was a disagreement and someone suggested that we should make our own referundum to come up with a decision. Another one responded that Ahmed is boycotting the referundum, so its not a good idea.
During a rare conversation I was having with my religious colleague, I asked him why he's boycotting the elections. "Is it because you just don't care, like most of us, or are you following the boycott of one of the opposition movements? You know Mahdy Akef [the Muslim Brotherhood leader] called on the Muslim Brothers to go and vote No." He responded with the usual boycott argument and that the Muslim Brotherhood provided conflicting statements regarding the boycott.
My company had decided that all employees would have a shorter day today to be able to go participate in the referundum (you can sure tell that our senior executives are not Egyptian). Most employees took off early to enjoy the rest of the day with their families. A few line managers however decided that there is work to do, and no one questioned what the priorities are (working or voting). I however, decided to leave at 4.30 instead of 3.30, and I still got that look, "you're not seriuos are you, you're not leaving us here and leaving!". Well, I still left, and avoided an argument of whether 'going to vote' (not the referundum itself) was more important than delaying the work, or not.
I went to a school in my area, asked them if they had a polling station, and they directed me to another near by school. While I was asking, I was wondering what they must be thinking of this stupid guy who's going to vote. They were however very helpful in directing me to the other school. I went to the other school, which had a small sign indicating that there is a polling station inside, and a big sign supporting the amendment text to the constitution, with a big Yes, to it, and to President Mubarak as well. Inside, a bunch of folks/administrators who belong to the school and to the Ministry of Interior were hanging around, and some were in uniform. Feeling that I'm doing something wrong, I shyly asked where the poll station was, and they kindly directed me to the third floor. "Do you have an election card?", "No" I said, "Just my National ID". "No problem, just tell them upstairs to use the daftar elwafedeen".
Upstairs, two government employees (didn't look like judges) handed me the ballot card, and I handed them my National ID. I asked them if many people came to vote today. They said, "Yeah, sure. Some said Yes, some said No, and some invalidated their vote to prove their existance. You can do whatever you want." I thought this was a secret ballot, but never mind. They were nice, and their answer was confident. They didn't have executive orders to act in a certain way, because the executives are confident enough in the results.
I asked them how to mark my ballot card, marked the card, thanked them, and left. On my way out, four classy persons were going in the school, so I nodded to them in support.
I was feeling silly all day for wanting to go vote and for insisting to go. I kept having that inner voice telling me, "you shouldn't leave your colleagues at work for that silly vote. You probably have to be registered and have an election card to be able to vote, so better go home. If you don't find the polling station in this school, then just go home and enjoy the rest of the day. The school seems to be closed, just go home." But for some silly reason, I was stubborn until I marked that useless ballot card, and boy did I feel good about it.
Of the few people I talked to today about the referundum, only one person went to vote. Most don't care, some were boycotting, some were busy with more important stuff. I called a couple of friends on my way there, one said "cool I'll come, but pick me up and let's go together", but I was short in time, so I unfortunately dropped him. The other said "I'll take a nap, and let's go out tonight". I called a friend involved with Kefaya after I finished voting to confirm his boycott, and to tell me that today's demonstration by Kefaya turned violent, protestors were beaten and girls were sexually harrased (I hope the two girls I know there weren't violated by those thugs). I talked to my dad who hasn't voted in years to tell him that I just voted, and he was astonished wondering where did I do it and if I needed an election card.
I was feeling so fine until right this moment after writing that last paragraph. Shit. There's no hope in this country.
UPDATE: A friend of mine just told me he saw one of the girls I know in the Kefaya demonstration on TV holding a banner and shouting slogans.


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Tinie Tempah's clothing line, Disturbing London, has teamed up with Nike on an exclusive Blazer sneaker. The sneaker comes limited to 60 pairs, that will release at 6 secret locations in London. Nike UK is starting a #blazerhunt for the release of the sneakers. You have to follow certain Twitter account in order to find out where and when to be able to get the sneaker. Check how it works here below:
"We've got 60 pairs of Exclusive Disturbing London Nike Blazers to give away in our scavenger #blazerhunt. The shoes are split between 6 secret locations across London. To win them, you need to figure out where we are and get there before anyone else. @TinieTempah will be posting clues to the locations from 10.00 am. You can track the progress at each location by following @NikeUK. Each location will only have a limited number of pairs of the shoe, and only the first ten people to find us get a pair, so you need to be quick."
Good luck getting your hands on one!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Under and by virtue of the power of sale granted by GATOR RESERVE DEVELOPERS, LLC ("Grantor") to PRIMESOUTH BANK – BLACKSHEAR, ("Grantee") in that certain Real Estate Deed to Secure Debt, dated on or about January 5, 2009, executed by GATOR RESERVE DEVELOPERS, LLC, recorded in Deed Book 454, Page 4, Appling County, Georgia deed or public records, as the same may have been renewed, amended, assigned, modified and/or extended from time to time, as assigned by PRIMESOUTH – BLACKSHEAR to RLF BLACK WATER RESERVE, LLC, pursuant to that certain Assignment of Deed to Secure Debt and other Loan Documents dated November 5, 2013, (hereinafter, said Real Estate Deed to Secure Debt, as renewed, amended, assigned, modified and/or extended from time to time, is referred to as the "Security Deed"), and securing a Universal Note dated on or about May 25, 2010, in the original principal amount of approximately $1,583,028.25, more or less (hereinafter, said note, as the same may have been renewed, amended, assigned, modified and/or extended from time to time, is referred to collectively as the "Note"), RLF BLACK WATER RESERVE, LLC, as Assignee of PRIMESOUTH BANK - BLACKSHEAR, the current holder thereof, has declared the entire amount of said indebtedness evidenced by the said note immediately due and payable and, pursuant to the power of sale contained in said Security Deed, will, on the first Tuesday in January, 2014, to-wit: January 7, 2014, during the legal hours of sale, before the APPLING COUNTY Courthouse door, sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, the following described real property:
All those tracts or parcels of land situate, lying and being in Original Land Lots No. 373, 374, 347, 346, 326, 327, 297, 298, 299, 300 and 279 of the 2nd Land District of Appling County, Georgia, consisting of One Hundred Ninety-Three (193) parcels, which are more particularly described as Lots 1 through 236, inclusive, of that subdivision of lands known as BLACK WATER RESERVE, less and except Lots 2, 6, 16, 18, 26, 28, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 54, 65, 74, 80, 86, 94, 108, 122, 123, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 134, 137, 178, 192, 194, 201, 209, 210, 212, 213, 218, 220, and 221 and which are more particularly described on that certain plat of survey prepared by Wayne B. Dukes, Registered Land Surveyor, dated September 20, 2006, and recorded in Plat Book 17, Pages 53-68, in the office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Appling County, Georgia. Said plat is incorporated herein by reference for a more complete description of the said lots and for all other purposes.
All of the roads, rights-of-way, easements for ingress and egress, utility easements and all un-numbered parcels located within the subdivision known as BLACK WATER RESERVE and described on that plat of survey recorded in Plat Book 17, Pages 53-68 in the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court of Appling County, Georgia, including, but not limited to, all of the private roads designated on said plat of survey as Black Creek Lane, Black Creek Drive, Black Creek Trail, Dogwood Way, Black Creek Way, Laurel Court, Dogwood Lane, Dogwood Trail, Maple Terrace, Maple Lane, Laurel Way, Black Creek Run, Dogwood Court, Maple Trail, Black Creek Terrace, Maple Way, Laurel Drive, Black Creek Loop, Laurel Lane, Maple Court, Maple Place, Laurel Run, Black Creek Place and Black Creek Road.
LESS AND EXCEPT Lots 164, 165, 166, 176, 182, and 199, more particularly described in Plat Book 17, Pages 53-68, aforesaid records.
This sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation and audit as to the amount and status of the loan with the holder of the said security deed, including but not limited to, a determination that the borrower has not reinstated the loan prior to the foreclosure sale. This sale is conducted pursuant to that certain Order Granting PrimeSouth Bank's Motion for Relief from Stay entered on October 29, 2013 by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Case No. 13-62283-WLH.
Said real property will be sold subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, but not yet due and payable), the right of redemption of any taxing authority, any matters which might be disclosed by an accurate survey and/or inspection of the real property, and all matters of or in the public records and applicable to the said real property, including but not limited to any assessments, liens, encumbrances, zoning ordinances, restrictions, covenants and other matters of record, and including but not limited to those superior to the security deed first set out above.
To the extent that said real property is comprised of more than one parcel, said real property will be sold in one or more parcels and in such order as the holder of the said security deed may determine. The property is more commonly known as certain real property located on Zoar Road, in unincorporated Appling County, but having no street address pursuant to the Appling County Board of Assessors and bearing tax identification number 0022 040.
Upon information and belief, said real property is presently in the possession or control of GATOR RESERVE DEVELOPERS, LLC and/or BLACKWATER RESERVE DEVELOPMENT, LLC and/or persons or entities occupying said real property as tenants or lessees thereof and the proceeds of said sale will be applied to the payment of said indebtedness and all the expenses of said sale, including attorney's fees, all as provided in said security deed and the excess proceeds, if any, will be distributed as provided by law.
Published: December 11, 2013, December 18, 2013, December 25, 2013 and January 1, 2013.
BY: RLF BLACK WATER RESERVE, LLC, As Assignee of PRIMESOUTH BANK-BLACKSHEAR, AS THEIR ATTORNEY-IN-FACT
Edgar M. Smith
Post Office Box 9848
Savannah, Georgia 31412
(912) 236-0261
12-11, 12-18, 12-25 & 1-1pd
gpn11 STATE OF GEORGIA COUNTY OF APPLING NOTICE OF SALE UNDER POWER
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24th March 2016
Grayling has expanded its US leadership team, with the appointment of Meghan Gross as Executive Vice President and Will Kunkel as Creative Director.
Gross will oversee some of the agency's largest US client relationships and help to drive the region's client satisfaction initiatives. Kunkel has been named EVP, Creative and Content, and will lead all US digital creative, content and social strategy efforts. Both Gross and Kunkel report into US CEO Peter Harris, in the firm's New York office.
"Strategic PR planning, smart branding and through-the-roof creative go hand-in-hand at Grayling," said Harris. "Meghan's breadth of strategic comms, marketing, and crisis counsel experience is impressive, and exactly what we were seeking to complement our team in New York. Will brings an incredible background in creative and digital, and will be a huge asset to Grayling as we work to create exciting and compelling content strategies for our clients. We're thrilled to bring them both on board – our clients will truly benefit from their expertise and talent."
Gross brings more than two decades of experience in strategic communications and reputation management to her new role at Grayling, across a variety of industries, from professional services and energy, to manufacturing and life sciences. Prior to her role at Grayling, she founded and served as president of GEM Strategic Communications, where she created strategic marketing communications programs for clients in the professional services, energy, healthcare and non-profit sectors. She was senior vice president and managing director at MSLGROUP in Boston, where her team received recognition for crisis response work for clients during Hurricane Sandy. She also worked as an in-house communications director for two major US law firms. Early in her career, she spent five years in Washington, D.C. working in public affairs.
Gross will oversee NRG Energy and a new global law firm client, in addition to bolstering the agency's new business team. A longtime member of PRSA, she has served in a number of leadership roles at the chapter, district and section level; she currently leads initiatives for the Tri-State District and the Corporate Communications Section.
"More than ever, companies need strong PR agency partners who bring a solutions-oriented mindset and an awareness of broader dynamics in our client sectors. I'm thrilled to join a team of talented and innovative professionals in building long-term, strategic communication programs that help our clients drive revenue, deepen industry connections, and advance their business objectives," said Gross.
Kunkel, a former creative director at Grey Global Group, has more than 16 years of experience in content, creative and digital marketing. He is an adjunct professor in NYU's Masters of Marketing program and has long served as an advisor and mentor to FIT advertising and marketing students. He is currently working on multiple Grayling accounts across the US, helping clients craft a multichannel approach that aligns with the increasingly integrated and diversified way brands and customers connect.
Prior to Grayling, Kunkel served as a consultant for Persado where he helped craft the company's social and content strategy. Previously, he served as general manager of BiteDA, the digital agency of Bite Global. At McCann, he led the team in winning the Xbox Live account and worked with Zentropy in developing the brand's very first integrated marketing campaign. He has also served as group creative director of G2/Grey Global, working with companies like Cendant and Adobe, and founded the NYC-based digital marketing agency Magnetik, which was acquired by StrongView in 2010.
Grayling Team
15th July 2019
Grayling is further strengthening its team with the addition of Andrew Kameka, who joins as an account director, in New York. Andrew brings to Grayling five years of experience in tech PR and a...Read More
17th June 2019
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), one of the world's largest environmental organizations, with more than two million members and a staff over 700 scientists, economist, policy experts and other...Read More
11th June 2019
To celebrate its 20th anniversary in Slovakia, Grayling has decided to share its experience contributing to the visibility of projects that are changing Slovakia for the better. In collaboration with...Read More


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New York Knicks Tickets
New York Knicks Tickets Tickets Rated 0.00/5 based on 0 customer reviews 100 0
2013 Result: 54-28 (#2 East seed), lost in Conference Semifinals to Indiana The Knicks had their best regular season in nearly two decades, winning 54 games to be the best Eastern Conference team that wasn't the Miami Heat. The transition to coach Mike Woodson continued to prove successful in his first full season. They also won their first playoff series since 2000, when Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, and Patrick Ewing were their leading scorers. Today's Knicks have the NBA's leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony at 28.7 points per game, six-time All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire, and a dominant bech threat in J.R. Smith. Smith (18.1 ppg) just resigned with New York after by far the best season of his career. Stoudemire couldn't stay healthy last season, but the Knicks were just fine without him. They received some insurance from aging veterans Kenyon Martin and Rasheed Wallace, the latter of whom came out of two years of retirement to play. But their true 'big man' is Tyson Chandler, a defensive beast who anchors the entire lineup. Chandler at center and Anthony at power forward forms one of the best big man duos in the league, and where Chandler falls short on offense Anthony picks him up and vice versa for defense. If there's a problem with this team, though, it's age. Seemingly always desperate for a winner (and frankly, not very successful until this year), the Knicks have gone around acquiring established players from around the NBA. None of their top five top scorers (Anthony, Smith, Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, and Chandler) were drafted by New York and Smith is the youngest at age 27. Iman Shumpert was the only player under age 27 of the 19 players who suited up for the Knicks last year. Their main point guard, now-40 year old Jason Kidd, is now the coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Right now, the Knicks may not have enough to go up against the big, bad Miami Heat in the East, but this team is good for more intriguing playoff runs. And although age is a concern, the Knicks have major drawing power for free agents and an aggressive front office. It should be another exciting season at Madison Square Garden, and Gold Coast Tickets doesn't want you to miss out!
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The Startup Liquidity Crunch - Big Companies are to Blame
TheFunded.com News
Posted by donAdeo on 2013-06-03
While access to capital, cheap technology, and more have led to the proliferation of many new technology startups, the number of acquisitions has not kept up with the blistering pace. There are many debates as to why, but whatever the cause, the growing popularity of acqui-hires and relative reduction in corporate M&A could lead the startup ecosystem down an ominous path.
Last week I was interviewed by peHUB about this "liquidity crunch", who is to blame, and how it can be fixed. I personally believe that the current startup climate is a house of cards that will collapse if there isn't more corporate M&A.
What do you think? I would love to hear your comments below.


text:
What Are Wet Dreams?
I sometimes wake up with a wet, sticky spot on my underwear or pajama pants.
It's not urine, so what is it?
– Stewart*
Chances are that you had a "wet dream" — something that can be embarrassing and confusing, but is completely normal. A wet dream is also known as a nocturnal emission. Nocturnal means "at night" and emission means "discharge." This makes sense because a wet dream is when semen (the fluid containing sperm) is discharged from the penis during ejaculation while a guy's asleep. Usually this happens during dreams that have sexual images. Sometimes guys wake up from a wet dream, but sometimes they sleep through it.
Wet dreams begin during puberty when the body starts making more testosterone, the major male hormone. Although some guys may feel embarrassed or even guilty about having wet dreams, they can't be controlled and you can't stop them from happening — most guys experience them at some point during puberty and even sometimes as adults. Wet dreams usually happen less as guys get older, though.
*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995- KidsHealth® All rights reserved.
Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.


text:
This document has been archived and replaced by NSF 11-515.
Cyberinfrastructure Training, Education, Advancement, and Mentoring for Our 21st Century Workforce (CI-TEAM)
Program Solicitation
National Science Foundation
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
April 27, 2010
Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).
Program Title:
Cyberinfrastructure Training, Education, Advancement, and Mentoring for Our 21st Century Workforce (CI-TEAM)
Synopsis of Program:
New information, communication, and computational technologies have had profound impacts on the practice of science and engineering. Linked to create a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure, the systems, tools, and services emerging from these new technologies are enabling individuals, groups, and organizations to advance research and education in ways that revolutionize who can participate, what they can do, and how they do it. Sustaining this revolution across all areas of science and engineering requires the formation of a workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to design and deploy as well as adopt and apply these cyber-based systems, tools and services over the long-term. The opportunity for such preparation should be available at all stages of formal and informal education, training and professional development, and must be extended to all interested individuals and communities.
The CI-TEAM program supports projects that position the national science and engineering community to engage in integrated research and education activities promoting, leveraging and utilizing cyberinfrastructure systems, tools and services.
CI-TEAM awards will:
* Prepare current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and educators to design and develop as well as adopt and deploy, cyber-based tools and environments for research and learning, both formal and informal.
* Expand and enhance participation in cyberinfrastructure science and engineering activities of diverse groups of people and organizations, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented individuals, institutions especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and communities as both creators and users of cyberinfrastructure.
This solicitation seeks three types of project proposals, all aimed at the preparation of a diverse, cyberinfrastructure-savvy science and engineering workforce. One type of proposal, the Demonstration Project, is exploratory in nature and may be somewhat limited in scope and scale. Demonstration Projects have the potential to serve as exemplars to effective larger-scale implementation and diffusion activities in the future. The second project type, the Implementation Project, is generally larger in scope or scale and draws on prior experience with the activities or the teams proposed. The third project type, the Diffusion Project, is expected to engage broad national audiences with research results, resources, models, and/or technologies. Implementation or Diffusion Projects are expected to deliver sustainable learning and workforce development activities that complement ongoing NSF investment in cyberinfrastructure.
All CI-TEAM projects seek to broaden and diversify the population of individuals and institutions participating in cyberinfrastructure activities specifically and, thereby, science and engineering more generally. Toward that goal, the three types of projects consist of collaborations with expertise in multiple disciplines and involve partnerships that support integrated research and learning among diverse organizations including, as appropriate, academic institutions of higher learning, primary and secondary schools, government, industry, professional societies, other not-for-profit organizations, and international partners. Other key features of CI-TEAM projects involve a commitment to: leveraging existing or current development efforts in cyberinfrastructure technologies; open software standards and open educational resources; the integration of research and learning; institutional partnerships; and strategic implementation, management, and evaluation plans. Following merit review of the proposals received, NSF expects to select for support 6 to 7 Demonstration Projects at up to $250,000 total each and 3 to 6 Implementation or Diffusion Projects at up to $1,000,000 total each that together constitute a rich portfolio of cyberinfrastructure-related workforce development activities.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Susan Winter, OD/OCI, telephone: (703) 292-8276, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tracy Kimbrel, CISE/CCF, telephone: (703) 292-7924, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
John C. Cherniavsky, EHR/DRL, telephone: (703) 292-5136, email: email@example.com
Lee L. Zia, EHR/DUE, telephone: (703) 292-5140, email: email@example.com
Jill L. Karsten, GEO/OAD, telephone: (703) 292-8500, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Eva Zanzerkia, GEO/EAR, telephone: (703) 292-8556, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Kathleen McCloud, MPS/PHY, telephone: (703) 292-8236, email: email@example.com
Cheryl L. Eavey, SBE/SES, telephone: (703) 292-7269, email: email@example.com
Vincent R. Brown, SBE/BCS, telephone: (703) 292-7305, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Kellina Craig-Henderson, SBE/BCS, telephone: (703) 292-7023, email: email@example.com
Susan C. Kemnitzer, ENG/EEC, telephone: (703) 292-5347, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Nily Dan, BIO/DBI, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: email@example.com
Harold J. Stolberg, OD/OISE, telephone: (703) 292-7233, email: email@example.com
William J. Wiseman, OD/OPP, telephone: (703) 292-4750, email: email@example.com
Jolene K. Jesse, EHR/HRD, telephone: (703) 292-7303, email: email@example.com
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 9 to 12 It is anticipated that 6 to 7 will be Demonstration Project awards, and 3 to 6 will be Implementation and/or Diffusion Project awards. Ultimately, the total number of awards will depend on the relative number of Demonstration and Implementation and Diffusion Projects submitted and will be subject to the availability of funds. (Note: the total number of projects expected to be awarded is not a simple sum of the estimated number ranges of Demonstration and Implementation and Diffusion Projects since award sizes vary significantly with project type.)
Anticipated Funding Amount: $5,000,000 pending availability of funds. Under this solicitation, individual Demonstration Projects may request funding up to $250,000 total (including all funds for subawards and/or collaborative proposals) over a project duration of one to two years; individual Implementation or Diffusion Projects, may request funding up to $1,000,000 total (including all funds for subawards and/or collaborative proposals) over a project duration of two to three years for Implementation projects and three to four years for Diffusion Projects.
None Specified
Principal Investigators (PIs), co-PIs, other senior personnel or investigators involved in FY05, FY06, or FY07-08 CI-TEAM Demonstration Projects funded by NSF are eligible to submit Demonstration, Implementation or Diffusion Projects to this competition. FY05, FY06, or FY07-08 CI-TEAM grants are not a prerequisite for submission to this CI-TEAM competition in either category.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
An organization may submit only one proposal (either a CI-TEAM Demonstration, Implementation, or Diffusion Project) as the lead organization in response to this solicitation. There is no limit to the number of proposals on which an organization may appear as a subawardee or as a non-lead organization.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
None Specified
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Full Proposals:
Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at:
https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg .
Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:
https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide )
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
April 27, 2010
Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.
The practice of science and engineering at the research frontier has changed markedly in recent years, owing in large measure to the impact of increasingly powerful and pervasive information, computation, and communication technologies. Today, data curation and exploration, as well as simulation and modelling, are as important to scientific discovery and innovation as are theory and experimentation. Advances in sensor technology and the availability of affordable mass data storage devices are enabling the collection, creation, and federation of large, complex datasets. Moreover, extensive networking capabilities, sophisticated middleware applications, and new collaboration platforms are simultaneously providing and improving interactive access to and analysis of these data as well as a multitude of other scientific resources. In addition to advancing research, these technological tools and services are also creating transformational opportunities in education by promoting ubiquitous cyber-based learning environments and potentiating cognitive and metacognitive gains at all ages and in various settings, both formal and informal.
Ambitious cyber-related projects connecting people, institutions, information, and instrumentation across disciplinary, organizational, international, and cultural barriers on a global scale are already emerging in many science and engineering communities including all domains served by NSF directorates and offices. Beyond the productivity enhancements we have come to expect with each new generation of technology, new cyber-based tools and services are empowering these communities to undertake bold new lines of inquiry and inventive forms of hands-on instruction simultaneously. These may be founded on traditional cyberinfrastructure components such as supercomputers, clusters and workstations, as well as emerging cyberinfrastructure elements such as observing and sensing systems, intelligent and remotely operable instrumentation, handheld communication devices, virtual collaboratories, federated data archives, and digital repositories and libraries. (For examples of cyberinfrastructure projects and activities, see https://www.nsf.gov/ci-team.)
Harnessing the full power of this increasingly connected and comprehensive cyberinfrastructure system will require sustained investments in the formation of a science and engineering workforce that has the knowledge and skills needed to design and deploy as well as adopt and apply these cyber-based systems, tools, and services over the long-term. The opportunity for such preparation should be available at all stages of education, training, and professional development, and must be extended to all interested individuals and communities. The CI-TEAM program has been developed to help meet this need. A successful CI-TEAM proposal need not leverage all possible cyberinfrastructure components; but, at the same time, will necessarily move beyond, for example, simply linking databases and preparing students and scientists for two-way communication toward progressively creating multi-layered systems of advanced data acquisition, storage, management, integration, mining, visualization and processing that prepare students and scientists for n-way collaboration. (For definitions and characterizations of cyberinfrastructure, see the National Science Foundation's Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery, available at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0728/index.jsp. For earlier visions of "cyberinfrastructure, see the Report of the Blue-Ribbon Advisory Panel on Cyberinfrastructure" the Atkins Report), available at https://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/reports/toc.jsp.)
To achieve these goals, NSF intends to support a portfolio of three types of CI-TEAM projects: 1) Demonstration Projects; 2) Implementation Projects; and 3) Diffusion Projects. A description of the similarities and differences between the project types follows.
All CI-TEAM Demonstration, Implementation and Diffusion Projects share certain key features:
Goals and strategies to broaden and diversify the population of individuals and institutions participating in cyberinfrastructure activities specifically and, thereby, science and engineering more generally;
Activities that focus on achieving cyber-related science and engineering workforce development through the integration of research and learning at and across different levels of education (e.g., university, college, K-12, professional, lifelong learning) and are grounded in learning, cognitive, or social science research;
Strong science and engineering-focused partnerships that support integrated research and learning among diverse institutions, including (but not necessarily limited to) as appropriate to the project goals: academic institutions; not-for-profit organizations such as professional societies and museums; industry; federal, state and local government agencies or organizations; and international partners;
Procedures and arrangements to leverage current or extant cyber-based tools, services and systems as well as other state-of-the-art NSF investments, both domestic and international, to expand and enhance the deployment and employment of cyberinfrastucture environments wherever possible; (For a sampling of related cyberinfrastructure efforts and other investments, see https://www.nsf.gov/ci-team );
Collaborative teams representing the expertise of at least one disciplinary domain with that of computer or information sciences, education and social sciences so as to inform project activities from appropriately interdisciplinary knowledge base;
Because the CI-TEAM program will be involved in a set of interrelated program evaluations, in addition to sound implementation and management plans, all projects must include project-level evaluation plans. These plans should be for formative and summative evaluation that assesses the impact of the project's activities, progress, and success in meeting goals. They must describe the resources allocated to project evaluation; the benchmarks used to assess the project's progress toward its scientific, educational, and outreach goals; and, the strategic mechanisms by which evaluation results will be used to improve project operations (to the extent possible for Demonstration Projects). An external evaluator who handles at least the summative evaluation is highly recommended.
Evaluative research designed and implemented by external evaluators will track the CI-TEAM program's progress in meeting overall goals, as well as assess the overall impact on participants and on the field, and potential effects on the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and STEM pipelines. All projects are expected to collaborate with the program evaluation and provide data and responses as requested.
A long-term plan for wide replicability and potential scalability to national and international levels; and
A commitment to adopt and adhere to open standards where appropriate and whenever possible.
(Note: Projects focusing primarily on the acquisition and/or provision of new cyberinfrastructure resources and tools are more appropriately directed toward other cyberinfrastructure funding opportunities listed at https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_list.jsp?org=OCI .)
Demonstration, Implementation and Diffusion Projects, however, differ in scope and scale in ways described below.
Demonstration Projects
This solicitation seeks Demonstration Project proposals that design, carry out and test the feasibility and effectiveness of preliminary, exploratory activities aimed at preparing a diverse science and engineering workforce with cyberinfrastructure knowledge and skills. New, multidisciplinary collaborations and partnerships are encouraged, including those with cross-national membership. Demonstration Projects will seed the CI education community with new and creative activities, teams, or tool deployments that promise to serve as exemplars to effective larger-scale implementation and diffusion activities in the future. Demonstration Project design should show promise for future integration with or evolution into an Implementation or Diffusion Project. Demonstration Projects with outcomes that may be transferred across disciplines are also encouraged.
Demonstration proposals must make a case for the potential of the proposed activities or strategies. This can be based on research about teaching, learning, workforce development and cyberinfrastructure workplace demands or on experience and professional judgement. If the proposed activities have been tried before, describe the results of studies that indicate their previous effectiveness and potential impact in new conditions and/or the proposed modifications to match the needs of the new audience.
Implementation Projects
This solicitation also invites larger-scale Implementation Project proposals that expand, complement, or otherwise leverage previously tested and assessed activities with potential for successful application in the CI-TEAM program. Such activities may be proposed in concert with other more exploratory activities. Proposals must make a case for the potential of the proposed activities or strategies based on the results of studies that indicate their potential impact in new conditions and/or the proposed modifications to match the needs of the new audience.
Implementation Projects must be implemented over multiple scales or across multiple disciplines to show continued prospects for replicability and scalability to a national level or, if appropriate, at a global level. For instance, scaled implementation may span geographies and cultures, organizations and institutions, technological components, scientific domains, etc. The long-term sustainability of Implementation Projects must be addressed in the project description.
Diffusion Projects
Diffusion projects engage appropriate national audiences with research-based innovations in teaching and learning that utilize cyberinfrastructure or encourage broadening participation in cyberinfrastructure education and workforce development. Diffusion projects must reach large audiences with strategies that work through workshops and training or widespread campaigns that make materials and resources available. Materials or strategies must be previously tested and assessed and proposals will be evaluated in part on the evidence of effectiveness of the resources to be diffused and the proposed diffusion methods. Proposals should include a plan to document and evaluate the adaptation and customization of proven strategies as they are adopted or implemented by diverse institutions on a national scale.
Diffusion projects are meant to translate the results of prior demonstration or implementation projects or other research into cyberinfrastructure learning to appropriate groups of practitioners (teachers, faculty, administrators, guidance counselors, informal science education specialists, etc.). Diffusion projects are encouraged to make use of cyberlearning or internet diffusion systems, public networks, or other innovative digital modes of communication to reach large audiences.
Examples of diffusion projects may include but are not limited to: develop, implement and evaluate a series of training sessions or workshops to connect with extensive audiences of teachers and faculty; develop, implement and evaluate a widespread diffusion campaign that makes materials, technologies, resources, or models available to a national audience of practitioners and provides guidance and consulting services about implementation.
Multidisciplinary collaborations or partnerships should have some history of prior collaboration with demonstrated track records. By building on prior experience, Implementation Projects are expected to deliver sustainable learning and workforce development activities that complement ongoing NSF investment in cyberinfrastructure. Implementation and Diffusion Projects will assure an increase in the number and diversity of researchers, educators and students trained to utilize, integrate, and support cyberinfrastructure systems and tools in their research and education activities.
B. Project Activity Ideas
Many facets of cyberinfrastructure and their use in science and engineering are relatively new or emerging. Approaches to infusing cyberinfrastructure knowledge and skills into the workforce are similarly evolving. The following examples are illustrative of the types of activities that may be undertaken in a CI-TEAM Demonstration, Implementation or Diffusion Project. They are not meant to be comprehensive nor suggestive of specific projects.
Developing faculty expertise in K-12, two-year, four-year and/or community colleges to use cyberinfrastructure effectively and promote STEM learning and advance discovery;
Designing a new integrative research and learning program to prepare students in the use of cyberinfrastructure capabilities such as simulation, modelling, and data visualization;
Training university faculty, secondary and K-12 teachers and students at all levels in the use of cyber-based tools (e.g., shared databases, internet portals, monitoring devices, visualization, data collection and analysis tools) to gather, depict, compare and/or reuse data to create a cyberinfrastructure-supported scientific community;
Devising new programs to train and/or retool digital librarians in the development, deployment, and support of cyberinfrastructure tools and services;
Increasing the exposure of undergraduate and high school student populations that are not traditional users of cyberinfrastructure simulation, modelling and data visualization tools, especially those from behavioural, cognitive, and social sciences or from groups underrepresented in STEM fields
Creating new participatory informal or formal learning environments (e.g., online games, professional-amateur collaborations, shared online learning resources, virtual worlds, open source ecosystems) that engage diverse participants (especially those traditionally underrepresented) in inquiry-based, problem-solving activities related to science and engineering;
Sharing cyberinfrastructure knowledge through mentoring partnerships between cyberinfrastructure-experienced institutions and communities, organizations, groups and/or individuals new to cyberinfrastructure thereby extending infrastructural, technological and logistical resources;
Mentoring teams of faculty and students across disciplines, institutions, cultures, and/or continents to improve the effectiveness of cyberinfrastructure-enabled collaboratories addressing a research problem, question, task, etc.;
Supporting activities to learn how to use, advance, and create cyberinfrastructure tools and services (e.g. open source software development, large scale database design and administration, Internet portals, multi-core programming, modelling and simulation tools) via novel programs and mechanisms, including but not limited to cross-functional mentoring, citizen scientist mentoring, AI-based tutoring, or peer-to-peer mentoring;
Sharing best practices in supporting and sustaining cyberinfrastructure and the cyberinfrastructure workforce, especially between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations;
Implementing and analyzing collaborative cyberinfrastructure teaching and learning tools across a distributed network of diverse participants to understand processes and outcomes of information sharing, knowledge production, scientific argumentation, and diversity under synchronous and asynchronous technologically-mediated conditions;
Designing new instruments, metrics, and methods that can be embedded into the technologies themselves to assess cognitive gains of cyberinfrastructure users and learners; and
Instituting training on best practices in safety, security, trust, and ethics in cyberspace to complement cyberinfrastructure resource and tool use and development in other CI-TEAM activities.
Abstracts of CI-TEAM Demonstration Projects funded in FY05 and FY06 and FY07-08 can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12782&org=OCI&from=fund .
Additional information on cyberinfrastructure can be found in the National Science Foundation's Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery available at
http/www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf0728/index.jsp and in the Report of the Blue-Ribbon Advisory Panel on Cyberinfrastructure (the Atkins Report) available at https://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/reports/toc.jsp .
Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. Under this solicitation, individual Demonstration Projects (including all funds for subawards and/or collaborative proposals) may request funding up to $250,000 total over a project duration of one to two years; individual Implementation or Diffusion Projects (including all funds for subawards and/or collaborative proposals) may request funding up to $1,000,000 total over a project duration of two to three years for Implementation Projects and three to four years for Diffusion Projects. It is expected that between 9 and 12 project awards will be made, of which 6 to 7 are anticipated to be Demonstration Project awards and/or 3 to 6 are anticipated to be Implementation or Diffusion Project awards. Ultimately, the total number of awards will depend on the relative number of Demonstration, Implementation and Diffusion Projects submitted and will be subject to the availability of funds. (Note: the total number of projects expected to be awarded is not a simple sum of the estimated number ranges of Demonstration, Implementation and Diffusion Projects since award sizes vary significantly with project type.)
None Specified
Principal Investigators (PIs), co-PIs, other senior personnel or investigators involved in FY05, FY06, or FY07-08 CI-TEAM Demonstration Projects funded by NSF are eligible to submit Demonstration, Implementation or Diffusion Projects to this competition. FY05, FY06, or FY07-08 CI-TEAM grants are not a prerequisite for submission to this CI-TEAM competition in either category.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
An organization may submit only one proposal (either a CI-TEAM Demonstration, Implementation, or Diffusion Project) as the lead organization in response to this solicitation. There is no limit to the number of proposals on which an organization may appear as a subawardee or as a non-lead organization.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
None Specified
Additional Eligibility Info:
The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) are eligible to submit proposals under this program solicitation.
Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:
Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.
The Project Description section for Demonstration Projects must be no more than 15 pages in total length.
The Project Description section for Implementation or Diffusion Projects must be no more than 18 pages in total length and include a project description of no more than 15 pages and a clearly labelled expanded management and coordination plan of no more than 3 pages. The management and coordination plan must include 1) the specific roles of the PI, co-PIs, other senior personnel and paid consultants at all institutions involved, 2) how the project will be managed across institutions and disciplines, 3) identification of the specific coordination mechanisms that will enable cross-institution and/or cross-discipline integration (e.g., yearly workshops, student or personnel exchanges, project meetings at conferences, weekly videoconferencing, knowledge or software repositories, etc.), and 4) pointers to the budget line items that support these coordination mechanisms.
The Project Description for either a Demonstration, Implementation or Diffusion Project should contain the following sections:
Vision and goals. A concise description of the project's vision within the context of the CI-TEAM principal goals, including learning, cognitive, or social science theory on which the proposed activities are based, overall aims and the strategy for accomplishing them. For Demonstration Project proposals, the description should include potential of the project proposed to be replicable and scalable to a more systemic level of effort; and for Implementation or Diffusion Project proposals, it should include the actual multiple types of target audiences and scale or application domains expected to be provided.
Integration of research and learning. A discussion of how the project will develop a cyber-ready workforce at the university, pre-college (including K-12 if appropriate) and practitioner levels by integrating research and learning activities.
Broadening participation. A presentation of specific plans and strategies for engaging traditionally underrepresented individuals, organizations, and/or communities in cyberinfrastructure learning and workforce development activities specifically and, thereby, science and engineering more generally.
Execution. An outline of 1) how project activities will be organized, including how they draw on and differ from existing, similar approaches; 2) any existing or current development efforts in cyberinfrastructure investments these activities leverage; and, 3)timelines and milestones. This might include materials development, pilot testing, plans for dissemination and adoption by partnering organizations, changes in policy or innovation in educational courses. Include plans for sustainability as appropriate and clearly show what parts of the project are sustainable and how they will be supported.
All proposals must (1) include a clear presentation of the questionsthat will guide the evaluation, (2) specify indicators of impact on participants, (3) describe how the data will be collected,(4) explain the methods of analysis, (5) describe any basis for comparisons, and (6) provide the timeline for the evaluation process. If materials are developed as part of the intervention, appropriate plans for their expert review and field-testing should be included. In some cases the evaluation plans will be closely intertwined with plans to conduct research about the effects of the proposed activities on desired outcomes. These plans might include expert review at key stages of the project, development of indicators to assess the delivery of the proposed activities, or assessment of the scope and impact of the activities by an independent advisory committee.
For activities involving cyberinfrastructure tools, the proposal should explain the existing user base as well as the user benefits and growth anticipated to result from proposed CI-TEAM activities. Open source software (including community development efforts) and distribution methods are strongly encouraged.
Proposal Cover Sheet
Proposals must identify the type of proposal submitted by inserting at the beginning of the title either "CI-TEAM Demonstration Project", "CI-TEAM Implementation Project or "CI-TEAM Diffusion Project."
Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is not required under this solicitation.
April 27, 2010
For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:
Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail email@example.com. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp .
For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:
Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. The Grants.gov's Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive reference document that provides technical information about Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: email@example.com. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.
Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.
Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal.
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
The two NSB-approved merit review criteria are listed below. The criteria include considerations that help define them. These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are relevant to the proposal being considered and for which the reviewer is qualified to make judgements.
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
Examples illustrating activities likely to demonstrate broader impacts are available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/gpg/broaderimpacts.pdf.
Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral researchers supported on the project, as described in a one-page supplementary document, will be evaluated under the Broader Impacts criterion.
NSF staff also will give careful consideration to the following in making funding decisions:
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -- is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.
Additional Review Criteria:
In addition to the general criteria described above, peer reviewers and NSF staff will evaluate each proposal according to the CI-TEAM program goals:
Preparing a science and engineering workforce able to exploit, enhance, and promote cyberinfrastructure to advance science and engineering research and education; and
Broadening the participation of underrepresented groups and organizations in cyberinfrastructure activities.
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.
After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See Section VI.B. for additional information on the review process.)
An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1); * or Research Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.
*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from email@example.com.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report, and a project outcomes report for the general public.
Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational) publications; and, other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The project outcomes report must be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of the nature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI.
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
Susan Winter, OD/OCI, telephone: (703) 292-8276, email: email@example.com
Tracy Kimbrel, CISE/CCF, telephone: (703) 292-7924, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
John C. Cherniavsky, EHR/DRL, telephone: (703) 292-5136, email: email@example.com
Lee L. Zia, EHR/DUE, telephone: (703) 292-5140, email: email@example.com
Jill L. Karsten, GEO/OAD, telephone: (703) 292-8500, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Eva Zanzerkia, GEO/EAR, telephone: (703) 292-8556, email: email@example.com
Kathleen McCloud, MPS/PHY, telephone: (703) 292-8236, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Cheryl L. Eavey, SBE/SES, telephone: (703) 292-7269, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Vincent R. Brown, SBE/BCS, telephone: (703) 292-7305, email: email@example.com
Kellina Craig-Henderson, SBE/BCS, telephone: (703) 292-7023, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Susan C. Kemnitzer, ENG/EEC, telephone: (703) 292-5347, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Nily Dan, BIO/DBI, telephone: (703) 292-8470, email: email@example.com
Harold J. Stolberg, OD/OISE, telephone: (703) 292-7233, email: email@example.com
William J. Wiseman, OD/OPP, telephone: (703) 292-4750, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Jolene K. Jesse, EHR/HRD, telephone: (703) 292-7303, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, National Science Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail when new publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the NSF web site.
Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."
NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.
The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov
The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records, " 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. 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 the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:
Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
The National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230, USA


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Clean the CD drives to help prevent errors during use. Clean with either Simple Green or 409 spray. Be careful not to get the insides of the drives wet.
Run Scandisk and Disk Defragmenter
ALWAYS run Scandisk BEFORE Disk Defragmenter! You may run both of these functions by going to the start button, programs, accessories, and system tools.
Double click MY COMPUTER
Click right mouse button on C: (drive) & get drop down menu
Go to Properties, click once
Click TOOLS TAB at top
Click [CHECK NOW] tab once
Click STANDARD once a month; THOROUGH every 3 months
Click Automatically Fix Errors
Click START and wait till finished
Close Scandisk Results Window
Close Scandisk Window
Double click MY COMPUTER
Click right mouse button on C: (drive) & get drop down menu
Go to Properties, click once
Click TOOLS TAB at top
Click DEFRAGMENT NOW once
WAIT till done (approx. 30 min)
NOTE: disregard message that says "you don't have to defrag at this time" HIT START ANYWAY! You can click [SHOW DETAILS] to watch defragging of hard drive. If you do not watch, it is best to turn your monitor off.
Internet Explorer keeps track of two things when you browse pages. One, the location of the page (stores this in the History Folder in your computer) and two, the page and images (stored in the Temporary Internet Pages folder)
History Folder
The history folder keeps track of the location of the pages you have seen. The folder is located in c:\windows\history.
Follow these steps to view/clear your History:
Open Internet Explorer
Click on the View menu item
Click on Options
The Options dialog box will appear
Select the Navigation tab
Enter the number of days you want to keep a history list
Click on Clear History
Click on View History if you want to see where you have been.
Before you begin, disconnect the keyboard. You can use your can of compressed air to blow the particles out of their hiding places, or you can use an electronics vacuum if you have one. If you need to remove any keycaps or the keyboard cover, do so carefully. Use a small amount of alcohol on a towel to clean each keycap and use a non-static-producing brush on the stubborn dirt. You also could use the foam eye shadow applicators dipped in alcohol to clean between the keys. Clean the rest of the keyboard cover with alcohol or general-purpose cleaner and a towel.
Clean the outside of the monitor with Simple Green, 409, or a similar cleaner.
Spray a cloth with glass cleaner and wipe the screen. If you attempt to clean an LCD screen, be careful not to press too hard on the screen. Be sure to use a clean, soft cloth.
Clean the outside of the monitor with Simple Green, 409, or a similar cleaner.
Spray a cloth with glass cleaner and wipe the screen. If you attempt to clean an LCD screen, be careful not to press too hard on the screen. Be sure to use a clean, soft cloth.
We do not recommend cleaning the inside of a conventional monitor (CRT) unless you are an experienced technician. The picture tube retains a high voltage even after the power is shut off.
Begin by unplugging the mouse from the computer. Turn the mouse upside down, and remove the mouse ball to access the X and Y rollers. A careful inspection of the small rollers usually reveals gunk.
Reassemble the mouse and clean the outside of it and the cord with a diluted solution of Simple Green, alcohol, or general-purpose cleaner and a towel. Reconnect it and test it to make sure it works.
A standard checklist for customer responsibilities includes:
Keeping the unit clean (including vacuuming spilled toner and dust) and cleaning the paper feed path.
Changing the toner cartridge.
Cleaning the pad (Only applicable on certain machines).
Adding paper.
Knowing how to run the printer's self-test.
Replacing other consumables designated in the operator's manual.
Paper jams are the most common problem encountered with laser printer. These most often are caused by:
Paper feed path obstructions.
Paper tray and paper length mismatch.
Exceeding the printer temperature or humidity operating range.
Exceeding allowable temperature and humidity ranges in the paper storage environment.
Nonstandard paper size or weight.
Eliminating ink streaks. DeskJet printers in dusty environments might occasionally experience ink streaks or smearing because of a small accumulation of debris inside the printer. It is recommended that you perform this cleaning every 3 months.
Remove the print cartridges
Turn the printer on and lift the printer's top cover. The print cartridges move to the center of the printer.
After the print cartridges have moved to the center of the printer, unplug the black power cord from the back of the printer.
Remove the print cartridges and place them on their sides on a scrap piece of paper.
Clean the print cartridges
Dip a clean cotton swab into distilled water and squeeze any excess water from the swab.
Grasp the black print cartridge by the colored cap.
Clean the face and edges of the print cartridge as shown. DO NOT wipe the nozzle plate.
Hold the print cartridge up to the light to inspect for fibers on the face and edges.
With the tri-color print cartridge use a clean, moistened cotton swab to avoid any contamination.
Clean the print cartridge cradle
Position yourself at eye level with the printer.
Locate the cradle that holds the print cartridges, then locate the three black, hook-shaped arms on the bottom of the cradle.
Using clean, moistened swabs, wipe the flat surfaces (shaded area) on the undersides of each arm from back to front. Repeat until no ink residue is seen on a clean swab.
Clean the service station
Using a clean, moistened swab, clean the rim of the sponge holder.
Remove any built-up ink and fibers from the top of the sponge. If the sponge is higher than the rim, use the cotton swab to push it below the rim.
Using a clean, moistened swab, clean wiper 1 and the top surface of cap
Using a clean, moistened swab, clean wiper 2 and the top surface of cap 2.
Reinstall the print cartridges
Reinstall the print cartridges and close the printer's top cover.
Reinsert the power cord into the back of the printer.
Print a test page. On the Printer Services tab of the HP Toolbox, click Print a test page.
Examine the printout for ink streaking.
Clean the print cartridges when you notice that the lines or dots are missing from your printed text and graphics, as shown in the left margin. The print cartridges can be cleaned from the HP Toolbox.
To clean the print cartridges from the HP Toolbox:
Double-click the HP Toolbox icon on the computer screen.
Click the Printer Services tab.
Click Clean the print cartridges and follow the directions on the screen.
If the preceding procedure does not improve the print quality, your print cartridges might be low on ink. Replace the printer cartridge.
Scanners and fax machines have lenses that get dirty. Remove the glass covers and clean them with Windex. Any dust inside these covers has to be blown out with compressed gas.
The rollers in the fax machines can be cleaned with alcohol. If the rubber is badly worn use Goof-Off. Be warned that Goof-Off will damage plastic parts and in some cases it will damage synthetic rubber rollers. If you're not sure, don't use it.
The outside of the cabinet can be cleaned with Simple Green or 409 cleaner.
Handling a Disc
The best way to handle a disc is by its edges. Many times discs are scratched when placing them in their protective sleeves or jewel cases. When handling your disc, avoid touching the shiny side of the disc (this is the side on which the laser reads the information). Although the technology to compensate for obstructions blocking the lens is very sophisticated, ordinary dirt, dust, oil, and fingerprints can drastically reduce your disc player's performance. Take care when returning your discs into their storage cases or sleeves.
Cleaning a Disc
Use a clean, soft cloth and wipe from the center of the disc towards the outside of the disc. Avoid wiping the disc in a circular motion ( this may damage the disc). NEVER USE any solvents on the disc - you may cause permanent damage to your disc. Do not remove labels or other protective shields from the label side of your disc. The adhesive is strong enough to pull off the foil on which the data is encoded, thereby destroying the disc.
This page developed and maintained by the Information Technology Department. Send comments and suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.com .


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Hard to believe that another toy season is just around the bend. While most consumers are recovering from the holidays, toy makers are busy at work getting ready to launch their new lines for 2009. Toy Fair officially begins in mid-Feburary in NYC–but many of the companies have previews to get all of us excited about the new season.
The first toy we "previewed" was the Barbie Digital Nail Printer. Now we're usually not big on nail kits that have fake nails that are intended for your seven year old to glue on…but this is really different and if it works will be a hit with girls (and some not so little girls as well). You place your finger in the printer and then it hooks up to your PC—you can then select an image (I selected a repeating pattern of pink Barbies)….and it is literally printed on your fingernail. (The software allows you to adjust the image to exact a custom fit of the image.) Thankfully, I had just had a manicure and was good to go for my Barbie overlay.
That's right you're basically putting your finger into an ink jet printer. Once the image is printed on, you add a clear top coat and you're good to go. If you're having a sleepover party–or any situation where you have a bunch of girls…this will be a real crowd favorite. We're looking forward to testing this one!


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I would like to use this space for a little rant this week.
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Metro's safety vision is a culture where there is ownership and sustained commitment at every level of the organization to reduce risk, creating an environment where safety and operational excellence are inseparable and injuries are prevented.
Our mission is, if you work with us, you go home safe!
It is the policy of Nautilus International Holding Corporation and the Metro Ports subsidiary companies that safety is paramount in every aspect of our business. As an award-winning group of maritime service companies located in ports throughout the United States, Metro Ports insists upon a safe operating environment, application of safe operating procedures, secure facilities and employee compliance with all Company safety policies and government safety regulations. From initial business development activities through on-site cargo operations, we ensure that our personnel, equipment and procedures are suited to the specific tasks assigned, cargoes being handled and consistently focused on operational safety. This approach minimizes our insured risk, our exposure to regulatory agency citations and penalties as well as unforeseen costs associated with operating delays. Most importantly, our approach to safety and security protects our Company's most valuable assets; our employees.
Metro Ports is a recognized leader in providing safe and responsible cargo handling, cruise and shore services to our valued clients.


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Hello! Thanks for taking time to visit our website. We're glad that you are considering Ridgewater College as you look to achieve your educational and career goals! Using the navigational menu on the right, this section of ridgewater.edu will provide you with an abundance of information as you determine how Ridgewater might fit into your future plans.
And remember, if you have any questions that you cannot find an answer to, just use the link on the home page to ask a question or request further information. Of course, you can always email your questions to us at email@example.com or call us at 800-722-1151 Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Community and Housing


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UMD Sets Acrobatics & Tumbling Clinics
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Acrobatics & Tumbling Program will be hosting several clinics to educate people on the new sport of acrobatics & tumbling,.
UMD Head Coach John Gilbert will conduct the clinics, which will be held at the Tripp Athletic Center on the UMD campus.
The clinics will include an introduction to the sport of acrobatics & tumbling and the "meet" format used for competition, instruction in tumbling and stunting techniques; important aspects of training in plyometrics; core strength, drills and skills; and what it means to be part of the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association.
The clinics are free, and are open to all student-athletes in their junior or senior years of high school, as well as high school graduates and current college students.
The first clinic is set for this Thursday, February 23rd, from 7-9 p.m. Clinics are also scheduled on Saturday, March 10th, from 4-6 p.m. and on Saturday, April 14th, from 4-6 p.m.
For more information, fill out the on-line form at http://www.corsairathletics.com/ot/acrobatics.html, or contact Coach Gilbert at email@example.com.


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Pay a debtors invoice
To pay your invoice using your credit card, simply fill in the form below and you will be redirected to a secure BNZ payment page to complete the transaction.
Please note:
- If you are using Firefox - you may get a warning that 'this connection is untrusted'. The BNZ page you are being redirected to is authentic. To avoid getting this message, please upgrade to the latest version of Firefox.
- Bank provider - this service is provided by our bank, BNZ, in agreement with Matamata-Piako District Council. You do not have to be a BNZ customer to use this service.
- Card types - Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
- Currency – Matamata-Piako District Council is a New Zealand Local Authority. All transactions will be billed in New Zealand dollars
- Online convenience fee - BNZ charge you a convenience fee of 2% per transaction for this service (with a minimum fee of $1.00 per transaction). We do not receive any part of this fee.
- Payment details - please have your invoice in front of you to ensure you enter the assessment/reference number accurately. Please note that a separate transaction is required for each payment.
- After the transaction - you will be given a reference number. A receipt will not be provided, however you can print the screen or note down the details for future reference. The name that will appear on your bank statements will be "Matamata-Piako District"
- Refund enquiries – in general we do not issue refunds except in extreme circumstances (at the discretion of the finance manager). If you have made a mistake and require a refund, please contact us