The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released two important supplements to the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1) along with significant improvements to the NSF Public Access Repository (PAR) and Research.gov reporting systems. These updates introduce new policy requirements, strengthen public access and reporting expectations, and modernize research product workflows.
Effective for awards made on or after: December 8, 2025
Supplement 1 implements several policy clarifications and federal alignment changes affecting proposal preparation, allowable costs, research security, and reporting expectations.
Key changes include:
- Formalized SBIR/STTR Project Pitch requirement before submission of certain proposals.
- Revised Tribal terminology and eligibility language for consistency and inclusivity.
- Restricts NSF funds from going to institutions with agreements with a Confucius Institute in alignment with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
- Restrictions on certain foreign-manufactured drone purchases in alignment with federal security requirements.
- Stronger data sharing expectations: Data supporting NSF-funded publications must be publicly accessible at the time of publication unless a justified limitation is included in the Data Management & Sharing Plan.
- Higher funding thresholds for Planning, RAPID, and EAGER proposals.
- Strengthen language for incomplete and not responsive proposals which are returned without review.
- Aligns Equipment thresholds and reporting requirements for Federally owned property with Uniform Guidance.
- Incorporates new Research Security Training requirements and prohibition of participants of Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs into the main guidelines.
- Updates related to review procedures, foreign support reporting, and research misconduct definitions (including AI-related considerations).
