NSF Launches Responses to Natural Disasters Website

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has created a new website NSF Responses to Natural Disasters in an effort to highlight policy designed to provide flexibility for meeting deadlines during a natural or anthropogenic disaster. The site offers guidance about NSF policies during a natural disaster and lists all NSF communications about recent disasters.

If a disaster prevents a proposer from submitting on time, proposers should follow the guidance provided by the NSF Program Officer. NSF will evaluate each proposal on a case-by-case basis. In general, NSF permits extension of the deadline by up to five business days.

To submit a proposal after the deadline date, proposers must check the “Special Exception to the Deadline Date Policy” box on the NSF Cover Sheet after obtaining NSF approval.

Proposers should upload a statement identifying the nature of the impacting event under Nature of Natural or Anthropogenic Event in the Single Copy Document section in FastLane.

If available, written approval from the cognizant NSF Program Officer also should be uploaded under the Additional Single Copy Documents in the Single Copy Document section in FastLane.

Questions about NSF’s special exceptions to deadlines policy should be directed to policy@nsf.gov