NSF Cost Sharing Requirements

NSF Prohibition on Voluntary Committed Cost Sharing

Background

Effective January 1, 2011, the National Science Foundation has prohibited the inclusion of Voluntary Committed Cost sharing in proposals. Proposals which include voluntary committed cost sharing in the budget, justification or narrative "run the risk of the proposal being returned without review or declined."

FAQs posted by NSF on this requirement are available here.

NSF Institutional Cost Sharing

Background

The National Science Foundation, to meet Congressional directives, requires that each recipient institution cost share 1% of all unsolicited research funds received from the NSF in each fiscal year for awards begun prior to January 1, 2007.

UW Procedures in tracking the Statutory cost sharing:

The UW has a cost share type of NSF that is entered on awards requiring the insitutional share. As these awards close, we will continue to review the institutional commitment and contact Divisions if additional cost sharing is required. Every award does not need to bear exactly 1% of the requirement as the cost sharing will be aggregated for all UW research projects over the fiscal year.

Key Information about the NSF Cost Sharing Policies

NSF Important Notice 128: Detailing the procedures and allowability of any cost sharing beyond the Statuatory 1% requirement. In NO event unless cost sharing is specifically required in the Program Announcement (and never for unsolicited proposals) should cost sharing be included in NSF applications.

NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) – Chapter VII/Section C

NSF FAQ Regarding Cost Sharing