Effective October 27, 2024, NSF has mandated that all external users must use a multifactor authentication (MFA) method to sign into Research.gov.
This new requirement will have an important and substantive impact on proposal submission processes.
Impacted PI Responsibilities
For every proposal submitted to the NSF, the PI will now have sole responsibility to perform the following tasks for each proposal:
• Log into research.gov and initiate the proposal by selecting the appropriate NSF solicitation and completing known information in the cover sheet;
• Add your assigned PDO Proposal Coordinator (PC) as an "other authorized user" to assist with uploading and organizing required proposal documents;
• Update access under “Proposal Actions” to allow the SPO/AOR to review and submit the proposal.
Please note: Proposal Coordinators no longer have permission or technical access to perform these actions, per NSF’s new policy.
Below you will find more information about these tasks and links to step-by-step documentation on how to do them.
But please feel free to reach out to the Proposal Development Office <NCSA-PDO@mx.uillinois.edu> with any questions or concerns, as this will be a learning experience for all of us.
Logging on with 2FA
This is now a requirement for access to research.gov. This means that only PIs can log on and perform tasks that are assigned to them.
The PDO recommends logging in using Organization Credentials to take advantage of the existing shibboleth method.
Note: PIs must set up this log-in method before creating any proposals. So please don't want until you are ready to submit before setting this up.
NSF provides an FAQ about this here.
Initiating the Proposal
Only individuals with a Principal Investigator (PI) role can initiate new proposal records, including renewals, in Research.gov. You will need to select the submission type, specific funding opportunity, relevant directorate, and enter various proposal details.
After the record has been created, the PI can add co-PIs, Other Senior Personnel, and Other Authorized Users (OAUs), to assist with proposal preparation.
NSF provides step-by-step guidance on this process here.
You can also practice creating the record via their demo site.
Adding Your PC as an Other Authorized User
PDO staff should be added to your proposal record as an Other Authorized User (OAU), so that we can assist with proposal preparation, including further managing personnel and subawards, uploading documents, and managing the proposal record.
You add your assigned Proposal Coordinator by selecting "Manage Personnel" from Proposal Actions within the record, and entering their email in the relevant place.
NSF provides step-by-step guidance on adding Other Authorized Users here.
You can also practice managing personnel and adding other authorized users via their demo site.
Updating Access for SPO/AOR Permissions
Once the proposal is ready for review by campus, the PI must log in to the record and share the proposal with the relevant SPO/AOR (their terminology for our SPA office). This will allow staff at SPA to review the proposal and submit it to NSF.
Note: the proposal cannot officially be submitted to NSF until this is step is complete.
If a co-PI has been added, the co-PI can also share the proposal or proposal file update/budget revision with the SPO/AOR. But the Proposal Coordinator does not have permission to complete this step.
NSF provides step-by-step guidance on adding SPO/AOR permissions here.
You can also practice sharing the proposal with your SPO/AOR via their demo site.
If you have any questions or run into any trouble with the above steps, please reach out to the PDO for support.