FastLane Proposal
Preparation 101
For Faculty and Staff
Starting to use NSF’s
FastLane
June 2000
The Basics - Or What is Needed to
Start With...

Workstation Software requirements:
 Browser
 Netscape
3.0 or above
 MSIE 4.01 or above
 PDF
file generator
 Adobe
Acrobat or Distiller 3.01 or above
 Aladdin Ghostscript 5.10 or above
 Adobe
Reader
Without these elements, you will be unable to fully
utilize FastLane
Proposal Preparation Topics
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Overview of the FastLane website
Getting Started
Logging Into FastLane
Introduction to Proposals
PDF and FastLane
Submitting the Proposal
FastLane Website
URL:
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/
Contains a wealth of information
from institutional registration to
“how-to” use the system to
deadline dates to award searches
to……..
FastLane Website
FastLane Test Server

FastLane Development
Website
(https://www.fldev.nsf.gov),
will allow you to simulate
most of the FastLane
features.
(It is a good way to “test
drive” FastLane. Don't
change the information on
the login screens. Simply
click on the login button to
use the option.)
Where to Get Started

Access the FastLane
web site at:
(https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov)

Under the PI & Co-PI
Functions, click on
Proposal Preparation to
log into FastLane
 Or
use NEW function to
edit PI Information
PI Edit Information

This function allows
those individuals who
are in the NSF PI
database to modify their
personal information
 Login
using Last
Name, SSN, and
FastLane Password
PI Edit Modifies….

The types of information
the PI Edit function can
change are:
 Name
 Address
(including
organizational affiliation
 Phone numbers
 E-mail
 Demographic information
Notes on PI Edit Function

Changes made using this function are
reflected within the Proposal
Preparation function
 PIs
can still use Proposal preparation to
change personal information as well
Logging In From the PI/CoPI Point of View


When working on a
proposal as a PI or CoPI,
complete only the left
side of the Proposal
Preparation screen.
Enter:
Last Name (case
insensitive)
 SSN - no spaces or
dashes
 FastLane Password

Logging In From the Staff Point of View


If you are working on
someone else’s proposal,
complete both sides of
the screen.
Enter:
Your Last Name (case
insensitive)
 Your SSN - no spaces or
dashes
 Your FastLane
Password
 Proposal ID number
 Proposal-specific PIN
(must be assigned by
the PI)

Real Life Proposal Preparation
What Must the PI/CoPI Do Before Staff
Can Help?
 Initiate a Proposal and Assign It A
Proposal PIN
 Provide the Proposal Number and
Proposal PIN to those who need
access to work on proposal
Anyone with a FastLane Password and necessary
information from the PI/CoPI can work on a proposal in
FastLane - however, they cannot start a proposal nor
submit it for institutional review.
PIs Start with PI Information
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Each time a PI logs into
proposal preparation, the first
screen that appears is the PI
Information screen.
Only the PI should edit this
information
To begin work on a proposal,
scroll down, click on Prepare
Proposal OR
Use the Navigation Bar
What’s Covered in Proposal Actions
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Proposal Actions contains
sections on “Temp.
Proposals in Progress” and
“New Proposals”.
The next few slides will cover
proposal actions available to
the PI beginning with the
section on “New Proposals”
(Part 1) and then “Temp.
Proposals in Progress”
(Part 2).
The Navigation Bar allows
the user to go directly to
any section of the system
Proposal Actions - Part 1
New Proposals
 Create Blank Proposal: Initiates a blank
proposal forms kit in FastLane
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Use Template: Initiates a proposal forms kit that
contains information from a prior FastLane
proposal that the PI has specially saved
Special Programs: Some NSF programs require
special forms and formats, so specific buttons
may be set up for these programs
Proposal Actions - Part 2
Temp. Proposals in Progress
 Edit: Work on an existing proposal
 Delete: Delete a proposal in progress - there is
a warning to the PI before the proposal is gone
 Check: Detects missing forms or data that could
prevent the proposal from being submitted (an
essential final step according to FastLane’s
internal checks)
 Save as Template: Saves an entire proposal
forms kit and data entered as a template for
future use
Proposal Actions - Part 2 (continued)
Temp. Proposals in Progress
Allow SRO Access: The PI provide the
following access to their proposal:
Allow SRO or Equivalent to VIEW proposal
but not SUBMIT
 Allow SRO to VIEW and EDIT but not
SUBMIT proposal
 Allow SRO to VIEW, EDIT, and SUBMIT
proposal
 REMOVE all SRO ACCESS to proposal

Allowing SRO Access
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The PI/CoPI can now choose the level of access
they wish to provide to SRO (or equivalent)
The Rest of Proposal Actions
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Print: Allows for viewing and/or printing the
proposal in its final form (laid out in proper NSF
forms)
Proposal PIN: If others are to work on a
proposal, a proposal-specific PIN must be
assigned.
Proposal Initiation and Proposal PIN
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For first-time FastLane PIs, the first action is to
click on one of the buttons in the “New Proposals”
section (usually “Create Blank Proposal”).
Once a proposal has been initiated, then the PI (or
CoPI) can assign a proposal-specific PIN by going
to the “Temp. Proposals in Progress” section,
highlighting the proposal, and clicking on the
“Proposal PIN” button.
Proposal PIN
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Highlight and delete the ****
that appear in the fields (this
is by default and out of your
hands).
Enter and then re-enter a fourcharacter PIN. It can be
numbers or letters or any
combination of the two.
NOTE: Proposal PINs are
caSe-SEnSitive.
If the PIN is forgotten, just go
in and assign a new one to
the proposal.
Hand the Proposal PIN Over
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Once the PIN has been activated, the PI should
provide both the Proposal ID number and the
proposal-specific PIN to the person(s) assisting in
the proposal preparation.
When the person(s) assisting on the proposal log
on as the preparer on someone else’s proposal,
they will automatically see the Form Selector
screen for that specific proposal and nothing else
that the PI has in their FastLane Proposal
Preparation section.
Proposal Forms Run-thru Beginning
with...

The Form Preparation screen lists all the forms
associated with an NSF proposal.
 To
prepare a form, the user can click on GO next to
the form name OR use the Navigation Bar
buttons
 OK or GO BACK  OK
will save changes
 GO BACK will not save changes and return user to
the previous screen
Avoid using the browser BACK arrow -- changes will not
be saved. Always use FastLane’s navigational buttons.
Cover Sheet “Info Bites”
Info Bite No. 1
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The Proposal Cover Sheet
screen is divided into 3
sections:
Awardee/Performing
Organization
 NSF Unit Consideration
 Remainder of Cover Sheet

Info Bite - Detail
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The Cover Sheet contains two types of fields that
will allow you to enter all the information normally
included on the hard copy version……
The type of field available will depend on the
Cover Sheet section being worked on.
 Selectors
are used in the Awardee/Performing
Organization and NSF Unit Consideration
 Fill-In Boxes are used in the section “Remainder of
Cover Sheet”
Info Bite - Detail No. 1
 Selectors:
Provides an index of choices, or a search
interface.
Example: Click on the Add Org. Unit button. An
index should appear allowing for the selection of a
division, directorate, office, or program at NSF to
which the proposal will be submitted.
Note: Items can only be selected one at a time. If
more than two NSF organizational units are chosen,
additional units will be printed on a separate page
Info Bite - Detail No. 1
Boxes: These “boxes” allow for direct input
of typing or cut-and-paste information.
 Fill-In
NOTE: Some fill-in boxes are “smart” - such as
when a program announcement number is entered,
certain special conditions may be triggered within
FastLane which follow the requirements of that
program.
Info Bite No. 2
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Requested Amount: Usually the total requested
amount is drawn automatically from the budget
pages.
NOTE: Sometimes the figure will appear one dollar
more than the total - this is from rounding (done
within FastLane), and is not a concern.
DOUBLE NOTE: A figure can be entered manually
such as in the case of programs requiring preproposals
Info Bite No. 3
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PI or Co-PI/Co-PIs: Whether the individual is a PI
or Co-PI, they must be recognized/registered in
FastLane as a PI.
 The
PI-type person who initiates a proposal is listed
first and considered to be the individual with whom
the project will have primary association.
More Info Bite No. 3
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All PIs/Co-PIs on the project are able to submit
the proposal, prepare no-cost extensions, or
submit a final report using FastLane.
NOTE: You can tell if someone is a PI by entering
their SSN in one of the boxes on the Cover Sheet.
If you do not get an error message when you save
the form, the person is recognized by NSF as a
PI.
It is NSF policy that there can be only 1 PI and at most 4 Co-PIs
on a proposal.
Changing Proposal’s PI
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FastLane now provides
the capability of changing
the “lead” PI on a
proposal and selecting
someone else……..
 Click
on GO button next to
Change PI in Form
Preparation section
Don’t forget the Navigation Bar
to move through the application
Changing Proposal PI

Select a new PI from
the list and click
Change PI
 The
PI can only be
changed to a CoPI
that is already
assigned to the
proposal
Forms in A Non-Orderly Fashion
After the Cover Sheet but before working on the
Budget, Biographical Sketches, or anything else -select the Add/Modify Non Co-PI Senior Personnel.
WHY?
• If they aren’t added here then you can’t add their
names to the Budget forms or upload
Biographical Sketches for them.
Typically a Non Co-PI Senior person is someone who is not
a PI, but who is important to the project - this can include a
sub-contractor.
Budgets
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The first Budget screen is not a budget - Within the Budget Organization Selector screen,
budgets will be created for the primary institution
and for any other institutions/subcontractors that
may be a part of the project as long as the
appropriate institution/subcontractor is selected.
Selecting Budget Organization

To prepare a budget for
an institution, the user
selects the correct
institution and clicks on
“Use” which will bring up
the “Budget Year
Selector” page for that
institution.
Starting the Budget Year Form
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New proposals have no
budget years available in
the pick-list. Click on
Create to open a budget
year form.
Data is saved each time
you
Calculate
 Save

Budget Sections

Once a budget year has been
initiated, the Budget Section
Selector appears. Choose
from:
Senior Personnel - Section A
 Other Personnel - Sections
B,C,E,F,G,H,J-M
 Equipment - Section D
 Indirect Costs - Section I

Copying Budget Years

Select organization
as before
Copying Budget Years

Insert new year for
budget to be copied to
You cannot copy to an
existing year
Spreadsheet Budget Form Facts I
For non-Mac users, specially-coded downloadable
spreadsheets can be used to prepare and save
budgets offline (outside of FastLane).
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To access a spreadsheet template, click on the
Spreadsheet Support button. (The Spreadsheet
Support screen contains all the functions that are
needed to download and upload a budget.)
Information entered in the spreadsheet’s yellow
fields will be uploaded into FastLane
Spreadsheet Budget Form Facts II
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Red fields should not be edited unless you
specifically mean to override the formula
FastLane has coded
Additional rows (for additional PIs, additional
equipment lines, additional F&A rates, or to create
new budget years ) should be created only by
using the buttons provided for this purpose
Spreadsheet Budget Form Facts III
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Senior personnel added in the spreadsheet
template will automatically be added to the Senior
Personnel list (as though the Add Non Co-PI
Senior Personnel form has been used).
If the name of a PI/co-PI is not added within the
template, FastLane will automatically create an
entry within the budget upon upload.
Always save the downloaded spreadsheet file with
a new name (budget1.xls, for example).
Budget Form Facts
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Formulas cannot be entered in the fields
Zeros appear by default and will appear in the final
printout of the budget. (This is beyond the user’s
control.)
The cumulative budget is calculated from the
budget year forms. It is not entered by the user.
PDF and FastLane
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PDF (“Portable Document Format”) files are the
chosen format for most of FastLane’s proposal
components. PDFs will be used for
 Project
Summary
 Project Description (mandatory PDF)
 References Cited
 Biographical Sketches
 Budget Justification
 Current and Pending Support (NSF Form 1239)
 Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources (NSF Form
1363)
PDF and FastLane - the How-To
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The first step is to create your document (typically a
word document).
The second step is to “print” to the PDF Writer. If
you are using MS Word, use the Print selection
within the File menu. Change the printer from your
normal printer to the PDF Writer 3.0 (it should be an
automatic printer choice). Name the file, enter
document information as desired, and click OK
PDF and FastLane - the How-To, Part 2
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Step Three is to find the PDF file within FastLane.
 The
user must return to their browser and click on the
form to be worked on.
 Within
the selected form, if it allows for a PDF file,
there will be a Browse button to locate the drive
where the PDF file is saved.
 Once
the PDF file is located, click on the Transfer
PDF button. After a successful transfer, FastLane
sends a message confirming that the file has been
received.
PDF - “Need-to-Know” Facts

Think of a PDF file as just a “picture” of the
original document. Any changes must be made
to the original and a new PDF file created (and
uploaded) to reflect those changes.
Note: Prior to converting files to PDF, you should embed
fonts. This will ensure that the PDF file can be read on
other computers (Embedding fonts will only work if the
computer which is converting the file to PDF has the
same fonts as the computer where the original file was
created.)
PDF - More “Need-to-Know” Facts
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The quality of a PDF file display depends upon
the capacities of the viewer’s hardware.
 For
instance, if the reviewer is using a 16-color
monitor, they won’t be able to see your 254 millioncolor illustration properly…………..
Consequently, if the color or DPI resolution of an
illustration, chart, or other graphic is essential to
understanding the data it represents, it is
recommended providing physical copies along
with other the other materials that are sent to NSF.
PDF and NSF - A Postscript
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NSF does not currently support the color printing
of FastLane-submitted proposals although some
programs do accommodate this function for the
project description.
Proposers are advised to check with the
cognizant Program Officer prior to proposal
submission to validate whether color printing is
supported.
PDF and FastLane - Important Notes

Due to compatibility problems with Adobe 4.0,
before creating PDF files, you should check NSF’s
FastLane PDF Creation Hints and Pointers:
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/pdfcreat.htm
All Proposal Forms - Summary I

These forms are automatically generated by the
FastLane system:
 Information
About Principal
Investigators/Project Directors (NSF Form
1225)
 Table
of Contents (NSF Form 1359)
 Summary
Proposal Budget (NSF Form 1039)
All Proposal Forms - Summary II

These forms cannot be uploaded as PDF files:
 Cover
Sheet (NSF Form 1207)
 List
of Suggested Reviewers/Reviewers Not to
Include
 Proposal
Classification Form (PCF) for
proposal submitted to the Directorate of
Biological Sciences
All Proposal Forms - Summary III

These forms can be uploaded as PDF files:
 Project
Summary
 References Cited
 Biographical Sketches
 Budget Justification
 Current and Pending Support (NSF Form 1239)
 Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources (NSF
Form 1363)
All Proposal Forms - Summary IV
And, finally 
This form must be uploaded as a PDF
file:
Project Description
Electronic Submission ---
Or the Connection Between PI/CoPI/Dept. and
Institutional Management

The PI must click the
Allow SRO Access
button - which can be
done any time during
the proposal
preparation.

It is recommended that
this be done early in
the process to allow
sufficient time for
institutional review.

When the PI has clicked
the Allow SRO Access
button, a notice is
automatically sent to
those individuals with
the Institutional
Management User
permission to “Submit
Proposals.”
The Submission Process

Allow SRO Access: The PIs/CoPIs can
now provide the following access to their
proposal:
Allow SRO or Equivalent to VIEW proposal but
not SUBMIT
 Allow SRO to VIEW and EDIT but not SUBMIT
proposal
 Allow SRO to VIEW, EDIT, and SUBMIT
proposal
 REMOVE all SRO ACCESS to proposal

Electronic Submission - Part 2

Use the Check button! This is the only “shared”
button that PIs/CoPIs/Department Administrators
and Institutional Management Users have in the
proposal submission process.
 Allows
the FastLane system to review the
proposal and make sure that important
information or forms are not missing.
 The
check returns a report divided into two
sections: items that will not prevent
submission, and items that will prevent
submission.
Electronic Submission - Part 3

The most common error is “There is no Current
and Pending Support form for (name).”
NOTE: If someone doesn’t have current and
pending support, then don’t create a form.

All other errors should be taken seriously and
resolved quickly. Electronic submission cannot
be completed if these errors aren’t fixed.
Electronic Submission - Institutional
Management “side of the house”

Once the email message generated by the
Allow SRO Access button has been received,
the person responsible for submitting the
proposal will then:
 Access
FastLane’s Institutional Management
component
 Select “Submit Proposals to NSF” and click on
the OK button.
 And, begin reviewing the proposal.
The Submission Process Finale - Caveat

The individual responsible for
submitting the proposal will CHECK
with the PI/CoPI/Department for a final
OK before pushing the “Yes” button to
submit - BECAUSE……..
Once the proposal has been submitted,
it’s gone and can’t be changed…..
And, Finally - Just in General

Don’t be fooled by the name. FastLane is not
faster.
 It
does make some aspects of proposal
preparation and project management better,
but the learning curve is steep

Don’t suffer in silence. If something weird
seems to be happening, contact OSR - the
problem may be on FastLane’s end of things,
not yours!