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TYPES OF REPORTS AND DUE DATES

1. When is my annual/final report due? 2. When should I file an annual versus a final report? 3. Under what circumstances would I file an Interim report? 4. What happens if I don’t get my reports in on time? 5. What if my first annual report does not include a full year’s worth of activity? 6. Who reads my reports? ANNUAL REPORT SECTIONS

7. What are the main reporting sections of the Annual Report? Are they the same in the Final Report?

8. What is required for me to fill out in the Participants section? 9. What is required for me to fill out in the Activities and Findings section? 10. What is required for me to fill out in the Publications and Projects section? 11. What is required for me to fill out in the Contributions section? 12. What is required for me to fill out in the Conference Proceedings section? WRITING THE REPORT

13. Are there minimum expectations for the length of each section? 14. What writing style should I use? How much detail? 15. Are there limits on the size and amount of attachments I can send? 16. Do I always need to include an evaluators report with my Annual Report? 17. What format should my attachments be in? 18. What might cause my report to be “Returned to PI,” not approved by my program officer? REPORTING CHANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR

19. How do I incorporate last year’s information (without repeating it) so that this year’s report builds/elaborates on it in context?

20. If I had made changes to my original proposal plan, how and where do I report those changes?

21. If my project gets an extension (cost or no cost), when is my final report due? USING FASTLANE

22. How do I navigate through the six main reporting sections of the report? 23. If I have technical problems, who can I contact? 24. Can I save and not submit? 25. Can I “unsubmit” my Report?

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TYPES OF REPORTS AND DUE DATES 1. When is my annual/final report due?

Annual reports are due 90 days before the end of your project year. Project year is calculated from your award date. Final reports are due within 90 days after the end of your final project year.

2. When should I file an annual versus a final report? Annual reports must be filed for every project year except the last year of the project. At the end of the final year of a project, a Final Report is submitted instead of an Annual Report. If you receive any extensions (cost or no-cost), you should submit an Annual Report for what would have been your final year and then submit a Final Report at the end of the extension period.

3. Under what circumstances would I file an Interim report? Interim Project Reports (IPRs) are not required but are used to update the progress of a project any time during or after the award period. An Interim Report can be submitted at any time and does not count as an Annual or Final Project Report. Interim Reports are usually requested by program officers in the event of a major change in scope, personnel, or research methodology.

4. What happens if I don’t get my reports in on time? Failure to file reports may result in the holding back of project funds, and stops all funding actions for the PI and co-PIs on the award. Under certain circumstances, your program officer will grant an Annual Report extension, which can provide additional time for you to prepare the report.

5. What if my first annual report does not include a full year’s worth of activity? Because of the funding cycle, and the fact that annual reports are due 90 days before the end of the year, your first annual report will include only 6 to 9 months of project activity. Your second annual report will cover the full 12 months.

6. Who reads my reports? Your program officer is the person who will read your report most thoroughly. However, all Annual and Final Reports are also reviewed by the Inspector General, who provides independent oversight of NSF’s use of funds. Although reports are current serve as internal documents, NSF is under increasing pressure to make these reports available to the public.

ANNUAL REPORT SECTIONS 7. What are the main reporting sections of the Annual Report? Are they the same in the

Final Report? You must complete five main sections in every Annual Report. These sections are called Participants, Activities and Findings, Publications and Products, Contributions, and Conference Proceedings. For the Final Report, the sections are the same, but your responses will be cumulative and summarize multiple years of work.

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8. What is required for me to fill out in the Participants section? You will be asked to list basic information about each person from your organization who worked on the project. You need to provide all staff names, their roles on the project, the amount of time they put in, and what they actually did. Descriptions of the work need only be two or three sentences.

SAMPLE RESPONSE: Marian Pasquale serves as co-PI of the project. She is responsible for the substantive integrity of the project, and designs and conducts professional development activities for the mentors and administrators. She conducts classroom observations of mentors, consults with them on an as-needed basis, serves as the lead staff for study groups, and collaborates with and supports the project's mentor consultant.

For principal investigators and for graduate students, NSF also asks for information about gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and citizenship. If you are working on an Annual Report for subsequent years of the project, you should add any new personnel and update the roles and activities of continuing staff. If a person is no longer on the project, do not delete their name. Use the Review and Revise button to change that person’s hourly commitment and involvement with the project. Next, you will be asked to list all partner organizations that have been involved with your project. NSF is interested in organizations that provided financial or in-kind support, supplied equipment, collaborated on research, or otherwise contributed. These would include any sub-contracts on your grant, including evaluators. Partner organizations might include academic institutions, other nonprofits, commercial firms, or state or local government agencies. Finally, you will be asked to list collaborators. This category overlaps a bit with the previous ones, but should be reserved for collaborators within or outside your organization who have not been previously listed under People or Partner Organizations. Non-formal collaborations with scientists, engineers, or educators can be listed here. If you have no such other collaborators, just click the appropriate button and move on.

TIP: Don’t struggle over the difference between partners and collaborators. Choose the category that makes the most sense to you.

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TIP: We suggest that the People section of the Annual Report be typed directly into FastLane. Because the responses are brief and must be placed in various boxes, the process of cutting and pasting responses can become tedious. Check spelling carefully, as there is no spell check function in FastLane.

9. What is required for me to fill out in the Activities and Findings section?

You will be asked to report Research and Education Activities. Your program officer needs this information to make sure you are making progress toward the goals laid out in your proposal. Think of this section as a chronicle of the things you did during the project year. You should restate the goals and objectives of your project, describe deliverables, and summarize what you have done to achieve these goals. You should tie your comments back to your proposal and mention any change in activities from what was proposed. Program officers are interested in the challenges you faced and how you plan to deal with them. You can include summary data here (like the number of people you have reached, the number of sites you are working with, or number of publications you have produced), but save the data about findings for the next section . If you have tables, graphs, or diagrams that help you present your progress, attach them as a single PDF file to this section. Be sure to refer to each table or graph in your narrative.

SAMPLE RESPONSE: “Pilot testing of the module took place in the spring/summer of 2006. The activity schedule was as follows: Phase 1: Prototypes of activities 1, 2 and 3 were pilot tested in two small independent schools. Phase 2: Eight eighth grade classes, taught by two teachers in Newton Massachusetts Public Schools pilot tested prototypes of activities 1 and 2. Student work was collected from all eight classes, but two classes (one taught by each teacher) were targeted for observation. After these classroom observations and subsequent discussions with students and teachers were processed, changes to the instructional materials were made. Phase 3: The two middle school teachers who piloted the materials in Phase 2 worked during the summer to provide evaluative feedback to the web-site. Revisions to the navigation system and interface were then made based upon this feedback”.

When you are reporting your project activities, describe any challenged you faced and how you dealt with them. In the interest of informing our work in general, Program Officers want to understand common challenges and that emerge from doing this type of work.

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SAMPLE RESPONSE: “Finding time to plan and present the research lesson was challenging and coaches played a

role in keeping some teams on track. Frequently teams needed to be coached to review their goals for student learning and compare them carefully to the activities of the research lesson to ensure that planned tasks would help students reach a learning goal. Teams rarely took the opportunity to complete the actual science asked of the student during the lesson despite suggestions to do so. Many teams needed to be reminded to identify what kinds of student evidence they would collect and to clarify a plan for collecting it. Teams that had student work products to review after a research lesson needed prompting to investigate these materials for evidence of student understanding. Further detail about coaching activities follows in the outline of initial findings”.

Next, you will be asked to describe Major Findings or conclusions that resulted from the activities described above. Your program officer will read this section to assess the results of the project. You should refer to findings from evaluators, being as specific as possible, and attach a PDF of the Evaluator’s Report to this section.

Also keep in mind that this section lays the foundation and provides a context for your subsequent descriptions of products that come out of the project and contributions to the field. All program officers understand that during the first years of a project, there may be few findings to report. In addition, program officers understand that the reporting system at NSF is designed to highlight the work of scientific research, which is heavily based on findings, and may not be well suited to the needs of education. Thus, if you have specific questions about what to report or how to report it, you are encouraged to contact your program officer for advice.

SAMPLE RESPONSE: “The pre-post test for the module was comprised of 16 multiple-choice items. The number of correct responses to the multiple-choice items was summed for an overall score from 0 (no correct answers) to 16 (all correct answers). Overall, students’ test scores were significantly higher after using the module than before use (N=308; Pre: M=7.50, SD=2.82; Post: M=8.75, SD=3.06 out of a possible 16 correct, p=less than .01). Table 4 shows the average pre- and post-test scores overall as well as for each content area. Improvement was statistically significant for all content area including science process skills and geography. One gender difference emerged. Before module use, boys outperformed girls; after module use, boys and girls did not differ.”

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TIP: We suggest that you type up your Activities and Findings sections of the Annual Report in a separate word document, and then copy your text into the appropriate boxes on FastLane. Your entries will be easier to edit in full-page view, and you can also use spell check. Be aware that any formatting that you use in the Word document (bullets, bolding, etc.) will not transfer when you paste your text into FastLane, so try to avoid using them.

Next, you will be asked to summarize any Training and Development work that was undertaken as part of your project. Activities can include those provided for your own staff (e.g., mentoring of post-graduate students) as well as those provided for youth, teachers, or education leaders. Provide descriptions of any training sessions, workshops, or seminars that you conducted. If you reference agendas, calendars or course syllabi in your text, attached these documents to either the Activities section or use the Attach File box found on the main page of the Reporting System Control screen. (See Using FastLane)

SAMPLE RESPONSE: “Contributions to training and development of practicing teachers through action research in the form of collaboration on curriculum and assessment development began in the spring of 2003 and have continued until the end of the project. The curriculum offers two important kinds of support for teachers: 'just-in-time' professional development materials and extensive student assessments with scoring rubrics. The professional materials include background science information, tips for working with the satellite images, clear statements of standards and learning goals, strategies for addressing students' misconceptions, and Web-based resources that can further teachers' understanding.”

Finally, you will be asked to report on Outreach Activities. This section is reserved for activities undertaken to reach out to members of the community who are not usually aware of your activities. These activities might include presentations to informal communities or schools, or work with other projects or other institutions. If you have no such activities to report, just click “Nothing Significant (Yet)” and move on.

SAMPLE RESPONSE: “We have undertaken several outreach activities thus far. The first has been to prepare a 'Highlights' document to be used by NSF to communicate project progress. Secondly, the work of the project was presented by senior staff in a variety of sessions at the end of at the NSTA National Conference in New Orleans. In addition, a final contract has been negotiated with Heinemann for publication of the full product in early 2009.”

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10. What is required for me to fill out in the Publications and Projects section? In this section, you will be asked to report tangible products that came out of your project. Included here would be published articles, books, online materials, videos, databases, or software products. Be advised that NSF is not looking for a long list but, rather, wants to see major publications that reflect the work of the specific project. You will be asked what type of product you are reporting, and asked to provide specific types of information about it.

TIP: The Publications and Products section of the FastLane reporting system looks a little bit different from other sections. Here, you must select one of four tabs on an index and then enter information about your product. We suggest that you type the information directly into FastLane, since there are multiple boxes that request different tidbits of information.

If you presented a paper at a professional conference, but that paper was never published, you can list the presentation itself under the “Other” tab in the index. Many writers also report their presentations under Activities.

If you presented a paper that was printed and distributed as part of a Conference Proceedings publication, save it for a special section later in the report.

TIP: Program officers will appreciate if you take the time to input each publication in the appropriate tab rather than send a list as an attachment. Supplemental documents are harder for them to view and search, so we suggest you include as much information as you can in the core of your report.

11. What is required for me to fill out in the Contributions section?

The Contributions section can appear overwhelming. There are five questions, each asking you to report on what and how your project has contributed to the field. Remember, these questions are designed to cover all of NSF’s projects, not just those in the EHR division, and education-based projects will rarely have responses to all of them.

TIP: Don’t struggle over which contribution should be mentioned under each heading. Just make sure that they are described somewhere in the report, and that your program officer is aware of your efforts.

First, you are asked to describe contributions within your discipline. For most DR-K12 projects, contributions within discipline would include those that further understanding within your specific domain (e.g., science education, math education, afterschool, ELL, etc.).

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Results that may have potential implications across domains would be reported as contributions to other disciplines.

SAMPLE RESPONSE (first paragraph): “While the main priority of this project is to contribute to the math education world, we believe our findings have great value for educators representing other academic disciplines, as well as the overall areas of professional development and capacity building in general, and induction programs, pre-service, and mentoring programs, in particular.”

Next, you are asked to describe Contributions to Human Resources Development. Many DR-K12 projects include dissemination of new educational materials, efforts to improve teacher retention, and initiatives that aim to expose and engage young people to science and technology. These types of activities, all of which contribute to the human-resource base for science and technology, should be described here. Only include activities that have not been described in other sections of the report.

Next, you are asked to describe Contributions to Resources for Research and Education. If you have been involved in the creation of new facility or lab, have founded a new society or organization, or have produced an electronic information resource, you should report it here. Again, you should only include items that have not been described in other sections of the report.

Finally, you are asked to describe Contributions beyond Science and Technology. Examples provided by NSF include contributions to the environment, commercial technology, public health and safety, solution of social problems, or other aspects of public welfare. If you have information that has not been reported elsewhere, include it here.

12. What is required for me to fill out in the Conference Proceedings section?

The Conference Proceedings section is a recent addition to the Annual Report. Use this section to list articles that you wrote and were published as part of the Conference or Society Proceedings. You will be asked to choose your specific Conference Proceedings Publication from a list provided by NSF. If your conference is not listed in the NSF resource, you can go back and type in your presentation into Publications and Products.

TIP: The new Conference Proceedings section of the FastLane reporting system works differently from other sections. In this section, you are not required to type in the author, title, conference name, etc. Instead, you search for the specific conference and choose it from a database provided by NSF.

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WRITING THE REPORT

13. Are there minimum expectations for the length of each section? There are no minimum or maximum requirements for Annual Reports. However, program officers we spoke with suggested that a good goal for a final report might be 20 pages, the bulk of which will be dedicated to Activities and Findings.

14. What writing style should I use? How much detail?

Annual and Final Reports should be written in a style that is informative and that engages the reader. One program officer used the term “newspaper style.” The report should tell the story of what your project did. Try to help your program officer understand your project by providing context for important points and being explicit about progress—where you have come from and where you are heading. Program officers want to really understand the details of what’s going on in your project so that they can advocate for you and describe your work to others at NSF.

15. Are there limits on the size and amount of attachments I can send?

There is no limit to the size of files attached to Annual and Final Reports. Just be sure that all documents are referenced with your narrative and add real value to your report. In addition to the tables and graphs that support your narrative, attachments might include Evaluator’s Reports (both internal and external), Advisory Board Reports, copies of awards received, and photos. Products such as commercial publications, CD-ROMs, DVDs, or software can and should be sent directly to your program officer at NSF.

TIP: Supplemental documents are harder for program officers to view and search, so we suggest you include as much information as you can in the core of your report.

16. Do I always need to include an evaluators report with my Annual Report?

It is ideal to send any evaluation documents as an attachment to your Annual Report. However, evaluation documents can be sent to your program officer at any time, and he or she can upload them electronically to your Report.

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17. What format should my attachments be in? The following file types are recommended for use on FastLane:

Extension File Type

.doc Microsoft Word

.eps Encapsulated PostScript file

.gz TeX to PDF compiler (archive)

.pdf Adobe Acrobat Distiller 3.x or higher

.ps PostScript file

.rtf Rich Text Format

.txt Text file

.wpd WordPerfect file

.xls Excel workbook (single worksheet only)

.ppt PowerPoint presentation

18. What might cause my report to be “Returned to PI,” not approved by my program officer?

Annual Reports are often returned to you because they are not well organized or clearly written. Program officers are looking for internal consistency within the document, and expect all attachments to support the main body of the report. In addition, reports may be returned if they fail to address and make clear connections to the research questions posed in the original proposal.

REPORTING CHANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR 19. How do I incorporate last year’s information (without repeating it) so that this year’s

report builds/elaborates on it in context? When you begin the process of completing your Year 2 or 3 annual reports, you may notice that the previous year’s information has remained in the boxes. You should edit and summarize the information from previous years and then add your information for the current year. Program officers want to be reminded of previous years work, but do not want to re-read the entries from earlier years. They have your previous year’s reports on file, and have most likely re-read them before starting to review your newest report.

20. If I had made changes to my original proposal plan, how and where do I report those

changes? Major changes in scope or objectives of your original proposal would be reported under Special Requirements, but any changes of this type should have been discussed and cleared with your program officer long before being mentioned in the report.

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21. If my project gets an extension (cost or no cost), when is my final report due? If you receive an extension, you should submit an Annual Report for what would have been your final year and then submit a Final Report within 90 days of the end of the extension period.

USING FASTLANE 22. How do I navigate through the six main reporting sections of the report?

From the Reporting System Control screen (shown below), you can access any of the major reporting sections, in any order you prefer.

PREPARE REPORT

Participants

Activities and Findings

Publications and Products

Contributions

Conference Proceedings

Special Requirements

CHECK AND SUBMIT REPORT

Attach File

Check Completeness

Review and/or Submit

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Review Facts and Contacts

Review Past Submissions

Assign or Change PIN

Until you are experienced enough with this project reporting system to have a good feel for it, we advise that you advance through each section screen-by-screen, from start to finish. Once you get the hang of the system, use the navigation boxes at the top left of most screens to skip around in any order more convenient or logical for you. The yellow box on the left of the Reporting Control Screen shows the main sections of the system, with the section you currently are in shown in bold, black capitals.

23. If I have technical problems, who can I contact?

The FastLane Help Desk operates from 7 am to 9 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. They can be reached at 1-800-673-6188.

Online FastLane help is available at the following address: https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/NSFHelp/flashhelp/fastlane/FastLane_Help/fastlane_help.htm#fastlane_faqs_introduction.htm?areaIndex=5

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24. Can I save and not submit? Yes, as you are moving through the Reports system, you will be prompted to “Save and Continue” after completing each section. The sections are not submitted to NSF until you return to the first page of the Reporting System Control screen and select the “Review and/or Submit” button. You can also check your Report for completeness before submitting.

TIP: Remember to save your report often as you are working, especially if you leave your computer. Long periods of inactivity may cause you to be logged off the system.

25. Can I “unsubmit” my Report?

In FastLane, you can unsubmit your report, make corrections, and resubmit it as many times as you like, until the NSF program officer has acted on it. During this window of time, you will see a blue “Unsubmit” button on the right-hand side of the Projects Reports System main page (shown below) for that particular grant. Once your program officer has acted on your report, the unsubmit option is no longer available.

References:

NSF FastLane website

“Capturing the Richness of Your Project’s Work in Your Reports to NSF”, ITEST Learning Resource Center

Personal communication with selected NSF Program Officers and Principal Investigators on NSF funded projects.