FastLane 101
For Central and
Departmental Research
Administrators with
FastLane Institutional
Management User
Permissions
June 2000
The Basics - Or What is Needed to
Start With...
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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
FastLane Topics
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Overview of the FastLane website
Institutional Components
Modifying and Adding PIs
Submitting Proposals
Using Proposal Status
Post Award Notifications &
Requests
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
Clicking on Requirements and
Deadlines:

Links to up-to-date information
on NSF programs requiring
FastLane submission
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.)
Institutional Management Users

Who are the institutional management users?
In general, they are Authorized Organizational
Representatives. Majority are those who “Add,
Modify, and Delete FastLane Users”,
“Initialize/Change User Password”, utilize
“Institution Reports” and “Administer Notifications
To or Requests For NSF Approvals Under Grants.”
In general, a FastLane User is anyone who needs to access
FastLane to do work for your institution
Research Administration Functions

Login using:
 SSN
number (no
hyphens or
spaces)
 Last
name
(lower case OK)
 Password
Institutional Management Components

Typical Institutional User
permissions are:
Add, Modify, and Delete
 Initialize/Change User
Password
 Institution Reports
 Submit Proposals


SRO-only User
Permissions include all of
the above and:
Change Permissions
 Administer Notifications
to/Requests For NSF
Approvals Under Grants

Add, Modify, and Delete FastLane Users

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This function allows for
adding users (PI/Co-PI,
Dept administrators, etc.),
modifying (change/update)
user information, and
deleting users from
FastLane.
Begin by retrieving current
listing of FastLane users.

Type in first 2-3 characters
of last name.
Add, Modify, and Delete FastLane Users
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Check for previous listing
If listed, highlight and
click on “Modify” to
update, “Delete” to
remove as a FastLane
user, “Cancel” to return to
menu
If not listed, click on
“Add New User”. (To work
on any component of
FastLane, an individual
must be registered and
have a Password.)
Adding FastLane Users

In order for an individual
to be a PI/CoPI, there
must be a record for that
person in the NSF PI
database.

After completing the
online form, check the
box to see if the person
is in the NSF PI
database
Adding FastLane Users to NSF’s Database
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If the individual is not in the
database, you will be
prompted as to whether or
not to add that individual.
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If you select yes, the add
process is initiated.
NOTE:

You are adding the PIs
directly into NSF's PI
database in real time!
Required Information Needed to Add PI/CoPI
Users
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Name (First, MI, Last)
Highest Degree/Year Conferred
Present Institution
Department
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Social Security Number
Email Address
Business Phone
Fax Number
Required Information Needed to Add
Institutional Users
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Name (First, MI, Last)
Social Security Number
Email Address
Business Phone
Fax Number
This category includes those individuals who may assist
a PI/CoPI in proposal preparation
About Passwords
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FastLane users can change their own
passwords
If a password is initiated or changed by OCGA
or DRAs, the FastLane user is given a
temporary password -- the individual user will
need to change the temporary password to a
more permanent password the next time they
log on to FastLane.
What to Do When A New Password is
Needed….
Access the Initialize/Change User
Password component

When Change User Password
screen appears, type in a
Password twice. (Use Tab key to
move to second box.)
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Click Change Password
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Confirmation screen will appear if
successful
NOTE:

User will be notified by email that
Password has been changed
 Email will not contain Password FastLane does not display
Passwords

Using a New or Modified or
Reset Password
User clicks on desired
PI/CoPI Function
Using a New or Modified or
Reset Password
FastLane User logs in with password
provided by OCGA or Department
Research Associates
Prompt for
changing password
IF USER DOES NOT CHANGE THEIR
PASSWORD, THEY WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO ACCESS ANY FASTLANE
FUNCTIONS
User Initiated Password
Change

ON THEIR OWN
 Any
currently registered FastLane user can
convert their PIN to a password
 Click
on “Change Password” under User
Functions (new component on FastLane home
page.)
User Changing Their Own
Password
To login -- the user
inserts PIN into
Password field
Password Changed by User
Type in password -then re-type to
confirm. Click “OK”
when done.
General Password
Information
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Reuse of Old Passwords
 A password
CANNOT be reused for
three cycles of change
 EXAMPLE:
If the past three passwords used by
an individual are PASS1AB,
PASS2DC, AND PASS3EF -- none
of these passwords can be used the
next time the individual changes
his/her password
General Password
Information

Passwords will Expire at Regular Intervals
 A password
will currently expire 365
days since the last time it was changed
 When
a password has expired, the next
time the person signs on to FastLane,
FastLane will inform the user that the
password has expired and will prompt
the user to provide a new password.
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.
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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.”
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 should then:
 Access
FastLane’s Institutional Management
component
 Select “Submit Proposals to NSF” and click on
the OK button.
The Submission Process
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This screen tells you which
proposals are “in progress”
and which have been
submitted. To start
reviewing a proposal, just
highlight the proposal and
click on the “Check” or
“View” button.
The Submission Process - “Check”
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The “Check” button does
FastLane’s automatic
proposal review. Using
FastLane’s criteria, it will
show whether or not the
proposal is ready for
submission. This example
shows a proposal not
ready for submission.
Click on the “OK” button to
return to “Proposals in
Progress”
Info on the “Check” Function

The Check button 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.
Info on the “Check” Function
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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.
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All other errors should be taken seriously and
resolved quickly. Electronic submission cannot
be completed if these errors aren’t fixed.
Editing in the Submission Process
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If the PI/CoPI has
allowed OCGA or DRAs
either one of the
following - then OCGA
or DRAs can utilize the
“Edit” button and
change the proposal:
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Allow SRO to VIEW and
EDIT but not submit
proposal
All SRO to VIEW, EDIT
and SUBMIT proposal
Editing in the Submission
Process
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Authorized OCGA or DRA
staff selects proposal that
requires editing by
highlighting the proposal
Click on “Edit Proposal”
Editing in the Submission Process
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Select the component to be
edited by clicking either on the
“GO” button or selecting from
the Navigation Bar.
NOTE: ANY editing should
occur only after consultation
with the PI.
The Submission Process Continues
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This is the screen seen
when the “View” button is
clicked. Even though it
says Proposal Printing,
select one of the forms,
click the “OK”, and the
form will appear.
Click on the “Cancel”
button to return to
“Proposals in Progress”
The Submission Process Finale
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When the “Submit” button
is pushed, the Cover
Sheet data form appears.
Click on the “Yes” button
to submit the proposal.
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The Institution info at this
screen location can be
filled out by the
Institutional Mgmt User
The Submission Process Finale - Caveat
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Even if the system says the proposal is ready - it
is recommended that it be reviewed.
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…..
EXCEPT FOR
Administrative “Grace
Period”
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During this grace period, authorized sponsored
project office personnel are allowed to make
administrative corrections to Cover Sheet (NSF
Form 1207) and Budget (NSF Form 1030) data.
These corrections do not include changes to
identified PIs, co-PIs, or other senior project
personnel or anything but the Cover Sheet and
Budget
“Grace Period” Highlights
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The grace period does not extend the
proposal deadline
 If
a proposal deadline is 5:00 p.m.
proposer’s local time, the proposal
must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., and
administrative corrections are
allowed until 6:00 p.m., proposer
local time.
Where to Find Access to
Administrative Corrections…..
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Access to the
Administrative
Corrections utility is
through the "Submit
Proposals to NSF"
function.
Next Steps - Or What Can FastLane Do
Besides Submit Proposals?
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Institutional Reports - Use this tool for checking
the status of pending proposals, upcoming
(overdue) reports, and for compiling information on
NSF proposals/awards for your institution
Post Award Notifications & Requests - The PI
can create a number of standard NSF request and
notification forms and then forward them to the
SRO for submission.
Institutional Reports

Choose the basic type
of report to be
developed
 If
institution has
more than one
component, select
from the “pick list”
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Click on the “OK”
button to proceed
Institutional Reports
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Select type of status of
report or specific
proposal or specific PI
Click on the “OK”
button to proceed
Institutional Reports
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The results allow for onscreen informational
review
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Click on an individual
Proposal # button to
check the status of a
specific proposal
Click on the “Transfer
Data to Spreadsheet”
button to develop Excel
reports
Click on “Return” to go
back to initial Report
screen
Notifications to & Requests for NSF Approval

Choose one of the two
actions available - typically
this is initiated by the PI or
CoPI
Notifications to & Requests for NSF Approval
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This screen is actually
what the PI or CoPI has
generated - showing either
notification to NSF of
approvals granted under
the purview the grantee
organization OR requests
needing NSF’s approval.
NSF sends a confirming
email upon receipt of this
form
And, Finally...Just in General
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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
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Don’t suffer in silence. If something weird
seems to be happening, contact OCGA - the
problem may be on FastLane’s end of things,
not yours!