------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 10:20:56 -0500
Reply-to: xxxxxx@nsf.gov
From: xxxxxx@nsf.gov
To: Multiple recipients of list <xxxxxx@nsf.gov>
Subject: Dear Colleague & Imp. Notice 119 - Partial Gov't Shutdown
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Office of the Director
ARLINGTON, VA 22230
January 19, 1996
Dear Colleague:
The National Science Foundation is now emerging from the longest work
stoppage in its history, almost four weeks resulting from the partial
shutdown of the Federal government for three weeks and the blizzard that
followed immediately thereafter. During the shutdown, NSF's allowable
activities were strictly circumscribed. No proposals were logged into our
systems; program officers neither sent requests for nor received reviews;
review panels did not meet; and we were unable to obligate funds for
new or continuing awards. We were able, thanks to an OMB decision
made after the shutdown began, to process requests for funding to
existing awards that were based on prior obligations.
Because the time period of the shutdown occurred during semester
breaks for many academic institutions, NSF's shutdown may have had
little apparent impact. The attached Important Notice 96-01 describes
some of the impact we expect our partnering institutions to experience
within the next six to nine months. The Important Notice covers
effects of the shutdown itself as well as the uncertainties related to
operating for almost one-third of Fiscal Year 1996 on successive
continuing resolutions. We still have no Fiscal Year 1996
appropriation, and cannot at this point guess when we might have one.
The combined effects of the extended shutdown and the uncertainty about
our Fiscal Year 1996 budget are severe. We have only a prorated
portion of our estimated Fiscal Year 1996 funds available to us, which
limits our ability to meet commitments in a timely way. Planning for
this year and next has been complicated by the budget unknowns.
In all of this, NSF staff are committed to minimizing the damage to
science and engineering and permitting the researchers and educators
we support to continue with their work uninterrupted. But however
heroic staff efforts may be, NSF cannot conduct business as usual.
The time period we have lost is one that is critical to the smooth
functioning of the proposal review process, and we can expect delays
in award actions. Some continuing awards have already experienced a
brief funding hiatus due to the shutdown.
We are confident that we will have your cooperation in coping with
this unusual situation. To that end, we will keep you apprised of our
planning as the situation evolves. We thank you in advance for your
patience and understanding. Please communicate this information to
interested faculty and staff.
Sincerely,
Neal Lane Anne C. Petersen
Director Deputy Director
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Office of the Director
ARLINGTON, VA 22230
Notice No. 119 January 19, 1996
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO
PRESIDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
AND HEADS OF OTHER NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
GRANTEE ORGANIZATIONS
Subject: Impact of partial government shutdowns and short-term
continuing resolutions on NSF operations.
Since the beginning of FY 1996 on October 1, 1995, NSF has operated
without an appropriation on a series of short-term continuing
resolutions. Moreover, the agency has experienced two periods of
shutdown totalling almost four weeks during which we had no funds
available either for funding awards or to pay NSF staff to perform
their work. This has led to canceled panel meetings and workshops,
proposals piling up in our mail room, and delays in meeting our FY
1996 commitments. We now operate under a continuing resolution
effective only through January 26, 1996.
Because the time period of the most recent shutdown occurred during
semester breaks for many academic institutions, the hiatus in NSF
activity may have had minimal apparent impact to date. This Important
Notice covers effects of the shutdown itself as well as the related
uncertainties surrounding operating for almost one-third of Fiscal
Year 1996 on successive continuing resolutions.
In addressing this situation, NSF staff are committed to minimizing
the damage to science and engineering and permitting the researchers
and educators we support to continue their work with as little
interruption as possible. But it will be impossible to mitigate all
impacts of the shutdown and the limited, prorated funding available
through short-term continuing resolutions. The time period we have
lost is one that is critical to the smooth functioning of the proposal
review process.
Partial Government Shutdown
Immediate Impact on NSF and NSF Customer Services
- More than 2500 proposals have accumulated in the mail room since
December 15. We expect all proposals received by January 5 to be in
the program offices by the end of January, with the remainder of the
backlog in the program offices by mid-February.
- NSF has received almost 40,000 pieces of mail since December 15.
This will reach program and administrative offices over the next two
weeks.
- 17 review panels and related meetings affecting about 400 people did
not take place because of the most recent shutdown. Another 26 panels
and meetings scheduled during the rest of January may be cancelled or
postponed where preparations cannot be completed in a timely way.
- 156 continuing increments came due on December 31, 1995, with
another 266 coming due during January. We will attempt to process as
many of these increments as possible by January 26, when we again face
the possibility of a shutdown.
- There are approximately 1500 pending requests for NSF forms and
publications. We expect to eliminate this backlog by the end of
January. This means NSF will not be able to meet its customer service
standard for processing information requests in two days for these
requests or others we receive in the immediate future. Those needing
forms and publications are urged to obtain them electronically via the
World Wide Web (http://www.nsf.gov:80/bfa/cpo/forms/start.htm) or
STIS.
Intermediate and Long-Term Impacts on NSF and the Science and
Engineering Community
- Delayed receipt of proposals in the programs and/or delayed panels
means delays in funding decisions. NSF may not be able to honor
requested start dates. It will not be possible to meet our customer
service standard to process proposals in six months. There may be
gaps in funding for successful renewal proposals.
- NSF may experiment with some non-traditional review processes to
overcome problems created by cancelled panel meetings. In no case
will NSF compromise on its standards for rigorous peer review.
- NSF will explore mechanisms to avoid having award actions backlogged
at the end of the fiscal year.
- Announcements for some newly-planned special competitions will be
delayed to allow the existing backlog of work to be accomplished.
Short-Term Continuing Resolution
Immediate Impact on NSF
The continuing resolutions have been based on the lower of House or
Senate actions on NSF's request for Fiscal Year 1996 or the Fiscal
Year 1995 appropriation. For NSF's research and related activities
account, that is significantly lower than the request for 1996. Only
a prorated portion of this amount is available for obligation.
Implementation of NSF planning for FY 1996 is extremely difficult
because of the uncertainty as to the final budget level. In
particular, program officers do not have final program budgets, yet
must make decisions on a continuing basis.
Intermediate and Long-Term Impacts on NSF and the Science and
Engineering Community
For some large awards, both new awards and continuing increments, NSF
will have to make successive partial awards for less than twelve
months, rather than providing the amount for a full year at one time.
Given the unprecedented nature of this year's budget process, there
are likely to be impacts that we cannot anticipate at this time. We
will continue to keep you informed periodically. The most current
information will be posted regularly on the NSF Home Page on the World
Wide Web (http://www.nsf.gov).
Neal Lane
Director
