Proposal Tools

Proposal Samples

Proposal Narrative Samples

Complete Proposal Samples

Cover Page Samples

Biographical Sketches

NSF implemented a revised version of the Biographical Sketch format for consistency with the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1). The requirement to use the revised format is effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023. 

The revised format is now available in SciENcv and on the NSF Policy Office website. As a reminder, the mandate to use SciENcv only for preparation of these senior personnel documents (to include Current & Pending Support) will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. 

NSF recommends both Mac and Windows users open and fill in the blank PDF document using Adobe Acrobat Reader for an optimized experience. The completed and saved PDF can then be uploaded via Research.gov or Grants.gov. 

NSF Fillable PDF - Current
NSF Fillable PDF - Effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023

Current & Pending Support Descriptions

NSF implemented a revised version of the Current and Pending (Other) Support format for consistency with the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1). The requirement to use the revised formats is effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023. 

The revised format is now available in SciENcv and on the NSF Policy Office website. As a reminder, the mandate to use SciENcv only for preparation of these senior personnel documents (to include the Biosketch) will go into effect for new proposals submitted or due on or after October 23, 2023. 

NSF recommends both Mac and Windows users open and fill in the blank PDF document using Adobe Acrobat Reader for an optimized experience. The completed and saved PDF can then be uploaded via Research.gov or Grants.gov. 

NSF Fillable PDF - Current
NSF Fillable PDF - Effective for proposals submitted or due on or after January 30, 2023

Facilities & Equipment Descriptions

Data Management Plans

Data Management and Open Access Storage (at USF) blurb:

A long term (indefinite) data preservation plan will be used to store the data beyond the life of the project, using Digital Commons Data, a USF Libraries supported, accessible, data management repository.

Digital Commons Data adheres to FAIR principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse. All data is "archived in perpetuity for long-term availability, with Data Archiving and​ Networked Services" (https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/digital-commons/data). To support open data, all published datasets will have a clear license and a DOI for ease of citation.

Digital Commons Data is a module of Digital Commons, an institutional repository system used by the USF Libraries. In use since 2007, the USF Libraries has supported persistent access and preservation to scholarly works and datasets created at USF with Digital Commons. The datasets created as a result of this project align with key library research collections, notably the Florida Environment and Natural History Collections Initiative (https://lib.usf.edu/library-administration/innovative-research-collections/).

See our guide on how to use the repository: https://guides.lib.usf.edu/dcd

NSF CAREER Post-Doctoral Mentoring Plans

Graphics & Captions

  • Samples that demonstrate how graphics and captions propel proposals forward.

USF CAS Core Facilities Descriptions & Available Equipment